Inside District I

September 2014 Newsletter

Last month Houston City Council approved approximately $20,000 for lighting improvements at Milby Park. The new field lighting will improve the park experience and provide for safe recreational activities during the evening hours. The Parks Department expects to install the new lights at the end of this month.

Last week I also joined Parks Department officials and many residents at a community meeting to discuss the upcoming improvements at Gragg Park. The purpose of the meeting was to seek input from the community on amenities desired at the park. The $2.3 million project may include amenities such as new playground equipment, a dual purpose sports field for soccer and football, improved parking lot, walking trails, a water sprayground, and new picnic area. Renovations are expected to begin in the summer of 2015.

METRO overpass at Hughes St.

METRO is hosting several community meetings to review design ideas and options for the Harrisburg rail line overpass across Hughes St. METRO held its first meeting on September 2 and will host a follow-up meeting next Tuesday, September 9 at 6pm at its East End Service & Inspection Facility at 5880 Texas Ave.

We are all committed to get this project right and completed in a timely manner. This has been a long process, and I cannot stress enough how important it is for all residents and community leaders to remain engaged and active in the design of this overpass.

Thank you,

Robert Gallegos

Houston Council Member

District I

Exploring Houston's Historic East End

Council Member Robert Gallegos joined Mayor Annise Parker, the Houston Arts Alliance, and many local artists to kick off Transported + Renewed, a major three-month creative placemaking project that celebrates the centennial of the Port of Houston and the inauguration of the Houston METRO East End Light Rail Line.

From Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, 2014, Houston's East End, the city's historic transport hub and neighborhood hugging Buffalo Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel, will be infused with a series of concerts, performances, visual arts installations and more.

The theme of Transported + Renewed draws on Houstonians' playful and artful obsession with "keeping things moving" and living in an ever-changing and transforming urban landscape. The East End is the perfect part of the city to celebrate the fascination that Houstonians have with all forms of transport - tugs, ships, railroads, bicycles, art cars, trail rides, low riders, dragon boats, SLABs, food trucks and more - precisely because it is the
city's transport hub.

All Transported + Renewed events are free and open to the public. Visit www.HoustonArtsAlliance.com for a complete list of activities and events.

Park to Port Bike Ride - Sept. 13th

Hermann Park and the Houston Ship Channel share more in common than just the bayou system that links them-they were both founded in 1914. Thanks to significant improvements underway, 35 miles of trails along the bayou will soon allow bicyclists to ride all the way to the Houston Ship Channel. Click here to view a map of the route.

The Park to Port Bike Ride will be a celebration of this development and will include birthday cake so participants can say "Happy Birthday" to Hermann Park and the Houston Ship Channel. Registration is $35. Registration is limited to 1,000 riders, so be sure secure your spot early!

The ride will be about 20 miles round trip, much of it in District I. Riders will start in Hermann Park and travel east along the bayou to the Port of Houston and stop for a mid-ride party featuring fire hoses spraying colored water, music, and food. Riders will then return along the same path, heading west, to Hermann Park for a post-ride celebration where there will be music, food, partnerships with local organizations, and more. The option to turn around at MacGregor Park is also available.

Saturday, September 13, 2014
7-9 a.m. Rolling start at Bill Coats Bridge in Hermann Park
8-11 a.m. Brady's Landing Turn-Around Party
9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Post-ride celebration at Bill Coats Bridge in Hermann Park

This is a ride, NOT A RACE! Riders are encouraged to follow the laws of the road and be aware of those around you. All riders must wear a helmet. You must be at least 10 years old to participate. No training wheels allowed.

Parking is available at 2450 Holcombe (corner of Holcombe & Almeda) in the John P. McGovern Campus parking lot, Entrance #81. Ride over to the start for a quick warm-up.

Memorial Park Master Plan Meeting - Sept. 17th

Memorial Park is a city park serving all of Houston, with opportunities for recreational activities in a unique landscape that complements Houston's neighborhood parks. Memorial Park is going through a major planning process that will restore, preserve and enhance the park for the enjoyment of all Houstonians for generations to come.

The planning team will provide a status update at a public meeting on Wednesday, September 17, at 6pm at the historic Eldorado Ballroom, 2310 Elgin St. During this meeting, hosted by Council Member Dwight Boykins and co-hosted by Council Member Robert Gallegos, Thomas Woltz (Nelson Byrd Woltz) and his team will share results of their research and analysis as well as initial design concepts. "I encourage District I residents to be part of the planning process," said Councilman Gallegos. "With the construction of so many hike and bike trails along our bayous, our neighborhoods will have even more ways to access Memorial Park."

This update meeting is one of four taking place during the planning process this fall through early spring. Each meeting will provide an opportunity to see the latest developments and all Houstonians are welcome at all meetings.

The master plan is an initiative of Memorial Park Conservancy, Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Uptown Houston TIRZ. Award-winning landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW) is leading development of the plan. A Spanish translator will be present at all meetings for questions and to relay main ideas from the presentations.

If you need special assistance, or for more information about the meeting, contact Suzanne Landau at 713-863-8403 or via [email protected]. For more information on Memorial Park and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.houstonparks.org.

Explore Thomas Bell Foster Park - Sept. 20th

September is National Literacy Awareness Month

One in five adult Houstonians lacks basic literacy skills, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and out of the entire country Texas ranks last in percentage of the population with a high school diploma.

The demand for a literate, prepared workforce is increasing in our city and nationwide as we grow and attract more business, yet the burden of illiteracy or lack of English proficiency plagues many of our citizens and prevents them from participating fully in all of the opportunities their city has to offer.

Did you or someone you know leave high school without getting a diploma? Now is the time to sign up for a fall GED class! Do you or someone you know want to improve their English skills? Now is the time to sign up for an ESL class. Call 2-1-1 to find a class near you or visit www.referral.unitedwayhouston.org.

In honor of National Literacy Awareness Month, you can volunteer and help advance literacy in Houston. From September 9th through 12th, the Houston Center for Literacy will be sorting and distributing books to children in our area who need them. Email [email protected] for details and how you can volunteer.

Job Fair in District I - Sept. 25th