July 2021
Greetings!

Welcome to another edition of Commissioner's E-Corner. In this issue, we celebrate the opening of our newest Spring Creek Greenway trail segment. Walk the trail from Precinct 4's Rothwood Park to City Place in northwest Harris County. Explore the forests and wetlands and hike through the master-planned community. Learn more about this unique trail below.

Mosquitoes often make summers miserable for most of us. But occasionally, they also cause health issues. Don't risk your health needlessly. In the article below, we include a few ways to protect yourself and your neighbors from mosquito-borne diseases.

Recognize with me our Precinct 4 Encore employees for their hard work and dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your Encore team spent 55 weeks working with Harris County Public Health to coordinate testing and vaccination sites throughout Precinct 4. Throughout the pandemic, they assisted our seniors through phone calls, helped locate food for those in need, and continued offering drive-thru recreational events. As senior adult trips and activities resume, we excitedly embark on the next chapter in our recovery. Big Stone Lodge and Mangum-Howell Center now offer all the activities you know and love. Visit us in person to eat, dance, and celebrate.

We also feature a variety of summer events and activities to keep you entertained all season long. I hope to see you in person at our parks and community centers.
 
Precinct 4's Rothwood Park Now Open
Spring Creek Greenway travelers now have more areas to explore, thanks to the opening of Precinct 4's Rothwood Park in Spring.

The 71-acre park provides access to a 3.2-mile Spring Creek Greenway segment that connects to City Place, a master-planned community on the west side of Interstate 45 in Spring. Visitors can follow the path to explore 150 acres of forested habitat and wetlands at City Place’s preserve or travel to the CityPlace plaza for a more urban experience. 

The segment marks a significant step in greenway development west of I-45. Plans include expanding the trail west to Tomball and connecting it with the 17.5-mile Spring Creek Greenway Trail that extends from the east side of I-45 to Interstate 69 in Humble. 

The Spring Creek Greenway connects and protects thousands of acres of forest along Spring Creek and provides access to recreational activities like canoeing, kayaking, archery, hiking, and biking. When complete, the greenway will span 40 miles from Spring Creek Park in Tomball to Precinct 4’s Edgewater Park in Humble.
Rothwood Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk at 23110 Fox Hunt Drive in Spring. It includes a parking lot, restroom, and a caretaker building. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/parks/scg or call 281-353-8100.
Spring Creek Greenway By
The Numbers

Segment from
I-45 to I-69
17.5 miles 

Segment from Rothwood Park to Holzworth Road
3.2-mile trail that connects with City Place parks and trails.

Unfinished segment
west of I-45
.25 miles 

Jewell Norris Becomes First Girl In
Precinct 4 To Earn Eagle Scout Rank
Eagle Scout projects aren't just for boys anymore. Jewell Norris earned her Eagle Scout rank this summer, becoming the first girl to complete an Eagle Scout project in Precinct 4. She's part of a new wave of girls who joined the Boy Scouts of America after the organization opened its programs to girls in 2017.

"While I was not part of the inaugural class (to earn the Eagle Scout rank), I'm still one of the first in my community," she said. "It's exciting to be the first, but it also gives me the opportunity to be a spokesperson to other girls and encourage them to be resilient and reach for Eagle. I want to be there to support others and help them earn their way to being an Eagle Scout as well."

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. Only four percent of Scouts have earned the award since its establishment in 1911.

Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve's Education Garden Offers Something for Everyone
Like many things in nature, Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve's educational garden offers more than meets the eye. It's packed with fruits, veggies, and flowers that provide multiple ecological and educational benefits.

"The purpose of the education garden is to expose folks to various plants, including natives, edibles, and pollinator-friendly plants," said Karastin Katusin, the environmental program coordinator at KMP. "We wanted to cultivate a greenspace where we could educate people on the food production system, increase habitat for pollinators, and grow food for our educational animals."

Katusin teaches gardening classes throughout the year, with topics covering the garden's ecosystem; the life cycles of plants, animals, and insects; water-wise gardening and conservation; gardening for the climate; gardening for beginners; and plant pruning and propagation. Katusin particularly enjoys using the garden to show children how radishes and carrots grow and taste, make crafts, and feed the KMP educational rabbit, Walnut.

KMP staff members tend the garden nearly year-round. The spring and summer garden includes peppers, tomatoes, yard-long beans, cucumbers, flowers, and herbs, including chicory, chives, basil, marigolds, sunflowers, milkweed, and salvias. All food is grown organically, without pesticides or non-organic fertilizers. 
"We are fortunate to live in a climate where we can grow essentially year-round," said Katusin. "Most of our beds' contents will vary seasonally, with the herbs and pollinator island staying consistent in location. Crop rotation is vital in crop and soil health, meaning the plants will change places over time, but you may see similar plants popping up time and time again."

