September 12 1962, President John F. Kennedy went to Rice University to make a speech justifying his proposed $5.4 billion space program. The plan was to establish a Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, upon land that had been made available by Rice University (which had received it from Humble Oil and Refining Company). If that happened, federal money would flow to Houston and to Rice, a university distinguished for its scholarship, if not for its football.

Kennedy challenged 35,000 listeners, sweltering in the Rice football stadium, to think big: “But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, Why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?” he asked. Then he added another impossible goal, one he had jotted in the margin only minutes earlier: “Why does Rice play Texas?”

The line drew a huge laugh and added a touch of humor and humility to the soaring rhetoric. His speech continued, soon issuing the now famous lines, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard … .”

Kennedy eventually got his moonshot, although he did not live to see Neil Armstrong’s 1969 moonwalk. And, three years after the speech, in 1965, Rice beat Texas. It would be 28 years before that happened again.

It is with profound sadness that I share with you news of the unexpected passing of our dear friend and neighbor, Pamela, on August 29 from a brief illness. A gathering to honor and celebrate her life will be held at a future date.

To me (and others), Pamela was one of the most multi-faceted persons that I've ever had the pleasure knowing and sharing Life's journey as neighbors on the same block. 

Take a breath! This path was filled with everything: raising her two daughters, "raising" my two sons, working in corporations, carpooling kids of other neighbors, serving on the Civic Club Board, participating in community causes, learning to salsa and two-step, fixing plumbing and electrical issues, demo-ing kitchen counters with my sledge hammer, building backyard decks, creating and sewing fashion designs, writing a book on understanding how to work with international clients, sculpting with clay, painting in oils and acrylics to great acclaim, playing pickle ball, being true and trustworthy every moment, and honoring and welcoming everyone exactly as they are. 

Pamela always referred to herself as "the center of the universe". I believe that it is true. Upon meeting her, it would not take long in a conversation to somehow figure out your connection to her - in some way or another. She always spoke honestly and directly, always with compassion. A phrase she often used was: "help me to understand..." Her laughter was endearing and could be non-stop if things got totally silly! Pamela would hold you up when needed and ask to be supported when she needed it. Her smile and bright eyes would light up a room - just because. 

Pamela's daughters, Lemaria and Laila, will surely miss their mom. We will too. So, let's continue Pamela's legacy of love, honesty, compassion, learning, fun, and laughter - with her daughters and with each other. That's what neighbors and a community do. Thanks for these lessons Pamela. I'm so glad that Y2K didn't "wreak havoc on the world" that New Year's Eve. Look at all that we got to do over all these years!

Your Wildwood pal,

Patty-K

(Patricia Hattenbach)

Flock cameras have been in the news, so we wanted to reassure everyone that the cameras in the neighborhood are not Flock cameras. Our cameras are owned and controlled by individual residents. We started putting them up after an Idylwood resident was shot at after yelling at a car on Idylwood to slow down. Since then, when an incident happens, residents or HPD reach out to camera owners for more info. 

The most effective use of the cameras is when someone already saw something, and then cameras can identify the license plate. Idylwood residents' cameras have been used in a hit and run case; to identify illegal dumping, theft and squatter suspects; to help Constable make arrests in firearm discharge cases; and recently helped convict two men of stabbing a Brookdale resident in the street. In all cases, someone saw something, reported it to HPD, Constable, or their neighbors, and then we could check cameras and share specific license plate info with HPD.

Reviewing cameras is manual and tedious, and our cameras are not automated or connected to the internet like Flocks, so we're not tracking license plates or looking at cameras for anything when there are no incidents. They just take pictures of plates as cars drive by, which can be checked later, after an incident occurs. And we rely on reports from our neighbors to know what to look for and at what day and time. So please keep an eye out, talk to your neighbors if anything happens, and contact HPD and the Constable when needed. We still have occasional reports of nighttime firearm discharges and of suspicious people coming to doors or checking cars to see if they're locked, so please stay alert.

