Yard-of-the-Month: 823 Ridge /  by Lori Bigler

The corner at Julian and Ridge has been a mystery to me for several years, so I was happy to meet Gene and Chris Feronti, who have raised their family adjacent to the corner since 1984, and began this 'Orphan Garden' ten years ago!

It started as a blank slate and a couple donations of yucca and agave cacti when a friend and neighbor's succulent sprouted seedlings. The trans-plantings took off! They managed a variety of random donations from neighbors and written-off dumpster or discount finds of succulents, grasses, and flowering beauties into an inspired design. Their yuccas are peacefully at home here, standing tall, spines shimmering in a breeze, with a symmetry that snaps back when the air is calm again. The heat and periodic droughts agree with them as the garden thrives without irrigation!

Their Orphan Garden includes:

  • yucca

  • agave

  • prickly pear

  • sago palm

  • asparagus fern

  • firecracker bush

  • Mexican petunia

  • daylilies

  • nandina

  • mother of thousands

  • native Texas grasses

  • and a rich jasmine and monkey grass ground cover

A variety of trees and bushes too:

  • camphor

  • pecan

  • oleander

  • crepe myrtle

Stroll by this peaceful bend at Ridge and Julian and let the calm set in. Thank you to the Ferontis for sharing their yard with us!

- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification

Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry: Doing Good in Woodland Heights /  by Lori Bigler

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The Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry, located at 3523 Beauchamp, serves our neighbors in need and is a great place to give back to the community right around the corner!

  • We just celebrated our 10th anniversary. Since opening, we've served more than 44,000 families and 166,000 individuals.

  • We are 100% supported by donations & volunteers.

  • We are supported by 6 member churches, as well as many business and individuals, which include:

    • Member churches:  Zion Lutheran, St. Mark's Methodist, Christ the King Catholic, St. Andrew's Episcopal, The Vineyard, and the Church at 1548 Heights

    • Stores / Organizations:  Second Servings of Houston, FruitShare Houston, The Kolache Shoppe on Heights Blvd, Panera Bread, Kroger

    • Community support:  Corporate groups, school & scouting groups, neighbors

  • In 2018 our volunteers served more than 5700 hours. 

To learn more about how you can help, visit himfoodpantry.org or call/text 832-478-5444 

 

We are a client-choice food pantry, allowing clients to select non-perishable items (canned goods, rice & beans), as well as fresh bread, eggs, produce, frozen meat, and some toiletries. We are open twice a week, and are centrally located in the Heights: 3523 Beauchamp, 77009. We ask clients to bring a photo ID, and a bill/piece of mail w/their local Houston address. We serve clients from all ZIP codes in the Houston area. Our primary client hours are: Thursdays 5 - 7 PM and Saturdays 10 AM - Noon

Volunteer Opportunities & Service Day Ideas:

  • Hold a food drive, and bring the collection to stock our shelves. Stocking our shelves can be done on most weekdays or Saturday afternoons. (Needed items that can be collected are listed below.)

  • Volunteer during our open hours, and assist clients who are selecting their food. Volunteer times: 4:30-7 PM Thursdays, 9:30 AM-Noon Saturdays. You can sign up directly via SignupGenius at himfoodpantry.org. Youth groups are great - older middle school and high school students can help clients. Younger volunteers may come with adults.

  • We receive deliveries from the Houston Food Bank on Thursday mornings where lots of hands help immensely. Deliveries are approximately every 3 weeks. We receive pallets of food that need to be unboxed and stocked in the pantry and our outside shed.

  • We need volunteers to pick up donations from area restaurants throughout the week and throughout the month.

  • Deliver frozen boxed meals to homebound seniors.

  • Plan a work day inside the pantry: paint our door jams, fix doors & caulk holes in walls (yes, we have a few!)

  • Build shelving inside our shed. We provide materials.

  • Assist during a 5th Saturday Food Fair - we receive a Houston Food Bank truck full of goods and distribute the contents to the community. These are held from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM on 5th Saturdays throughout the year. Our next 5th Saturday event will be in February, 2020.

