WHCA July 2020 General Meeting

Please join your neighbors virtually for our July General Meeting. We will be introducing new board members and looking for a new Director of Communications and other volunteers. If you would like to suggest a topic for the agenda, please email president@woodland-heights.org.

When:

Jul 14, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time

Where:

This virtual gathering will be conducted using Zoom.
Neighbors seeking to attend must register in advance.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 
 
Respectfully,
Alaina Hebert
President, WHCA

An Option To Protect Your Home From Being Torn Down

Are you concerned about your beloved home falling prey to a wrecking ball?  Looking for a way to protect it?  An option is to apply for Protected Landmark status.  In a nutshell, here are some of the details.
 
Buildings have to meet three of these general requirements to qualify as a protected landmark: 

• 50 years old or older*

• Example of an identifiable architectural style*

• Associated with a known architect, builder or craftsman.

• Important building to the community or scene of a significant event in the community*

• Illustrates how the neighborhood developed or last surviving example in its neighborhood*

• Associated with a family or individual prominent in the community. 

The four with asterisks are the most common qualifiers. When it says community, it can just be the neighborhood; it does not have to be the whole city.
 
The ordinance is concerned with structural changes to the house: things like replacing windows and doors, enlarging the openings. Substantial changes. You can also build additions to the house as long as they don’t dominate the historic portion. All these kinds of changes have to be submitted to the preservation office for approval before the work is begun.
 
At the owners request, Preservation Houston can produce the protected landmark nomination at no charge.  Contact Preservation Houston at  713-510-3990  for more information.

WHCA Statement Of Activity May 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
5/1/2019 to 5/31/2020

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

Travis Brownies Conduct Food Drive

Travis Elementary-based Brownie Girl Scout Troop 122109 did a socially-distanced food drive for the Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry in May. They created flyers to distribute to their neighbors and collected donated food from porches. The girls were able to collect 16 bags full of canned and dried goods to support the neighborhood food bank. For their next community service project, they are spending the summer writing to seniors who are not able to venture out. Way to go Girl Scouts! 
- Melanie Gehman

Yet Another New Little Library at 408 Byrne

Like mushrooms after a rain, we see little libraries popping up around the neighborhood. This one, known as Byrne Books, is at 408 Byrne across from the infamous Feel The Byrne lights. I stumbled upon it while our walking the dogs last week.

Be Someone Who Keeps The Constable Patrol Program Funded!

Imagine a world in the distant future… A world where Covid is a word of the past and hardly spoken. A world in which families go on vacation but do not spend every single moment of the day together. This day will come (of course not soon enough) but when it does ... Who will watch over and protect our neighborhood? Who will come to our rescue?  Will it be the raccoons, possums, feral cats, lost parakeets or possibly squirrels? No, it will be our Constables.

Have you signed up? If you haven’t it’s not too late. Act now and for $350 you will receive an up-to-date sticker/sign. This will give our neighborhood a daytime and nighttime constable. You can also request to have your house checked while on vacation. Remember, your subscription is auto renewable now.

I am new to this position and want to hear from you with suggestions or concerns. This program will only be successful if we are all a part of it.

- Margaux Poizat, Dir of Security

Meeting on a Street Corner: the Story of Mrs Scott and Mr Pattillo

Keith Pattillo was long time resident of 308 Woodland, a home that he shared with his dog “Lucky.” I first encountered Keith and his dog while walking our two Labradors, as we often traversed Beauchamp to Woodland westbound. He was always friendly, with a smile and something nice to say.

We typically saw Keith driving around in his old pickup truck with Lucky in the passenger seat. Lucky passed away early in 2018 and Keith joined him in July of that year. His passing was noted by neighbor David Jordan and many others.

Earlier this month The Houston Chronicle published an essay by Mildred Scott, a crossing guard at Travis Elementary School. It details the evolution of her friendship with Mr. Pattillo. It’s a lovely story of hope and kindness. While I cannot republish it here, I offer it as recommended reading.

Thanks to Debbie Hall for bringing it to my attention.

- Michael Graves, Dir of Communications

New Faces on the WHCA Board of Directors

In a message a few weeks back we noted some recent changes in the WHCA board. I thought it good to introduce these new folks, who have taken up the task of helping WHCA navigate through the coming two years.

