This 4th of July, join us and your neighbors at the Norhill Esplanade from 9am to 12 noon. Kids are encouraged to bring their decorated ride for the holiday parade! The fun will include the parade, snow cones, games and a bouncy house.
A family neighborhood event open to all, this 4th of July event is sponsored by the Woodland Heights Civic Association.
There is a lot to love about the yards horseshoeing our Norhill Esplanade: a jasmine arch, rose garden, two plank swings, flower-lined walkways, a Little Free Library, and little pops of color in yard chairs, yard art, and embedded in paths.
But the anchor to all that you find here is at 1102 Euclid. Artist Elena Cusi-Wortham moved here in 1992, building her unique home that is also her workshop and an expressive space for her craft, social passions, and gathering place. Her banca jardin is a lively community bench that draws children in to discover a handmade mosaic of nature's influences, which plays out all around the tile pieces.
Throughout her L-shaped yard you will find plantings that are both practical and simply pretty: persimmon, fig, tangerine, and a bay leaf bush are useful. For shade and flowers: magnolia and ash trees, orchid tree, African daisies, Mexican olive, palo verde, and bottlebrush. A raised bed forms an inversion of the arc in the bench, and has been a vegetable patch in the past, now home to milkweed, lantana, chives and more.
Elena's yard is a place of rich discovery for our neighborhood, but she has also shared her talents all over Houston, including four elementary school Spark Park and a Cotswold Project on Prairie St. downtown. She is currently working with the Community House on Avenue F and 72nd where she helps neighborhood children create their own tile mosaics, and discover art in nature.
Effective July 9th, 2018 those that have not renewed their membership will be asked to relinquish their sign in order to ensure we are able to provide paying members a sign with a current sticker.
Summertime is upon us and active members of the program can rest assured while away on vacation that our local Constable is checking on your home. This is just one of many benefits of the Constable Patrol Program.
This is your last chance to renew before your outdated sign is collected! If you’re not yet a member and would like to join, there is still time!
Subscribe today!
https://www.woodland-heights.org/constable/
Questions?
Contact Cody McGregor, WHCA VP-Security
security@woodland-heights.org
My friend Elyssa’s photo of the recipe after she made it. Used with permission. - Jay.
In the 1980’s, I found a quick and easy (and terrific) food processor recipe for a carrot cake baked in a standard bread loaf pan. I lost the recipe. It was only years later (thanks Ebay) that I tracked down the out-of-print magazine and recovered the recipe. It is my default carrot cake recipe these days and I know you will enjoy it.
For more of my writings on food, check out my blog: www.houstonfoodexplorers.com. Bye the way, if you aren’t currently a member of the WHCA, please feel free to contact me about how and why you should join.
Jay Francis
Woodland Heights’ Own Culinary Historian
and WHCA VP of Membership
Ingredients:
Grease and flour an 8 ½ × 4 ½ × 2 ½ inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Shred the carrots or zucchini with the fine shredding disc of a food processor and remove (1 ½ tightly packed cups). Process the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla with the metal blade for 2 seconds. Do not over-process.
Evenly sprinkle the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the mixture; process until smooth about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the mixture with the pecans and add the shredded carrots and process until the pecans and carrots are evenly distributed, 4 seconds.
Turn into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
If using the cream cheese frosting, cover top and sides of the cake with it. Garnish with extra pecan halves making crosswise rows fairly close together so that each slice has a row of pecans.
If using the rum sauce, leave the cake unfrosted and pass the sauce with it, and, if you like, a bowl of whipped cream. Makes 1 carrot cake.
Process together all the ingredients with the metal blade of a food processor until smooth.
In a medium saucepan constantly stir over low heat until boiling the sugar, corn syrup, cream and butter, about 9 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the rum and vanilla. The sauce may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Serve the sauce hot or cold. Makes about 2 cups.
While summer is not officially upon us, school is out and the kids are looking for things to do. It's warm enough that we've already encountered a couple of lemonade stands. I confess that I'm drawn to a lemonade stand like a moth-to-a-flame. I'm always happy to part with a few dollars in return for lemony refreshment, and the hope that I've helped some young entrepreneur in-the-making.
The trouble is that it's not easy to know when a new lemonade stand pops-up. They can be unpredictable. They can turn-up, run a while, then disappear quickly. Many folks don't even know that they were there. I'd like to help in this regard.
If you're planning a lemonade stand, let us know. Send an email to communications@woodland-heights.org with the time and location. We'll quickly post it to the various WHCA channels, including our Facebook page, mailing list and Twitter account.
Hopefully we can drive traffic to all the neighborhood lemonade stands. That way the kids have a great time, and see good return on their effort.