We especially appreciate the following donations:

  • Shelf Milk (boxed liquid)

  • Meals in a Can, such as Ravioli & Spaghettios

  • Canned fruit and canned vegetables

  • Canned tomatoes & tomato/spaghetti sauce

  • Spaghetti

  • Noodles

  • Peanut Butter & Jelly

  • Vegetable oil

  • Diapers & wipes

  • Adult underwear/Depends

  • Toothbrushes & toothpaste

LITH Merchandise On Sale Now! /  by Lori Bigler

Finally!  Mother Nature has started teasing us with sporadic days of cooler weather, and our thoughts turn to the holidays, which are right around the corner.  Our beloved neighborhood holiday tradition, Lights in the Heights®, is coming on December 14th!

 Lights in the Heights Merchandise is now on sale on the Woodland Heights  Civic Association website:  https://www.woodland-heights.org/store. We are excited to offer new merchandise, as well as some of the favorites you’ve grown to love.  LITH T-shirts have a new style this year, and come in both a men’s and ladies’ cut!  Made of 50/50 cotton and polyester, the shirts feature the 2019 LITH Bell Logo on the front.  This year’s festive logo was designed by Hogg Middle School student, Oli Bayse, in Hogg’s graphic design program.

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Orders for LITH merchandise can also be placed at the WHCA General Meeting on Tuesday, November 12th, at 7:00 pm, at Travis Elementary School. 

All merchandise can be picked up at Friday Night Lights on December 13th,  on the Norhill Esplanade. Remaining in-stock merchandise will also be for sale (cash, check or charge accepted). 

Additional pick-up dates for pre-ordered items will be during the week of December 16th.  More information will be announced soon.  Questions about LITH Merchandise can be submitted to LITHmerchandise@gmail.com.

Infrastructure Corner /  by Lori Bigler

As we mentioned before, the board has started a new feature providing periodic updates of infrastructure-related issues, both big and small, happening in and around the neighborhood. If you have a question or see something interesting, email us at infrastructure@woodland-heights.org.

So what’s going on?

As you probably noticed, the Studewood construction finally finished a few weeks ago. The City was fixing sewer lines in response to a 311 Request. Some of our neighbors on Merrill had been living with a sewage smell for a number of weeks, and the City was working to find and fix the source of the problem. Hopefully those neighbors are smelling cleaner air. As far as the safety improvements planned for Studewood and 11th Street, including the pedestrian refuge islands, we still haven’t heard anything. We’ll let you know when we hear an update.

But here’s an update on something exciting near the neighborhood . . .

“Bayou Greenways Park” and Connecting the Bayou Trail

Have you been on the White Oak Bayou Trail and wondered why it stops at Stude Park and does not connect to the Heights Hike and Bike Trail? They were funded as part of different projects, leaving a small gap. The Houston Parks Board just announced that it now has plans to finish that gap as part of its Bayou Greenways initiative. It also announced plans to build a trail head and small park on the East and West sides of Studewood, respectively. Expected completion is summer 2020. You can read more about the White Oak Bayou Greenway and planned projects here https://houstonparksboard.org/about/white-oak-bayou and links to the design pictures here https://houstonparksboard.app.box.com/s/lchqmdolwoso1rm19iuhr8ggkpthhzp1.

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That’s it for now. We’d love to hear from you about infrastructure projects you’d like to see in and around the neighborhood. And please let us know of current or future projects you hear about. Again, email us at infrastructure@woodland-heights.org.

- Brad Snead, WHCA Director of Infrastructure

Passing the Director of Membership Baton /  by Lori Bigler

As many of you know, this summer, our Director of Membership, Sharon Greiff, resigned her post on the Woodland Heights Civic Association Board of Directors. Speaking for the entire WHCA Board, we wish Sharon the best and hope to see her back involved with our wonderful neighborhood soon.

