Opportunities for Giving in the Heights #GivingTuesday

Today is what has become known as #GivingTuesday in the social media world. From GivingTuesday.org

What is #GivingTuesday?We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

There are so many opportunities to give in the Heights, both for #GivingTuesday, and all through the Holidays. Actually, the organizations that help our community could use help all year round. In the spirit of the season and the day, though, here are some local, greater Heights area organizations that would appreciate your support:

AIDS Housing Coalition Houston

Located in the Heights, AHCH has been assisting those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS for over 20 years. Gifts donated to this organization will be used to house, feed and otherwise educate people living with the HIV virus and AIDS progression. AHCH-inc. has also served guests Cancer and other immune system chronic diseases.

They need donations of winter clothing, volunteer hours, and many other resources. Please visit this How You Can Help Page link to donate.

Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry

This small pantry, opened in 2009, is 100% volunteer based. It was started by a consortium of Heights Faith communities to serve families in our local zip codes (77007, 77008, 77009, and 77022).  With so many families suffering from food insecurity in a growing neighborhood, the help of the community is so necessary so the HIMFP can serve the needs of our neighbors.

Donating is so easy! You can Feed Frank at the HIM building, 3525 Beauchamp, 24/7. Frank would love to be filled with non-perishable foods and diapers (larger than newborn size). This time of year, Frank also graciously welcomes new and lightly used toys for client parents to gift their kids at Christmas. You can also give funds via their PayPal link.

Wesley Community Center

Founded in 1904, Wesley Community Center has helped generations of Houstonian's in the Near North Side community and beyond. Offering everything from early childhood education to care for needy seniors to job training, this community service agency is truly full service. Their missions statement reads: Helping people help themselves and each other. And they do! Their amazing Financial Opportunity Center helps people struggling to get out of poverty by teaching them how to change their spending behavior and make long term financial goals. Read more about the FOC here.

Wesley can use help with everything from tending their gardens (which provide fresh produce for needy families) to office help. Like most non-profits, though, they can also use financial and in-kind support. They accept non perishables for their food pantry, have an on-going wish list for materials,  and also gladly take financial donations via their giving page link.

Support our local schools

Texas is 46th in the nation for per capita spending on public schools. Our schools, especially those with high rates of poverty, depend on the community to help them provide a proper education for their students. When kids can learn and thrive, we all benefit! Here are several projects to help build stronger schools and raise smarter kids in our community:

Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary is a high poverty school in 77009, just across 45 from the Heights. They currently have four projects on DonorsChoose.org including a couple of basic necessities lists for things like paper, dry erase markers, and folders.
This link will take you to all of their projects: 
http://www.donorschoose.org/school/jefferson-elementary-school/17337/?teachers=true

Browning Elementary

Browning is a high poverty school, with 65% of students qualifying for free lunch. They are a Title 1 school in Monte Beach with a great need for access to arts and technology. They only have one small project- to buy a new iPod. It has received $0 so far and only has a couple weeks left until the project expires. This should be such an easy wish for our community to grant!
Help buy a new iPod and bring joy to the little ones at this school here: http://www.donorschoose.org/project/please-help-replace-our-old-orange-ipod/1388249/#materialsList 

Love Elementary

Many of you probably remember when HISD wanted to shut down Love a few years ago. The parents and community fought back, and now they continue to fight for the best education for their students. Love needs a lot of basics and their amazon.com wish list gives you the opportunity to help by sending everything from tempera paint to uniform pants for students in need.