Director of Beautification: Allison Hartzell

Living in and being active in Woodland Heights for over 30 years has given me great insight into the neighborhood and Heights in general. My husband and I worked to pass the original deed restrictions back in the 1980's when we got our start in volunteering for the community.

Our three girls are native Woodland Heighters and all went to Travis. Being a long time volunteer in the local community, including past president of WHCA (2010), as well as an avid gardener, makes Beautification a good fit so I can continue to give back to the neighborhood which has brought me and my family lots of great memories.

Many of you may know my dog better than me, Chuck and I stroll the neighborhood multiple times a day though our walks are getting shorter and shorter as he hits his golden years. We will be perusing yards for Yard of the Month on our walks!  Please feel free to drop me an email if you have suggestions or want to nominate a Yard of the Month.

Director of Security: Margaux Poizat

I was born and raised in New Orleans and moved to Houston in 2001, to eventually purse my Nurse Anesthetist degree. I crossed paths with my husband who was here for an engineering internship. The Heights always drew me in because of the resemblance to my home town. So this is where we choose our home in 2007. 

Our children have attended the neighborhood schools from the time they were four years old. My daughter will be starting her last year at Travis Elementary in the fall and my son will start his second year at Hogg Middle School. 

In my spare time I like to tinker. I enjoy making jewelry, collecting/restoring antiques and playing the piano. I’m excited for this new role in our community. 

The nominating committee is continuing to seek candidates for several positions that will be filled at the Annual General Meeting in July. For details please contact Alaina Hebert at whcavolunteer@googlegroups.com

Box Turtles - What do you know about them?

It was mid-April when the Friends of Woodland Park received an email from Keith Williamson asking two questions:  1) are box turtles native to this area, and 2) are nutria actively controlled to protect the park or simply left alone. Our response to the nutria question was that there is not an abundance of nutria in this area and the natural predators keep their numbers in balance.

The inquiry about the box turtle (see Keith’s photo taken at Woodland Park) required an online search which resulted in learning that box turtles in Texas are declining in number and need to be protected.   

Do you know…

• Box turtles often live for 50 or more years.

• Box turtles may live for nearly 10 years before they mate and lay eggs.

• The number of eggs laid by female turtles is relatively few and many eggs are eaten by predators.

• Very few baby box turtles reach adulthood due to being eaten.

• Most of the box turtles sold in stores have been taken from the wild.

• About half of the box turtles taken from the wild for the pet trade do not survive due to filthy conditions and lack of food and water before being placed in a pet store.

• Turtles bought at pet stores or flea markets are probably in ill health.

So how do we protect box turtles other than not running over them with our vehicle when they are crossing the road?  If you can safely pull off the road and rescue the turtle there are several things to keep in mind.

• Pick up the turtle and move it off the road in the direction in which it was heading. (The turtle may try to cross the road again if it’s moved to the wrong side of the road.)

• Don't take the turtle to another location unless you feel it’s not safe where you found the turtle. Turtles will try to find their old "neighborhood" and need to remain in the same vicinity.

• Don't take the turtle home for a pet. If you take a female turtle home, it will be removed from reproductive potential for possibly 40 years.

• If you find a box turtle when out for a walk in the woods or a bicycle ride, take a photo to share with your friends but please leave it where you found it (if in a safe place) after you’ve taken time to marvel at Nature’s wildlife with whom we share our world.

Please enjoy the trails at Woodland Park and let us know if you have questions or wish to share photos of wildlife you’ve seen there.

Louise Moss
Friends of Woodland Park
www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org

Heights Bread Group Spawned by Pandemic or Where has all the flour gone?

With the pandemic, we have spent more time at home and some residents have had more time to indulge in various hobbies or passions. One such activity for a group of Heights residents has been baking, particularly bread, and particularly sourdough bread.

A few months ago, a local bread baker, Jan Ford Young, had the idea of giving away sourdough starter to get others into bread making. She posted on Next Door and the requests literally poured in. To date, Jan has given away 107 jars of sourdough starter from her back porch.

As it turns out, not everyone who took the starter knew how to use it. Jan created a Facebook page which allows her to post bread pictures, links to bread tutorials, recipes, and a forum for other bakers to share their successes, failures, and get advice. Jan has basically become a Mother Hen to Heights bakers and we thank her for that service.

