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In this edition of GO News...
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- Carrasco Clinic Mural Unveiled
- Brandi Chastain Brings Flu Prevention Campaign to Marshall Middle School
- GO History and Art Puts Near Northside on the ArtCrawl Map
- KLEAN as a Whistle
- Collaborations Grow in the Near Northside
- Spotlight on...La Raza United!
- What's Happening? Community Announcements
- Get Involved! A calendar of upcoming events...
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Carrasco Clinic Mural Unveiled at Flu Prevention
There's a little more sunshine at Carrasco Clinic these days.
At the Flu Mist campaign on November 3rd, GO Neighborhoods and the Marshall Middle School Arts Magnet unveiled a new mural for the Carrasco School-Based Clinic. This Harris County Hospital District Clinic is located on Marshall's campus. Drawn and painted by the Marshall Arts Magnet students, the mural welcomes people to the clinic with pictures of children playing and a large sun.
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Community Leaders and Student Artists pose with Carrasco Clinic's new mural
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The idea for the mural came out of a partnership between GO Neighborhoods,the Near Northside Healthy Community Partnership and Marshall Middle School. The Carrasco clinic is open to the public and provides valuable pediatric care to children newborn-18, but is being under-utilized because people do not know where it is and what it does.
To bring attention to this resource, GO initially proposed hiring a muralist, but then realized that Marshall Middle School has many talented young artists. The school boasts a Fine Arts Magnet Program, which was thrilled to partner with GO Neighborhoods and beautify the school campus.
After Chandel Bonner-Hancock, the Marshall Magnet Coordinator, told the students about the idea for the mural, the students quickly took ownership of the project. Students met with Iliana Perez and Melissa Denby to design the mural, and decided on the sun motif.
Once the design was complete, the mural took nearly a month to paint. More than 30 students came in after-school and during their lunch breaks, painting and eating simultaneously, to finish the project. "The kids loved it," Ms. Bonner-Hancock said, "Even the ones who were not painting it loved seeing it evolve each day." The artists were recognized at the first ribbon-cutting the day of the Flu Mist Campaign, and there will be a second when the mural installed.
For more information about the Carrasco Clinic, check out the Harris County Hospital District webpage here.
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Brandi Chastain Brings Flu Prevention Campaign to Marshall Middle School
How do you get kids excited about flu prevention? Bring out World Cup Champion Brandi Chastain to teach them a few new soccer moves before they get their shots. That's what happened on November 3rd, as Marshall Middle School became part of the national MedImmune Flu Mist "When Will You Pick?" campaign, which encourages families to stay healthy by getting flu vaccines early.
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Brandi Chastain addresses Marshall Students
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The event, which GO Neighborhoods helped coordinate through the Near Northside Healthy Community Partnership, brought community leaders together to teach students the message "Don't Wait to Vaccinate." HISD head nurse Gwen Johnson, Council Member Ed Gonzalez, Avenue CDC Executive Director Mary Lawler and, of course, Brandi Chastain, told students to encourage their families to get vaccinated, practice healthy habits, and stay home from school if they are sick. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all Americans 6 months and older be vaccinated against the flu every year.
All students who brought parent permission forms, and parents who brought their children, received free vaccinations at the event. Marshall Principal Michael Harrison set the tone: clutching a stuffed Catamount (the Marshall mascot), he received his first ever flu vaccine as the students cheered him on.
After the ceremonies, Brandi Chastain led 50 students in a 90-minute soccer clinic. She encouraged them to keep working hard towards their goals, in sports and in the classroom.
Iliana Perez, of the Harris County Hospital District, chose Marshall for the event to promote the Carrasco School-Based Clinic, which is on Marshall's campus and provides pediatric services to all children from newborn to age 18. She told the Near Northside Healthy Community Partnership, "It was a wonderful event. Brandi Chastain was really excited, and they were really impressed with Marshall."
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GO History and Art Puts Near Northside on the ArtCrawl Map
Shows potential for creative collaborations
On November 19th, the Near Northside hosted an all-day art opening at North Main Auto Supply, 2315 N Main, as part of the Houston-wide ArtCrawl, an annual event of Houston art openings. To put the Near Northside on the map, the GO Neighborhoods History and Art Team and Northside resident artist Boby Kallor teamed up to organize the North Main Auto Supply opening.
Debbie Tesar, a member of the GO History and Art team, always thought the North Main Auto Supply, which has been empty for years, would be a great place for art events. She pitched the idea to the owners, George and Alida Rodriguez, and the GO Team, who agreed with the idea. The GO team then connected with artist Boby Kalloor. Jimmy Castillo, GO History and Art Captain, explains how it all came together from there, " Plans were devised days before applications were due to be included in the Art Crawl. With a tiny budget and no time to spare, the artist created an installation inside the space that was at the same time understated and poignant."