Support Love's teachers and students here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/ref=cm_wl_search_1?ie=UTF8&cid=A3I02VFMIRD3A0

Field Elementary

Field, perhaps the cutest school in all of the greater Heights, is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. The Friends of Field group has not only donated time, talent, and money to making the school better; they have actually enrolled their kids there! Still, this small group of parents wants to help the whole school community. Their big goal for this year is to stock the library with all the great books elementary schools need to fuel the learning and imaginations of their students. This project, if completed, would add 3000 books to the schools library.
Help buy books by simply buying off their Amazon wish list and they'll be sent directly to the school: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1D67XYE243S98/ref=cm_sw_su_w

Roosevelt Elementary

Roosevelt, in Oak Forest area, is another Title 1, high needs school. This school caters to many kids whose first language is Spanish. They have projects that include listening stations, so students can hear books read to them in English to increase fluency, and just generally providing books for the student population.

They have seven projects on DonorsChoose.org. You can select one to help here: http://www.donorschoose.org/school/roosevelt-elementary-school/16576/?active=true

I know there are ample other opportunities to give in the greater Heights, so please do share info and links in the comments if you have other organizations that also need our support!

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do....

Hey, all!

I've gotten quite a few emails lately asking if I have quit blogging here. Well, as I have been known to say, sometimes my real life gets in the way of The Heights Life. It's been a crazy few months; I've spent a lot of time feeling a little like this:

Fear not, though! I have some stories about Heights businesses on the way- small, local companies that you don't hear about in most of the Houston social news. I look forward to sharing that information with you after the holidays are over. Until then, you can always dig through old posts and, of course, we are having a great time on the The Heights Life Facebook page and Instagram.

Thanks for visiting! Hope to see you around the Heights.

Community Helping Community: Near North Side's Wesley Community Center summer food drive

The Wesley Community Center has served the Near Northside neighborhood in Houston for over 100 years. Located in the shadow of downtown and just to the east of the Heights, Wesley has served working poor individuals, children and families of Houston’s Near Northside and surrounding neighborhoods for over 100 years. 

In 1904, women from the First United Methodist Church of Houston developed a goal of strengthening the quality of life and outcomes for their community. When they looked around they saw families in need, including many children who were left orphaned and women made widows by deaths caused during the expansion of area railroads. In the century since then, the organization has evolved to provide a comprehensive range of Early Childhood Education, Out-of-School Elementary and Youth programming, Senior and Social Services, Community Outreach, and Economic Development Services. The Wesley Community Center of today serves over 27,000 community members each year and works in partnership with a number of other organizations to promote the development of the neighborhood and its residents. 

The near north side community has a significant number of residents who fall under the poverty threshold. Many families in this area rely heavily on local schools to provide their children with daily meals. Often the only meals they get are the ones served at school.  Access to food during the summer months is critical for the children of low-income families because without school, many are not receiving nutritious meals, leaving children vulnerable to experience hunger and the myriad issues that go along with being food insecure.

To respond to this pressing need, Wesley Community Center is launching “Stock the Shelves: Summer Food Drive” as a community-wide food drive during the month of May. 

Their goal is to collect 10,000 pounds of food to help an additional 250 families during the summer months. This collection of food will culminate with a major food distribution on June 21, 2014 at Wesley Community Center’s food fair. With only eight days left in May, they are just under 1/2 way there. Near North Side is very near to the Heights and kids from that community play at our park, go to our schools, work at our businesses. We are a community ready and willing to help, so let's see if we can do something for our neighbors!

“Summertime is particularly hard for families living below the poverty line,” explains Wesley Executive Director, Diana Garbis, “We often forget that our school lunch programs can be a lifeline to these low-income families and going without them over the summer leaves many with food insecurity. Families run out of food, reduce the quality of their food, cut back on meat, feed their children unbalanced meals, or adults often forgo meals altogether so their children can eat. Many families are left hungry if they unable to find alternative food resources.” 

Wesley Community Outreach Coordinator, Leah Wade, added, “It is also hard for people to visualize how even the smallest donations can add up to make a huge impact. We are hoping to collect 10,000 pounds of food this month. If one person collected two bags of rice, two bags of beans, and 10 can goods, they would have donated 10 pounds of food. If three other people do the same, we will have 40 pounds of food, which is enough to feed a family of four. 100 pounds of food feeds 2.5 families of four and once you get up to 1,000 pounds of food, we can help 25 more families.” 