If you are interested in baking, join the group. As it turns out there is a lot to learn about bread culture and it is fun. Looking at a fresh baked loaf that you baked yourself makes you feel slightly euphoric.

To check out the Facebook Group, go to Facebook and search for Houston Heights Bread Club. You can contact Jan directly via email: Jan.young@icloud.com. She is happy to share a starter with you, but she may need a jar in return. Happy baking. You can do this.

- Debbie Hall

Yard-of-the-Month: 528 Highland

Are you feeling down in the dumps with everything appearing lackluster?  Stroll by 528 Highland at the corner of Northwood for some cheer and vibrancy!  Shannie and Doug Sharp toil away to make their yard a colorful and entertaining oasis. An assortment of bright flowers along with attractive touches like decorative and vintage pots anchor the yard which attracts loads of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Shannie has an antique bench anchoring the corner succulent garden. An old iron spoked wheel sections off her herbs. Beautiful planters on the front steps welcome you to their comfortable porch. Something is always blooming! You can really see Shannie's artistic talent shine through when she decorates her windows and front porch with festive handmade artwork and banners. Accents of yellow and turquoise really brighten things up along with the yellow poodle standing guard next to the front door.  This lovely package is wrapped up in a fence full of Peggy Martin roses!  

The home quarantine has benefited those of us who like to stroll past the house because all the extra time has kept these two owners working more in their beautification efforts!  Kudos to you Sharps!

- Allison Hartzell, Dir of Beautification

WHCA Statement Of Activity April 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
4/1/2019 to 4/30/2020

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

May General Meeting Cancelled

May General Meeting Cancelled

Under normal circumstances we'd be approaching the May General Meeting, which was planned for May 12th at Travis Elementary School. However, these are anything but normal circumstances.

As was foreshadowed in the last WHCA newsletter, the board last week officially moved to cancel the May General Meeting. In reality, it was not our decision. The current restrictions on public gatherings, the result of COVID-19, make a meeting impossible. 

Election in July

The primary purpose of the May General Meeting would have been to hold an election to replace those on the WHCA board whose terms are coming to an end. The board has decided to move that election to the July General Meeting. Those board members whose terms would have ended shortly have agreed to stay aboard and facilitate an orderly transition after the election is finally held.

While we are are hopeful that an in-person gathering might be possible by then, we're working on plans for a remote gathering, so the election may go ahead in any case. The last two board meetings were conducted using Zoom video conferencing.

Two New Directors

The Nominating Committee, lead by Alaina Hebert has been seeking board candidates for several months. That effort is ongoing. However, they have been successful in finding new folks for two positions. This allowed some change in the board at the most recent meeting.

The board accepted the resignation of Cody McGregor, Directory of Security, appointing long-time WH resident Margaux Poizat to the post effective immediately.

Similarly, Stephanie Riceman stepped down as Director of Beautification. That position was filled by the appointment of Allison Hartzell, both a long-time WH resident and past WHCA president.

So the evolution of the board continues. Collectively, we'd like to thank Stephanie and Cody for their efforts over the past two years. The neighborhood as a whole is better for the volunteer efforts of such caring people.

The Hunt Continues

The Nominating Committee is still seeking candidates for three positions: President, Director of Deed Restrictions and Director of Communications. This process has been made more challenging by the various restrictions imposed by the county and city.

If you have any interest, or know someone who does, or heard a rumor about someone might be interested, or would like to create such a rumor, contact the nominating committee at whcavolunteer@googlegroups.com.

A Message from the WHCA Board

Dear Woodland Heights Neighbors,

We are all living through time unprecedented within most of our living memory. I see no need to belabor the point, but, group meetings for Associations like ours are, at least for the near term, right out of the question. The result is we cannot hold our scheduled May General Meeting.

The business of the WHCA goes on despite the Covid crisis. The image above is a screen shot from our April board meeting, conducted using Zoom.US. It was one of the shortest meetings in recent years.

The overarching issue for the Association at our May General Meeting is our Annual Meeting, in which we vote on the Board of Director positions scheduled for election. To facilitate this unavoidable cancellation, in our Board Meeting of April 7, 2020, the board voted unanimously to postpone board elections until the next General Meeting, scheduled for July 14, 2020.

