trymahjong

Got an email that asked if I had heard about http://montroseslums.com/index2.html I hadn't . . . . but the website worried me . . . . does anyone know about them?

There is an Aldi's on southside of Oklahoma City--It's not a swanky grocery store but it wasn't a third world kind of store either-- it's cash only, shopping carts have to have quarters put in slots to free them from locked bin--still no shopping bags -- but it serves an area that most other stores have abandoned, and seems clean, tidy and reasonably priced.

Yes---- those houses are owned by the cat feeding man--- yes they have been gutted and most likely will be razed for parking. A few years ago--around the time Avondale was about to be100 years old and was trying to get Historic designation. . . . . . . I was told that someone offered to purchase one of those houses with the intention of restoring it---but the houses could only be bought as package ie all of them together. It's a bit sad that those little houses couldn't have been saved.

The Mayor's Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting presented by Reliant will take place on Friday, December 2, 2011, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston 77002. The featured entertainers will be Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard. Please bring the entire family as well as a new unwrapped toy to the Reliant Booth to help the Salvation Army make the holiday brighter for a child this season! Also, Santa Claus will be available for photos courtesy of Land Rover Houston Central. Southwest Airlines returns as the fireworks sponsor along with the continued support from the Houston Downtown District, Houston Public Library Foundation and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit http://www.houstontx.gov/citizensnet/enewsletter112811/mayorsholiday.html. To learn more about the Mayor's Office of Special Events, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/citizensnet/enewsletter112811/mosehomepage.html.

got an email today that I think I'm really going to like . . . . . . . . . Come help us celebrate! The Houston Press just named El Real the“Best Tex-Mex” restaurant in the city. My Table Magazine readers voted us Houston’s “Best New Restaurant.” Food lovers voted us “Best Newcomer” in the Houston Entrée Awards. And Esquire put us on the “Restaurants Not to Miss” list in their annual Best New Restaurants in America issue. To share the good news with our neighbors, El Real Tex-Mex Cafe is offering a special deal on Mondays. If you’ve got a 77006, 77019, or 77098 zip code on your driver’s license, your whole table eats for half price on Mondays. (Offer is for a limited time only and doesn’t include alcoholic beverages.)

One of my nephews might have been the first to mentionit to me last month--hadn't heard of it before. Then CBS did http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-20127610/steampunk-yesterdays-tomorrow/ Now one of my kids is looking for a build-it-kit for Steampunk engine. . . . . . . does Houston have a Steampunk following? Just wondering about it. . . . . . .

62nd Annual Holiday Parade Presented by H-E-B: Classic Moments Join Mayor Annise Parker on Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 9 a.m. as approximately 400,000 spectators line the streets of downtown Houston to watch the annual parade showcasing colorful, animated floats, gigantic balloons, as well as performances by celebrity guests, marching bands, cheerleaders, dance groups and more. The event, co-sponsored by the City of Houston , is free to the public with viewing available anywhere along the parade route outside of the TV zone. A limited number of reserved bleacher seats in the TV zone are available for purchase. For more details, including the parade route, visit http://www.holidayparadehouston.org/ or call 713.654.8808. To learn more about the Mayor's Office of Special Events, see http://www.houstontx.gov/specialevents/.

I wonder if any of Houston's chainsaw sculptors approached COH with the idea to carve a few of the more mature trees. . . . . . This was a miracle in Galveston. . . . . . . . . . . . one I continue to appreciate. . . . . . .

Bloomberg ordered the park cleared at 1am this morning

I posted about the Oct 10 meeting in the no parking in montrose thread I hope everyone took the time to give feed back-- i live in Avondale---off street is a huge debatable problem with few easy answers

guess the citizenship fun continues. . . . . . . . . got a new email City of Houston Third Annual Citizenship Week November 13 - 19, 2011 Celebrating the Many Faces of Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the Citizenship Week Steering Committee invite you to celebrate the City of Houston Third Annual Citizenship Week November 13-19, 2011: Celebrating the Many Faces of Houston. Citizenship Week will underscore how our diverse ethnic and immigrant communities are integrated into the life of our city and how the richness of their traditions and values promotes social cohesion and builds more secure and vibrant neighborhoods. Numerous community and faith based organizations, businesses, educational institutions and grassroots groups have planned events and programs throughout the city to celebrate the common theme of what it means to be a Citizen of the City of Houston : a Houstonian. For more information about events see Citizenship Week Events Listing, call 832.393.0939, fax 832.393.0962 or email citizenshipweek2011@houstontx.gov. Also see: http://www.houstontx.gov/neighborhoods/citizenshipweek2011.html http://twitter.com/#!/citizenshipweek http://www.facebook.com/pages/Houston-Citizenship-Week/248956891817874