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Boby Kallor's artwork on display at ArtCrawl.
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Boby Kallor explained his installation this way: "The piece is a commentary and reflection on the defunct auto parts store, and in a larger sense the neighborhood surrounding the building. It's an effort to embody themes of abandonment, despair, change, and uncertainty."
The event included an evening party, which was attended by dozens of folks from around the city and featured experimental music groups Epul Roch, Flcon Fckr, and William Cordray. Volunteer Jeremy Seek cooked up mango chicken BBQ for the crowd.
The GO History and Art Team agrees that this is a milestone for the art community in Northside. Debbie Tesar says, "The fact that the ArtCrawl stretched all the way to the Near Northside says a lot about the connections that have been made through Go Neighborhoods. Not only does it recognize the fact that great artists live and work in the area, but this type of event brings city-wide attention to our neighborhood." Jimmy Castillo agrees, "We can see from this project that there is an enormous creative potential here in the Near Northside which has previously been under-utilized. We hope that the success of this project allows us to continue to make these connections and encourage more cultural activity in our neighborhood.
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Project KLEAN in Melrose
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KLEAN as a Whistle
Project KLEAN (Keeping Lots Empty And Neat) tackles an empty lot in the Melrose area
On the morning of Saturday, November 12th, volunteers from Melrose Civic Club and GO Neighborhoods gathered to perform the second Project Keeping Lots Empty and Neat (KLEAN) clean-up in the Near Northside. They chose to clean up the lot 745 Dorchester, at the corner of Irvington Blvd, which is at the entrance to the Melrose neighborhood. Donna Espadas of Melrose Civic Club explained "We chose this lot because it's a very visible lot on a main street and gives our neighborhood a bad image, so we thought that if we cleaned it up, people would see us in a very visible area." Volunteers cut down weeds and trees, bagged magnolia leaves in compost bags, and picked up trash.
The KLEAN project was created by Northside residents who participated in the NeighborWorks USA Community Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in 2010. Espadas explained "At the NeighborWorks conference we identified vacant lots and clean up as a need in our neighborhood, and we have 5 civic clubs that agreed to work together to do 5 clean ups, with this being the second one."
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Volunteers plant new flowers
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Gerardo De Leon, a teacher at Jeff Davis High School, participated in the NeighborWorks Conference and in the clean up project. He said, "I'm trying to keep up the whole community, and have been doing this for a while, mostly with graffiti. I want to contribute what I can, just to help out and be out here."
For a short video interview with Donna Espadas and Gerardo De Leon, watch this video on GO Neighborhoods Facebook Page.
There are three more KLEAN ups that will take place in the Near Northside before the summer heat starts. If you would like to volunteer, or have a vacant lot you would like to nominate, please contact Rob Block at 713-864-8099 Ext. 242 or robb@avenuecdc.org
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Collaborations Grow in the Near Northside
Students work with restaurant to start an organic vegetable garden
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YES Prep Students Engaged in Service
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On November 16th, YES Prep Northside brought 28 students to Radical Eats, a vegetarian Mexican restaurant at 3903 Fulton, for a service project. YES students used recycled materials like pallets and tires to build the foundation for an organic garden. This collaboration was made possible by GO Neighborhoods, who brought YES Prep and Radical Eats together.
Matt Neal, founding school director at YES Prep Northside, says that community service is an integral part of the YES Prep experience. "The "YES" of YES Prep stands for Youth Engaged in Service - so making our community better is at our core." YES Prep partners with many neighborhood organizations, including MD Anderson YMCA, Small Steps Nurturing Center, the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, Wesley Community Center, the Greater Northside Management District, the Houston Food Bank, and Kids' Meals. YES Prep is always looking for new partnerships and service opportunities, and encourages community members to contact them with ideas.
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Growing good things in the Near Northside
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GO Neighborhoods made the connection between YES Prep to Radical Eats on this new garden project. Staci Davis, owner and chef of the new restaurant, was thrilled with the results, "The kids spray painted our recycled tires and pulled apart used pallets which will eventually become patio seating. We hope to create an outdoor space for people to chill out and drink coffee, and see this as the beginning of many more projects promoting and improving our community" She hopes that this garden will encourage students and residents to consider planting their own gardens. "Our little garden is an attempt to encourage more of this sort of thing for the sake of food security and sustainability." Thanks to the students of YES Prep for their hard work!
