Greeting Neighbors,

We’re getting it together in Northfield I & II!!! And after a historic drought that our region has suffered last year, I must say that it is indeed a pleasure to drive through our subdivision and see so much GREEN!!!. Northfield I & II, you were looking good last month as you shoveled, planted and watered those beautiful perennials and annuals. A big SHOUT OUT goes to everyone who is trying to get their yards and properties back in order. Remember the goal of any neighborhood is to have a pleasant curb appeal. Does your home possess this quality?

Did you get yours??? We did!!! I mean those “wonderful” 2012 notices of appraised values. Harris County Appraisal District has mailed 2012 real property value notices to owners of taxable property within the district’s boundaries. The 2012 protest deadline for most owners of real property (land and buildings) will be May 31. Appraised values have dropped in our subdivision, which is a concern to me. This is why we must stress the need to focus on lawn maintenance and removing fungus off of brick and siding and fixing those gutters. Our homes are now over 30 years old and to keep up the quality of such well crafted homes, They must be maintained. Even the best–built home will show signs of wear and tear as it ages. Paint peels, concrete cracks, doors rub, and floors squeak, foundations shift and shingles wear out. The bottom line is we want our properties to look good. If you skip the routine maintenance or ignore signs of trouble, a simple problem can easily snowball into BIG trouble. NORTHFIELD I & II, manage your investment!!!

I want to again focus on THE area of safety for our Neighborhood. In April’s issue we provided tips on preventing car burglaries. Continuing with the same theme, the May edition of our newsletter contains a home security checklist and residential safety tips. Please use this valuable information as reference guide as you check your home for safety measures. On the safety note again, Board Member Charlotte Gifford-Weaver and I attended the West Bellfort POA meeting on April 27, 2012. WBPOA has been going through the same types of property crimes as us. The Town Hall Meeting was attended by Constable May Walker, Lieutenant Troy Finner from the South Gessner command division and Officer Demaree from the West Bellfort Police Storefront. They met with several area residents to discuss the issues and police strategies that are in place to help eradicate the problem. Please Remember to use the Citizen Complaint forms (which was included in the April, 2012 newsletter) if you see anything out of the ordinary. THIS STATEMENT MEANS, KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN!!!!! I do want to mention that I was happy to see that most of us are using our Lights AS SECURITY. I drove the entire subdivision late Sunday evening (5/13/12) and noticed that about 80% of the homes had their lights turned on. This is one way of keeping unwanted guests out of our neighborhood. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!!!

Lastly, I want to thank all neighborhoods who came out and expressed their opinions on the proposed building of a Low end HEB (Joe V). After the meeting, I personally felt that the representatives from HEB knew that we DO NOT want a Joe V in the neighborhood because it will “cheapen” the neighborhood. We’ll keep you inform of outcome of this decision in future newsletters. And speaking of neighborhood planning, I have included a guide to what’s the best approach to Planning a Healthy Neighborhood. The illustration demonstrates the proper use of deed restrictions, planning policies, ordinances and regulations. My Neighbors, these are issues that we will need to confront if we want a strong Neighborhood. I recently attended a reception sponsored by the Brays Oaks Management District. At the reception, Congressman Al Green spoke and said that people just don’t buy a house, they buy into a neighborhood. Do you agree with this statement? If you do, what are you doing to improve and add value to our Neighborhood? It is something to think about!!!

OK!!!, one more thing, please do not forget to vote in the Democratic or Republican Primaries. Two thousand twelve will be a very interesting election year for all of us.. The votes that we cast will determine decades of local, state and federal policies revisions. Please get out and vote!!!! With busy schedules and the Memorial Day holiday weekend right before the election, I encourage you to vote early. Early voting began May 14 and continues through May 25. Election Day is May 29. For voting locations and times, go to www.harrisvotes.com. I hope you are having a great month and always take pride in NORTHFIELD I & II.

View the full May Newsletter

Home Security Checklist

Voter ID Update

On Monday, April 30, U.S. Representative Al Green presented the U.S. flag to Woodward, who spent 10 years lobbying the Houston Independent School District (HISD) for the green space now known as the Rita Woodward Environmental Nature Park.

“It’s much better to see a sermon than to hear one,” Green said, referring to the garden as “the sermon that Rita preached.” He also quoted Ghandi and said, “We should all become the change that we seek.”