Summer is quickly approaching and our neighboring community is still in need. Want to help? 

What food items are needed?

• Bagged Rice
  
• Dried Beans
  
• Canned Vegetables
  
• Canned Fruit
  
• Canned Tuna/ Canned Meats
  
• Canned Ravioli
  
• Box Cereal (Corn Flakes, Cheerios, etc.)
  
• Oatmeal 
  
• Macaroni
• Maurachan Soups (Dried Soups) 
• Spaghetti Noodles
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Box Mashed Potatoes
• Granola Bars
• Crackers
• Other non-perishable items are welcomed

Donations of food can be brought Reba Veal Henderson Food Cooperative located at 1235 Lorraine Street, Houston, TX 77009, Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. 

Please call 713-223-8131 ahead of time to ensure a staff member is onsite to receive your donations.  

Photo credit: wesleyhousehouston.org

Beyond their goals for this summer, Wesley has a strong commitment to battling hunger in Houston. Their clients range from the elderly, to new immigrants, to the working poor, to professionals who have lost their jobs, and more. They provide food assistance to a growing number of families through emergency food assistance, monthly distributions of fresh fruit and vegetables, and their food cooperative programs for families and seniors that maximizes their food dollars by doubling their cash investment.  They also recently created an organic community garden in the hopes of adding more fresh produce to their client’s diets. Wesley’s mission is to minister to the needs of individuals and families by helping people help themselves and each other. 

Monetary donations can be mailed to 1410 Lee Street, Houston TX 77009, or made via secure payment online at www.wesleyhousehouston.org. Wesley is also able to assist with employer matching gifts, planned gifts, and gifts of stock. 

If you are interested in making a significant impact in the lives of families that lack the resources to combat hunger, please contact Leah Wade, Community Outreach Coordinator, at lwade@wesleyhousehouston.org or 713-821-8907 to volunteer or for additional information. 

All Signs Point "True North"

My interaction with True North started with this email from Heights Kids Group early Saturday morning:

Bungalow Rooftop in the median on Heights Blvd 

Does anyone know anything about this? Someone put a rooftop (and part of a house/garage?) in the median on Heights between 4th and 5th. Looked like workmen were arriving with tools to remove just now. (hope not) Looked like a statement to the death of the bungalow. Spot on IMO. Go see quickly if you are interested.

A quick update shortly after noted that they were not removing it, but had actually added a steeple to it. Someone wondered if it had to do with the fire at Heights Presbyterian... Then someone announced: it is an art installation. The rooftop at 4th St has had everyone talking, with multiple pictures posted to The Heights Life Facebook page and in my Twitter and Instagram feeds.

So, what's the real deal on the project? It's called “True North” and has been a long time dream of Gus Kopriva, owner of Redbud Gallery on 11^th and an icon in the local art scene; a name recognized both nationally and internationally.  Kopriva has long dreamed of producing large scale public art exhibitions in Houston. He hatched a plan "to expand the placement of public art pieces to numerous locations throughout the city and particularly along the esplanade of Heights Boulevard." The esplanade, which is a Scenic Right of Way from White Oak Bayou to 20^th Street, has long enjoyed the tender, loving care of the Heights Association with native trees, flower gardens, irrigation systems, drinking fountains, the much-loved jogging trail, plus memorials, benches, gazebos, and public "Thank Yous" to the likes of long time residents, business owners, and volunteers like Carl and Melvalene Cohen. With much effort and cooperation, this project got approval from the City’s Parks Department and Public Works as a major location for a public art exhibit. And now we all get to benefit.

What is True North about? The idea is for a sculpture project that "is a representation of local works of contemporary art along the esplanade for the enjoyment of our community and visitors.  Exhibits—produced by highly recognized Texas artists—will foster the understanding and advancement of art." Sounds good.