To accommodate this action, several outgoing board members have graciously agreed to stay on and see us through to the July election. In preparation for the July General Meeting and Board Election, we need to identify candidates for all positions up for re-election. We have interest from neighbors for Directors of Security and Beautification, but still need candidates for President and Directors of Communications and Deed Restrictions. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Alaina Hebert, the Secretary for the WHCA and the Chair of the Nominations Committee, at secretary@woodland-heights.com.

I know July is not the best time for holding elections. Historically, our July meeting is our meeting of lowest attendance. Therefore, in order to build a quorum permitting the election, I am appealing to your civic pride to break that trend. We truly need you to attend.

Further, please rest assured we, the Board of Directors of the WHCA, will find a suitable way to hold a meeting, either in person or virtually, based on the situation as prevails on that second Tuesday of July. To be plain, your attendance, regardless of the fashion or format, is important for our community.

- Harry McMahon, President, WHCA

Creature Feature: The DeHaven Zoo on Morrison Street

My brother and I were playing with our stuffed animals and were making boxes for their homes. Then my mom came up with the idea to make a zoo, so we didn’t have to throw them away. Because I feel sad whenever my mom makes me throw away our cardboard creations.  Now she made them weather proof so we can keep them forever.  We searched up some facts to make the zoo more interesting. We added the art board later then I caught a some tadpoles to add, too. The tadpoles were my idea. 

- Annie DeHaven

Yard-of-the-Month: 3405 Northwood

As Beautification Director, I have been fortunate to meet many lovely people in our neighborhood these last two years. It's been exciting to knock on doors, never knowing who I might meet, and always having unexpected and delightful conversations. Each was a little different, but one theme was a constant: our neighbors' gardens give them peace and joy. Our neighbors love their piece of earth and love learning how to tend it so it gives back. It's been fulfilling to tell these neighbors that their care for their gardens brings peace and joy to their community too. We are all so lucky to call them neighbors.

This month is no different! My final pick for Yard of the Month before our next Director takes the seat goes to Caroline and Roy Johnston at 3405 Northwood. Their yard was originally nominated by an admiring neighbor a couple months ago and I'm so happy it was! It's a small space that I had (regrettably) overlooked, but then the more I saw, the more I loved it!

Talking with Roy about all he did to bring it to life was inspiring. The space looks challenging: part along a hot afternoon driveway, part in shade along the front, and area measured in small feet and inches. But as we are out for our walks or bike rides with our families lately, stop and take your time here. It's a sweet spot in the Woodland Heights. Their yard shows us you don't need a lot of space to do beautiful things!

In these times when it's difficult to meet new people, I've decided to leave Roy's write up in his own voice - it's just right and personal, and easier to feel more connected with these kind neighbors. Thank you Roy and Caroline for sharing your yard with our neighborhood!

Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification

We bought our home in 2014 and started on the yard in February 2015. We began by removing the poor existing soil (lots of construction sand), using river rock to separate the beds from the house siding, and building a new stone wall outside to replace the wooden one which had collapsed. I also installed drainage and sprinklers. I'm proud to say that I did all the work myself with help too from Caroline and our kids. My first time building a stone wall or laying out a garden!

We had help from Buchanan's to draw up a landscape plan and advise on plant selection. We wanted southern staples in the landscaping, color throughout the year, and different shades of green. We also did the planting and mulching ourselves. Our layout has changed quite a bit since then as we've moved plants where they have struggled and looked to create more interest with varying heights and size.

Our recent projects have been installing decomposed granite & rock border in our courtyard garden and planting a vegetable and herb garden. I am also working to replace the pet mesh on the fence with lower pet bars. I think that will really complete the texture and visual interest by letting the plants flow more naturally through the fence. A fun current experiment is letting one area fallow and seeing what naturally pops up - I'm calling this our wildflower garden experiment!

As I've learned more about gardening, I am increasingly drawn to low maintenance (and cost), with a focus on hardy (frost and heat tolerant) perennials. We are also switching to more indigenous staples and have introduced some butterfly and bird friendly plants. I find learning about what works in a specific spot to be an enjoyable part of the process. I've also enjoyed learning how to build the other structural pieces of the garden (a shed, the raised beds, the borders, the irrigation, and the vegetable boxes).

Some of my personal highlights are the multiple monarchs drawn to our three milkweed plants (thank you Travis!), the many lizards hiding everywhere, our shrimp-plants and jasmine on the fence (the color and aroma), and the thriving hybrid-tea roses which we added two years ago. I have an ivy vine which was a houseplant gift from my mom and cuttings from it have grown in each home we've lived. We are also looking forward to growing tomatoes, basil, and jalapeno from the St. Mark's garden this year.

