Election seasons is upon us, as you can tell from the campaign signs appearing in yards around the neighborhood. David Scott recently started a thread on NextDoor with some good information about the legalities of these signs.
If you place a sign in your yard, be sure that it's actually in your yard. It should be located on the near* side of the sidewalk, closer to the home. The far* side of the sidewalk, closer to the street, is the public right-of-way, where placement of such signs is actually illegal.
It's also illegal to place campaign signs on any public property or telephone poles. If you see such signs, you can report them to 311. To file such a report requires that you have a street address as a point of reference.
*Should you have any questions about near vs far, I refer you to this classic 1975 routine from Sesame Street. Grover handles the subject monsterfully.
Bike To The Beach /
On September 28, my husband Cory and I will once again join hundreds of other cyclists in the 4th annual Houston to Galveston edition of Bike to the Beach. This year we will pedal 62 miles in an effort to raise funds and awareness for Autism, the most prevalent developmental disability in the world. If you’d like to support this important cause, you can make a tax deductible donation here: https://my.biketothebeach.org/MelissaMcKee
My goal is to raise $1,000, while this event as a whole will raise more than $250,000 to be used both locally and throughout the state of Texas.
Bike to the Beach is not just the host of charity bike events, but a community made up of individuals, cyclists, local organizations, advocates, philanthropists, corporate companies, and national partners, on a mission together to promote bicycle riding, raise funds, and make an impact on the community affected by autism.
- Melissa McKee, Former WHCA Treasurer
STAR Master Composter Training, Sept 19-22 /
Date and Time: September 19 - 22, 2019
Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Green Building Resource Center, 1002 Washington Avenue
Saturday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm at various locations
Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Green Building Resource Center,1002 Washington Avenue
$60.00 program fee, open to the public.
Visit: MC flier for more information
Lights in the Heights 2019 Logo Unveiled /
As the end of August approaches, all of us are wilted. We are dreaming of cool breezes, color in the trees and the spicy aromas of Fall. The holidays are just around the corner, and the Lights in the Heights Committee is already hard at work.
Before summer vacation, the LITH Committee began working on the 2019 Lights in the Heights logo with Hogg Middle School art teacher Connie Sulewski and students in the Graphic Design Program. The Graphic Design Program at Hogg offers students comprehensive graphic design from conceptual-development through production, using digital technologies. Graphic design students address a variety of design problems while gaining confidence and proficiency working with digital media.
Ms. Sulewski brought over 100 student designs to the LITH Committee and they were all fantastic! The Committee was greatly impressed with the student submissions, and choosing just one logo design was really hard. After much deliberation, the Committee chose a beautiful logo of Holiday Bells wrapped in lights designed by Oli Bayse, who was in 6th grade when she designed the logo.
Congratulations Oli Bayse!
Olivia’s 2019 LITH logo design will be on signs, posters, letters, T-shirts and tree ornaments. The Merchandise sub-committee is organizing pre-sale dates and online orders for all Lights in the Heights merchandise. Melissa McKee and Beth Allen-Brock will be at the WHCA September General Meeting and the November General Meeting to take pre-sale orders for LITH merchandise.
Online orders will be through the WHCA website at www.woodland-heights.org, and plan to start September 10th, closing at midnight, Sunday December 8th. All merchandise will be delivered at Friday Night Lights on Friday, December 13th at the Norhill Esplanade, to take advantage of tax-free savings. Alternate pick-up dates will be the week of December 16th.
Now, add an entry to your calendars to order 2019 Lights in the Heights merchandise!
Happy Fall, Y’all!!
Yard-of-the-Month: 3540 Pineridge /
Our September Yard of the Month has seen many changes over the 38 years its owners Tim Calk and Leigh Owen have lived there. When purchased in 1981, it had one front flower bed of cannas and two hackberry trees in back surrounded by weeds three feet tall. Since those days the owners have seen trees come and go. They discovered after a few years the silver maple and weeping willow they planted didn't prosper, but a 35-year-old magnolia and three-story red oak anchor the front yard.