As for the rest of you...be watching those channels for your opportunity to help our bright, young business folks get a good start. Think of it as a kind of citrus-powered Y-Combinator.
- Michael Graves
WHCA VP-Communications
On June 8th it was announced that Critical Mass Houston would be relocating the meeting place for their major monthly bike ride to Stude Park. This was announced in a video posted to their Facebook page. We shared the video to the WHCA Facebook page to inform neighbors of this fact.
As you might expect, this announcement caused a great deal of discussion in various forums. There were numerous threads on Nextdoor, with many people sharing their past experience of the ride. The were many voices both for and against this change. Some legitimate concerns were raised by both the organizers and those concerned about the impact of the event on the neighborhood.
All of that is preface as earlier today Hector Garcia, one of the organizers of CM, left the following comment on the WHCA Facebook page:
"UPDATE: Hello Woodland Heights. Wanted to update you all and let you know that Critical Mass WILL NOT be meeting at Studewood park.
We had a great meeting this morning with HPD, a couple of key officials and council woman Karla Cisneros, who detailed a lot of logistical issues with using Studewood as a meeting location. We now have a couple of great alternative meeting spots for the once a month ride in the works and you can all breathe a little easier now. :)
I do want to thank the few residents who stepped up to offer assistance and anyone else who showed patience and understanding. We'll see you the next time we pass through the heights. Again, you're all invited to come join the ride on the Last Friday of the Month. We'll post the new meeting spot as soon as we confirm."
A big thank you to everyone who came together to help Critical Mass find a new meeting place that would meet their needs, while minimizing the impact on the neighborhood.
Our neighborhood woodworker is at it again! Paul Carr designed, built, and donated this Little Free Library for our community to enjoy, and Norhill Esplanade-adjacent resident Norma Martinez welcomed it to her yard. While this is Paul's first library, his handiwork can also be found at the Woodland Park trolley, Field Elementary truck, Donovan Park train, and more.
These boxes have been popping up around our community and serve as hubs for us to give and take books. More information can be found at Little Free Library.
Many thanks to Paul for his talents and generosity and Norma for welcoming our new library. Share away!
The first thing you'll notice is the lovingly restored Craftsman home of Karen Merriam and Thomas Bevilacqua, who has lived here for about 30 years. But take a closer look at the thoughtful landscaping and you'll see what makes it extra special. The yard has weathered flooding from storms so they've taken a survivalist approach, now thriving with variety: flowering with gardenias, drift roses, loropetalum, dianthus, vincas, day lilies, and liriope; oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and satsuma tree for flavor; crepe myrtles for shade; and Asian jasmine for ground cover. This tidy no-grass and low-fuss yard was arranged by local design architect Pam August, and installed a few years ago by Bella Terra's Humberto Bolanos.
Honorable mentions received from neighbors this month go to 601 Woodland and 528 Bayland. Thanks for sending nominations! If you see a lovely yard you would like to nominate, please email the address to beautification@woodland-heights.org. Thank you!
The home tour committee would like to extend its effusive thanks to the sponsors, homeowners, volunteers, and party and tour goers who helped us set a new record with the 2018 tour – the neighborhood’s major fundraiser. The tour and preview party’s net revenue of $44,048 exceeded the goal by more than $10,000 and topped the 2016 tour proceeds by more than $12,000! Thanks to everyone who helped showcase our “hometown near downtown.”
Proceeds will support enforcement of deed restrictions, beautification, general operations. Further, up to 10 percent will be allocated to support the constable patrol.
Thanks to the many generous in-kind donations from our wonderful neighborhood businesses, expenses were kept to approximately 10 percent of revenue at $4,802.
Looking ahead: The committee will select 2020 home tour homes next spring/summer. If you’d like your historic home to be considered, please email limoss@comcast.net. While it may be a high bar, the committee would love your help in showing off our charming neighborhood to the rest of Houston and hopefully setting a new record next time.
Lucas Craftsmanship (LCI) has been satisfying homeowners and businesses in Houston and the surrounding areas since 1994. The family-owned company has developed numerous lasting relationships with area suppliers as well as with repeat clients. In addition to its full time skilled craftsmen, LCI has been using the same fully qualified and insured subcontracting partners since its inception. Each member of LCI shares in the firm’s work ethic and integrity, guaranteeing you “exceptional quality” and outstanding results.
Billy Lucas started the company in 1994. Born and raised in the Northeast, he has been hands on in every facet of the building trade from a very early age. Mentored by his father, Billy learned the industry, but more importantly, he absorbed his father’s values, including his work ethic and commitment to reliability, “exceptional quality,” creativity and individualized service.
