Help Wanted: Delivering WHCA Newsletters

The latest WHCA newsletter with all the info about the coming Home Tour is ready for distribution. The printed goods have been sorted into folders block-by-block and are now ready for pickup.

If you are able to help us deliver these goodies please use the following link to access the Sign-Up Genius project (it's free!) Once logged in you can select which blocks you'd like to commit to delivering.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c4bafaf2ca7f85-february

After you sign-up you'll receive an email with guidance on where to collect the goods.

Only a handful of people have signed up so far. We have 2100 newsletters to deliver to 197 blocks. It's a big job and we need your help!

Update: Sunday, March 8th @ 4pm - Currently just a handful of people have signed-up to deliver to 90 of 197 blocks in Woodland heights. That’s just 46% of the neighborhood!

Seeking Volunteers for Home Tour 2020

The Home Tour Committee is seeking volunteers to work as docents the weekend of Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29. Docents guide tour-goers through their assigned home. Docent Shifts are three hours long; noon to three and 3 to 6. It’s very easy to do and it’s fun.

Volunteers will be given a ticket to the home tour so they can see the other homes.

A Home Tour Highlight: 3524 Pineridge

Clair Hedgcoxe purchased 3524 Pineridge in 2010 – her first home. Several years in, with several high-dollar projects popping up for the 1923 house, she weighed the various alternatives and decided to renovate.

“I love my location,” she said, “and I knew I wanted to add a master suite to my home. The cost of purchasing a home with those specs in my area were out of my budget. So, I instead got to build my ‘dream bungalow.’ Having lived in the house for six years prior to reno made it very easy to know how I lived in the home and how I wanted to expand the space.”

For cooking and entertaining, she created a bigger kitchen by incorporating an unused third bedroom and added access to a small courtyard.

“The kitchen is now my favorite room!” Clair says.

Why renovate vs. build a new home?
For me, it is very important to protect the city’s historic character and architectural heritage. Living in Woodland Heights provides so many examples of beautiful historic homes, and I wanted my home to represent both the past and the future of this neighborhood. Renovating allowed an opportunity to keep the integrity of the traditional craftsman-style “bones” of the home, while adding spaces the modern homeowner requires today. I hope the end result inspires others.

What was your experience?
Just like any renovation, there are always surprises when opening old walls. Behind the sheetrock in the living room revealed wallpaper from a day gone by! I did my best to keep as many original items as possible. Seventeen of the windows are original! Some concessions had to be made in the overall design to accommodate the attributes of an older home, such as lower ceiling heights, asymmetrical windows, and smaller room sizes, to name a few.

Who did you hire to do the renovation?
Lucas Craftsmanship. The whole team at Lucas was very easy to work with and great communicators. The key word is in the name – Craftsmanship! They built custom cabinetry to maximize space and keep the design aesthetic cohesive. I wanted to keep the original long-leaf yellow pine flooring throughout the home and Lucas found a source for reclaimed flooring that matched the existing flooring. It’s wonderful to work with a contractor willing to take the extra time and energy needed when renovating a 100-year-old home.

Did you use an interior designer?
Hallie Henley Design. Owner and Heights resident, Hallie Sims, is a wonderful talent and very thoughtful designer. Having a professional eye for just the right placement of light fixtures and space planning is crucial. Hallie seamlessly blends antiques with new pieces in every space she touches!

Would you do it again?
Absolutely! I enjoyed the entire process -- from working with Morningside Architects on the architectural design, to spending time with the carpenter creating custom cabinetry designs. Seeing the space transform was incredibly rewarding and I feel more connected to the house because of it. The home will always have some extra character. The floors creak. The windows rattle during big thunderstorms. The doors contract and expand. The house breathes, as if it’s just as alive as the inhabitants. And that seems fitting for a house that has seen 100 years of life in Woodland Heights!

WHCA February Newsletter Advance Edition

Pssst! Hey, buddy. C’mere a minute. I know you. I’ve seen you around these parts before. You’re a neighbor, right?

You look like the kind person who likes to be in-the-know. Y’know. A little ahead of the crowd. Clued in, right!

I can help you out in that regard. You see, I happen to know that the next WHCA newsletter is off being printed right now. But I know a guy, who knows a guy. Y’know. I got a special advanced copy. All PDF-like for people who knows computers and stuff. Just click the picture of the cover over there.

