Garage Sale Plus Other Good Stuff

Good Afternoon All,

Lots of exciting things.

Garage Sale.   The neighborhood garage sale will be this Saturday, April 6th from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.   Note, last time, shoppers started arriving at 6:30 a.m.!!   If you have big items or specialty items you are selling and want me to list them, please let me know.  For instance, I’m hoping to sell a cornet and a trumpet (that’s all I have to sell…).   You can have your garage sale anytime you want.  If you want to sell stuff and want to get together with other people and not have it at your house, please let me know.  Those of you will be meeting at the Houston Glass Studio.  They are generously lending us their spacious yard.  Note, their building will be locked at all times.  Also, please let me know if you would like to donate stuff for the civic club to sell.  The funds will go towards the children’s playground at Cleveland Park.

If you want to be added to the garage sale map, please let me know by Thursday.

Even if you aren’t selling or buying stuff on Saturday, I encourage you to get out and get to know your neighbors.

Pay-It-Forward Landscaping.    Marco Antonio Roberts is interested in forming a sort of “pay it forward” landscaping group.  Basically, if you like gardening and / or your yard or street needs help, this is the group for you.  If you are in the group, you will get together with other neighbors and help them clean up their yard, including planting, etc.  Marco is asking that a donation of 10% of whatever you spend for the yard be given to Magnolia Grove Civic Club.  So an example:  My Yard.  I usually spend $300 – $400 in the fall and in the spring planting new stuff.  I would donate $30-40 to Magnolia Grove and in return, these volunteers would come help on my yard.  I would then “pay it forward” by helping them on the next two projects.  So, you are basically getting free labor in exchange for helping others.  I love this idea Marco had and thank him for sharing it.  Now, let’s make our neighborhood beautiful!    If you are interested in participating, please contact Marco Antonio at:  mroberts48@comcast.net  By the way, they are the guys with the beautiful corner at Leverkuhn and Blossom.

Book Club.  This month’s selection is:  The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  It is my favorite book. I hope you love it as much as I do.  If you would like to join us, please email Annie at:  ahadow@wt.net for the location.   We will meet Sunday, April 14th at 5:00 p.m. to discuss.

Membership.   If you have not already done so, please fill out your membership form and send in your yearly dues.  The form is attached.  If you cannot afford it, please do not feel obligated.   We are having a stellar year in regards to membership.  Forty-Four of you have paid your dues!!  This is amazing!!!   So much better than past years.  Still I have 316 people who receive this email, 257 on Facebook (some crossover) and there are over 1100 households (not including apartments) in our neighborhood.  So, I know we can do a lot better.

 

Parents / Cleveland Park.  If you have not joined that group and want to, please let me know.  Luis Franco is doing a fantastic job with this effort.  But we need volunteers who have time to make calls and get information.  An hour of your time every few weeks would help enormously!    We are trying to clean up the park, enclose the playground (to keep out dogs) and our ultimate goal is to have a playground like the one at Memorial Park (near the church) and perhaps a neighborhood vegetable / herb garden.
Here is some recent information from Luis:

Dear neighbors,

 

I received a call today from Jose Torres, who introduced himself as a Supervisor for the Urban Park Rangers. I had previously left my number on his voicemail with a request to discuss the issue of loose dogs in Cleveland Park. He indicated that they had noted a sharp increase in calls recently about loose dogs in Cleveland Park (we have Katey Forth and Sean McCall to thank for that, which is great). He also noted that the peak hour seems to be between 6 and 6:30 pm, which corresponds well to our log. At least, it seems like they are also keeping track and starting to notice the issue. Mr. Torres says his Rangers are not able to enforce the City ordinance that mandates that dogs be on a leash in public spaces (this is in contrast to what I had been told before). He said he had spoken with a Supervisor at BARC, as they have officers (these appear to be dog-catchers, not police officers) who can issue tickets to dog owners who have loose dogs in public property. According to him, BARC had agreed to start sending an officer to the park periodically, to issue tickets and talk to dog owners. He also agreed to send his own rangers to the park between 6 and 7 on a regular basis.

 

I am skeptical, but at least it is clear that our voice is starting to be heard. Please continue to call the Urban Park Rangers at 832-395-7100 to make a report every time you see loose dogs in Cleveland Park. Every time you do, please e-mail or text me (832-439-6773), so that we can keep our call log growing. Eventually, this log will be our objective demonstration to City officials that something more serious needs to be done if the park is to really become a space for all.