The first True North sculpture installation will be in place for roughly nine months.  There will be ten total sculptures from eight artists, including a 2-piece project from Lee Littlefield, who passed away last year and to whom the show is dedicated. 

Here is the line up, in no particular order:

Carter Ernst- The only piece by a woman artist, "Pointing North" is actually not installed yet.  Weather caused some delays, but sometime on the weekend of April 4 you can expect to see a large fiberglass dog on 600 block of Heights. Her piece is inspired by Ernst's own dog and, as Gus Kopriva noted in our chat, is perfect for the Heights, a very dog-centric neighborhood.

Dan Havel- Pictured above, the church that launched so much speculation is "Wildlife Sanctuary." Back in the 1990s, an old church was torn down/converted in to a funeral home on 18th at Columbia. Havel is re-introducing a piece of Heights history back to the neighborhood, but he is also making this architectural remnant functional with a purpose. If you get close, you'll see small doors that hold bird seed for the many feathered friends that live in and travel through the Heights. Another elemtnet of note: the steeple was once hit by lighting, which twisted it.

Paul Kittelson- Lawn Chairs (my apology to the artist. I failed to get the official name of this really awesome piece). Kittleson is known for large scale, whimsical art like giant popcorn pieces and lighting strike. He also does a lot of public works. A sculpture prof at UofH, his piece is simply "about furniture that is utilized a lot in the Heights." A piece of wall art with the fabric used for the chairs will be available at the Heights Association auction next weekend.

Lee Littlefield- His "Cypress Flowers" should look familiar to anyone in Houston. He took cypress and pine wood and used those materials to create brightly colored trees which are installed all over town.

Patrick Medrano- "From the Hood to The Heights" --- Medrano has taken the common architectural element of the shotgun house, suited it for dogs, and gave the dogs' house oars for a canine escape from some kind of imminent flood or hurricane. Once again, we love our dogs in the Heights.

Steve Murphy- "Things You CAn't Get From Books" Kopriva isn't sure what that means! LOL! In any case, this abstract sculpture is found in a small stand of trees, giving it more of a presence.

Dean Ruck-  "Hourglass"- This sculpture on 18th, is 14' tall with 150 5" mirrors. Dean is well known for his previous works with Dan Havel, most notably the Inversion house in Montrose. 

Ed Wilson- "Folded Plane" Wilson created a giant stainless steel paper airplane.

A year of planning and a Mayor’s Initiative Grant through Houston Arts Alliance, along with private donations, has made this project possible. There has been effort from many notable locals working with Kopriva. A Heights icon herself, artist Chris Silkwood is a long time community activist and was also leadership for this bunch of loveliness. 

It's only been three days and I already love everything about this art installation. I asked Kopriva if there would more sculptures or other projects after these are gone in November? He can't say right now but I think he hopes so. He sees Houston really bursting in to the national art spotlight right now and believes that there ample room for projects like this around our lovely city. We "have a lot of Boulevards," he noted. He wants to see the neighborhood's reaction and take community in to consideration. I think this is a thoughtful way of operating. I feel pretty sure, based on the excitement I've seen so far, that our community will welcome projects like this many times over. 

Like all art, our interpretations will be subjective. I imagine the piece open to most interpretations will probably be "Wildlife Sanctuary." Kopriva shared a story with me about being stopped by a pastor during the installation of the piece. "Is this a church?" he asked. He was concerned about a sinking church and what that might be symbolic of. "Oh no," Kopriva told him. "It is arising. It's being re-born." The pastor was lucky to have someone to work on his perspective with him that day, allowing him to leave in a more positive place than he arrived. Not everyone will be able to interact with the curator of this project or the artists who created it, but certainly many discussions will be had about all of it and what it might mean.

Some might muse about the meaning of True North and how it applies to each sculpture. The name  is the most literal part of the project: it is a reference to Heights Boulevard, which does, indeed, run true north.