GO Neighborhoods actively seeks to bring groups in the community together to improve the neighborhood. The Near Northside is full of schools, entrepreneurs, community-based organizations and residents that have innovative ideas about what can make our community stronger. By helping to connect people to talk and work together, GO Neighborhoods has seen dozens of these types of collaborative projects make progress and build relationships here in the Near Northside. To get involved with a GO Team please contact Jenifer Wagley or come to one of our GO Team Meetings.
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Spotlight on...
La Raza United!
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La Raza United: A Home-Grown Non-Profit in the Near Northside
Listening to Luis Garcia talk about his work, you have to wonder when, or if, he finds time to sleep.
 | Luis Garcia (center with tie)
and a class at LRU |
Luis is the founder of the non-profit organization La Raza United, which provides adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to the Near Northside. Started in 2008, the organization already serves around 70 students a month, but that is only the start of Luis's vision.
La Raza United was created in response to a community need: not enough people in the neighborhood were able to access essential vocational resources. Luis envisioned a center where families could "go and learn all together," and where income was no barrier to education. Therefore, from the beginning, all of the courses have been offered with sliding-scale fees and free childcare.
Luis spent almost 2 years developing a 16 level, Montessori-style curriculum for La Raza's ESL classes, which are "English Only" and put learners in different real-life situations each class. This engaging model keeps class interesting and ensures active learner participation. But while the ESL program is currently the backbone of La Raza United, it is certainly not the organization's only project.
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LRU summer field trip at Univision TV studios
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Last summer, La Raza took on a major task: there was a lack of summer activities for youth in the Near Northside, so La Raza decided to start their own summer camp. From June to mid-August, La Raza United hosted kids at Holy Name Catholic Church. Nearly 40 students spent their summer playing challenging reading and math games, going on field trips to the zoo and Univision, and participating in other traditional summer camp activities. GO Neighborhoods supported this summer camp with a $1,000 grant.
Currently, La Raza engages participants by offering ESL back-to-back with Zumba, a Latin-dance style aerobics class, so that learners have the opportunity to stretch both their bodies and minds. In the next year, La Raza plans to start GED courses, computer classes, Spanish classes for non-speakers, and after-school programs for youth. Ultimately, Luis sees La Raza in its own building, with programs for all age groups, so that families can come and learn together.
As the organization has grown, La Raza has received support from GO Neighborhoods, including a $5,000 community grant. Luis says, "When I started, the first place I called was GO. I have had a lot of support: they've brought me a lot of connections and trainings, and helped the organization grow."
For more information about La Raza United, check out its website: www.larazaunited.org
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TxDOT I-45 Project: Public Comments Due December 5
On November 15th at Jefferson Davis High School the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) held a public scoping meeting to talk about the I-45 north project. At the meeting, TxDOT officials talked to Houstonians about the project history, the environmental study process, the need for the project, and agency coordination and public involvement during the project.
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Looking at a map during meeting at Jeff Davis
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TXDOT is asking for people to send in public comment by December 5th. According to TXDOT, "public comment can be mailed in to: Director of Project Development, Texas Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 77251.
You may also Email comments to: HOU-piowebmail@txdot.gov, or go to the project website: www.IH45northandmore.com and click on "Comment/Contact Us" tab."
The information presented at the meeting is also available online on the www.ih45northandmore.com website. You can download the handout, which includes the form soliciting comment by clicking here. The video presentation is available as a powerpoint on this page, which also has other information presented at the meeting.
The timeline for this process is a long one; TXDOT is planning three more public meetings, two will take place in 2012 and the third in 2013, the final decision is not expected until 2016. Two community group working on this issue, to make sure that community concerns are taking into account, are the I-45 Coalition (Website - Facebook), as well as our own Go Mobility Team.
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HUD Senior Citizen Retirement Community Fulton Gardens Ready for Occupancy Late 2011 48 One Bedroom Units Available Applicants must be at least 62 Years of Age and earn less than $22,800 ($26,050 for a Couple) Rent will be 30% of Income after Medical Deductions Interested Persons can call (713) 692-1801 |
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Join Wesley Community for their Last Financial Literacy Class of the Year!
Each month, the Near Northside Financial Opportunity Center hosts Financial Literacy Classes to help families and individuals become financially stable and self-sufficient.
Each household will receive one free gift card; food and drinks are provided.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Financial Literacy Classes
WHEN: Classes begin at 6 p.m. on these dates
- Thursday, December 8 - Charge It Right
WHERE: Wesley Community Center
Near Northside Financial Opportunity Center
1410 Lee Street
Houston, Texas 77009
For more information, contact Lucretia Jelks at 713-223-8131, extension 244.