I personally love the beauty and peace which the garden brings, how we enjoy it throughout the year, and how the kids find many creatures - even in this little space. It also connects me back to my family (and my wife's family) and the gardens they have nurtured over the years.

Here are some of the plants we have:

Vegetable garden:

• Mint

• Tomatoes

• Jalapeño

• Basil

• Chives

• Star anise

• Parsley

• Thyme

• Gladiola (for cut flowers and color)

Front stone bed:

• White Knight

• Milkweed

• Ligularia

• Fire cracker fern

• Camellia (shi shi)

• Variegated dianella

• Wood violets (ground cover)

• Ajuga (caitlin's giant - ground cover)

Side beds by front door:

• Gardenia

• Hybrid tea roses

• Mexican sedum

• Camellia (japonica kramer supreme)

• Azalaea - George Tabor

• Abelea - Kaleidoscope

Inside fence:

• Giant iris

• Star Jasmine

• Giant Liriope

• English ivy in the hanging basket

Thanks again for the honor and the joy of sharing our project with you!

- Roy

The Great Flower Hunt

Our family of five (Lucy, Wesley, Gus, Christina and Dusty) had a great time cruising the hood looking for homes participating in the great flower hunt.  We had such a fun time looking for all the flowers in our neighborhood last week.  Since the beginning of the social distancing, we have loved riding our bikes through the hood and the different treasure hunts added a new element with something new to look for each week. 

We started with the rainbow hunt a few weeks ago, and enjoyed the sunshine, bear, and Easter egg hunts.  This one was especially entertaining because we looked not only at the handmade flowers people created, but also all the flowers in people's front yards and gardens. 

The most popular activity for our family is to yell out at the top of our lungs I FOUND A FLOWER - loud and proud.  We love our neighborhood so much and the fun, creative ways we can come together as s community while respecting the social distancing rules.    

• Lucy (9) - "I liked getting out of the house, riding my bike and being with my family."

• Wesley (8) - "I like to ride my bike by my friends' houses and look for their flowers." 

• Gus (3) - "I like it because I pick them up and give them to my friends because I want to."  (He didn't do that, he's 3.  What he really likes is riding in the bike trailer with his snacks, water bottle and music.)

Christina Wilkerson
www.beautycounter.com/christinawilkerson

Why Should You Join Woodland Heights Civic Association?

Did you know?

You can now join the Woodland Heights civic association at any time during the year. In the past, memberships were always a fixed-term from April 1 to March 31. Recent improvements in how we handle payments allow us more flexibility. Now, your WHCA membership is one year from the date you last paid your dues.

We’ve also brought back the auto renewal option. You will receive a notice annually before you are charged each year. This is a great way to go.

Your civic association dues pay for special events, such as the home and garden tour, Lights in the Heights, maintenance of the Watson and Norhill esplanades and enforcement of deed restrictions. It also pays for the Woodland-Heights website and newsletters.

Membership also ensures your ability to vote at association meetings. Homeowners only please. Each household gets one vote.

If you have any questions or would like to know if your membership is current, please contact me at membership@woodland-heights.org

- Kelly Hare, Director of Membership, WHCA

Woodland Heights Sunshine Hunt

This past week there was a Sunshine Hunt in Woodland Heights for anyone who wanted to participate.  The event was to show cheerfulness in this hard time and brighten up our day.  Participants went around and took pictures or counted different suns at houses in the neighborhood.  Everyone was eligible to win a prize at the Sternfel’s house, courtesy of the Woodland Heights Civic Association. 

This hunt was harder than the rainbow hunt because there were fewer suns out, but the suns that we saw were very creative and pretty.  We saw a sun made of papier mache, some paper suns in windows and suns in chalk on the sidewalk.  There was also one made with strings and sticks, like a Tiger’s Eye.  The hunt started April 1 and ended April 5.   We also saw a lot of sidewalk art that brightened up the neighborhood. 

Thank you to everyone who participated and our next hunt is the flower hunt so watch for notices about that coming up soon.

- Grace Lindsay of Lower Morrison Street (LoMo)       

WHCA Statement Of Activity March 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
12/1/2019 to 3/31/2020

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