Got an email telling how great the new phoenicia market downtown was-- anyone tried it? http://phoeniciafoods.com/

A Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 1 p.m. CST The City of Houston 's Office of Emergency Management reminds residents that on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 1 p.m. Houston time (Central Standard Time), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be conducting the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). This system is intended to provide the President of the United States with the ability to communicate emergency information to the nation during a catastrophic incident. Testing this important system allows agencies to determine gaps in the system and help improve it to ensure that everyone has access to important emergency information. While residents may be familiar with required weekly tests, this first-ever nationwide Emergency Alert System test may contain different elements. Audio will indicate that this is in fact a test, scrolling text across television screens may not. Residents should not be alarmed when they see or hear the test Residents should refrain from calling 911 to inquire about the test. 911 is reserved for emergency situations which threaten life or property and require the assistance of police, fire or emergency medical services. Calling 911 for non-emergencies may overwhelm telephone systems at local emergency call centers and prevent actual emergencies from being reported. Houstonians should take this time to make sure that they have an emergency kit, a family emergency plan and ways to stay informed during emergency situations. Residents can find information on how to plan for emergencies, as well as sign up for AlertHouston emergency emails from the Office of Emergency Management online at http://www.houstonoem.net/. For more information on the nationwide EAS test and emergency preparedness visit http://www.houstonoem.net/ or email info@houstonoem.net.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca7091a6-da39-11e0-bc99-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1cncUgAmr lots of people in NY talk about taxing full sugared drinks--one of them sent me this. . . . .

Guess the unexpected NY snow contributed to more TV viewing---The top chef commercials started---a few foodie residents asked why Top Chef Texas excluded Houston----using San Antonio, Austin and Dallas instead----hmmmmmmmmmm didn't know what to say. . . . .I thought the culinary stuff in Houston was on the rise. . . . wonder what happened?

I'm still in NYC-- big news here when NYFD removed generators------and so what should happen today? yep-- snow started around 10am

events Celebrate Houston 175: Activities and Exhibits throughout the City Saturday, October 29 - Sunday, October 30, 2011 Houston 175: Celebrate History honors the City's 175th birthday with a weekend of FREE activities and exhibitions highlighting Houston 's rich and colorful history, Saturday, October 29 - Sunday, October 30, 2011. Saturday, October 29, 2011 Activities and Exhibitions: Houston 175: History Crawl, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The History Crawl features ten exhibitions and creates an extraordinary look at Houston 's evolution into the 21st Century by celebrating architecture, arts, public spaces/public art, city government, commerce, education, medicine, people, sports and transportation. See http://www.houston175.org/about.html for a downloadable brochure. To make visiting the six downtown History Crawl exhibitions easier, one can purchase a Downtown Hopper Pass for only $6 at any pay station which allows parking at multiple metered spaces throughout the day on Saturday. The time limits for each meter still apply. Or enjoy the FREE History Crawl Trolley connecting the downtown exhibits. Trolley rolls from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last pick-up at 4:30 p.m. Houston 175: History Conference, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The Houston History Association is sponsoring a conference on Houston 's history, Milestones and Arrivals: 175 Years of Coming to Houston at the Hilton-University of Houston Hilton, 4800 Calhoun Road , Houston 77004 . Featured luncheon speaker is former Mayor Bill White. For registration and more information see http://www.houstonhistoryassociation.org/. Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative of Discovery and Preservation, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Houston Public Library and the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture will co-host a program to help Houston area residents identify and preserve items of historical and cultural significance tucked away in the attics, closets and basements of their homes. The free event is at the Central Library, 500 McKinney, Houston 77002 and will feature presentations, hands-on activities and preservation tips. For more information on the programs available throughout the day, visit http://www.houstonlibrary.org/save-our-african-american-treasures or call 832.393.1313. Sunday, October 30, 2011 Activities and Exhibitions: Houston 175: Historic Cemetery Tours, noon - 4 p.m. Historic Cemetery Tours mark the anniversary of the founding of Houston with visits to four of Houston 's most historical resting places, Congregation Beth Israel, College Memorial Park, Founders Memorial Park and Olivewood. See http://www.houstonpreservation.org/ for more information.