Since Sharon’s resignation, the Board has been keeping an eye out for a suitable replacement. Effective as of our last Board meeting, October 1, 2019, our search was officially ended. Kelly Hare, a 15-year resident of the Woodland Heights, accepted the Board’s nomination and was duly appointed to replace Sharon. Needless to say, the Board is excited to have Kelly on board. We all feel she will to a great job.

Kelly and her husband, Perry, have two boys. One son attends Travis Elementary and the other goes to Hogg Middle School. Professionally, she is Speech and Language Pathologist with her career currently on hiatus.

Please reach out to Kelly if you would like to become a member of the Woodland Heights Civic Association or if you have any questions about what being a member means. Her official WHCA email address is membership@woodland-heights.org.

You're Invited to the Ribbon Cutting at White Oak Drive & Houston Ave. /  by Lori Bigler

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The Friends of Woodland Park (FWP) are proud to report that the traffic intersection improvements at Houston Ave. and White Oak Dr., including the new community park, have been fully completed, and a dedication celebration has scheduled.

Please join us on Saturday October 26th from 2-3 PM for refreshments and community fellowship.

FWP’s original master plan (envisioned and drawn by Scott McCready and others from SWA Landscape Architects) showed a streamlined, safer, more beautiful intersection at this busy and confused juncture. It has been an FWP goal to implement this vision as the Houston Ave./White Oak Dr. intersection is the southern entrance to Woodland Park and our Woodland Heights neighborhood.

But it was the hard work and 100% funding from Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ-5 and the City of Houston that made it a reality. Additional thanks are due to our District H City Council Member Karla Cisneros for her significant involvement and financial contributions for the extension of the bike lanes to Spring St. and the Bayou Greenway hike and bike trail.

Our community is fortunate to have and enjoy this new neighborhood amenity. So please come to the dedication and help us show our appreciation.

Woodland Park's Replica Trolly is Moving On /  by Lori Bigler

Dear Woodland Park and FWP supporters/volunteers,

We are disappointed to report that our remarkable trolley replica has deteriorated beyond repair and will be scheduled for demolition in the next four - six weeks. Even though it was built with pressure treated wood and thoroughly primed and painted, the elements have not been kind. It has also experienced heavy use since its installation (which we have been delighted to see), and this has accelerated its deterioration.

Pat Rutledge (Friends of Woodland Park) and Paul Carr, who made the trolly, when it was installed in 2016. Photo courtesy of The Houston Chronicle.

Pat Rutledge (Friends of Woodland Park) and Paul Carr, who made the trolly, when it was installed in 2016.
Photo courtesy of The Houston Chronicle.

So if you and your children want to enjoy it one more time be sure to do so before the end of November. We plan to save and display the trolley sign along with an early picture of it in an FWP display case that we are in the process of creating. Details will follow.

The good news is we are in discussions with Firefly Field sculptor Dylan Conner to create a woodland-creature playscape that will permanently reside in the playground space that is being vacated with the removal of the trolley. We will keep you informed!

We may need the community’s financial support to make the new addition a reality. As the details of the trolley replacement come into focus we may see a need to launch a fundraising program to cover the cost of the creation and installation of the new structure. So stay tuned.

We are eternally grateful to each and every one of you for your longstanding and ongoing support of our efforts to make the park more enjoyable. We couldn’t have achieved what we have without all of you helping us.

With gratitude,

The Friends of Woodland Park Board of Directors

Super Neighborhood Candidate Forums this Week! /  by Lori Bigler

This just in!

Dear SN22 Colleagues and Friends,

Super Neighborhood 22 (along with several other Super Neighborhoods) will host three forums this week—At-Large (Positions 1, 3, and 5), and Districts C and H. Please see the Eventbrite invitations below for more details including schedule breakdown, and candidate information for each forum. 

Questions were developed around the following topics of interest—Civic Engagement and Transparency, Super Neighborhood Initiative and Planning, Infrastructure, Quality of Life, and Budgeting and Economic Development. 

All three forums will be held in MECA's Auditorium. Food and drinks will be provided at each event. Free on-street parking is available.