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A Health Impact Assessment of Northside Village
Hear about a Health Impact Assessment just completed in Houston - for the Quitman neighborhood just north of downtown Houston, which is soon to be a station area for Metro's forthcoming North line light rail.
REGISTER Here
When: Thursday, December 15, 2011 11:00 AM -2:00 PM
Where: Hosted by Houston Tomorrow, 3015 Richmond, 1st floor conference room
Cost: Free, lunch provided
What if we could improve health in Houston through a few targeted public policy decisions? 
JOIN US
Get involved in a discussion on the use of Health Impact Assessments to evaluate the impacts of public policy, and see a Houston example in a soon-to-be transit-oriented neighborhood.
PARTICIPANTS WILL:
- Learn about Health Impact Assessments - we will discuss the policy-making context of HIA and review the major steps involved in conducting an HIA.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of how social, economic, and infrastructure public policies affect health - we will discuss the multiple factors that impact the health of individuals and communities.
- Discuss how changes to the built environment impact health - we will focus on how Transit Oriented Development and Traditional Neighborhood Development are connected to health.
- Hear about an HIA just completed in Houston - we will present an overview of the Health Impact Assessment for the Quitman Station-Area Development. The Quitman Station is located in the Northside village neighborhood, just north of downtown Houston and is part of METRO's forthcoming North line light rail.
AGENDA
11- Noon: Background and HIA Case Study
Noon- 1: Lunch and Open discussion; Q&A
1- 2: HIA demonstration exercise
DETAILS
This event is conducted by Texas Southern University, Houston Tomorrow, Baylor College of Medicine, and with funding from The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. For more detailed information on Health Impact Assessment, please see: www.healthimpactproject.org
Registration is limited to 100 participants.
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BARC Announces New Wellness Center
BARC, the City of Houston's Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, unveiled a new Wellnes s Center on Wednesday, September 28, 2011, in honor of World Rabies Day. BARC will offer low-cost rabies vaccinations, heartworm testing and other preventative medications through the new Wellness Center. A full description of the services and products is available at the Wellness Center are available at the Wellness Center page on the BARC website, www.houstonbarc.com. The Wellness Center will be open daily from noon to 6 p.m., with the exception of Mondays and Thursdays when BARC is closed to the public.
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Houston 311 Help & Info Website Redesigned
The City of Houston has launched a redesigned Houston 311 Help & Info website, http://www.houston311.org/. The new customer friendly website is easy to use. Users can place more than 100 Service Requests online, and more are being added every day. Additional information is just a click away. While citizens may still call Houston 311 Help & Info, submitting requests online is much faster and can be done anytime -- day or night, weekday or weekend.
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Please note, There will be no meeting this month for the GO Mobility, GO Family Income & Wealth and GO Commerce teams. See you in January!
GO History and Art - December 1, 6pm
Avenue CDC Homeownership Center, 707 Quitman
40 Fridays 4 Teens- December 2, 6pm
Transformation Youth Center, 113 Coronado
GO Youth and Education - December 6, 6pm
MD Anderson YMCA, 705 Cavalcade
North Central Civic Club Holiday Party - December 10, 5:30pm
Spanish Flower Restaurant, 4701 North Main Street. Please RSVP: contact Mary Cisneros at 713-449-9321
Lindale Park Civic Club Holiday Party- December 12, 6pm
218 Joyce St.
Near Northside Healthy Community Partnership - December 13, Noon, Holiday party at Star Pizza, 77 Harvard St. (@ Washington Ave.)
Presentation: Public policy & its effects on Northside Village health- December 15, 11am
3015 Richmond, 1st floor conference room
40 Fridays 4 Teens- December 16, 6pm
Ryon Civic Association, 4501 Elysian St
Kids Night Out Holiday Edition - December 16th
MD Anderson YMCA, 705 Cavalcade
B.O.N.D. holiday party - December 20, 6:30pm
METRO North Corridor office, 2613 Fulton
Potluck dinner and gift exchange (something inexpensive).
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING HERE!
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"We envision that our community will be a safe and inviting place where all ages and income levels can live well in quality housing; a place with an outstanding educational system that nurtures every child until they achieve their goals in education and life; and a neighborhood where we all work together to build on our strengths to create a diverse, vibrant, and connected community."
-Northside Quality of Life Agreement
GO Neighborhoods is a Local Initiatives Support Corporation Project. The convening agency the Near Northside is Avenue CDC
For more information about how you can get involved, please contact Jenifer Wagley at Jenniferw@avenuecdc.org or 713.864.8099 ext 237.
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