Happy New Year -- Part 2 . . . 

One of the great aspects of living in and representing District J is being able to take advantage of the many cultural events and celebrations that come to us from all over the world. Such is the case as we move into the coming Lunar New Year celebrated by our Asian friends and neighbors. As 2014 ushers in the year of the Horse, District J and Southwest Houston will play host to countless celebrations. I look forward to joining friends at the Tet Parade in Alief hosted by the Vietnamese Community Center and State Representative Hubert Vo, and ceremonies at the Chinese Community Center and the Lunar New Year Festival at the Viet Hoa Center. I hope to see you at these wonderful community events. Happy New Year!   

Home is Where the Heart is . . .

Those of you who have heard me speak about District J at length know that I often share demographic information to help people better understand our community. One of those statistics speaks to the housing options available to us: seventy-nine percent (79%) of District J's 75,000 plus residential units are occupied by renters. It is numbers like these that help explain why I am so interested in creating home ownership opportunities for Houstonians. Toward that end, I am honored to have been named by Mayor Parker to Chair the Housing and Community Affairs Committee of City Council. The Housing Committee is charged with addressing the many different housing and home ownership needs of our residents. I look forward to working directly with each of you to help forge comprehensive housing policies that make Houston a better place to live and prosper.

- Mike Laster, Council Member - District J 

Copa Coca Cola 2014

Amateur Soccer Tournament Could Lead to Brazil for Some 

As World Cup fever grips soccer fans across the globe, The Coca-Cola Company is giving young soccer players the chance to win a trip to the Copa Coca-Cola Camp in Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup!

Coca-Cola is inviting teens to sign-up for this free tournament that promotes teamwork, lasting friendships, and physical activity. Copa Coca-Cola will take place in Houston the weekend of February 22-23 at Sports Culture Houston (17951 Interstate 45, The Woodlands 77385) allowing over 400 teens between the ages of 13 and 15 to get active. The first 30 boys' teams and 30 girls' teams to register in Houston by February 16 will get the opportunity to be part of this tournament. 

Houston winners will travel to Los Angeles to play in the national tournament April 18-20. Four players from the national champions' teams (two boys and two girls) will have the opportunity to participate in the Copa Coca-Cola Soccer Camp in Brazil, a unique experience with more than 150 other players from around the world.

Each team is required to have 5 to 7 players to complete their team registration. Registration ends February 16 or until all spots are taken. Each individual team member must fully complete the online registration process and complete and turn in all additional forms. To register, click the link provided here. For more information, please see the official rules provided here.

HBU Hosting Writer's Conference

Acclaimed Poet to Keynote

Houston Baptist University will be hosting its second annual Writers' Conference on Friday, January 31st and February 1st. The keynote speaker will be Dana Gioia, internationally acclaimed poet and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). He will be speaking on both days of the event. 

Gioia's famous essay "Can Poetry Matter?" will be the main driving force for HBU's Second Annual Writers' Conference. This seminal essay, published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1991 and used as the title for a widely influential series of books, sparked a national dialogue about the role of poetry in American public culture and has been credited with reviving the genre's esteem in American society.

Among the speakers are acclaimed graphic novelist, videogame creator, and screenwriter, Doug TenNapel, award-winning songwriter, Jason Harrod, and multiple other award-winning novelists.

Gioia's keynote address will take place on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Belin Chapel, and will be free and open to the public. General admission to the rest of the conference, which opens Saturday morning at 9 a.m., is $30 and a complimentary lunch will be provided. Admission to the entire conference is free to students who register with a current school ID. All those interested, whether students or professionals, can visit the conference webpage for more information and to register. 

It's Time to Head to the Polls

Children's Museum of Houston Needs your Vote!

No, it isn't November yet, and we can't promise you'll get a complimentary "I VOTED" pin, but the Children's Museum of Houston is asking you to turn out and vote them as the "Best Museum in the U.S." USA Today is hosting the 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, and the Children's Museum is competing against 19 other museums across the country for the title. It is the only museum from Texas to be nominated.

The poll runs until February 17 and to vote, please follow this link. Feel free to vote multiple times by returning to the link everyday!

The Children's Museum of Houston has been recognized nationally before. It was recently featured in Family Fun's "Awesomely Inspiring Museums," and is listed among Forbes "Best Museums in the U.S." Parents ranked it "America's No. 1 Children's Museum" in its last survey. 

Also, a quick reminder, Free Family Nights are offered Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, please click the links provided above or call (713) 522-1138. 

First Friday Concert at Epiphany

This is a "Jones Hall in Southwest Houston" event! On Friday, February 7, at 7:30pm, ECHOS Church will be hosting a Valentine's Day Concert presented by their Symphony Brass ensemble. Included will be music ranging from Mozart to Stevie Wonder. 

Reserved tickets are $20.00; general admission is $15.00; $10.00 for seniors and students. For reservations, Call the Church office at 713.774.9619. Tickets will be sold at the door. 

Epiphany is located at 9600 S. Gessner (intersection of S. Gessner @ Bissonnet), Houston, TX 77071. 

Hunter Gather Project Presents Surface Tension

Gulfton Art Space Hosts Second Exhibit

On Thursday, January 16th, the Hunter Gather Project celebrated the opening reception for Surface Tension, a multi-media exhibit showcasing three artists. The exhibit runs through March 10th and is the second featured exhibit for the alternative art space.

Each of the artists featured in Surface Tension are Texas natives. Houston artist Lydia Bodner Balahutrak takes newspaper clippings and obscures them underneath layers of acryllic imagery. San Antonio artist/master printmaker Jon Lee uses a traditional woodblock method on handmade paper to create subtle interactions between color, form, and surface. And contemporary artist Gwendolyn Plunkett uses a hot wax painting method called encaustic, working in tones and marks that are suspended within thick slabs of wax.

The Hunter Gather Project is open Monday through Friday, 11am to 6pm. To visit the exhibit, an appointment is required, and the art space can be reached at 713-664-3302 and by e-mail at info@huntergatherproject.com. 

The Hunter Gather Project is located in District J, at 5320 Gulfton St., Suite 15, Houston, TX 77081. 

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