Katusin also plans to add more edibles to the garden, including cherry tomatoes, okra, southern peas, sweet potatoes, and cucamelons, also known as Mexican sour gherkins. The fall garden will include beans, brassicas, greens, and root vegetables. 

Visitors can help support the garden by not leaving any food waste or taking any produce. All plants serve an educational purpose or feed the animals at KMP. 

"We want folks to enjoy the garden, as there is much to see, but we do want people to be aware that other organisms call the garden their home, even ones we may not like so much," said Katusin.
Commissioners Court Establishes Fund
For Flood Resilience Projects
Harris County Commissioners Court agreed unanimously last month to establish a Flood Resilience Trust to ensure that all 2018 flood bond projects will proceed without delay, even if outside sources of funding fall through. The agreement also lays the groundwork to pay for flood control needs beyond the bond program. 
 
 "The Flood Control District will continue to aggressively pursue partnership funding," said Alan Black, the acting executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District. "Establishing the Flood Resilience Trust using funds already approved by court, coupled with additional annual contributions, provides certainty that our projects will be completed in an equitable way, even when we are unable to secure funding from partners."

 As part of the plan, the flood control district outlined five key recommendations: 

  • Continue to pursue federal, state, and local partner funds aggressively to meet Harris County's overall needs, but not at the expense of reducing or delaying priority projects. 
  • Direct money approved in April by Commissioners Court to a Flood Resilience Trust to support the 2018 bond program and provide for flood control needs beyond the bond program.
  • Designate additional money for the Flood Resilience Trust each year. 
  • Continue the effort to ensure the General Land Office delivers to Harris County a minimum of $750 million from the 2018 Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Program.
  • Expand the prioritization framework to all watershed-specific flood control projects and distribute funds from the Flood Resilience Trust equitably. 
 
Although Harris County was recently denied grant money from the GLO, no projects have been delayed. 

Since the $2.5 billion bond program's approval in 2018, the district has secured more than $1 billion in outside funding and has begun 160 of the 181 projects identified in the program, spanning all 23 county watersheds. 
West Nile Discovered in Northwest
Harris County Mosquito Sample
Spring and summer rain may be beneficial for plants and flowers, but it also means mosquitoes are out in force. These pests regularly rain misery on anyone who ventures outside during Harris County's hot, humid summers. Not only are they annoying, but they can also transmit disease.

Harris County Public Health (HCPH) recently identified its first case of West Nile virus this year in a mosquito sample from northwest Harris County.

Although the area was treated, residents should still take precautions outdoors, especially during peak mosquito season from June through October. Of the 56 mosquito species in Harris County, only a handful transmit diseases like West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, chikungunya, dengue, and Zika.
Here's how to protect yourself outdoors, according to HCPH.
  • Use an EPA-registered insect repellent and apply as directed.
  • Do not use insect repellents on babies younger than 2 months of age.
  • Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when possible.

You can also take the following precautions to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on your property:
  • Remove and empty any containers that can hold water, such as tires, flowerpots, and toys.
  • Change water in birdbaths and pet water bowls every three to five days.
  • Keep rain gutters clean and free of debris.
  • Make sure screens are in good condition.
  • Do not sweep lawn clippings, leaves, or litter into storm drains.

For additional information and fact sheets to share with your community,

For interactive maps of mosquito-borne disease activity and proposed treatment, please visit www.hcphtx.org/mc.
Upcoming Events
Second Saturday Settlers: True Texas Smokehouse
Have you ever wondered how pioneers made barbecue 200 years ago? Join staff and volunteers on Saturday, July 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to find out how this delicious food has transformed through the ages. Reservations are required beginning Wednesday, June 30. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/events. 
Learn to Grow Pickles at Dennis Johnston Park
Join Trails As Parks on Thursday, July 29, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for a pickle-making demonstration. We'll teach seed starting, planting, trellising, plant maintenance, and harvesting cucumbers. Bring a jar to take home homemade sliced pickles. This program is geared to adults 18 and older. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/events. 
20th Annual Precinct 4 Opry
This year's Opry will feature a musical performance by Drywater and the local favorite band, Texas Swing Unlimited, on Friday, Aug. 13. This annual fundraiser helps support Fun4Seniors programs. Fun4Seniors is the nonprofit organization of Harris County Precinct 4 Encore that provides funding to support recreational, social, and educational opportunities that enhance the lives of those 50 and older in Harris County Precinct 4. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Adult tickets are $15 per person, and children’s tickets are $10 each. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/events.