You can thank me later.

Don’t Let Our Constable Patrol Die on the Vine!

When the time comes and you need the Constable Patrol, think of this. Our Woodland Heights neighborhood has nearly 2,250 residences. The Constable Patrol is funded by just over 400 residences. To interject some ugly facts, last year Constable Patrol subscriptions fell significantly short of covering the cost of our two-shift patrol and, without better participation from the Neighborhood, will likely be the same this year. For these two years, the WHCA has made up the difference from its general funds. Without an increase in subscriptions, it is likely the Board will be forced to reduce costs by cutting the current two-shift patrol to a one-shift patrol. How is that making our neighborhood safer?

Now for the good news. There is no doubt, the more the merrier. The cost for the two-shift patrol is spread among the subscribers. If subscriptions increase sufficiently, the per household cost will go down. At the current cost of the Constable Patrol, it would take an additional 150 subscriptions to reduce the cost by $50 or about 260 additional subscriptions to reduce it by $100. That’s just 660 residences out of 2,250! In round numbers, 30 percent of the Neighborhood! I think that is an achievable goal.

Again, 2,250 residences and only 400 current participants. It’s krazy! How can that be? I have given the matter some thought and I think there are four main reasons for the weak rate of participation:

1. Financial necessity

2. Ignorance

3. Inattentiveness

4. Coattails

Let me address all four.

1. Financial Necessity
Fair enough. If you can’t afford the $350 per year, you can’t afford the $350 per year. There is no shame in that, and I can completely understand the numerous situations falling in this category. I feel safe in stating, those of us who are in the position to support the Constable Patrol are more than happy to support our neighbors who may be struggling. No worries.

2. Ignorance
That’s our bad. By “our”, I mean the Board of Directors of the Woodland Heights Civic Association. If you do not know of the good work the Constable Patrol does for our neighborhood, we are not getting the word our effectively.

3. Inattentiveness
Rephrased as, “I just keep forgetting to enroll.” We, the WHCA Board, will have to take a modicum responsibility for insufficient or ineffective reminders. However, we are all adults and responsible for our actions. Please go to https://www.woodland-heights.org/store and enroll. There are numerous options for payment, including good old-fashioned mail, by sending a check to Woodland Heights Civic Association, P.O. Box 7754, Houston, Texas, 77270-7754.

4. Coattails
I am hopeful this is not an elective position taken by members of our Neighborhood. In reflecting on the folks I know residing in the Woodland Heights, I can’t think of any who would consciously take the position of “I can get the use of the Constable Patrol without shouldering my share.” I am optimistic the rest of the neighborhood is the same.

Let’s band together to make this Constable Patrol work for us all. Please participate. Again, go to https://www.woodland-heights.org/store or send a check to Woodland Heights Civic Association, P.O. Box 7754, Houston, Texas, 77270-7754. Enrollment is $350. If you choose the online option, you can opt for auto-renewal and forget the hassle of annual renewals.

- Harry McMahon, President, WHCA

Do You Have The Right Stuff To Help Guide Woodland Heights In The Coming Year?

Have you ever watched some situation occurring in the neighborhood and thought to yourself, “someone should do something about that?” Maybe you could be that someone who makes a difference right here where you live!

The WHCA board has recently cast a nominating committee in preparation for the board elections that will occur at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, May 12th.

In the past, the entire board was elected anew each year. In the interest of continuity, the 2019 revision to the WHCA bylaws stipulates each position is now a two-year term. About half the positions are offset a year, so only half of the board is elected each year.

In 2020, the nominating committee is tasked with finding candidates interested in running for the following positions:

• President

• Director of Security

• Director of Beautification

• Director of Communications

• Director of Deed Restrictions

If you have any interest in stepping up to help guide the WHCA, please reach out to the nominating committee, which is chaired by current WHCA Secretary Alaina Hebert. Committee members can provide insight into the work of the organization and descriptions of the responsibilities of the various positions.

There’s no more direct way to impact the neighborhood than serving on the team that represents Woodlands Heights to other organizations.

- Michael Graves, Director of Communications, WHCA

Yard of the Month: 1116 Euclid St

Jeanette and Dannie Davis have been making things bloom in the Heights nearly all their lives. Jeanette grew up only a couple blocks away, and they are the second family in their home at 1116 Euclid. When they moved to their forever-home in 1976, they were the young ones on the block; now they nurture the neighborhood through all the changes.