Monday, October 14: At-Large (Positions 1, 3, and 5) Eventbrite  

Food provided by the Orlando Sanchez Campaign for Houston City Controller from Shandy's Cafe on Memorial Drive; food available at 6:00 PM. 

Forum will begin at 6:30 PM.

Tuesday, October 15: District H Eventbrite

Food will be available at 6:30 PM; graciously donated by Chatter's Cafe & Bistro, and Southwell's Hamburger Grill.

Forum will begin at 7:00 PM.

Thursday, October 17: District C Eventbrite

Food will be available at 6:30 PM.

Forum will begin at 7:00 PM.

Location:

MECA Auditorium
1900 Kane Street
Houston, Texas 77007

Free on-street parking is available. 

Creature Feature: Great Horned Owl /  by Lori Bigler

Who’s Awake? Me Too! If you’ve heard this loudly hooted call, you’re among those who have been close to a Great Horned Owl. Since the end of September, a pair have been heard prior to sunrise and again at sunset at locations across the Woodland Heights. Chances are good that they are re-establishing their territory, telling potential competitors that they have a strong pair bond and that no others need apply.

The calls of Great Horned Owls carry for a couple of blocks against the backdrop of freeway noise and up to a mile in the wild. Pairs perform duets, with the male having a rich baritone voice and with the female hooting at a slightly higher pitch. When alarmed, they will bark and make scratchy growls.

It’s best to be content with just hearing these owls, since they are masters of disguise and defy the onlooker and photographer. It’s also strongly advised that you do nothing to annoy them – such as trying to catch them in the beam of a flashlight – since their lives are already hard enough and because they have occasionally been known to use their powerful talons on those they see as a threat, particularly during nesting season in late winter and spring.

Great Horned Owls are stealthy predators, swooping down on wings that produce virtually no sound. They play an important role in helping keep populations of squirrels, rats, mice, and snakes in balance. And though they weigh no more than three pounds, they can take on prey as large as swamp rabbits, raccoons, and possums. As always, it’s best to keep cats and other small pets inside at night when owls, stray dogs, coyotes and cars are on the prowl. The songbirds and other critters on which cats prey will thank you too!

Btw – Great Horned Owls are named for the tufts of feathers they can raise on their heads to look bigger and scarier. The photos show owlets and adult birds (probably the same pair) at spots in the Woodland Heights, Woodland Park and White Oak Park. All photos were taken at a substantial distance with a “superzoom” camera at an equivalent of 1200 mm and then cropped. Please keep your distance and honor the choice that Great Horned Owls make as they share their lives with us, since they are doing their best to fulfill their role as important apex predators in the rapidly diminishing habitat available to them. We are very lucky to have them here, since there are only a few neighborhoods inside of the Beltway where Great Horned Owls raise their young.

- Wendy Wright

Editors note: I’ve routinely seen a pair Great Horned Owls in 11th Street Park, on 11th Street just past TC Jester. I typically see and hear them just as the sun starts to set, toward the southwest corner of the park.

Woodland Heights Stats from Crime Reports.com (September 2019) /  by Lori Bigler

The following is the monthly report issued by CrimeReports.com for Woodland Heights, for the period of September 1 to 31st, 2019.

Your CrimeReports alert for the period: Sep 01, 2019 — Sep 30, 2019. This update includes all incidents added to the map since the last update you received.

Note: Alert areas are calculated using a standard-sized monitor. Depending on the size of your browser window, you may see a different number of incidents when you click the "map incidents" link.

Location: Woodland Heights

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Sep 01, 2019 — Sep 30, 2019

23 Incidents

18

5
1
10
2

5

3
2

Property Crimes

Breaking & Entering
Property Crime
Theft from Vehicle
Theft of Vehicle

Violent Crimes

Assault
Assault with a Deadly Weapon

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Are you a member of the WHCA Constable Patrol Program? The presence of the Harris County Precinct One Constables on patrol in the neighborhood reduces response times dramatically when an incident is reported.