Relocating to Texas in 1991, Billy was building his business in the Spring area when a local plumber hired him to build a porch for a home at Watson and Merrill. Billy immediately fell in love with the area. It featured the Craftsman-style homes that he had grown up around in northern New Jersey and knew he wanted to grow his business here. Upon completion of the porch project, Billy was awarded another project down the block. That referral led to another and another.
“Our business has been built on personal referrals,” Billy says. “That is so gratifying, but it also spurs us to go the extra mile with each new client. We know this is your dream, your home, and we want to make it special.”
Brother Dan Lucas joined LCI in 1998. Along with a degree in business, he brought expertise in in client management, and his ingenuity and insight added a new dimension to the team. Dan, a managing partner, governs the business side as well as overseeing daily operations. Mentored by his brother Billy, Dan also has become a craftsman too.
“While I enjoy the business side, I get real satisfaction by being part of the construction process itself,” Dan says. “I love getting my hands dirty, so to speak, and directly helping our clients realize their visions for their homes.”
In 2005, third brother Steven Lucas joined the family business as project manager. With a degree in communications, Steven manages the fine details of select projects, assuring daily operations run smoothly.
“Each project is different; each project is special; each project is someone’s dream,” Steven says. “That’s what makes my job so rewarding.”
The Lucas brothers care about their clients’ satisfaction, and pride themselves on living up to their father’s example as honest, hands-on men of integrity who use their knowledge and experience in the building trade to deliver “exceptional quality.”
“We were extremely happy with Lucas Craftsmanship and our major home renovation,” says satisfied couple Jennifer Schneider and Chris Pratt about their LCI experience. “For years before rebuilding our house, we watched rebuilds and new homes in the neighborhood, and LCI’s work always stood out. We felt that LCI – Billy, Danny, Steven and the entire staff – did an outstanding, and thorough job throughout the entire process of our rebuild. The communication was open and often, the quality of work was top notch, and when issues arose they were dealt with fairly and timely. We appreciate their attention to detail, delivery, and follow through on the entire project. We are very pleased with the final product, and very happy in the new house”
With this commitment to customer service and quality construction, LCI has restored life to several hundreds of homes in the Heights area in the past two decades.
Giving back to the community is an integral part of the LCI mission. Among various other charitable events and contributions, LCI has sponsored the Woodlands Heights and Houston Heights home tours in recent years, showcasing their work in more than 15 homes.
At LCI, all carpentry is done in house due to a commitment to old-world craftsmanship and high-end custom woodwork. Custom renovations, outdoor kitchens, new construction and even light commercial work, LCI is dedicated to taking what you envision and actualizing it – turning your dream into reality.
Ms Helen has been an HISD crossing guard for the past 17 years. It happens that May 17th was her 79th birthday. Alan Krathaus & Fiona McGettigan were amongst the neighbors that staged a birthday celebration marking the occasion.
The celebration included lights, decor, and music, along with juice, snacks and fresh coffee for those who passed by her normal location on the southwest corner of Bayland and Beauchamp.
I encountered the festivities while out walking Julio & Gwen. By then many of the kids had proceeded to school, so the crowd had thinned. Ms Helen was genuinely touched the by the expression of caring by the neighbors.
The other day I was walking my dogs down the street. It was morning. It was a Thursday so the trash bins were out for collection. Along our path we noticed a bag of yard trimmings with a bright green tag. I'd never seen this tag before so I looked to see what it said.
What a bright green tag!
"The City of Houston is no longer accepting petroleum-based (plastic) bags for curbside collection of yard trimmings. These lawn items must be placed in City-Approved Compostable Bags. In addition, materials such as paper, plastic and other trash may not be placed in the compostable bags with yard trimmings. Small twigs and branches do not have to be bagged as long as they are in bundles less than 4 feet in length, less than 18 inches in diameter, weigh less than 50 pounds, and must be tied up with string."
For more information, please call 3-1-1 or visit www.houstonsolidwaste.org
City of Houston Code of Ordinances Chapter 39 -76
There you have it. The bag was tagged, but not collected, because it was not one of the approved, green, compostable bags. You know the sort...the ones that seem to start to decompose as soon as they get a little damp.
Just a friendly reminder that the deadline for submission of comments about the traffic calming measures is fast approaching. Comments must be submitted by Monday, May 14th.
Every household in the neighborhood received a mailing that includes a comment form. They seek the opinion of each household using a simple poll:
Comments may also include suggestions for where traffic cushions might be added or removed to further refine the approach. Comments can be submitted by post mail or online at the following web page.
https://services.publicworks.houstontx.gov/ntmp-feedback
Only one comment per household is allowed. Questions about the program can be directed to ntmp@houstontx.gov.