Their massive water oak is center stage, and was planted the year their first child was born, more than 35 years ago. Seeing it now, their home looks tiny under its mighty limbs. Their second child was, and is, all about the out-of-doors, and was taking care of their yard and neighbors' yards beginning in elementary school. By high school it was a full job. Today he still keeps his parents' yard beautiful, plus many more in the Heights, and throughout Houston, with White Oak Groundskeeping. He takes after his dad who is always out tidying up neighbors' yards and clearing storm drains. 

Edging into spring, the Davises' yard is alive with hydrangeas, Boston ferns, begonias, cyclamens, and ivy.

Their seasonal yard changes with every holiday, so while these pictures reflect February love, by the time this prints it will surely be lucky green.

Creature Feature: 192 and Counting!

In November 2013, a Bald Eagle flew just overhead as Megan Freemantle and I walked our dogs Freckles and Hope along the hike/bike trail in White Oak Park. I became a birder that day, watching the eagle eat a fish it snatched from the bank of the bayou and remembering how eagles had almost gone extinct in the 1960s.

It may surprise folks to know that the Woodland Heights is a very birdy place, with 192 species reported in the neighborhood, White Oak Park, and Woodland Park during the past ten years. Bald Eagles are spotted periodically, with one having hung out along the bayou for two weeks in March 2018 to the delight of hundreds of people who watched for it.

Bald Eagle

Osprey

The first photo shows an eagle who was working White Oak Park on February 9, 2020. The second photo shows the similar but much more common Osprey, which will continue to fish the bayou through April.

What to learn more about the birds of the ‘hood? Join Jason Bonilla and neighbors for the monthly Houston Audubon bird survey of Woodland Park. The surveys are free, with the next one scheduled for Saturday, March 14 at 7:30AM.

You can also go to the website of the White Oak Bayou Association and download the kid-friendly Bayou City Birding guides that feature birds of the Inner Loop. Now who wants to go find species #193?

- Wendy Wright

Registration Ending Soon for Minute Maid Grand Slam For Youth Baseball!

Boys and Girls Ages 4 - 18
No experience necessary

Minute Maid Grand Slam For Youth Baseball is a community outreach partnership of the Houston Astros, the Astros Foundation, and Minute Maid. Team shirts, baseball caps, and baseball supplies for league and instructional play are provided.

Houston Parks and Recreation Department staff organizes and oversees league play or instructional play opportunities based on number of youth registered at each site. Parents: Volunteer coaches are needed. Training is provided. Please complete Volunteer Application at your closest Community Center.

• Registration: January 2 - February 14, 2020

• Locations: HPARD Community Centers, visit www.houstonparks.org for locations

• Ages: 4 - 18

• Cost: Free

• Program Dates: February 24 - April 4, 2020

• Times: Weekdays after-school and Saturdays

• More Info: 832-395-7261

Houston, We Have a Problem

That problem is the huge homeless pet population. Because it is such a huge problem, it requires people in the community to be educated on the issue and what they can do to help or at least not contribute to the problem.

Always Spay and Neuter - By not spaying or neutering, pet parents are giving the animal a biological imperative to escape and procreate. Even with just a single escape, a male animal could impregnate multiple females. Each of those litters can be 10+ homeless animals. The animals will suffer and those that make it off the streets are the burden of the city or the countless rescue groups.

Fostering - Some cities, like San Antonio, are what you call "no kill", Houston is not. That means that county/city shelters must take in all animals that the community brings in but has limited kennel space. That means when the kennels are full, they have to start making space by euthanizing. By fostering, you can make space in the kennels and give the pet a chance to find their forever home. You can foster directly through the shelter or work with local rescues who prioritize the at-risk pets.

BARC - You can foster through them directly and participate in the adoption events and services they offer. It can also be a great opportunity to foster with the possibility of adopting.

Rescued Pets Movement - Saved over 40,000 lives since it was founded in 2013 all from BARC. They work with partners in Colorado who agree to take the pets and fosters in Houston to keep them until ready for transport.

They are only limited by the number of foster families they can get in Houston, not Colorado. So they could be saving even more lives if more people here at home get involved. They provide medical care and supplies and the animals are generally transported within a week or two.  Neighbors Lin Chamberlin, Alaina Hebert, and Kim Fesler among many others work with this group.

