News Flash

I recieved this today and thought I would post it in case anyone would like to attend:

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Member of the Homeland Security Committee


OPEN HOUSE

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE H1N1 FLU AND RECEIVE PERTANENT INFORMATION

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
May 1, 2009

420 W. 19th Street
Houston, TX 77008

RSVP 713.655.0050 or 713.861.4070


Michael Halpin, District Administrator
Office of Congresswoman Jackson Lee

Heights Happenings

Saturday, May 2, 1-4 PM: The Travis Elementary Centennial Parade and Celebration

• Help celebrate the history of The Heights by joining in the fun. Travis Elementary is 100 years old! Mayor Bill White, Mrs. Barbara Bush and alumni from as far back as the 1930s will be attending. There will be School tours discussing the building's history, tree planting and a time capsule burial. One notable float in the parade will be Heights artist and pianist Loreta Kovacic-Parani. Loreta composes primarily children's music and her float will feature Heights area kids performing her latest musical BROTHER TADPOLE. The parade begins at the Norhill/Bayland esplanade and ends at the Travis campus on Florence.

Saturday, May 2, All Day: Historic Heights 1st Saturday

• Come on! You know it's been too long since you've hit 1st Saturday.
• This month's featured events include: Free Heirloom Tomato Plant @ Karen Derr & Associates; Pat Gavin & the Buckaroo Band @ Hickory Hollow - new time 5:30; Hula to The Grass Skirts ukelele & steel guitar band @ 1st Sat Arts MarketStudent Art; Felix Cook, Jr. Elementary Fine Arts Academy @ Heights Modern Home
• Don't forget, you can relax and take the trolley from 11AM - 4PM, which includes fun trolley coupons for things like cheap margaritas at Berryhill on 11th .
  

Thursday, May 7, 6:30-8:3- PM: The Heights Womans' Club Founders Day Reception

• Have you ever been interested in joining the Heights Womans' Club? Did you even realize there is a Heights Womans' Club? Well, whether you didn't know at all or always wanted to know more, here is your chance. The reception will be held at the group's clubhouse, 1846 Harvard, and will honor the memory of Hortense Sparks Ward . Ward was a Houston Heights resident and an early Houston attorney. She was the 1st woman to pass the Texas Bar and one of the first practicing female attorneys in the State of Texas. Mrs Ward helped obtain the Club's charter in 1912. She spoke at the first public meeting in the new clubhouse, championing the Married Womans Property Act which she had co-authored and worked to ensure the passage of by the Texas Legistlature in 1913. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. Please RSVP attendance to Jeanne.ardoin@gmail.com, amydell@gmail.com or via mail to P.O. Box 7782, Houston, Texas 77270.

Heads Up:

This year's White Linen Night will be Saturday, August 1. Mark your calendars, but don't worry-we'll remind you again!

Pooch Promenade (I'm Not Making Up That Title)

Ah, The Heights.

Where else would you wake up on Saturday morning, ride your bike to the park with your partner and your dog, and enter the aforementioned canine in a competition for glory and prizes against a dog wearing a top-hat and a dog wearing a costume that strongly resembles Indiana Jones?

Yes, The Heights.

One of our quaint little sub-neighborhoods within The Heights, Proctor Plaza (also known as Norhill), held a fundraiser and community get-together at Proctor Park (W. Temple Street) this past Saturday. For the purpose of ethics in journalism, I have to disclose that I am, in fact, a Proctor Plaza resident. And, to complicate matters, I entered my bloodhound, Hoss, in the competition for Most Handsome, so I am hardly an objective observer.

The Pooch Promenade is the kind of thing that makes me want to pinch our neighborhood's cheeks and say, "You are too cute!"

Seriously? A competition to crown:

• The Dog with the Prissiest Tail
• The Dog with the Best Story
• Best Owner/Dog Look-Alike
• Best Dressed Dog
• Most Talented
  
• Most Beautiful & Most Handsome (a.k.a. Mrs. & Mr. Proctor Plaza)

How quirky and adorable is that?

When the president of the neighborhood association announced each category, dogs and their owners who wanted to enter would come forward and stand in a line. Then the dogs and owners would parade around in a circle, so all the onlookers (who were also the judges) could get a good look. Finally, the president would announce each dog/owner combo and the audience would use the intensity of their clapping to indicate their vote.

The voting system left a little to be desired. I mean, the woman who sported a camouflage jacket and a beret and dressed her dog in a camouflage vest didn't win the Owner/Dog Look-Alike contest.