The current plantings reflect their love of green foliage and colorful flowers, but are showing the effects of summer and will be transitioned to fall when cooler temperatures arrive. Today's plantings in the front and back yards and along the drive include:
loropetalum
sago palms
boxwood
crossandra orange marmalade (a favorite!)
variegated hostas (another favorite)
sedum
golden creeping jenny
verbena
lantana
firebush (hummingbird bush, Hamelia patens)
vitex
sweet olive
banana trees
elephant ear
ficus pumila
magnolia
red oak
And while these plantings are all fine and lovely, it's really about the tomato.
This special tribute to Leigh's hometown occupies the curb at the driveway. Surrounded by a low ground cover of golden creeping jenny, their tomato weighs in at an impressive 660-lbs of solid concrete! A surprise gift from Leigh's sister and brother-in-law, it has more than 300 "twins" occupying sidewalks and lawns in Jacksonville, Texas, the one-time "Tomato Capital of the World."
"We love the Heights and how near we were to the Gulf Publishing Company building on Allen Parkway where we both worked together for more than 25 years," said Tim Calk.
And there are more stories! The tomato may have been what made me stop at first, but if you pause there for a picture and find Tim or Leigh on their porch, ask about the decoration on their door!
Thank you, Leigh and Tim, for sharing the tomato story and your yard.
- Stephanie Riceman, WHCA Director of Beautification
WHCA Statement Of Activity July 2019 /
WHCA Financial Statement
7/1/2019 to 7/31/2019
Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org.
Open House: September 7, 2019 Houston Heights Woman’s Club with the Heights Public Library /
The Houston Heights Woman’s Club welcomes all our Greater Heights Area neighbors to an informal Open House on Saturday, September 7 from 10 am to 12 noon.
Visit our historic clubhouse, learn about our neighborhood community service activities, social events and 119 year old Literary Club. View the latest updates to our beautiful rental venue. Take the opportunity to also learn about the many services offered by our Heights Neighborhood Library who is sponsoring a table at this open house.
What: Houston Heights Woman’s Club’s Open House
When: Saturday, September 7, 2019; 10:00 am – 12 noon
Where: HHWC Clubhouse, 1846 Harvard Street
Wear: No need to dress up - this is a come as you are event
Questions? info@houstonheightswomansclub.com
Or visit our website http://www.houstonheightswomansclub.com
Upcoming I-45 Workshops /
The City and its technical team are gathering input to develop alternative designs and make recommendations to TXDOT and has developed an interactive map that can be accessed here. Please join Council Member Cisneros for the upcoming COH Planning Department Workshops on the IH-45 project. More info here. Additional workshops are being scheduled for late Sept./early Oct. (TBD).
Tuesday, 8/13/19, 6 pm - 7:30 pm, Optional intro at 5:40 pm
Harris County Dept. of Education, 6300 Irvington Blvd.
Accessible by METRO 79
Focus on Segment 2 & 3-North (I-610 to I-10 & I-10 to US-59)
Thursday, 8/15/19, 6 - 7:30 pm, Optional intro at 5:40 pm
Aldine Ninth Grade School, 10650 North Freeway
Accessible by METRO 56, 59, 99
Focus on Segment 1-North (Beltway 8 to N. Shepherd)
Saturday, 8/17/19, 10 am - 11:30 am, Optional intro at 9:40 am
Burrus Elementary School, 701 E. 33rd St.
Accessible by METRO 44 & 56
Focus on Segment 1-South (N. Shepherd to I-610)
Watching Out For Street Trees /
A live oak lost in the 500 block of Bayland Avenue.
You may have noticed that one of the much-loved Live Oaks on Bayland Avenue was recently taken down. Several neighbors noted this as it was about to occur. While we're saddened by the loss of the majestic oak, we are happy to report that, according to the COH Forester, the tree in question was properly permitted for removal due to structural problems.
If you witness the removal of trees from street easements, please call 832-395-7100 immediately so the Houston Parks Dept can check for permits and avoid unnecessary street tree loss. This phone line is answered 24 hours a day.