Stay safe,

Jake Goldstein and Steve Palmer, Citizen Patrol

If you haven't looked down lately, check out our newest curbs in Idylwood. With the help of a matching grant from the City, the Civic Club put 18 new blue tiles over 6 different streets in our neighborhood in May. This represents Phase 1 of our Blue Tile Project which started last year. We are hopeful these new additions to reflect our history will encourage you to donate to the project. Phase 2 fundraising is already underway. It is our goal to raise $9,000 by the end of the year to secure the matching grant from the City for Phase 2 of the project. We would appreciate your help with this multi-year project to restore these historic accents to Idylwood in time for our 100th Anniversary.

Donations can be made to the Civic Club directly via Zelle, and please include in your memo that your donation is for the Blue Tile Project. More information is available on our website about this phased project, and we will be rolling out some special blue tile fundraising thank you gifts for donors and hosting some special fun events this fall. Stay tuned for more details coming in the next Curb Blurb! 

The District I office is recruiting Community Captains, neighborhood leaders who serve as a direct link to Council Member Martinez’s office during emergencies, sharing critical information and helping coordinate response when it matters most.

Through this program, each neighborhood in District I will have a designated point of contact to help strengthen communication before, during, and after natural disasters. Community Captains will share neighborhood needs with our office, and help coordinate responses when our communities need it most.

Interested in being a Community Captain? Sign up by clicking here:

Bring a blanket or lawnchair and enjoy the performance from the hill - no ticket reservation required.

OR

Watch from a covered seat in the pavilion - ticket reservation required. Free tickets will become available starting on Friday September 4, at 10am!

Date: Saturday, September 5 at 8 PM

Location: Miller Outdoor Theatre

Tickets: FREE

Air Alliance Houston help monitor the air in the Greater Houston area and provide communities with access to their air quality data. They are currently seeking hosts for air sensors in the East End area - especially those living near sources of air pollution - and wondering if you would be interested in hosting a monitor - it would be completely free!

• The monitor is a PurpleAir sensor. It measures Particulate Matter (dust, dirt, soot, and tiny particles that cause health issues)
• All they require is an outdoor power outlet and Wi-Fi connection. 
• Once installed, the data will be available for public view through this online dashboard: https://airalliancehouston.org/air-monitoring/

By hosting a monitor, residents will help support a network that tracks local air quality and provides real-time information to the community. This data helps neighbors recognize when air pollution reaches unhealthy levels so they can make informed decisions and take steps to reduce their exposure.

Need a document notarized? Pasadena Public Library offers free notary services for library cardholders at both the Central and Fairmont locations, Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM–5:00 PM. Whether you're completing legal paperwork, affidavits, or other important documents, their certified notaries are here to help—at no cost. Be sure to bring a valid government-issued photo ID, and remember that some documents may require witnesses

Have medical equipment lying around but aren’t sure how to dispose of it safely? Before you toss those old glucose meters or blood pressure monitors, check out this guide about donating and recycling medical devices. These electronics should never go into standard curbside recycling bins. Get connected with organizations that refurbish working devices for people in need or help you find specialized recycling programs. 

Declutter Safely and Sustainably

• Sep 04: WALK30
• Sep 07: Labor Day (no trash pickup)
• Sep 08: Trash pickup delayed ’til Tuesday
• Sep 11: WALK30
• Sep 12: Happy Birthday Monkey
• Sep 14: Recycling
• Sep 15: Civic Club Meeting @ 7pm, 6900 Lawndale St
• Sep 18: WALK 30
• Sep 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Ahoy Matey!)
• Sep 22: Autumnal Equinox (7:05pm)
• Sep 23: Super Neighborhood Meeting @ 6:30pm, 7037 Capitol St
• Sep 25: WALK30
• Sep 28: Recycling
• Oct 06: Heavy Trash & Yard Waste

Our cat Naia has been a member of our family since 2021. Whereas our other cats were all foundlings, taken in after they showed up in our driveway at one time or another, Naia was adopted quite deliberately from our neighbors Beth and Jim Barrette. The Barrettes had rescued Naia and her siblings, guided to their location by Naia's loud meowing.