Several neighborhood businesses (like Beer Island, Shipley's Donuts, My Dog and Me, Ace Hardware, Wabash, Fiesta, Venus Hair, and ioMosaic--just to name a few) donated gift certificates and cash to help make the event possible. I'm so impressed--especially given the economic crash and burn we're experiencing--that businesses would give so generously to help make a local community event possible.

It was also a chance to get to mingle (which I am so bad at!). We talked to a few people (dogs are great conversation starters), but we didn't maximize our chance to meet new people. We've only lived in The Heights since July, so we're trying to build our cadre of neighbor-friends. Maybe next time...

I do have to say that I'm a little bitter that Hoss didn't place at all in The Most Handsome category. He hardly got any claps. Look how sad he is. (You can make him feel better by voting for him in the comments section.)

Saturday Supplemental: Heights Happenings

Here are a couple of worthwhile events that you need to know about:

Saturday, May 2, Noon- 5 PM: Bras and Boxers- Kick Off for American Cancer Society's Relay for Life of Greater Heights

• Bras and Boxers are now being collected (along with a $5 donation per item) to help raise cancer awareness. The undies will be strung down 19th Street on May 2 in conjunction with Heights 1st Saturday. The display, a quirky fundraiser modelled after an event in Vicksburg, MI, where almost 2000 bras were stretched across the Mississippi River on U.S. 80, will jump start The Relay for Life of Greater Heights cancer awareness fundraiser
• Check the website at the link above for opportunities to volunteer. Stringing the bras and boxers together is just one way you can help!
• If you would like to make a donation, you can contact Barbara Dickens (2009 Chair of the Greater Heights Relay Committee): 281.630.5120 or event@rflgh.org -or- check HERE for drop off locations.

Saturday, May 15: American Cancer Society’s 2009 Relay For Life Greater Heights

One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life® is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people across the country each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much.

• The relay runs 6 PM Friday, May 15th until 6 AM Saturday, May 16th at the Delmar-Dyer Sports Complex .
• There is still time to get a team together!! Click the link above to sign up quickly and help "Kick Cancer Out of This World!"

The Ebb and Flow of Hamburgers

Or at least the strange ebb and flow of Dry Creek. One minute it’s accolades; the next thumbs down all around. Everyone wants to go; no one can stand it. Is there anyone who doesn’t have a love/hate relationship with this Creek? I admit I do. I love the patio but hate the service. I love the burgers but hate the cheese steak.

This back-and-forth relationship often leaves me wondering if I am missing something? Are there enough people that choose burgers over service to keep this place afloat? Is it the sheer fact that they have one of the biggest breakfast patios in The Heights keeping them open? Do they sell that many coffee drinks? I want to go and then always reason that I don’t want to go just to have the service tick me off. Will it ever get consistently good?

Now, one thing to mention before I proceed is that a lot of the families on the Heights Kids Group forum had a huge discussion about Dry Creek several months ago. The comments were not friendly and one industrious mother put them all together and emailed the owner. It wasn’t long after that we saw signs go up at the restaurant with an email address for comments on service. The time we went after that, stellar. The next time, the same old. The time after that, worse than the same old. As of today, it’s been a while…

Tonight was just one of those nights. Mama had a pregnancy craving which couldn’t be denied. It was already late when the hubby got home. Someburger was closed and a trip to someplace like Southwell’s wasn’t going to work for us. The weather was a breezy 78 degrees and old Dry Creek was calling our names. We decided to see if there had been improvement since our last visit.

It is Tuesday as I write this and it was all quiet on the Dry Creek front when we arrived. Despite the gorgeous weather, the sun was strong and the patio umbrellas were, themselves, falling down on the job. We chose a table inside and were greeted quickly. One in the win column as this is usually where the meal starts to go awry at DC. We got drinks and read our menus. Our orders were taken promptly and we waited. This may seem like no big deal, especially since it was a quiet night, but 10+ years in the restaurant industry has proven that when it’s slow, servers get lazy. You are more likely to get poor service on a quiet night than a hectic one when a place has its adrenaline pumping!

Tonight they had an expediter in the kitchen. This is helpful, even if she was eating something while she was standing in front of the line. Hey, I’m no Marvin Zindler. Again, a decade in kitchens and I forgive things a man with blue tinted glasses just wouldn’t.