Animal Justice League, Houston Pets Alive, and Friends for Life are also local rescues that our neighbors love volunteering, fostering, and adopting with.

Lonestar Boxer Rescue - The dog pictured above is Layla who is currently being fostered by neighbor Stacy Rushton.

- Alaina Hebert, Animal Advocate

11th Street Project Update

The following message was recently received, offering the status of the 11th Street bike lane project that was discussed at the WHCA General Meeting in March 2019.

---

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce that the 11th Street safety project is proceeding into the design phase. Many thanks to all who participated in meetings and provided input so far.

This project will implement safety improvements on 11th Street between Shepherd and Michaux. The new street configuration will consist of 1 vehicle lane and 1 bike lane in each direction with a center lane for making left turns. A pedestrian island will be constructed at the Nicholson Street hike and bike path, to make it safer for people walking and biking across 11th street, and additional pedestrian island locations are being considered as well.

We are excited to bring these roadway improvements to the community, and we are convinced the new configuration with be safer, more efficient and enjoyable for all road users. Construction is estimated to start in Fall 2020 and we will continue to monitor the corridor’s traffic and safety performance after installation.

Your feedback has been integral to this project and it will remain that way during the next three months of the design phase. We look forward to continuing the dialog.

Please follow this link to find out more about the project.

Lauren Grove
Transportation Planner
City of Houston Planning & Development Department
611 Walker Street, 6th Floor
Houston, TX 77002
(832) 393-6550
Lauren.Grove@houstontx.gov

WHCA Statement Of Activity December 2019

WHCA Financial Statement
12/1/2019 to 12/31/2019

Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org.

Yard-of-the-Month: 3515 Oak Ridge

Alyssa and Jeremy Holub have done a spectacular job of incorporating their home with yard, making it a place to play and relax too. Working in architecture and a hobbyist woodworker, Jeremy has made their porch whimsical with details to showcase their plantings and salvaged and repurposed art.

The first eye-catching planting is their soft white dusty miller, looking glorious in our snowless climate. It is thriving and beautiful through the winter. Small lamb's ears counter on the other side of their swooshing and colorful steps. More include hydrangeas, foxtail fern, succulents, lilies, gardenia, white-blooming Katie Ruellia, and salvia for the bees. Color abounds with little orange bell flowers in cigar plants, snapdragons, and russelia (firecracker).

And a treat for the nose too! Society garlic at the steps and a rangoon creeper, which flavors their air of fruit punch all summer, guarded by Wallace the Lion, lofts over their trellised gate with a special feature for their pup - see if you can find her in the pictures!

Along the south side of their house and taking advantage of the little strip of land between driveway and home is a small transitioning garden with a hardy artichoke plant which gives generously. If you can keep from eating them, the bloom is amazing!

Giving them gentle shade through the summer are two tall cinnamon bark crepe myrtles, plus a little citrus tree.

All beautiful! Thanks for sharing your yard with our neighborhood!

- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification

Proper Handling of the Flag of The United States of America

Hello Neighbors,

My wife and I are both U.S. Army veterans and have noticed a wide range of displays of the United States of American flag in the neighborhood. Some displays are in accordance with proper flag etiquette and others are not. Everyone is free to do as they please, but for those interested in the proper etiquette, we thought we'd share a few of the key points:

• On same staff: U.S. flag displayed at peak, above any other flag.

• Grouped flags: U.S. flag goes to its own right; flags of other nations are flown at same height.

• Illumination: it is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

• Half staff: on special days, the flag may be flown at half-staff. On Memorial Day it is flown at half-staff until noon and then raised.

• Never use the flag for decoration. Use bunting with the blue on top, then white, then red.

• Do not let the flag touch the ground.

• Do not fly flag upside down unless there is an emergency.

• Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it.

• Do not use the flag as clothing.

• Do not store the flag where it can get dirty.

• Do not use it as a cover.

• Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free.

• Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag

• Flag disposal: Please contact your local VFW Post or the WHCA for additional information [note: WHCA can feel free to forward to us and we're happy to assist with proper flag disposal]

Sources: 
https://www.vfw.org/community/flag-etiquette
https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf 

- Clayton Mealer, Woodland Heights Resident

Yard-of-the-Month: 1133 East 6 1/2th Street

Our Holiday/January yard of the month honors 1133 E 6½ Street, home to Chris Waggoner and Mary Vasquez for more than 20 years, and certainly recognizable to anyone who travels via Studewood regularly.  

