Neighborhood Matching Grant Accepting Applications
 The Neighborhood Matching Grant program of the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) is now accepting applications for projects that improve the appearance of neighborhoods, involve residents, and are accessible to the public. This matching grant helps neighborhoods fund various beautification and improvement initiatives for projects ranging from $500 to $5,000. The selected projects are to be completed by June 29, 2019, to receive reimbursement. The program is possible thanks to a partnership with the Houston City Council offices. Find the guidelines and application now at www.houstontx.gov/neighborhoods.
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Action Plans & Implementation
After five months of community engagement involving thousands of community participants, businesses, non-organizations and others, all five Complete Communities Action Plans are in their final form! The plans outline the vision, policies, goals, projects, metrics and partners to realize a healthier, more resilient, prosperous, equitable and complete future. Although implementation and fundraising efforts are underway, the Action Plans will soon be sent to City Council for their endorsement. Each Plan may be found at on the Complete Communities
website
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Community Highlights
Acres Home Announced as a LISC GO Neighborhood: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has partnered with Acres Home as a part of their
GO (Great Opportunities) Neighborhoods Initiative.
GO Neighborhoods is a community driven model for forging resilient and inclusive communities using principles such as shared leadership, inclusivity, and consensus-building.
Tax Help: The Common Unity CDC hosted an event with Harris County Appraisal District
to provide information to help the community understand property tax exemptions and protesting property values. Stay tuned for more meeting dates, as this will be a monthly series.
In last month's newsletter Common Unity CDC was incorrectly identified as Community Union.
Arts: The Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs launched the Youth Poetry Workshops in Acres Home on July 26 at the Acres Homes Beulah Shephard Library. Houston Poet Laureate Deborah Mouton instructed over 30 children during the workshop, which focused on Honoring the Past, Building the Future.
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| Mayor Turner with new Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney and Acres Home Chamber of Commerce President Roy Malonson |
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New AISD Superintendent: The Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development and Mayor Sylvester Turner welcomed Aldine ISD's new superintendent, Dr. LaTonya Goffney, to the Acres Home community at Carver High School on Thursday July 26, 2018. Dr. Goffney is the first African-American to serve as Superintendent of Aldine ISD.
Upcoming Acres Home Events
August 16: The Acres Homes Super Neighborhood Council #6 monthly meeting will begin at 6:30 pm at the Acres Home Multi-Service Center.
August 18: Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Davis & DJ Mr. Rogers invite you to the 7th Annual Back to School Backpack Giveaway at Tidwell Park. Students and families are welcome to this completely free event to gear up for the school year with immunizations, health screenings, haircuts, dental health kits, and a backpack giveaway. Uniform vouchers, shoes, and other items will also be raffled! Guests will also enjoy food and beverages from McDonald's Houston, family-friendly games, and a concert from DJ Mr. Rogers. The event will take place from 11 am - 2 pm at Tidwell Park, 9720 Spaulding, Houston, TX 77016.
August 18: Acres Homes Community Expo is going to be at Greater Zion MBC from 10 am - 2 pm, and features health immunizations, dental consultations, back to school supplies, and more.
Contact Information: The lead planners for Acres Home are Christa Stoneham and Arica Bailey. You can reach them at
CC_AcresHome@houstontx.gov.
Complete the Community: Council Member David Robinson spoke at the NST meeting on July 25, to explain the Complete the Community: Urban Design Challenge. The program is a design competition which focuses on affordable housing and an urban design solution for a streetscape. Details about the competition timeline and FAQS can be found online. For questions, e-mail atlarge2@houstontx.gov or call 832-393-3013.
Also, three work group committees were established to begin identifying projects for implementation. The work groups are:
- Parks and Community Amenities / Health
- Mobility and Infrastructure
- Housing / Safety
If you would like to join a work group committee, please visit the Gulfton Complete Community
website and sign up today!
Monthly Meeting: Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council monthly meeting is every 3rd Monday of the month, at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Drive, Houston, TX, 77074, from 12 - 1 pm.
Contact Information: The lead planners for Gulfton are Tonya Sawyer and Abraham Zorilla. You can reach them at CC_Gulfton@houstontx.gov.
NST Meeting: The next Neighborhood Support Team (NST) meeting will be held August 29 at the Leonel Castillo Community Center from 6 - 8 pm. The purpose of this NST meeting is to move forward in implementing the Action Plan. To properly carry out these projects, there must be an effective organizational structure and your input is needed.
There is currently a diverse collection of organizations in Near Northside working daily on goals and projects that are listed in the Action Plan and other local community plans. Moving ahead, we certainly want to acknowledge these existing efforts rather than duplicating the process. This topic was touched upon at previous NST meetings, but we want to open this discussion to more residents and stakeholders. Spread the word, and join us at the August 29 meeting! Check our
webpage
and social media for details.