Gratitude at Hogg

In the fall, I shared some wonderful news about the positive changes at Hogg Middle School.  The Learn Local parents group continues to work with Dr. Schnitta to build enthusiasm in the community for this improving school.  One of the major milestones that is exciting both parents and students is the newly renovated library.  The Texas Observer's December 3, 2013, article discussed the sad state of the libraries in Texas schools (emphasis is mine): 

Even after absorbing $5.4 billion in funding cuts from the 2011 Legislature—damage only partially remedied this year—Texas schools have shed 3 percent of their counselors, 2 percent of their teachers and 1 percent of their nurses. But they’ve cut 9 percent of their librarians. (All while the student body grew by 3 percent.) Forced to skimp by the Legislature, many administrators went skimping in the library. 

In early October, the Houston Chronicle told the story of Mary Burgert, a middle-school librarian laid off mid-year because of budget cuts. Houston ISD is a particularly tough place for librarians. The state’s largest school district has just 97 certified librarians, down from 169 four years ago, according to the Chronicle. About 60 percent of the district’s schools, theChronicle reported, are without a librarian this year. In dozens of schools, the library is simply closed.

Hogg was one of those schools.  Was.  At a time when librarians are last on the list for respect and first on the list to lose their jobs, Hogg has brought in Suzanne Webb, a Heights resident and Travis parent, as their new librarian.  This is a sure sign of the committment the school has to its students and yet another reason some local families will skip the tedious magnet application process and start attending their zoned school. 

In an effort to get the library where they wanted it to be, Ms. Webb reached out to the community.  She posted a fundraising effort via a website called Titlewish.com, a free online fundraising site that allows schools to use the funds raised to buy books.  This effort would help stock the shelves and bring more and more books to the students.  My wonderful friend Amber, who does not live in the Heights and does not have a child who will be attending Hogg, was inspired by their efforts.  She made a very small donation to the library fund, satisfied with the hope that some child could benefit from the book she helped buy.

And then she got this:

Amber posted the photo on her Facebook page with the caption "Thank YOU, Hogg Middle School." I was blown away, as were many of her other friends. Sometimes it's the simple things, you know...

"I couldn't imagine what mail I might be receiving from Hogg Middle School? My kids are 1 and 4 and we aren't zoned anywhere close to the school. When I opened the envelope and saw the printed thank you note, I recalled the small donation I had made. Then, when I saw the handmade thank you cards, I actually welled up. I know the school is fighting to earn a good reputation. Having seen this project I don't doubt they are doing just that. They are clearly a school to watch and to support, whether my kids will attend or not."

I think Amber is totally right.  These cards demonstrate how hard Hogg faculty is working to raise expectations, both in the community and from their students.  While this is a good lesson in letter writing for some and perhaps etiquette for others, it is a good exercise in gratitude for everyone.

To contribute to the on-going efforts at Hogg, follow the LearnLocal page on Facebook. They have many projects on deck, including a fundraiser to help the boys' basketball team acquire matching uniforms.

Where's Waldo's?

Here's the quick and dirty: the new Waldo's, soon to be known as Boulevard Coffee, has an expected open date of December 15.

Work is plugging along on a larger deck. The expanded outside area is intended to be dog and kid friendly. The gravel driveway and grassy area in back are being paved and may serve as a spot for entertainment in the future.

The inside has changed format as well, from the cozy rooms of an old bungalow to the more functional, HGTV favorite "open concept." The expanded kitchen will have coffee and baked goods, plus paninis and other lunch-y items.

I am excited about the new concept and can't wait to try it out. There isn't a lot in the way of easily accessible food/drink for those around this location. And we all know the Heights loves its caffeine. I look forward to the opening and hearing what you guys think!

A Healthy Competition for Heights Middle Schools??