Our waiter had his own dinner while we were seated, as well. But he didn’t eat it in front of us and we didn’t go without what we needed. Ideal? No, but fine. Perhaps it was his hunger pangs than caused him to not bring my side of guacamole out before the food as requested. Maybe he thought he heard me wrong and was I really going to spoon feed my kid guac before dinner came? Either way, I was sad that my son would only eat fatty protein and fries when I wanted some of that green goodness in him before the grease hit the table.

As far as my burger… yeah. Perfect. Per my request, it was cooked a little more than I like it since I was sharing with the boy. It was still juicy and flavorful. The fries were wonderful- kind of crisp, nicely seasoned. Mmmmm. It really hit the spot.

The husband got a turkey burger with a salad on the side. He said it was “awesome.” He actually eats turkey and veggie burgers quite a bit and says it’s a challenge to get them not dried out. He loved this one and the salad was good, too. Nice greens, good dressing. Simple and solid. He also got a cherry-lime-aid. High marks for it as well.

We always expected the food to be good. It was a pretty simple night. What it did, though, was put us back in to the “Flow” category for Dry Creek. We’ll head back again soon and hope to keep up the positivity. Maybe now is a good time for you to try again too….

ADDENDUM: I wrote the above last week. Last night, Thursday, we went back to Dry Creek. We had plans with friends and they mentioned craving burgers. "Dry Creek has great burgers," I suggested. So, ugh. We had, coincidentally, the same waiter as last week. My husband's salad and the "fry basket" we ordered came out first as we requested, but for some reason the quesadilla appetizer didn't come out until dinners were served. It was clearly ordered as an appetizer. After our other apps came out we actually inquired as to the quesadilla's whereabouts. Our waiter said "Oh, it should be coming." Yeah, it came. Fifteen minutes later with our dinners.

I also have to make mention of my disappointment of the fried app platter we ordered. It had 3 mozzarella sticks, about 5 teeny onion rings (not the same onion rings they serve with the burgers) and 4-5 slices of zucchini. The zucchini wasn't cut in to sticks, but rather disks and only one piece was bigger than a quarter. It was not good and not worth the price tag.

There was another service issue last night as well. A busgirl was clearing the appetizer plates from our table and dropped the ramekin of red sauce from the fried platter. It hit the ground and splattered all over everyone at our table, especially my husband who was still in his work clothes. She just kind of looked at all of us, splattered with marinara, and said "Sorry. I'll get more napkins." Our waiter never apologized and a manager/supervisor certainly never came by to check on us. Again, I waited tables for a lot of years. I spilled more than my fair share of crap on people. I understand full well that accidents happen. It's how the accident is handled where things can go right or wrong. Once I dropped a whole tray of fajitas on the patio at this TexMex joint I worked at in Dallas. When the beef, grilled onions, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream ricocheted all over the Happy Hour crowd, the owner bought a round of drinks and paid for everyone's dry cleaning. That's why, in a city as fickle as Dallas, this restaurant has been open for more than 20 years.

So, now my opinion that maybe the time is ripe to give Dry Creek another chance is wavering. Sure, go. Just don't want to eat your meal in courses and don't expect much help if something goes wrong. The friends we went with tonight live in The Heights and eat out a lot but had never been to Dry Creek for dinner. They liked the burgers enough, but they didn't seem impressed with the experience as a whole. I can't say I blame them.

Heights Happenings

Thursday, April 30, All Day Long: Dine Out. Fight AIDS.

• If you enjoy eating out, Thursday, April 30 is a great day to do so. Houston restaurants are paticipating in the national Dining Out For Life fundraiser, locally benefitting AIDS Foundation Houston. In the Heights, you can enjoy a hearty sandwich at Carter & Cooley on 19th (lunch only), a slice from Pink's Pizza on the Boulevard, or sushi and spring rolls from Dragon Bowl on 11th. Restaurants have pledged 33% of food bills for the entire day to support the fight against AIDS and HIV. In 2008, AFH raised over $80,000 for programs and services such as housing, case management, and food assistance for nearly 5,000 HIV+ men, women, and children.

Saturday, April 25, 6-9 PM: Silent Art Auction at G-Gallery

• The G-Gallery at 301 East 11th Street will host an silent art auction and artist reception, featuring works from established and emerging Houston artists including ALIX DUNN, IBSEN ESPADA, DAVID GRAEVE, ROBERT GRAHAM, RACHEL HECKER, MAX MILLER, AARON PARAZETTE, AL SOUZA, WHITNEY RILEY, AND ALEENA WORFE. There will also be many non-art items on the auction block, including guitar lessons, several sets of theater tickets and a Central City Co-Op gift certificate. Admission is free and all proceeds benefit Shining Star School, Houston's only Waldorf school.