SN 51 Meeting: Save the date for the Super Neighborhood 51 meeting and special election! A special election for a new Council Leadership Team (CLT) will be held at the upcoming Super Neighborhood (SN) meeting on August 23 at the Leonel Castillo Community Center from 6 - 8 pm. Per the bylaws, assigned delegates representing stakeholder organizations within the SN are eligible to serve and vote in the election for new CLT members. Everyone is welcome to attend.
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Planners John Cedillo and Homero Guajardo explain the purpose and framework of Walkable Places |
Walkable Places: The second community meeting for Walkable Places in Near Northside was a great step forward in serving the needs of the community. Held at the Wesley Community Center on July 23, the meeting began with a brief introduction and presentation touching on the intentions of the Walkable Places project. Following the presentation, community members were encouraged to visit stations addressing different elements of Walkable Places to provide their input. The attendees were engaged in the concepts of a walkable place, in reference to building placement, building transparency and most importantly, the pedestrian realm. Staff will use this feedback to refine recommendations for the Near Northside Walkable Places District, which will be the main focus at the next community meeting.
Thank you to Avenue CDC for providing Near Northside photo for last month's edition.
Second Ward Complete Communities Work Group Meetings: The first round of Second Ward Complete Communities Work Group meetings was held on Monday, August 13. If you were unable to attend and are still interested in participating, please contact the Second Ward planning team at
CC_SecondWard@houstontx.gov
. Information from work group meetings will be posted on the website as it becomes available.
Organizational Structure Basics: The Complete Communities initiative in Second Ward is a community-driven process. The Second Ward Action Plan was developed from existing community plans, public meetings, and guidance from the Neighborhood Support Team (NST), a group of community leaders in Second Ward. The implementation phase of the program will have work groups established from the eight planning topics in the action plan. These groups will report back progress to the NST as they collaborate with city departments and other organizations to accomplish the goals and projects in the plan.
 Houston Police Department (HPD) Bike Patrols: Second Ward is served by HPD's South Central Division, which is committed to providing a safe environment and enhancing the quality of life for area residents throughout the district. HPD focuses on creating strong partnerships with communities through programs such as the Positive Interaction Program (PIP). There has been an increase of incidents along the bicycle trails along the Harrisburg Bike Trail and community members requested additional bike patrols as part of the Complete Communities initiative. In March of 2018, South Central began an Overtime Initiative focused on addressing these issues. Thanks to HPD for working to improve safety in Second Ward!
Contact Information: The lead planners for Second Ward are David Welch and Eriq Glenn. You can reach them at CC_SecondWard@houstontx.gov.
Third Ward
Northern Third Ward Hires Program Manager:
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Phylicia Coleman |
The Northern Third Ward Neighborhood Planning Project, funded by Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, hired Phylicia Coleman as their Neighborhood Connections Program Manager. Ms. Coleman will oversee and manage project activities in Northern Third Ward as they relate to the community-driven plan. Ms. Coleman's background is in City Planning, Architecture and Construction Science. We welcome this native Houstonian and look forward to working with her!
DAWN - Diabetes Awareness and Wellness Network: Located within the City of Houston's Third Ward Multi-service Center, the Diabetes Awareness & Wellness Network (DAWN) was established to reduce the growing burden of diabetes and prediabetes in the City of Houston. The DAWN Center provides a community space focused on developing diabetes self-management skills where members can participate in self-management education, fitness and nutrition classes, even hands-on cooking classes. The DAWN center's expert staff consists of a Registered Nurse, Registered Dietitian, Certified Fitness Trainer, Public Health Educators, and Community Health Workers. DAWN staff are bilingual and offer classes in English and Spanish. You can get more information about the DAWN program by visiting HHD - DAWN or see the planned activities here.
Call to schedule your appointment to become a DAWN member today. The Third Ward Multi-Service Center is at 3611 Ennis Street, Houston, TX 77004. Contact 832-393-4055 or dawncenter@houstontx.gov.
C-STEM Teacher and Student Support Services, Inc.: Artist Charles Washington is working with
C-STEM
to create an Outdoor Art Library. He will use robots that were created by students from Jack Yates High School, almost 18 years ago, as the foundation of this living work of art. Click
here
for more information on this community project.
 Letting Everyone Achieve Dreams (LEAD): LEAD is dedicated to preparing Houston's at-risk youth for leadership and success in high school and beyond through experiential programs. Students are taught and mentored during the school day. LEAD present life skills education, partner with University of Houston and Rice University programs, engage students in community activities and provide an enriching summer experience. For more information, visit www.houstonlead.org/ or contact Sarah Cleary, Program Director, at 512-731-2571 or sarah@houstonlead.org.
Contact Information: The lead planners for Third Ward are Lynn Henson and Annette Mitchell. You can reach them at CC_ThirdWard@houstontx.gov.
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Tips From the Toolbox
Airbag Safety: Is your vehicle's airbag under recall? Faulty airbags can explode like a grenade, injuring or killing you even in a minor fender bender. Help keep you and your loved ones safe by checking your vehicle today. Visit
www.airbagrecall.com
for details, and call your local dealership today to set up a free repair. Thank you to Near Northside community members for this suggestion.
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