Looks like we have a little healthy competition in the Heights! A couple weeks ago I made this post about positive changes and community involvement at Hogg Middle School under the leadership of their new Principal, Dr. Mina Schnitta. 

Now an email is circulating from the new Principal at Hamilton Middle School. Wendy Hampton has taken over from retiring Principal Roger Bunnell, who spent more than a decade at the school. Ms. Hampton is enthusiastic about her new school, which is always the first thing any school needs in an Administrator. Her excitement about the school is obvious in her letter, which outlines all of the successes Hamilton has had, making it the desired middle school in the Heights. But it's not just the current state of good things going on at the school that caught my eye in this letter. There is a little bit about the future of the school that made me smile. Because I love some competitive spirit...

Hamilton Middle School on 20th (photo: panoramio.com)

Dear Parents, 

Alexander Hamilton Middle School is a great place for students to learn! We have a long-standing history of success and most recently received two distinctions by the Texas Education Agency: Distinction in Reading/ELA and Distinction in Student Progress. Prior to the new state accountability system, AHMS remained a TEA Recognized school for six years in a row. 

As the principal of Hamilton Middle School, I am committed to ensuring that students are academically challenged and prepared for advanced high school coursework in a positive environment where they enjoy learning. 

Hamilton Middle School offers Pre-advanced Placement (PreAP) courses for both Vanguard and non-Vanguard students. We believe all students should have the opportunity to complete advanced coursework that prepares them to take up to four classes for high school credit in 8th grade. We also know that fine arts enhance student performance academically. It also gives students an outlet for their creativity. We currently have an award-winning band program, beginning to advanced art, theater arts, and choir. 

Our "FUN FLEX" program adds an additional opportunity during the school day, four days a week, for students to participate in activities, including UIL Number Sense and Calculator competition, Name that Book, Odyssey of the Mind, Speech and Debate, Tennis, Dance, Robotics, and more! If also offers a time for students to receive support academically during the school day when they are not available to stay after school. 

Keeping active and physically fit also supports adolescent development and Hamilton has a wide selection of athletic events for both boys and girls, including an indoor heated pool for our swim team! 

It is a very exciting time for parents in the Heights Community. At Hamilton Middle School we are more committed than ever to remaining the best middle school in the Greater Heights and surrounding area, a top middle school in the district, and the number one choice for students and parents. 

Our doors are always open and you are always welcome on our campus! Come see what we have to offer by attending one of our scheduled tours, or set up an appointment for a tour at your convenience. 

For more information, please visit our newly designed website atwww.houstonisd.org/hamiltonms and follow us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/hamiltonms1 . 

Sincerely,
Wendy Hampton, Principal
WHAMPTON@houstonisd.org

Did you see it there? The highlighted part? 

Now I am not saying this email is a direct result of the ongoing efforts at Hogg. I am pretty certain any motivated and caring school administrator wants to see good things for all public schools. I can't help but see the slightly competitive nature of that paragraph, though. And it's exciting! It can only mean good things for our neighborhood kids when our two local middle schools strive to be the best. There are no losers in this type of contest.

I45 Project Moving Again

I just received this email from Jim Weston of the I45 Coalition. If you're new to the neighborhood or haven't been following this development, PLEASE READ! 

This project WILL have a major impact on our community. Participating in these meetings is the way we can all decide of that impact with be positive or negative. It's amazing how much work our friends and neighbors have already done and how community involvement has changed the scope of the project, but there is still much work to be done. We can't let TxDot think we have become complacent, so PLEASE join me and your other neighbors for the next round of public meetings!

TxDOT is starting to roll again on the I-45 project! 

TxDOT has just scheduled the 3^rd round of public meetings to be held Thursday, Nov 14 at Aldine Ninth Grade School, 10650 North Freeway & Tuesday, Nov 19 at Jeff Davis High School, 1101 Quitman. Both meetings will be open house format from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

As a brief recap to remind you where we are ... because it has been a while:

TxDOT wants to ‘improve’ the I-45 Corridor to alleviate current traffic and plan for future traffic.