For all other non-emergency street tree service requests please call 3-1-1 (713-837-0311).
Yard of The Month: 728 Usener /
Our August Yard of the Month is 728 Usener, home to Daniel Rueda for more than twenty years. It is thoughtfully tended with help from David Bartula (Luxury Lawns), sourcing locally, mostly from Buchanan's and statues from Joshua's. Plantings are chosen to be low maintenance, capable of withstanding our melting climate, and high impact, with florals taking turns to pop seasonally.
Through his yard you will find:
Yaupon Holly for a little shade
Asparagus Fern
Purple Potato Vine provides the tiered entry along a rare Houston hill
Agapanthus
Periwinkle
Canna Lily in a lovely salmon hue
Rudbeckia, showing off now in deep summer, is a yellow flower similar to Black Eyed Susan. Daniel's took off from a single planting and fills in so nicely.
Along the east side of his yard, springing from the hardy jasmine ground cover, are beautifully twined purple-bloom Wisteria.
On the west side, in a tricky spot with heat and shade, is a sweet-scented Mountain Laurel.
Years ago a neighbor had suggested having a theme of Red Bud trees lining their block, so in the spring they are on display.
In winter, pansies continue to make his yard vibrant and bright, sometimes complemented by purple kale.
Thank you for sharing your yard with us this month!
- Stephanie Riceman, WHCA Director of Beautification
We have a new sign to recognize Yard of the Month! /
Many thanks to our neighborhood’s own Stella Espinosa for sharing her talents and initiative with this lovely design, and to Mary Hayslip at 118 Alma for sharing her yard and making our community even nicer.
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
Want To Ride Into The Future? /
Houston METRO is bringing the autonomous shuttle to Houston for the first time! The Easy Mile autonomous shuttle is a fully automated, 12 passenger (6 seating/6 standing), all electric vehicle to transport students, faculty staff on an one-mile closed loop route along TSU’s Tiger Walk.
Houston METRO is offering free tours to ride the autonomous shuttle! Our goal is to inform and educate the public about autonomous shuttle for future integration into our current services. If you’re interested in a FREE group tour, or would like to know more please email Cindy.Ho@ridemetro.org or call 713-615-7079.
Please keep in mind that a consent form must be signed before touring, if over 18, or a permission form for those under 18.
The following documents detail how to participate in the project, and ride the autonomous shuttle.
Creature Feature: Cooper’s Hawk /
So… you’re walking down the street with your dog or stroller when a dark blur streaks by and a dozen doves explode out of a tree, with the jays who witnessed the event screaming JAY JAY JAY! What just happened? Chances are good that a Cooper’s Hawk is to blame and that he or she may now be enjoying a meal.
“Coops” are becoming increasingly at home within the Woodland Heights, with these woodland hawks moving into neighborhoods to offset impacts of habitat loss. Coops lurk from hidden perches in trees, swooping out to snatch birds, squirrels, rats, bats, reptiles and insects. All but the tiniest pets are safe, with Cooper’s Hawks weighing in at less than a pound and unlikely to tackle anything bigger than themselves.
Though we may feel bad for those who are eaten, the balance of nature requires these ongoing interactions of prey and predator, as is beautifully illustrated in the new movie The Biggest Little Farm. And the risks work both ways, with the Coops’ method of hunting resulting in injuries that give them an average lifespan of just one year – not good for a species that doesn’t breed until its second year.
As a result, most of the Coops you’ll see are young birds, which have a brown back and wings, and brown streaks running down the white breast and belly. Adults have a slate gray back and wings, with orangey barring across the breast and belly. Coops of all ages have a very long tail with broad brown and gray bands. Photos taken in Woodland Heights and White Oak Park display the progression from nestling, to juvenile, to adult.
Want to learn more about the birds of the ‘hood? Check out the Bayou City Birding resources of the White Oak Bayou Association at WhiteOakBayou.org/resources-and-zines and take part in the monthly bird survey at Woodland Park.