The May General Meeting of the Woodland Heights Civic Association will take place Tuesday, May 8th at 7pm in the cafeteria at Hogg Middle School, 1100 Merrill.
This month the agenda includes:
..whose mission is "to establish a bridge for our children between our successful Heights neighborhood elementary schools and Hogg Middle School, enabling progression within our strong, unique community."
Presented by Angela Sugarek, Principal of Hogg Middle School
Presented by Mark Sternfels, one of two neighborhood leads for Woodland Heights.
Project status presented by the Friends of Woodland Park.
...and all the usual updates from the WHCA board and committees.
The general meetings are your opportunity to find out what's going on and have your voice heard as well. We hope to see you there!
On Tuesday April 27th, the community participated in a public meeting for the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, hosted by the City of Houston Public Works department. The meeting focused on the traffic study of speed cushions that have been installed in Woodland Heights since June of last year.
A crowd of engaged residents gathered in the library of Travis Elementary to ask questions and comment on the plan. Notables in attendance included CM Karla Cisneros, CM Michael Kubosh and Khang Nguyen, PWE Assistant Director, Traffic Management Branch.
Gary Drabek, NTMP Program Manager, briefed the gathered crowd on the results of their speed data collection, offering an overview of the before-and-after traffic study count data. That was followed by an animated question and answer session.
Drabek explained that residents who would like deeper or more complete traffic study data than what they presented in the meeting can obtain complete data using the city's GIS Interactive Traffic Counts Map. All data collected by Public Works is fully available to the public. Mr Dabek offered to distribute a cheat sheet on using that system to anyone who is so inclined.
Currently, Public Works is collecting comments regarding the installation. All comments must be submitted to Public Works by May 14th.
Mr Dabek placed particular emphasis on the importance of the comments in helping the city evaluate the installation and plot a path forward. However, he also reminded the community that the comments are not votes. Public Works will use the comments to make a recommendation to the city council, but will not determine their recommendation based on numbers of comments for or against.
The city has already mailed every household in the neighborhood a package that includes a comment form. They seek the opinion of each household using a simple poll:
They also seek comment about the installation itself. That could include suggestions for where traffic cushions might be added or removed, to further refine the approach. Comments can be submitted by post mail or online at the following web page.
https://services.publicworks.houstontx.gov/ntmp-feedback.
Only one comment per household is allowed. Comments must be submitted by May 14th. Questions about the program and requests for the GIS cheat sheet can be directed to ntmp@houstontx.gov.
My husband (Old John) and I have been hosts to screech owl families for about 25 years. The accommodation is a nesting box with a hole so the birds can have a room with a view.
Screech Owlet
We got worried about the family in residency in the box a few days ago. The last time we had seen the mother owl in the hole was on Saturday, April 21st. When we didn’t see her Sunday or Monday, we figured the babies had fledged (not a good night for it because there was a major storm at about 2 am). So, on Friday, April 20, after checking the hole several times a day, Old John went out to take down the owl house (we do NOT want to host squirrels). The next thing I knew he was telling me we had a problem.
He had discovered he couldn’t open the top of the nesting box. As he worked with it, he felt feathers. He figured one of the owls had died in the box so he carried the box to the back yard so he could bury any remains. Using pliers, he finally got the top open only to have a tiny owlet scurry out to try to hide itself in the mulch under an azalea. Old John was horrified.
I immediately called the Texas Wildlife Coalition, which has a Houston branch whose responsibility is to rehabilitate wild mammals, amphibians, and birds. After a conference with the person who answered the phone and then conferred with the bird specialist, it was decided to put the house back up in the tree and monitor it to see if the parent(s) appeared. If not, we’d have to take the baby to the wildlife people.
So, Old John went back out where he discovered that the owlet had tried to get back into the nesting box but had gotten stuck. Apparently, owls do not know how to back up. So, very, very carefully, he moved the little fellow backward into the box. The owlet then played dead. With the house cover back on, Old John gently raised the nesting box back into position in the tree.
We began our vigil at 6:40 pm. We were afraid we might miss a parent, especially because I suspect they observed the entire nesting box debacle. Staring at a hole in a box in a tree is tiring. I had to fight to stay awake. By 8 pm, it was dusk and I could no longer even see the hole. Old John thought he saw the baby in the hole so I sent him for the binoculars. I then sat for 20 minutes with the binoculars staring at the hole. At 8:20, we saw the flash of a wing (the underside is whitish) and then a clear view of a parent flying into the box. Voila! So the baby hadn’t been abandoned. We believe the parents will continue to feed it until it is big enough to fledge.
