Welcome to summer! We had a great May meeting at the home of Patricia Hattenbach & Jim McCallum. Our summer meetings will be by Zoom, starting at 7 pm. The code will be the same for all our summer meetings of June 17, July 15, and August 18. See the code below and join in.

Our June meeting will feature our Representative Christina Morales, who will provide a report on the Texas 2025 Legislative Session. This is our chance to hear about new bills that will affect us from our own local representative.

We will resume our in-person meetings in September. Currently, we have no host for that meeting; our alternative will be to meet in Spurlock Park. If you’re interested in hosting, please contact me (president@Idylwood.org).

Idylwood Civic Club is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Meeting ID: 824 0404 5520

Passcode: 194678

Best Regards,

Diane Schenke

President

Idylwood Civic Club

Our May meeting featured our local City Council Member Joaquin Martinez. The people in attendance had the opportunity to listen and ask questions of our CM. We asked questions about various projects, and he provided us with the following updates about infrastructure projects in Idylwood.

Lawndale Dog Park Construction Update:

Upgrades are in progress at the Lawndale Dog Park, including new dog agility features, ornamental fencing, pet waste stations, benches, bike racks, drinking fountains, landscaping, sidewalks, and a detention pond. The construction contract was awarded in February with ground broken on April 21. The project is due to be completed in mid-September.

Idylwood Drive Sidewalk Improvements:

Sidewalk repairs are underway on Idylwood drive from Meadowlawn to Park. The project includes new 5-foot concrete sidewalks, ADA Ramps, and improved driveways. Construction began on May 12 and is expected to finish by June 21.

Event for Block Captains Appreciation and New Welcome Committee Discussion

In case you didn’t know, it’s not magic that delivers neighborhood announcements to your door - it’s the work of our incredible Block Captains. These dedicated neighbors are the hands and feet of our community, helping keep us informed, connected, and strong. Simply put, the Civic Club wouldn’t be who we are without them.

In September we will be hosting a Thank You dinner at the Studak’s home to thank the Block Captains for their hard work.   

At this dinner we will also be investigating the idea of reviving a Welcome Committee. This warm tradition of greeting new neighbors and building community from day one was lost during COVID and we would like to see this tradition return. Even if you are not a Block Captain, but are interested in joining us in this discussion, please reach out to Richard Vela to indicate your interest in attending the planning session. (thevelafella@yahoo.com)

Temps are already heating up so let’s cool down with homemade popsicles. Chocolate Fudge Paletas are the perfect summertime treat. It may seem strange to combine cocoa and avocado but the resulting creaminess is a beautiful thing! Delicious and deceptively healthy, you can enjoy them all summer long.

In Health, 

Candace - your friendly neighborhood nutritionist

Click the image below to view the recipe.

The Houston Public Library invites you to participate in their exciting annual Summer Reading Challenge! This fun challenge is open to everyone—kids, teens, and adults alike! Dive into wonderful books, earn fantastic prizes, and enjoy an array of fun events all summer long. For more details, feel free to visit the HPL Summer Reading Program.

HPL is excited to share that your local library, Stanaker, will host special performers throughout the summer. They will have a magician, musical performances, and some live animals, among other activities. They've also added Teen Crochet classes every Wednesday at 3 PM and Family Craft every Thursday at 3 PM to their regular program. Hope to see you at the library!

For those of you who couldn't attend the fundraiser dinner last month, you missed a gourmet meal and great atmosphere in the new event pavilion (available for rental!).

The new Farm Store is open for business carrying vegetables grown on site (talk about locally sourced!) along with meat and dairy products from area farms. They offer a tiered pricing system to provide affordable prices to those that need. Currently open Wednesday & Saturday. They are located at 5715 Canal St. but the entrance on the weekend is accessible via N. Norwood St at Navigation Blvd.

Free Live Music

Did you know the East River 9 complex offers free live music every Friday & Saturday evening? Check out the June line up on the Riverhouse Houston website:

https://riverhousehouston.com/

Aurora Picture Show

The Aurora Picture Show has moved into their new neighborhood digs at 5601A Navigation Blvd.