Occupying the corner of 6½ Street and Studewood, their statue of a lovely figure on point, lofting a light above their yard’s entrance, also serves as a beacon to anyone returning home to the Heights through here. In Decembers it wears a festive red and white robe, but I always look forward to seeing how Chris and Mary dress it up for other holidays too. And, of course, all the figures along their second floor balcony, just for fun!
 
Their stretch along Studewood is made lively with mature oaks, crape myrtles, and an abundance of lantana. Then honeysuckle blooms orange on their short fence, lavender in front, and pops of yellow on the tall fence from giant leopard plant. New Maui ixora have replaced azaleas to accompany foxtail ferns, rangoon, lavandula and lily of the Nile. 
 
Thank you Chris and Mary for always bringing smiles and whimsy to our neighborhood!”
 
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification

Announcing the Woodland Heights 100+ Club

The 100+ Club is a recognition of the oldest homes in our neighborhood as we enter the new decade. One hundred years ago, the Woodland Heights was only 13 years old, having been established in 1907 by William Wilson.

The oldest and most historic homes in our neighborhood are primarily located on the east side of our neighborhood in the original Woodland Heights section. However, there was a significant building boom in 1920's and we have many homes that can claim 1920 as their birth year thus reaching the venerable age of 100 in 2020.

Much of the charm of our neighborhood comes from these older homes. As we arrive at this decade marker, the WHCA will be providing a special recognition of our neighborhood’s oldest homes in conjunction with our annual membership drive.

The WHCA has created a yard sign (pictured above) to designate homes that have achieved 100 years or more. This sign is available at no cost to owners of such homes when they choose to join WHCA with an auto renewing membership.

If you are a current member (but not auto-renewal) you can purchase a sign for $15 by contacting Debbie Hall who will deliver your sign and collect payment. 

Part of the charm of our neighborhood is the architecture and age of bungalows and Queen Anne’s. WHCA sees 2020 as a good time to recognize our homes that have achieved this distinction.

- Debbie Hall, WHCA Historic Homes Committee

FWP: Wild & Scenic Film Festival

The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition has connected individuals and organizations within the Greater Houston environmental community for almost 50 years. On January 28 & 29, join the Friends of Woodland Park at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour, hosted by the CEC. At the River Oaks Theater, enjoy two nights of different, short films. We especially think you'll like the movie A New View of the Moon, which reminds us why dark, unobstructed skies and a sense of curiosity are important. Tickets and sponsorships available at cechouston.org.

WHCA Statement Of Activity November 2019

WHCA Financial Statement
11/1/2019 to 11/30/2019

Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org.

Creature Feature: Hummingbirds

Click to play.

I know this isn't seasonally appropriate. Consider it an attack on the potential for seasonal affective disorder. Hummingbirds always brighten the day.

As I pointed out in the final bits of the November newsletter, I've been sitting on some video of hummingbirds. This was shot in our yard in September as the wee-winged-wonders made their fall migration to South America. In the spring we saw only a few of the little birds, but in fall was saw perhaps a dozen. We keep six hummingbird feeders in the yard to attract the little creatures. We have also planted some of their favorite comestibles.

I'm interested in how to photograph and record the little birds. The video from which the above frame was taken was shot with a Logitech Rally 4K PTZ camera. It's a glorified webcam intended for video conference use. It did a decent job capturing the action at a feeder mounted on on front porch, at least until the afternoon sun overtook the image sensor. This 3 minute clip was extracted from about four hours of continuous recording.

When the little birds return in the spring I hope to have some way to record them at a high-frame rate, so we can slow down their movement for closer study.

If you share our fascination with the little birds, you might also appreciate the Cornell University Birdcams. They include a West Texas location that's known for its hummingbirds.

New TxDOT Report on I-45: Public Comment Open Through 1/10/20

The following is excerpted from the District H Weekly News on 12/19/2019.

“Learn about the biggest takeaways for the Preferred Alternative I-45 design based on TxDOT's newly updated draft of the Community Impacts Assessment Technical Report by visiting this link. Be sure to respond to TxDOT during the public comment period by 1/10/19. Read Council Member Cisneros' letter to TxDOT requesting an extension of the deadline for public comment on the new draft here.”