Epilogue: We are certain this is the second baby. Screech owls usually lay a second egg from several days to several weeks after the first (probably to ensure the survival of at least one owlet).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Editor’s note: This story has been submitted by Rosie Walker, with permission of her anonymous friend who is devoted to assisting wildlife survival in our urban environment.
Neighbors,
We live in one of the best neighborhoods in Houston. While we all enjoy the many benefits of the Woodland Heights, there are unfortunately a few downsides. Clean neighborhoods filled with trusting people that are near major highway systems and large city centers often attract criminals and individuals that look to take advantage of the situation.
Click on image to see larger version.
In no way is our neighborhood comparable to a crime-ridden New York or Chicago gangland, but there are individuals that seek to upset our way of life. Consider this recent post from the Crime & Safety section of NextDoor (pictured right.) In reference to an attempted break-in at their home, the homeowner states very plainly;
“...for those that are on the fence regarding the Constable program, Deputy Vest was here almost immediately after being alerted.”
The Constable Patrol Program helps keep our community safe. Through the efforts of two dedicated Constables patrolling our neighborhood, we’re able to keep crime to a minimum, and when needed, have a quick reaction force on stand-by. Not to mention the added value of vacation checks while you’re away, home security checks, rapid response to HPD dispatch requests and timely assistance when needed.
However, it is our responsibility as homeowners and members of this great community to fund this program. Since 2011, Woodland Heights Civic Association has administered a Constable Patrol Program, serviced by Harris County Precinct One. Our Constable Patrol Program is a supplemental police force, currently two deputies, hired to patrol our neighborhood for two 40-hour shifts per week.
In 2017, only 400 of approximately 2000 homes in the Woodland Heights supported this effort to keep our neighborhood safe. While some have renewed their subscriptions, going forward into 2018 we are at risk of losing all or part of the Constable Patrol Program.
Will you join this effort to ensure we keep the Constable Patrol Program? if your prefer to pay by check you can signup by mail using the form on the back of the Constable Patrol flier (downloadable here) or online at http://www.woodland-heights.org.
Should you have questions feel free to reach out to Cody McGregor, WHCA VP of
Security at: security@woodland-heights.org
802 Woodland Street, home of Janet and Harry Tallichet, is absolutely popping in our spring sunshine and showers! Janet is a "semi-retired" landscaper. Harry is a home builder and did the add-on to the original home in 2009. Moving from Memorial, Janet welcomed the chance to just play with a smaller garden in a neighborhood that didn't dictate plant material and minimum sod areas or maximum cutting heights. Her garden is for the birds and the bees and one dog, one cat. Always with natural habitat in mind, the garden has evolved through the years and Janet enjoys (in a mad scientist sort of way) experiments with wild flowers from Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, TX. She hopes to encourage the love of nature and beauty to all residents.
Nods to two also very lovely and playful yards nominated by neighbors: 711 Euclid and 506 Euclid. If you see a yard that you would like to nominate, please email me at beautification@woodland-heights.org. Hope to meet more neighbors out for walks enjoying our community - there is so much to enjoy here, especially this time of year.
- Stephanie Riceman, Beautification
It's been said that golf is "a good walk ruined." Wouldn't it be nice to turn that on it's head? Do some good by the simple act of taking a walk around our wonderful Woodland Heights Here's your chance! The WHCA Block Captain program is seeking volunteers to assist in the distribution of printed materials throughout the neighborhood.
While typically this involves our printed newsletters, this week we're seeking help to distribute a one-page flyer about the Constable Patrol program. We expect this one-page document to be printed by Friday and likely available for pick-up and distribution over the weekend. Volunteers will be notified via email when the flyer is available for pick-up. If you are able to help distribute to the neighborhood, please sign up for your preferred blocks at the link below.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4ea4af22a5ff2-constable
If you have any questions, or would like to be included on the Block Captains email list for future distribution efforts, please contact Andrea at blockcaptains@woodland-heights.org
Animals are everywhere in Woodland Heights! Some are local wildlife, while others are pets of various sorts. Each has a story. Did you know that we have a hoard of colorful wild Parakeets that live hereabouts?
I'd like to start a regular newsletter item called "Fins, Feathers & Fur" that tells a brief tale of one critter each month. It could be that time you encountered a great hawk in Stude Park, the fish you caught in the bayou, or the charming way your dog greets all the neighbors while out walking. Could be fact or fictional. Needs a photo. If you're felling ambitious...video!
If you have anything to submit for consideration please send it to communications@woodland-heights.org.