 

If you see the Park Rangers or BARC officers at the park, please also let me know. Mr. Torres agreed to follow up with me in one week, to see if anything had happened.

 

As always, please send me your comments and suggestions.

 

Luis

 

Luis M. Franco, M.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Molecular and Human Genetics

Baylor College of Medicine

One Baylor Plaza, BCM 320

Houston, TX 77030

U.S.A.

 

 

Safety:   I don’t know if you saw this on our Facebook page.  Stephanie sent it and I thought it worth sharing.  Please be careful.  And if you notice somebody following you, DO NOT go home!  Go to the police station or the fire station.  DO NOT go home or even near your home.   Read below.

 

WARNING: Creepy guy following women home. I am including multiple posts so I apologize if it’s rather long, but PLEASE read! I will attach pic if/when I get it.

__________

POST 1: “Today this man followed me home (presumably from the Target on Taylor unless he just saw me driving and started following), even attempting to pull in our driveway only to pull into a neighbor’s drive when I didn’t move my car up the drive any further. He got out of his car and, when confronted, proceeded to ask me if he could come inside for sex. He repeated this as I told him to get away from me and didn’t leave until I was screaming. I got a picture of him and have attached it here. I am 7 months pregnant and this man scared the hell out of me and now knows where I live. I called the police and a case has been opened. Please keep your eyes open. We live on Prince St between 14th and 15th. It was a heavyset, white man in a tan button up and jeans driving an older Honda (Accord I believe) and his plates can be seen in the photo.”

__________

POST 2: FB reposting from someone that lives in Cypress from March 3, 2013

“”Today… I was leaving Target and heading home when I noticed a black Honda accord 4 door with license plate ZYL222 that seemed to be following me. I got off the freeway at cypress rosehill and so did he… Then I got back on… freeway and exited Mason Rd which is my exit and headed north the Honda still behind me…since all the crazy rapes and stuff that have been happening in cypress, I though…t I was probably just being paranoid… So I go all the way to dead end of Mason and right behind me is still this man. So I decide to get my mail and not drive to my house… He patiently waited while I got my mail…I was thinking, “oh good, he must live here too.” But he never got out of his car, so I went up and down every street trying to lose him but couldn’t … I was really nervous by now and decided to leave neighborhood and head any where but my home… He was right behind me…. Needless to say he followed me and even ran a red light and a bus that was blinking lights… I co uld not get a hold of my husband so I called brother n law because he works close to where I had driven by now… He hopped in his car and met me At the fire station at Cypress Rosehill/huffmeister… And was able to get the license plates for me. He finally drove away when he saw him get out of his car and talk to me…. Needless to say I was shaking by then…. I hate that he knows what subdivision I live in.. But thankfully not which house. PS… Police ran plates and belongs to someone in 77008 zip code but no warrants… But if we see him again they will have me do a police report…”

__________

UPDATE:

“The case was assigned to the sex crimes division and the detective assigned the case told me today that they will not be investigating, not even running plates, because the only crime committed is a Class C misdemeanor. Despite telling her what we had found out about this man she said that because I couldn’t prove for sure that it was the same man, my best bet was to go to the closest HPD storefront and ask for increased patrols. Unfortunately it’s not a big enough case for them to look into because he didn’t actually grab me.

Also, my husband went to the Target on Taylor today and let them know what happened and gave them the picture. The head of security said he thought that he had already spoken with me about this and my husband told him he knew for sure that I hadn’t called. Turns out another woman called with a complaint of a black Honda following her from that Target, license plate ending 222, this week as well. Please be very aware when shopping in that shopping center.”

 

2013 Flyer

2013_membership_form

Lots of Stuff Going On

Below is information you will find important about our neighborhood.  The items include:  a proposed amendment to Chapter 42, the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (HSLECJ), a lost dog (taken to a shelter), creation of the Super Neighborhood 22 Lost and Found Facebook page by one of our very own residents, initiative for improvements to Cleveland Park, a 311 App and membership in the Magnolia Grove Civic Club.

The one item that needs attention today is the Chapter 42 Amendment.  It is long so it’s at the bottom on this note.

High School:

HSLECJ_bondflyer_012513_rev2

HISD continues with plans to move the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (HSLECJ), despite requests from the community not to do so.  Please plan to attend this short meeting and get information and voice your opinion.

From Jane Cahill-West:On Thursday evening, January 31st, from 7:00-8:00 p.m., HISD will hold a public meeting regarding plans to move the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (HSLECJ).  Please find attached to this email a flyer with information about this very important community meeting.