1)      TxDOT held its 1st Public Scoping meeting in November 2011 to hear from the public on what to do in the I-45 corridor. 

After analyzing the input from the public from that meeting:

2)      TxDOT held its 2nd Public Scoping meeting in October 2012. TxDOT broke the project into 3 segments: Segment 1 (Beltway 8 to 610); Segment 2 (610 to I-10); and Segment 3 (Downtown Loop System).

Each segment had 6 Preliminary Alternatives for a total of 18 alternatives for all 3 segments.  TxDOT was to determine the 3 most popular alternatives for each segment (for a total of 9) from evaluating the responses from the public.

Supposedly, “Within 2 months following each meeting, a report from TxDOT summarizing public comments and responses will be made available to the public”.

 After the 1st Public meeting, it took 10 months for the public comments to be available. After the 2^nd Public Meeting, it took TxDOT a full year to post the comments .. it just went up this week!

TxDOT has also just announced the 3^rd Public Meeting  in November 2013 (mentioned above).

3) This 3rd Public Meeting – is where they will announce the 3 alternatives for each segment (for a total of 9) and we, the public, will choose the final “winner” in each segment.  So this is a VERY IMPORTANT MEETING!  The results from this meeting will determine how & where the I-45 corridor will proceed!  Please mark your calendars now & plan to attend in November!  I do not know which 3 alternatives in each segment received the most favorable input at this time.  However, within the next 30 days, the I-45 Coalition will be evaluating all comments to determine which alternatives appear to be most favored.

You can find all the details of the 1^st Public Meeting & the 2^nd Public Meeting on TxDOT’s website for this project -www.IH45Northandmore.com.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE plan on attending either of the two upcoming meetings (they both should be identical) so you can (1) hear firsthand from TxDOT what they say are the 3 favored alternatives in each segment & (2) make an informed decision as to what you feel should be the final alternative!

If you made a comment & submitted it to TxDOT after the 2^nd Public meeting, I would suggest that you check to make sure your comment is ‘on the record’, by going to TxDOT’s website & checking.  All comments are indexed, so it should be easy to find. If it is not recorded, or not accurate, please let me know.

If you are not on the I-45 Coalition email list, please add your name by going to www.I-45Coalition.org and sign up.  You can also find us on Facebook.  Once on our list, we will notify you of any updates, meetings or changes to the project.   Also if you would like to attend our Steering Committee meetings, just let us know!

Please get involved and/or stay involved!  This is important.  These decisions will affect you, your family, your home or business & your neighborhood. If you ever use I-45 or have any concerns about what will or will not be done on I-45 ... you need to be involved!

Thanks.

Jim Weston

I-45 Coalition

jim@I-45Coalition.org

See you then!

Learn Local and Big Changes At Hogg

Well.... this blog has had some trouble waking up from it's summer nap. I can't even say I'm ready to really get back to it but some news is too good not to share!

Hogg Middle School. Photo: edutopia.org

As always, people in the Heights are willing to work to make their community everything they think it can be. Schools have always been a big focus for any neighborhood and the Heights has many urban pioneers who poured a lot of heart and soul in to making Travis and Harvard elementaries outstanding public school options. Middle school, however, has been a struggle. While Hamilton has thrived, Hogg has languished. Low enrollment and administrative turn over have left parents skeptical of the school. There were parents who tried to get involved but had trouble working with the school, especially when there were 3 new Principals in 3 years prior to 2011. 

Finally, in 2011, enter Dr Mina Scnitta. In just two years, Dr Scnitta has started an amazing turn around at Hogg. In addition to the amazing work she has done with her administration, Dr Schnitta has opened the school up to the community and has welcomed their involvement. Personally, I already know families who are ready to send their Harvard/Travis/Helms students to Hogg in a few years. 