Sunday, April 26; 1pm: Texas Filmmakers Production Fund Workshop

• Location: Aurora Video Library, 1524 Sul Ross; Free Admission; Are you a Texas filmmaker seeking funding for your next project? Since 1996, the Austin Film Society's Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund has supported Texas filmmakers by giving out cash, goods and services to film and video projects. At this workshop, the Austin Film Society's Director of Artist Services will take you through the grant application process step-by-step. You should not miss this if you plan to apply or need money to support your project. MORE INFO
  

Wednesday, April 29, 11:30 AM: The Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce 9th Annual Reibenstein Memorial Golf Tournament

• Event begins at 11:30 AM with practice and included lunch. Shotgun start at 1:30 PM. Event will take place at the Longwood Golf Club, 133000 Longwood Terrace. Details on the website or from the Chamber at 713.861.6735 or by email exasst@heightschamber.com

Heads Up: Last days for the Clay Across Texas series at 18 Hands Gallery

• Saturday, April 25 draws the series at 18 Hands Gallery to a close. This series features San Antonio artists, as well as new pieces from the gallery's resident artists. The gallery, located on 19th Street, is open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday and Sunday noon til 5:00 PM.

Sculpture by Susan Raine

Heads Up: Call for Entries: Extremely Shorts Film Festival

• May 1: Aurora Picture Show's twelfth annual Extremely Shorts Festival features three-minute or shorter films and videos by artists, filmmakers, culture jammers, students, moms, security guards, and anyone with a camera and a vision. This year’s juror is Bill Arning. Mr. Arning was the Curator at the MIT List Center in Boston, MA and will be the new Director of the Contemporary Art Museum of Houston beginning in April. MORE INFO

Outside the Heights: Saturday, April 25, 3-9pm; The Menil Arts Community Open House; free admission

• The non-profit arts organizations of the Menil Campus, including Aurora Picture Show, band together to showcase a free afternoon of arts and entertainment including performances, exhibits, screenings, readings, classes, and services at an all-day open house. There will be special music performances, art exhibitions, and programs of the spoken word from organizations such as Da Camera, Inprint, SWAMP, Cinema Arts Society and Writers in the Schools. Join Aurora for family-friendly videoke and treats at the office from 3-6PM, a musical performance from DJ Lama at the Menil Bookstore from 6:30-8PM, followed by a screening of short films funded by the Austin Film Society’s Texas Filmmakers Production Fund at 8PM, outdoors in the backyard of the office location, 1524 Sul Ross. Films include works by George Langworthy, Toddy Burton, Lance Myers, Bob Ray, David Zellner, Andre Silva, Ted Gesing and Eileen Maxson.Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and picnics! MORE DETAILS AND A MAP HERE

Hunting for a Good Deal at Stardust Antiques

As much as I like to adventure and spontaneity, I also like routines--like my Saturday morning routine, for instance:

1. Wake up at a leisurely pace
2. Take my dog running (he's a bloodhound and needs an insane amount of exercise, despite the fact that he likes to spend the rest of the day sleeping)
3. Swing by the Farmer's Market
   
4. Go grocery shopping
   
5. Stop by Stardust Antiques on 11th Street to see what new things Bob and Yolanda have acquired

Truth be told, I oftentimes swing by Stardust Antiques on Sunday, too. They are just that nice, and their prices are just that good.

Bob and Yolanda got into the antique business back in 1984 when Bob's antique-dealing mom unexpectedly died and left the family her collection. At the time, Bob worked as a distributor for the Chronicle and then a special education teacher, and Yolanda worked at a bank. They named their business Mae's Antiques in honor of Bob's mom.

At that time, they set up shop in a barbershop on Houston Avenue. In the beginning, $15 of profit per week was considered a good week, and some days they sold nothing at all.

Fortunately, they didn't let their slow start stop them. In 1991, when a persistently leaky roof at the barbershop forced them to search for new property, they found the old Stardust Lounge on 11th Street for $50,000, which--as Yolanda says--was "a famous dive" back in the day.

Rumor has it that the former owner of the Stardust Lounge was killed by his second wife and step-daughter. When they went to prison, the property became available. To maintain the connection to its history and the neighborhood, Bob and Yolanda added the name Stardust Antiques to their sign.

