Just a reminder, popping fireworks in the City of Houston (including Idylwood) is illegal.

Our Council Member Joaquin Martinez has allocated for speed humps on Idylwood Drive, which could be installed in the next year. This process started in the spring of 2024, after a series of major accidents and near misses. At the April 2024 Civic Club meeting, we had a petition signed by over 50 neighbors requesting speed humps for Idylwood. These requests arose from the following incidents:

Residents at 1745 Idylwood had two significant car accidents in 2023 and 2024 in front of their house. In one incident the vehicle jumped the curb and landed in the next door neighbor’s yard. For the other, the vehicle flipped upside down and landed in their yard. As a result, they feel very unsafe allowing their children to run on the sidewalks or learn to ride a bike on Idylwood because of the tendency for cars to speed through our neighborhood. 

About a year ago, the house at 6701 Park had a car travel through the stop sign on Idylwood and crash through the wrought-iron fence and stop inches from the house itself. A similar event occurred later, but with less damage.

Residents at 6707 Park had an incident in which several cars chased one another around Spurlock Park (along N. MacGregor, Merry and Idylwood), stopped in front of their house and started fighting and shooting at each other. They also have reservations about letting their small children play in front of the house and are careful about using Spurlock Park. 

As for next steps, the City will be surveying the neighborhood for the proper placement of the speed cushions on Idylwood Drive. Once the locations are determined, Houston Fire Department will review the plans to ensure emergency vehicles will maintain access. The City will then seek neighborhood comments about the placement of traffic calming devices. While speed humps may be a nuisance to you, please remember the very real danger your neighbors face due to excessive speed on Idylwood Drive.

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)

Finca Tres Robles is now open with a grocery store on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am-7pm. The store stocks produce from Finca's farm, as well as carrying produce from other local farms. They also have meat, eggs, cheeses, bread, and tortillas, all from other small local producers. While the address is 5715 Canal Street, the only current entry is via Navigation and Norwood Street. Finca Tres Robles is at the end of the block on Norwood and Canal.

• Jul 01: Tree Limbs & Yard Waste
• Jul 04: Independence Day / WALK30
• Jul 07: Recycling (fingers crossed)
• Jul 11: WALK30
• Jul 14: Bastille Day - Fête Nationale
• Jul 15: Civic Club Meeting @ 7pm via Zoom (we're gonna Zoom-a-Zoom-a-Zoom-a ZOOM)
• Jul 16: National Hot Diggity Dog Day
• Jul 18: Breakfast w/ CM Martinez
• Jul 21: Recycling (maybe on time?)
• Jul 25 / Aug 01: WALK30
• Aug 04: Recycling
• Aug 05: Heavy Trash

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 !!

Mosquito-borne diseases have potential along the Gulf Coast

Dr. Hotze explains why we need to keep vigilant here about diseases spread by mosquitoes expanding out of Brazil. The Aedes aegypti mosquito in our region can spread yellowfever,dengue, and Zika. Learn more on how to make your landscape safer.

Check out the June 22 Chronicle article by clicking the link below.

Mosquito-borne diseases

_________________

Harris County reports first West Nile virus case of 2025

This June 24 article in the Chronicle provides the latest facts on this mosquito-borne disease and what you can do to minimize it's spread.

Click the link below to learn more.

West Nile Virus

_________________

What to do about hammerhead flatworms

For starters- do not touch them barehanded!! They can be harmful to humans, pets, and plants, eat the helpful earthworms, and

love garden conditions after rains. So, be on the lookout!!

Elissa Jorgenen provides the basic info about them and why it is important to know about them in this June 22, 2025 Chronicle article.

Click on the link below to learn more:

What to do about hammerhead flatworms

________________________

Butterfly count is about more than flying insects

The Annual Hill Country survey is a key indicator of the landscape's overall health. Every year staffers and volunteers from the Nature Conservancy conduct this survey to gain key information about the conditions of the land, plants, insects, and more! Kids can help, too!

Learn more about how we can help in our own garden spaces.

Click the link to learn more:

Butterfly count

______________________

A new star in the garden

The bright white Fairytail Bride Cascade Hydrangea makes a bold statement in a hanging basket or in a flowerbed! They have a long blooming season and are highly ornamental! See if you have room for this beauty. Click the link below to learn more:

A new star in the garden

______________________

Troubleshooting plant and tree conditions

In his column, Neil Speery answers some questions about stressed Carissa hollies and Diamond Spire gardenias and trees damaged by sun scald, mechanical injuries, and radial shake.

Click the link below to learn more:

Troublesome issues in the landscape



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

Alicia and Rudy Cabrera

at 6649 Park Lane.

Alicia and Rudy moved into Idylwood in 2006. They are both born and raised in Houston.

They say that the historical and charming homes are some of the reasons that attracted them to Idylwood as well as the convenient location.

Both Alicia and Rudy enjoy "cutting our own yard and we love to work on our landscaping!"  Blooming flowers include Petunias, Vinca, and a lovely Crape Myrtle, all mixed with a variety of colorful evergreen shrubs to add depth, color, texture, and levels. All together the results are quite pleasing and are great examples of mixing a variety of plants, shrubs, and trees which help make Idylwood beautiful!

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