Check out this list of what Dr Schnitta and Hogg have accomplished in just two short years:

■ Hogg Middle School recently achieved authorization as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. This makes Hogg, along with Lanier, one of only four authorized IB middle schools in HISD. (read more about IB certification for Heights schools in this THL post)

■ Hogg's enrollment has increased by 100 students over a one-year period. 

■ Applications to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) magnet program at Hogg increased by 72% for the 2012-13 school year. Students in the STEM magnet program learn hands-on by launching hot-air balloons (6th grade), creating straw rockets to learn principles of aerospace engineering (7th grade), and building mousetrap vehicles, catapults, and trebuchets (8th grade). 

■ Work will begin soon on $9 million in renovations, including brand-new science labs and major infrastructure improvements at Hogg. The work will include upgrades to the school's mechanical and electrical systems, improved interior finishes, new lighting, restroom upgrades, and more. Through bond funds, HISD is investing in the future at Hogg.

■ In addition to the general education track, Hogg offers the Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) curriculum to challenge students and prepare them for the Advanced Placement courses offered in high school. Hogg offers Pre-AP classes for each grade level in the four core subject areas: Math, Science, English Language Arts, and Social Studies. 

■ Hogg offers the following classes for high school credit: Algebra, Concepts of Engineering (the 8th grade STEM magnet class), Spanish, Art 1, and Journalism.

■ An overhaul of the Hogg library is nearly complete. The budget was roughly $30,000 for new books alone. The library also has 16 new computers, and plans are in the works for a relaxed seating area to give students an inviting space for reading and studying. 

Great things are happening at Hogg and Heights families are watching it! A group of parents with Harvard and Travis have started a group to support and facilitate needed changes at Hogg. Creating a group called "Learn Local," these parents have a mission to "Establish a bridge for our children between our successful Heights neighborhood elementary schools and Hogg Middle School, an IB World School and STEM campus, enabling progression within our strong, unique community." The first Learn Local meeting was held on August 20th at the school with Dr. Scnitta. It was an amazing collaboration of over 40 parents from Harvard and Travis. Also in attendance were Anna Eastman, HISD District 1 Trustee; Michele Pola, HISD Chief of Staff; Ms. Berger, Reagan Principal; Mr. Day, Travis Principal; and Mr. Beringer, Harvard Principal. The group discussed the obstacles that families need to over come to make it their "neighborhood middle school of choice," and over the coming months they will work to create a plan "to break down those barriers." 

If you want to keep up with what this group and the school are working on, check out their 'Learn Local' Facebook page to learn more: www.facebook.com/LearnLocalatHogg

Want to see Hogg in action? Learn Local tours are being scheduled now and will eventually take place regularly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 10 a.m. Interested families can also tour at their convenience. Please contact Dr. Schnitta, at 713-802-4700 or mschnitt@houstonisd.org to set something up.

Upcoming tour dates:

■ 'Learn Local.' tour, Tuesday, October 8 at 10 a.m.

For this tour only, RSVP to learnlocal.hogg@gmail.com

■ Tuesday, October 15 at 10 a.m. 

■ November 4-8, HISD Magnet Awareness Week, tours daily at 1 p.m. 

This is such exciting progress for the community. This is not only great for parents of Harvard and Travis kids, but for all kids zoned to Hogg and the students already enrolled at the school. All of our community students deserve an amazing education, so many, many thanks to Dr Mina Scnitta for believing in our school and sticking with it!

Summertime = Family Time

I am actually a little late in posting this notice, but this is the time of year when I stop worrying about the Heights Life and focus more on family life. As anyone who has small kids, or was once a small kid themself, knows summer is a pretty special time. We'll be having lot of fun all around the neighborhood... and beyond! These are the days that define a childhood.

We'll still be sharing neighborhood news, food, local shopping, and other tidbits on 

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

and 

INSTAGRAM

Hope to see you there!

Sing it, Belinda!