The HSLECJ is the only public high school located in Super Neighborhood 22.  SN 22 has encouraged HISD not to move this high school out of the area, and continues to work with HISD Trustee Juliet Stipeche to achieve this goal.

If good community schools are important to you, please plan to attend this meeting, and please redistribute the information about this meeting to your family, friends, and neighbors.

Lost Pets

We continue to see lost pets in our neighborhood.  Please take a moment to put a collar with a tag on your pet or get a micro chip.  In an effort to assist our lost and found pets andtheir owners, our resident, Jodi O’Hara has created a Facebook Page dedicated to the lostand found pets along Super Neighborhood 22.  Please help spread the word to other neighbors.  Here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/SuperNeighborhood22LostFoundPets?ref=ts&fref=ts

At the moment, there is a found red dog in need of finding it’s owner or a new home.  It has been taken to the Pearland shelter.  The neighbor who took it is friends with the director of the shelter and so is keeping tabs on it.  We will be alerted if it goes on the “kill” list.  It is a chow / lab mix, very friendly.  I have attached a picture.  If this dog belongs to you or you know the owner, please contact me immediately.

 

 

Cleveland Park: 

 

As many of you know, we’ve begun efforts to improve Cleveland Park.  Luis Franco is leading the efforts for an improved playground.  I am leading the efforts for improvements to the park in general.  If you would like to help Luis or myself, please let me know.  Currently, we are trying to put together some rough plans, which include sketches andestimates, to present to TIRZ 5 (Memorial-Heights) in hopes of getting consideration for money to improve the park.

We realize many of you live with limited green space.  We want to make this park a placeyou, your family and pets can all use.  We want to improve the issues with dog waste and trash and have a bigger, enclosed playground with new, safer equipment.  We are very happy to see that many of you are choosing to raise your children in our neighborhood.  We want to have a safe, clean place for them to play and for grown ups to enjoy too. Some of my fondest childhood memories where at the park that was just one block from the house I grew up in.  I want our kids to have a place where they can safely play, perhaps grow a garden, go watch little league games and who knows, maybe one day go for a swim.

So, if you are an architect, landscaper or builder, please help us with very rough sketches and estimates.  I need to present this on Tuesday morning, February 12th.  Please contact me if you can help with this.   We are asking for you to donate your time at this moment.

And if you want to be involved in how this park is improved, please be willing to help give ideas and also do the work.  

311 App:

The 311 App will finally be available this coming week.  If you have a smart phone, please download the free app.  With it, you’ll be able to take a picture, send and the 311 office will get the exact date, time, location of your request.  Keep the reference # in case action is delayed or it is a recurring problem.  Anytime we call the city for issues, they look up 311.  If the issue has not been reported there, they ask that we go through those steps first.

Here is a link with more information:  
http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=50518

Membership:

2013_membership_form

You knew it was coming.  This year, I want to increase our membership.  We have gotten off to a great and exciting start.  The first month is not yet over and we already have 31 paid members!!!   I know it’s still less than 10% of all of you on Facebook and our email distribution list but I’ll take that because it is a big jump over the entire membership of 2012!!!   It shows great promise!  So congrats to you for being such good members!

I am enclosing the Membership Form for 2013.  Please take a moment to fill in out and send to me.  If you can volunteer to set up PayPal for us, please let me know.  Also, pass along to your neighbors, especially if you live in a gated townhouse.

I want to mention a few things to you re membership.  Please be assured, your information is private.  Only the officers have access to the database and they are sworn (by me – which can be scary) to never give your information to anyone for any reason.  If someone emails me that they need to contact you, I will forward that email to you and not just give out your email.  So, rest assured, your information is safe with us.

Likewise, I encourage you to get to know your neighbors.  A few days ago, late at night, someone was pointing a flash light at our house and our neighbors’ house.  Another neighbor saw this.  He called me and later sent a text.  I talked to a neighbor’s dog walker.  The guy had been around our house for a couple of days.  I saw police officers taking a break by Jackson Hill and told them.  They started canvasing the neighborhood and know to be on the lookout for this guy.  This is why I think it is so important to know your neighbors.  If you know someone, you are more attentive to their property.

Chapter 42 Amendment: 

Please take a moment to read the email below and write emails to our city officials.  Please add your experience with poorly planned high density.   Here are a few of my personal concerns:

1.  Zero Build Lines – developers can build right up to your property line.  In my case, the builder cut down two of my mature trees (without my knowledge or permission) because they were in the way of his construction.  To finish the building, they either had to access through my private property or do a very poor job.  Feel free to drive by my house and see what I mean.