Now, they open for ten hours a week (Saturday 11-5 and Sunday 1-5) and supply our neighborhood with an eclectic collection of items from the 1800s through the 1950s, with a specialization in Texas Primitives. Matt and I have furnished our 1930s bungalow with an old workmen's bench from the mid 1800s (for a mere $100), one of those giant pull-down maps from a classroom, a party-sized glass drink dispenser from Italy ($15), countless pieces of pottery, an old school desk ($35), and postcards.

Although Bob and Yolanda live in the Greenspoint area rather than The Heights, they have certainly built a community at 1129 E. 11th Street. They know many of their customers by name and have maintained connections with some of them for more than a decade. Yolanda says, "We're creating a neat little family."

They also barter with their neighbor, Dacapo's, to offer free cookies to customers on Saturdays. Yolanda maintains Dacapo's landscaping in return. Stardust Antique's customer-friendly policies extend beyond just the free cookies (and soft drinks). They also have an extremely lenient layaway policy, which entails an insignificant down payment, and an unlimited time frame to pay it off.

In terms of pricing, they usually aim to double the price, but if that's not reasonable, they "just try to make $10 off everything." On bigger, more expensive items, Yolanda says they might make $50. Their general policy is "slow and steady every weekend by keeping prices low." They accept cash or check.

Bob and Yolanda enjoy doing business in The Heights and especially appreciate people who are on the hunt for old things to furnish their old homes.

About The Heights, Bob says, "It's a nice, peaceful little neighborhood." Yolanda adds, "It's a picturesque place that personifies the word 'neighborhood.'"

I, for one, am extremely thankful we have down-home businesses that help make our neighborhood what it is.

Meet Your New Neighbor

Houston is definitely a city of transplants. Between the medical center and oil & gas industries, I seem to meet more transplants than natives. In my day-to-day life, some of the things I am involved with allow me to chat with people who are relocating here from out of town or out of state. I am relentless when it comes to pushing all the positive things about my own neighborhood, but when you’ve lived in a 200 sq ft studio in Manhattan or already had to deal with a 3 hour commute in LA, the suburbs of Houston have a lot to offer. Large homes on spacious lots and amenities galore, a shorter-than-you're-used-to commute, those famous suburban schools. No matter how hard I try to sell The Heights, it is really only going to appeal to some of the people some of the time.

So, when I do meet someone who moved to The Heights from elsewhere, I am always intrigued about how they ended up in this neighborhood. Anna is one of those people. I first “met” Anna on a local message board where she posted about relocating to Houston. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out she actually did buy here. I felt like it was one in the win column for the inner loop!

I chatted with Anna about how she and her husband, Sam, decided on The Heights and her answers were much like what I expected. It starts with the commute. Sam would be training for a couple years and that means commuting to different offices. They decided that central would be best until they know where he will land long term. They looked all over the north quadrant of the Loop- Heights, Garden Oaks, Timergrove. The usual suspects.

Anna and her husband, Sam, met oh-so-way-back in undergrad at Vanderbilt and have lived in a couple places since then doing things like grad school. Somerset, NJ, and Arlington, VA, are places most people know. I think the places you live before make a real difference in where you are going to choose after. What you want and don't want from past homes comes in to play when deciding on a new one. When they were in Houston house shopping, Anna said that there was something you could feel right away in The Heights. There was an obvious community feel that appealed to them. She also liked how walkable it seemed, which they didn’t have in New Jersey. Anna and Sam basically had one 3-day weekend to come to Houston and make a decision. The sense of community really spoke to them, as did the presence of sidewalks and diverse homes. “A variety of houses means a variety of people,” Anna noted. And, even with only 3 days to look, they knew it wouldn’t have to be permanent if The Heights wasn’t everything they thought it was going to be.

I have to mention that Houston wasn’t as welcoming to them as it should have been! Anna came down solo while Sam finished the last bits of his graduate degree in Geology. She literally moved down here the weekend before Hurricane Ike. Movers were packing their place in NJ as the storm was approaching. Anna wisely headed back east early to meet the movers and rode out the storm up there. That would have been some welcome party!

Now, seven months in, the couple feels pretty settled. They escaped any Ike related issues (and still haven't endured a summer). They love how central they are. While they live in a part of The Heights that some still consider transitional, they have "great" neighbors and feel lucky in that respect. They feel safe (the addition of Sophie, a black lab, has helped). Anna says they have made great friends in the neighborhood but also know people all over metro Houston. They’ve gotten to see a lot of different parts of the city and Anna told me she “hasn’t found anywhere else I could see myself.” Sometimes her friends in the suburbs seem almost “isolated” and she can’t imagine ever feeling that way in this neighborhood. Amen to that!