When we told the Barrettes we were looking to adopt a cat, they invited us to come to their house and choose one. The chunky, soft-furred Naia with her playful yet sweet disposition was our favorite.

Like many cats, Naia loves boxes, bags, and pretty much anything she can get into or onto. This includes the cabinet where we keep the cat food. She also enjoys "helping" Kristina with her sewing projects.

Naia does have some distinctive characteristics, though. For one thing, she's the only cat I've ever seen who actually looks bigger when wet! Also, her fur is very shiny! A few people have asked what we feed Naia to make it that way. The answer: nothing special. She's just like that!

Naia has two "siblings": elder sister Queen Mab, who is considerably smaller but definitely the alpha cat, and brand-new younger sister Floora, our newest "driveway stray". Now we're just waiting for them to learn to get along!

Story submitted by Steve Palmer and Kristina Arscott

Friendly Reminder From The Pets



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

please keep us on a leash and scoop our poop -

even along the bayou trails !

Nature News

Sea in Sight

Rhossi, a rare Kemp's ridley sea turtle, was 5000 miles off course in 2023! He was found on a Welsh island- stunned by the cold Atlantic Ocean. His incredible rehabilitation, return, and release off Padre Island in August is a wonderful story! To learn more, click the link below:

Sea in Sight

Group drops Audubon name and becomes Birds Houston

Houston Audubon is rebranding as Birds Houston after 57 years. This simpler name will make its mission clearer to people - connecting people with birds and inspiring them to become champioms for conservation.

To learn more, click the link below:

Birds Houston

Gardening Tips from Neil Sperry

This August 29 article covers the following topics: pesky whiteflies on plants, how to relocate mature red yuccas,and encouraging wisteria to bloom.

To learn more, click on the link below:

August 29 Gardening tips

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Nature In The Neighborhood



Great Egrets are really great!!

The Great Egret breeds in colonies in trees close to large lakes with reed beds or other extensive wetlands, preferably at height of 10–40 ft. It begins to breed at 2–3 years of age by forming monogamous pairs each season. Whether the pairing carries over to the next season is not known. The male selects the nest area, starts a nest, and then attracts a female. The nest, made of sticks and lined with plant material, could be up to 3 feet across. Up to six bluish green eggs are laid at one time. Both sexes incubate the eggs, and the incubation period is 23–26 days. The young are fed by regurgitation by both parents and are able to fly within 6–7 weeks. Pretty, pretty, great!! (from Wikipedia)

Submitted by Jim McCallum

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Neighbors: If you have a photo(s) of nature in action in Idylwood (animal or plant),send it to me with a comment to: phattenbach@gmail.com.

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Going Native !!

Tips from Buchanan's Native Plants

Incorporate Texas Natives into Your Landscape!

Native plants. The term has different meanings for different gardeners. There are Texas natives, US natives and those plants that act like natives. All in all, what most of us want in our garden are low maintenance plants that are attractive and functional. Plants that are not invasive and are a benefit to wildlife.

Click here to learn more: Buchanan's Top Ten Native Plants.

Jackie Delozier and Jorge Guerrero moved to Idylwood about 15 years ago. Jackie is originally from Missouri and has lived in Houston area since 1972. Jorge was born in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to Houston as a young child. He attended Milby High School, went on the medical school to become a Family Physician, and will be retiring soon.

They both loved the quaintness of the neighborhood, how everyone is very friendly, and keeps an eye out for each other. Idylwood's central location was another winning factor. When they bought the house years ago, Jorge's office was located on Capitol near here.

Jackie is the gardener and finds it to be very theraputic. After retiring from the Medical field, she was ready for a hobby and gardening was it. She loves Crepe Myrtles, Periwinkles, Begonias, Daisies, Wisteria, Texas Lilac Trees, and more. When they first moved into Idylwood, the yard was very plain. Over these years it has become a beautiful garden with a wide variety of plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, colors, and textures. She loves the holidays and trys to decorate a bit for each one. Thanks Jackie and Jorge for keeping Idylwood a beautiful and friendly place to live!

Story submitted by Jackie Delozier

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 Feb 2026, 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