2.  Parking – not enough parking is allowed in most townhouse developments.  Additionally, because of the narrow shared driveways, homeowners with large vehicles are forces to park on the street.  We are all too familiar with how this leads to car break-ins and recreates a safety hazard for pedestrians and cyclists.

3.  Safety – the narrow driveways create a safety hazard for firetrucks and fire fighters.  These narrow shared driveways make it difficult to get to the back end townhouses.  It creates a safety hazard for the firefighters and for the owners of these townhouses.

More detailed information is provided below from Jane Cahill-West, Past President of Super Neighborhood 22.

Dear SN 22 Friends and Colleagues,

On Wednesday, Jan. 30th at 2:00 p.m., the City Council Committee for Housing, Sustainable Growth and Development chaired by CM Adams will consider proposed amendments to the city’s development code known as Chapter 42 and proposed amendments to the city’s off-street parking ordinance known as Chapter 26 of the City Code of Ordinances.  The meeting will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall (901 Bagby).

The full texts of the proposed amendments are available on the Planning Department’s website.

The key aspect of the proposed amendments to Chapter 42 is to make the entire city “urban” meaning that the density at which single family residences can be built outside the Loop 610 will increase from approximately 8 units per acre to 27 units per acre without any increase in the public infrastructure. This “urban” standard has been in force inside the Loop since 1999, and the results have caused and exacerbated many problems.

The Super Neighborhood Alliance has created a Top Ten List of Community Concerns regarding the proposed amendments to Chapter 42 which you will find attached to this email.

I encourage you and others from from your neighborhood to attend the committee meeting to express your opinions about the proposed amendments.

I also encourage you to correspond with your District CM, the five at-large CMs, and the administration to express your comments or concerns.  Input from the development community in support of the proposed amendments are already flooding their offices.

Please find copied below is the text of a sample letter that the SNA is distributing.

Thanks and best wishes,
JaneRe:     Proposed Chapter 42 AmendmentsDear Mayor Parker and City Council Members:I am writing to express strong opposition to the Chapter 42 amendments currently being proposed, and strong support for the Top Ten List of Community Concerns adopted by the Super Neighborhood Alliance.The intent to extend the so-called “urban” standards for development of single family homes beyond the Loop 610 to the city limits and beyond means that the density at which single family homes can be built outside of Loop 610 will increase from roughly 8 units per acre to 27 units per acre without any corresponding increase in the public realm (ie. infrastructure such as sidewalks, parks, and storm sewers).

Since Chapter 42′s “urban” standards were initially adopted in 1999 for the Inner Loop, many neighborhoods have experienced lot by lot redevelopment of single family homes. Although it was hoped that
this redevelopment would create transit-served, pedestrian-friendly environments, in most cases that has not happened. And in many cases problems such as flooding, inadequate drainage, traffic congestion, and on-street parking have worsened. There is no reason to believe that expansion of Chapter 42′s “urban” standards beyond the Loop 610 will yield a different result.

Why should the public choose to invest in residential real estate if the infrastructure around it is systematically undermined?

Inner loop residents are already reaching a tipping point as  Chapter 42-related negative impacts grow.
Expansion of Chapter 42′s “urban” standards to the city limits and beyond could cause an exodus to master-planned suburbs where the value of home investment will be better protected than inside the city.

Wholesale expansion of Chapter 42′s “urban standards” will not do the things that the city says it will do—increase competition or result in a “better” project—and it could conceivably achieve the reverse.

Until the city has formulated substantive plans for addressing the problems that application of Chapter 42′s “urban” development standards have caused the Inner Loop, the city should not extend Chapter 42′s “urban” standards beyond the Loop.

Sincerely,

The addresses for the Mayor and  City Councilmembers are as follows:

Mayor Parker: Mayor@HoustonTx.gov

CM Helena Brown

DistrictA@HoustonTx.gov

CM Jerry Davis
DistrictB@HoustonTx.gov

CM Ellen Cohen
DistrictC@HoustonTx.gov

CM Wanda Adams
DistrictD@HoustonTx.gov

CM Dave Martin
DistrictE@HoustonTx.gov

CM Al Hoang
DistrictF@HoustonTx.gov

CM Oliver Pennington
DistrictG@HoustonTx.gov

CM Edward Gonzalez
DistrictH@HoustonTx.gov

CM James Rodriguez
DistrictI@HoustonTx.gov

CM Mike Laster
DistrictJ@HoustonTx.gov

CM Larry Green
DistrictK@HoustonTx.gov

CM Stephen Costello
AtLarge1@HoustonTx.gov

CM Andrew Burks
AtLarge2@HoustonTx.gov

CM Melissa Noriega
AtLarge3@HoustonTx.gov

CM C.O. Bradford
AtLarge4@HoustonTx.gov

CM Jack Christie
AtLarge5@HoustonTx.gov

 

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!