Unfamiliar with APS? Check them out here:

https://www.aurorapictureshow.org/

• Jun 03: Heavy Trash (should be back on schedule)
• Jun 06: WALK30
• Jun 09: Recycling
• Jun 13: WALK30
• Jun 14: Flag Day
• Jun 15: Father’s Day
• Jun 17: Civic Club Meeting @ 7pm via Zoom (we're gonna Zoom-a-Zoom-a-Zoom-a ZOOM)
• Jun 19: Juneteenth
• Jun 20: WALK30
• Jun 23: Recycling
• Jun 27: WALK30
• Jul 01: Tree Limbs & Yard Waste

Friendly Reminder From The Pets

For the health and safety of all neighborhood pets and people,

please scoop our poop- especially along the bayou trails !



Nature News !!

Unplugged white salvia takes the heat & looks gorgeous!

Bring a lot of wow and pizazz to your garden with this

great white burst of color!

Check out the article by clicking the link below.

Uplugged white salvias

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Harsh Winters: tolls on trees, weeds in the Bermuda,and

pomegranate problems

Neil Sperry tries to provide some answers to

homeowners gardening questions in his May 24, 2025 Chronicle column.

Click on the link below to learn more:

Harsh winters have taken a toll on trees

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Can wasps save the state plant from a prickly situation?

Our state plant, the prickly pear cactus, is being devoured by invasive catepillars!! Our landscapes and more than a $200 million agricultural industry in Mexico are at risk.

Learn more about this situation and how we can help.

Click the link to learn more:

Can wasps save the cactus?

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Canoeing the Brazos for important clues

to the dinosaurs' demise!

Two geologists canoe the Brazos River for evidence of an event that radically changed life on Earth 66 million years ago!

Click the link below to learn more:

Canoeing the Brazos

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Desalination spurs calls for regulations

Texas' future water supply is a topic being studied to ensure that we will have adequate water for our needs. Desalination is a process that can help. Learn more about this complex issue and the many effects it can have on our environment and ecosystems Reasonable standards are imperative.

Click the link below to learn more:

Desalination spurs calls for regulations

The Idylwood Garden Club's Yard of the Month goes to

Adrienne and Peter Gunderson

at 6663 Lindy Lane.

Peter purchased his home in February 2021 and remodeled the house and moved in August 2021. He grew up in Seabrook and graduated from Clear Lake Highschool. Before moving to Idylwood, Peter lived in Mont Belvieu from 1997-2017 and in the Museum District from 2017-2021. 

When asked why he picked Idylwood for his new residence he says: "I really enjoyed the unique homes, trees, traditional neighborhood and location near Gus Wortham golf course and Downtown."

The couple particularly love their closed in front porch "where we enjoy coffee in the morning, wine in the evening and the backyard with a putting green, vegetable garden, and cooking area with grill and fire pit."  Peter and Adrienne both say that what they like about Idylwood "is it still offers opportunities to meet others through parties in Spurlock Park, the Holiday Party, and other events throughout the year. Adrienne and I enjoy walking around the neighborhood and looking at the yards and getting to know others living in Idylwood."  

Peter is the gardener in the household and has been very busy since the move in. "I worked at getting plants that attract butterflies and are both native and perennial" he says. Peter has set up a handsome ceramic rain barrel and uses on his plantings in the back yard and garden. Some of the front yard plants include:Salvias,Lantana, Crepe Myrtle, Phlox, Trumpet tree, Camelia bush, and large Ruellia.

They couple plans on moving Adrienne's hot tub to the back yard soon and there is already a spot prepared. 

Some of the backyard plants and vegetables include: Texas A&M Hybrid Salvia, Sacred Datura, Large Reullia, Turk's Cap, Butterfly Weed, Rosemary, Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, Meyer's Lemon tree, Cenizo, Night Blooming Jasmine, and Ligustrum.

If going out of town, alert your neighbors and request a Vacation Watch from Precinct 6 Constables. Click HERE to access the form.

Please keep an eye out for unusual activity and report to HPD (713) 884-3131 and the Constable's office (713) 274-3400. Please keep your home and cars locked at all times. Report any incidents to ALL authorities; 

more reports = more patrols.

To view crimes reported to HPD from through Jan 2025, download the HPD Excel file here and sort by zip code or beat. Our beat is 11H10, which includes several zip codes. 

Click here to view the Community Crime Map. Enter 77023 in the search window and filter by date range.

Jake Goldstein and Steve Palmer co-chair our patrol group and report the group’s collective hours per month to HPD. Please contact Jake if you are interested in volunteering with our citizens patrol group.

Having a patrol presence in the neighborhood is a crime deterrent and a great way to give back to our community.

Please join us! More information on HPD's Volunteer Citizen Patrol is available here.

president@idylwood.org