- Wendy Wright
Nominate a Bird of Houston by July 15, 2019 /
Recommended by City Counselor Karla Cisneros at the July WHCA general meeting. What's your vote for The Bird of Houston? https://houstonaudubon.org/birding/birdofhouston.html
Official symbols reflect the cultural heritage & natural treasures of areas. Countries and states recognize emblems like flags, birds, flowers and seals; and every city has its own unique spaces and things residents cherish. At Houston Audubon we treasure birds, people, and natural landscapes, and we are proud to be a part of the Houston community.
Join us in celebrating Houston by helping us select a bird species that represents our bayou city. We take pride in our hometown and we want to hear from our fellow Houstonians which bird inspires or connotes emotion or thought when you think of Houston.
Is it the Great Blue Heron foraging along the bayou or the Great-tailed Grackle scoping out the local HEB parking lot? We want to hear from you!
Nomination period ends July 15, after which we will narrow the submissions to the top 8 birds based on votes. The winner will be determined via brackets beginning on July 22. This will include head-to-head voting in 7 different rounds (with 3 days of voting for each round) until we have the winner. All of this will be happening right here, so be sure to bookmark this page! We'll announce the winning bird at the beginning of our 50th anniversary Bird Week festivities (September 21 - 28, 2019).
WHCA July General Meeting Reminder /
WHCA General Meetings are usually held at one of the public schools in the neighborhood. However, when school is not in session these locations are not available. Happily, our newly minted bylaws give us the flexibility of holding the meeting at a nearby establishment. So, for the very first time, we are pleased to announce that the next WHCA General Meeting will be held:
Tuesday, July 9th at 7pm
in the back meeting room at
A 2nd Cup, 1111 E 11th St
The agenda:
TXDOT have hosted a number of public meetings recently, trying to sell their I-45 Expansion plan and collect Public feedback. You very likely received a TXDOT flier in the mail his past week.
Jim Weston, President of the I-45 Coalition, a WH resident with a long history of tracking the project, will present an independent summary of the state of the current plans.
Leann Mueller will present about a local effort to promote slower, more careful driving in the Greater Heights. She leads a local instance of a larger, national effort promoting adoption of 25 MPH as a speed limit in residential neighborhoods.
Also:
As usual, there will also be updates from the WHCA board of directors.
This meeting is your bi-monthly chance to have your voice heard. Like something that we've done? Come say so! Don't like something? Well, we need to know. Have suggestions for something that should be done? Most definitely let it be known.
We hope to see you there!
Tracking Crime in Woodland Heights /
If you look on NextDoor you might sometimes get the impression that crime is rampant in Woodland Heights. However, things you find there don’t paint a complete picture of what actually occurs in the neighborhood. Happily, there is a way that you can find out what’s going on using CrimeReports.com.
CrimeReports.com view of Woodland Heights incidents May 27 - June 26, 2019.
The data on CrimeReports is sent on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis from more than 1000 participating agencies to the CrimeReports map. Each agency controls their data flow to CrimeReports, including how often they send data, and which incidents are included. With regard to WH, you’ll find information from HPD and the Harris County Sherriff’s Department.
According to HPD:
CrimeReports is the nation's largest collection of law enforcement agencies committed to transparency, public access, and citizen engagement. The Houston Police Department has partnered with CrimeReports to provide public access to data from original crime reports entered into the Houston Police Department’s Record Management System within the last 180 days. The crime data is updated every 30 minutes and represents basic/general information for incidents within the City of Houston.
With everything shown on a map, you can drill down to a specific date and location to see what was reported. Incidents are marked for the type of activity, including; assault, break & enter, theft, theft from vehicle (by far the most common in WH), property or drug-related crime.
At the time this summary was generated there were just 7 incidents reported for the preceding month, including; (6) theft from a vehicle and (1) case of vandalism. You can drill down further, to get a better understand of patterns. For example, what days of the week or times of day does most crime occur?
The site also has some novel features. For example, you can register that fact that you have one or more surveillance cameras. That allows law enforcement to know who might be able to help provide evidence of events nearby.
You can also create an alert, so you’ll be notified when something is reported in a specific target area.