First meeting of the year!!  It will be at Patrenella’s Corleone Bar at 813 Jackson Hill on Tuesday January 8th at 7:00 p.m.   Feel free to have dinner during the meeting.

I really look forward to all we will accomplish this year in our neighborhood. We are looking at projects to have a better Cleveland Park and possibly signs to let people know we are Magnolia Grove.

One item close to my heart will be increasing membership. Honestly, it irks me every time I hear a resident complain about “lack of information” because the information is here. This year, we will work hard on increasing membership so that I don’t have to hear those words again or even worse hear “I didn’t know there was a neighborhood organization”. So, help me make it happen by spreading the word to your neighbors. Give them the association email:magnolia.grove007@gmail.com or the website: www.magnoliagrove.org or tell them about the Facebook page.

1. Parking. As you know, the Parking Benefits District passed last month. As meters go up along Washington Ave and possibly the side streets one block south and north of Washington, we can expect more street parking in the our neighborhoods. If you are interested in getting your block / street designated as a Residential Parking Permit area please attend the meeting. Email me and I can get you the forms to get the petitions started.

I can support you in getting you the paperwork and turning it in but you will need to do the leg work of getting your neighbors’ signatures. I would also like to know if you are planning on doing this so that I can group “like minded” neighbors together and we don’t see duplicate efforts.

2. Cleveland Park. If you are interested in improvements to Cleveland Park, please come to the meeting to sign up to join a group of residents who want to improve the children’s playground, dog waste and trash in Cleveland Park.

3. The book club may become a movie club due to lack of response. What do you think? Suggestions? Ideas?

4. Jim Johnson will be planning a wine event soon. I’ll have more information on that as it becomes available.

There are several people wanting to start a children’s play group.  Please let me know if you are interested in this.

I wish you a fantastic 2013!

Magnolia Grove Holiday Party 2012

Join us for a neighborhood holiday party.

When: Friday, November 30, 2012 at 7p.m.
Where: Patrenella’s
Info: We will have a brief meeting and a party to follow. At the meeting, we will have information about improvements to Cleveland Park playground, stray dogs and the Parking District coming to Washington Avenue.

We will also be collecting gifts for the kids at The Covenant House. If you wish to donate a gift, please let me know at magnolia.grove007@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

Mayor Annise Parker Coming to Our National Night Out Event

Good Afternoon, 

I just received exciting news.  Mayor Annise Parker will be attending our National Night Out Party tomorrow evening.  She will be arriving before 6:00 p.m. and leaving at 6:30 p.m.   Please come by a little early and bring your neighbors.  

Please make an extra effort to come even if for a bit to meet the Mayor.  It really helps neighborhood issues when our elected representatives know that we care about the neighborhood. 

Thanks!!

Marlene

National Night Out

We would like to invite you to join us for our National Night Out 2012 Event, October 2, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Cleveland Park.

Please see the attached flyer for additional information.

We hope to see you there. If you have additional questions, please let me know.

Marlene Beita McCourt

For more information click National Night Out 2012 Flyer here.

Meeting Date/Time Changed

Good Morning All,

Late last night, we received an email stating due to schedule conflicts the meeting date has changed for the committee against the Sexually Oriented Businesses.

The meeting will be on Wednesday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m. at the Dow Elementary School Building, 1900 Kane (Old Sixth Ward).

I apologize for the late change. If you want to be on this committee, please plan to attend. Below is the note from Jane Cahill-West, president of SN22.

“I am very pleased to see that you and Marlene think that some Magnolia Grove residents might be interested in joining our SOB committee. Because the SOB committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow night conflicts with a Leadership Houston fundraiser that a number of committee members are planning to attend because it will benefit a park in SN 22′s Old Sixth Ward neighborhood, I’ve just sent out an email postponing the next SOB committee meeting to Wednesday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m. That meeting will be in the same place, i.e., the Dow School building at 7:00 p.m. I apologize for the very late notice, and hope that it doesn’t discourage attendance from your neighborhood at the next meeting. The current intent is for the SOB committee to meet bi-monthly on the second and third Wednesdays.
Best wishes,
Jane”
Have a great day,

Marlene