I got to go and see all the hubbub. . . . . . a bit of interesting info. . . . . . . microphones and megaphones were prohibited by city-- info/speeches/rants from anyone speaking is heard by those immediately surrounding them and then passed along person to person to the outside parts of the crowd-- much like the kids game of "telephone"

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Montrose-district-under-fire-over-taxes-2219517.php

I'm in Manhattan--- lots of talk here about OWS in the neighborhood-- NY1 usually has interviews with somebody involved (with OWS) everyday--the otherside of the coin are the interviews by residents close to the park who are exhausted at all the hoopla and inconvience of having the protestors there 24/7. . .plus residents wonder what is expected and when will it end . . then there are the interviews that list in depth the cost of this protest to the city and the policeforce. . . . . . .and of course the number of people arrested is updated each hour. . . . result=> the talk here in my neighborhood isn't about any of the important issues that might have been the impetus of this "phenomenon" rather it's talk about residents rights ie " blocking the sidewalk to the subway when trying to get to work. . . . .residents have to use that sidewalk each day. . . . . etcetc " I guess it's a matter of perspective. . . . . and the perspective seems to be that the residents are fed up with the protest.

. . . . . . the powers that erected the "M" at Elgin and Bagby might disagree?

City of Houston Third Annual Citizenship Week November 13-19, 2011 Celebrating the Many Faces of Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the Citizenship Week Steering Committee invite you to celebrate the City of Houston Third Annual Citizenship Week November 13-19, 2011: Celebrating the Many Faces of Houston. This citywide celebration consists of a week of events proposed and put on by individuals, groups and organizations throughout the community to highlight what it means to be a citizen of Houston and how one can be active in the community. To participate in Citizenship Week 2011, we invite you to consider holding a special event such as one of those listed in the How to be an Event Partner Form. Complete and submit the Event Proposal Form to propose your event(s) for consideration as one of the City of Houston 's official Citizenship Week events. Selected events will be listed in the Second Annual Citizenship Week Program Booklet. Send your proposals now for consideration! The deadline for submission is Friday, October 21, 2011. If you need space for your particular event, limited space may be available for approved events at neighborhood branches of the Houston Public Library. For more information about Citizenship Week, contact Isabella Williams, Program Coordinator at citizenshipweek2011@houstontx.gov, call 832.393.0939 (direct) or 832.393.0962 (fax). Also, see the links below. Fhttp://www.houstontx.gov/neighborhoods/citizenshipweek2011.html Fhttp://citizenshipweek.org/ Fwww.twitter.com/citizenshipweek Fhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Houston-Citizenship-Week/248956891817874

remember Earl Jones-- the guy who did sculptures using the dead trees from hurrican IKE? I got this email--- re:College Park Cemetery is on W. Dallas near Shepherd, the resting place of freed slaves. I've been volunteering there for a couple of years. On Oct 30 we are having a huge celebration, along with tours, etc. in conjunction with Houston's 175th birthday. Earl Jones, the guy who carved and sculpted so many trees killed after Ike devasted Galveston, has agreed to do a few for us (for a (reduced) fee). Hopefully one will be finished in time for the event, and he may be "in action" on that day, too. You are welcome to be a volunteer, too - mostly trimming vegetation, hauling logs & branches, and mowing / watering, but also "white collar" tasks like cateloging graves, fund raising, etc. To get involved, contact Randy Reipe below. --- On Sun, 10/9/11, Randall Riepe <rriepe1@gmail.com> wrote: From: Randall Riepe <rriepe1@gmail.com> Subject: College Park artwork ToDate: Sunday, October 9, 2011, 10:59 AM Attached photo is of artist Earl Jones underway on his first tree sculpture at College Memorial Park Cemetery. He will be working in the cemetery on October 30 from 1-4pm during the historical tours! Randy

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/07/141123243/how-that-food-you-throw-out-is-linked-to-global-warming?sc=emaf I've had plenty of emails passed along about global warming-- this one was more interesting that most

now a chance to have our say? Community Meeting on Recommended Changes to the City of Houston Off-Street Parking Ordinance Monday, October 10, 2011 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. West End Multi-Service Center Auditorium 170 Heights Boulevard Houston 77007 The Houston Planning Commission is proposing changes to the off-street parking ordinance, Chapter 26. Some of the changes include, but are not limited to, expansion of shared parking options, new criteria for parking districts, parking incentives for the preservation of historic buildings and redevelopment of "grandfathered" establishments, updated parking ratios and bicycle parking. The public is invited to hear an overview of these proposed changes and speak to members of the City of Houston Planning and Development Department staff.