It’s easy to get all wrapped up in anecdotal reports that paint a bleak and depressing picture. I’ve found the hard data presented at CrimeReports.com to be a welcome insight into the reality of the situation.
While on the subject of crime…have you signed up for the WHCA Constable Patrol Program? The program ensures that Harris County Constables are on patrol in WH for 80 hours/each week. The availability of the constables dramatically reduces response times when you need their assistance.
Yard-of-the-Month sign has gone missing again! /
It seems that the WHCA Yard-of-the-Month sign has gone missing again! It's last known perch was on the 900 block of Merrill. We need it back! If someone grabbed it, perhaps to prank a neighbor, we'd be happy just to see it returned to where they found it. No questions asked.
If you see it, please let us know where so we can collect it. You can email newsletter@woodland-heights.org or send us a message via the WHCA Facebook page.
- Michael Graves
WHCA 4th of July Parade Cancelled /
The shuffling of the WHCA schedule, moving the Annual General Meeting from March to May and restructuring the board of directors, has had a number of knock-on effects, some unanticipated. In this case, a shortage of time and volunteers has forced the cancellation of the 4th of July Parade.
In the past, organizing the event had been the responsibility the President-Elect, a position that has been eliminated on the new WHCA board of directors. Harry McMahon, President, says that going forward, the event will be organized by the Director of Membership, so we can expect its triumphant return in 2020.
Yard-of-the-Month: 118 Alma /
I love wandering the neighborhood and admiring our fine old homes and the gardens that surround them. One of my favorite walks is Germantown, an area just east of Houston Avenue and bordering I-45 settled by German immigrants in the late 1800’s.
A few years ago, I discovered a wonderful Queen Anne cottage (c1915) and garden at 118 Alma. I knew immediately that the resident was an artist. The evidence is everywhere. The large picture of a beloved pet mounted on the wall of the front of the house protected by the porch, the planters made out of tires, the mosaics on the fence, the jars filled with various colored water that adorn the flower beds, and the amazing topiary that spells out the artist’s last name, H-A-Y-S-L-I-P.
Mary’s great-grandparents moved into the house on Alma in 1920. Mary has lived in the home since 1974. Take a walk and come to see Mary Hayslip’s garden and art. There are memories here among the flowers and trees in our Yard-of-the-Month.
Creature Feature: Yellow-crowned Night-Herons /
They came back and are doing well!!! The Yellow-crowned Night-Herons that is. The Live Oak trees on Bayland hosted a large number of nests this year, with the birds having built only a few nests along the avenue during the past few years – probably as a result of the aggressive tree trimming performed by a city contractor in 2015 while the trees were filled with nestlings. This year, each block of Bayland that provides a full canopy averaged two nests, with an average of two to three chicks from each nest in the process of leaving the nests – or “fledging.”
For the next couple of weeks, we’ll see the fledglings walking around (please drive mindfully) and making short flights around the neighborhood as they build up their strength. Soon, they’ll be easy to spot along the banks of the White Oak Bayou, feeding on a wide assortment of crayfish and other crustaceans, fish, frogs, toads, insects and even the occasional snake. If you look carefully, you’ll also be able to spot Yellow-crowns roosting in trees in White Oak Park and Woodland Park. In the fall, most will leave the area, heading to wintering grounds along the coasts of Mexico and Central America.
Yellow-crowns take on many looks, with the full adult plumage not achieved until the third year. Young birds are mostly brown with white markings. Gradually, they’ll morph over to a slate gray color scheme, with the flashy black-and-white facial markings of the adults added last. A series of photos taken in the neighborhood and along the bayou illustrates the transformation from quasi-dinosaur to svelte adult to ancient mystic.
If you’d like to know more about the birds you can find in the Woodland Heights and along the bayou, check out the Bayou City Birding Zines and Posters that can be downloaded from the website of the White Oak Bayou Association at WhiteOakBayou.org/resources-and-zines. The first of these zines features the Yellow-crowns and five other herons and egrets that can usually be spotted along the bayou.
- Wendy Wright