Right now, Anna feels like The Heights is so big and has so much to offer, she wonders if she can really ever know it all. On deck: exploring all the cool shops and starting to attend more neighborhood events. Of course, I had to tell her to be sure to check all the great information on The Heights Life to help with that! Ha!

While they enjoy so much about The Heights specifically, Anna and Sam have found the transition to be pretty seamless over all. Anna chalks this up to all Houstonians. She laughed a little when she told me “everyone here is just so nice.” I get the amusement. I feel that way, too, sometimes- like it’s such a stereotype but there is just no denying it. It’s a friendly city!

Anna tries to coax my son, Truitt, on to the couch. Got him and photo op complete!

Thanks, Anna, for taking the time to talk with me and allowing our readers to get to know a new neighbor!

Viula

Heights Happenings

Friday, April 17, 7:00-9:00pm: Heights Time Bank Potluck

• Time banking is a time exchange system that builds community. When you spend an hour doing something for a neighbor--like babysitting, small home repairs, a piano lesson, etc.--you earn a Time Dollar that you can spend to have another neighbor do something for you. If you are interested in learning more about time banking (or are already a member) you can attend a potluck at 1134 Jerome Street. Bring a dish to share!
  

Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, 8-9:30pm: Aurora Picture Show

• Media Archeology: Liquid Light to the Laptop, the Evolution of Live Visuals pays tribute to the multimedia spectacle of the psychedelic light show as an art form that revolutionized rock concerts, influenced corporate events and advertising, and paved the way for the VJs of today. Friday will feature a presentation from Joshua Light Show and The Silver Apples.

Saturday, April 18, 5pm: 2nd Annual Musicfest-Campout at Marmion Park

• The festivities start in Marmion Park (corner of 18th and Heights) with opening music from 5-6pm. Then Don Broman's Band will take the stage from 6-8pm. The Big Al's Blues Band will play from 8-10pm. Houston Heights Association members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and their beverages of choice for an evening of music and camaraderie.Non-member neighbors are free to tag along as guests. There will be a grill and wet sink set up for HHA members who want to bring their own hamburger and hot dog fixin's. There will also be free popcorn. When the music ends at 10pm, card tables and chairs will be set up dominoes or cards. There will be a children's campfire located in the Northeast corner of the park. Members of the Houston Story Tellers Guild will entertain the children. There will also be a marshmallow roasting.Tents can be set up anytime after 8am on Saturday morning. Berryhill's will provide breakfast tacos, coffee, and juice at 8am on Sunday. For more information, contact Paul Carr at 713.869.0505 or torturet@aol.com. You can also visit the HHA newsletter.

Wednesday, April 22, 6:30 PM: Monthly Heights PIP Meeting

• Concerned about crime in The Heights? Attend the Positive Intervention Program, or PIP, meeting at 1602 State Street. PIP meetings exist because dealing with the police and knowing what they do in our neighborhood can be confusing to some citizens. The PIP monthly meetings feature speakers from different divisions (Burglary and Theft, Homicide, K-9, Helicopters, etc.) explaining how their division operates and what has been happening in the neighborhood. For more information on what PIP is and what you can gain from attending this meeting, visit the HPD website HERE.

Saturday, April 25, 3-8 PM: A Birthday Tribute for Huey "Ink Spot" Long

• 104 year old Huey Long is the last living member of the ground breaking vocal group, The Ink Spots. Quietly celebrated via various avenues of pop culture, this Houston native is a source of pride for our city and for The Heights, which The Ink Spot Museum calls home. On Sat, April 25th, The Ink Spots Museum on E 20th will host a birthday party for the music icon. For more information and to hear some of their music, you can visit the the museum webpage . If you love music and already know you want to be a part of this event, you can RSVP here.

Sat & Sun, April 25-26, 11 AM- 5 PM: Heights Showcase of Homes

• Part fundraiser, part showcase for builders. See what's behind the doors of some of the new constructions in The Heights. Tour proceeds benefit The Heights Exchange Club. Map and more admission information HERE.

Outside The Heights: Sunday, April 19, 3-6 PM: The Center's Annual Ice Cream Sunday Carnival

• This is the seventh annual carnival to benefit The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, aka The Center. The Carnival will be held on the grounds at 3550 West Dallas and will feature an abundance of kid friendly events like carnival rides, a rock wall, moonwalk, pony rides and a WOW- worthy ice cream sundae bar. All proceeds benefit The Center. Not familiar with The Center? Find out more about the wonderful work they do in our community HERE.