State Representative Borris Miles also presented Woodward with a Texas flag, and other local, state and federal officials sent messages of their regard for her.

The park was formerly the site of HISD’s Oceanography Center, built in the late 1960s, and then it became the Living Resource Center, a warehouse for biology specimens. When the science center’s function was moved to a different location, the building on the corner of Chimney Rock and Gasmer fell into disrepair.

That’s when Woodward, now 84, began her campaign to acquire and renovate the space in front of the high school. It only took her 10 years to convince HISD officials to donate the land and to round up contributions to beautify it with roses, other landscaping and a mosaic “W” at the base of the school’s flagpole. Donations came from local businesses, residents and from the fund-raising efforts of the Friends of Westbury High School Foundation that Woodward founded in 1992.

“I worked so hard for this park for so many years. This is the vision that I had,” Woodward said. “You can find a purpose and a project. One person can make a difference.”

View photos from the Flag Dedication Ceremony:

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The Primary elections are conducted by the two major political parties to select nominees that will represent their respective sides in the November General Election. In a Primary election cycle, voters can choose to participate in the election activities of only one of the political parties.

County Clerk and Chief Election Officer of the County Stan Stanart says “There will be 37 early voting locations across Harris County where any qualified voter may vote in one of the Primary Elections. There are many important contests on the ballots and I am excited that we are finally able to provide voters on both sides of the political spectrum the opportunity to participate in the major parties’ candidate nomination process.”

This year on the Republican ballot there are 201 candidates vying for 99 offices at various levels of government, including 10 Federal, 30 State, 20 County and 39 Judicial offices. There are also five non-binding ballot propositions. The Democratic Party has 149 candidates on the Primary ballot vying for 94 positions, including 11 Federal, 25 State, 22 County and 36 Judicial. There are three non-binding referendums in which voters can either support or reject.

To vote during this election, voters may use one of the following documents: Voter Registration Certificate; A driver’s license or personal identification card issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to the person by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired; A form of identification containing the person’s photograph that establishes the person’s identity; A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person’s identity; A United States citizenship papers issued to the person; A United States passport issued to the person; Official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental entity; A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter; or Any other form of identification prescribed by the Secretary of State.

To find an early voting location and view the early voting schedule, please visit www.harrisvotes.com or contact the Harris County Clerk’s Office at 713.755.6965 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ECHOS—Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services—was formed in 1999, as an organized response to health and social services needs in the increasingly ethnically diverse area of southwest Houston. As a non-profit 501(C) 3 organization, ECHOS opened its doors in April 2001 after refurbishing a building donated for ECHOS’s use by the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany.
The mission of ECHOS is to assist those in need of medical and social services in accessing the services that are available in a manner, which promotes dignity for all. This is done both by providing on-site medical screening, support and intervention services as well as through referrals to various community service providers.

ECHOS
9600 S Gessner @ Bissonnet Bldg. E

Hours of Operation:
8:00 am – 2:00 pm Monday – Thursday

Phone: 713.270.0369
www.echos-houston.org

Here is their May 2012 Calendar:

Spanish May 2012 Calendar:

Those selected for the grants will receive a $500 gift card from Home Depot to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to implement the projects. City of Houston community partner Keep Houston Beautiful will support the projects by providing supplies, tools and other resources to offset costs. A grant review committee will provide guidance to align funded projects with existing city priorities.

The grant application deadline is Friday, May 11, 2012. Applicant groups must have nonprofit status. Eligible groups include block, neighborhood and tenant associations as well as community garden clubs and religious-based organizations. Grantees will be notified on Friday, May 25, 2012. Funded projects must be completed between June 1 and December 31, 2012.

To apply for a “Love Your Block” grant, visit HoustonSERVICE.org. For more information, email LoveYourBlock@houstontx.gov or call 832-393-0971. The new grant program is part of Houston SERVICE under the Mayor’s Volunteer Initiatives Program in the Department of Neighborhoods.

The District K council office, on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Dept., is reaching out among any churches, apartment complexes, learning centers, schools, or other non-profit groups within the council district desiring to participate. The Parks and Recreation Dept. is the administrator of the program and will extend this invitation to apply for the program no later than May 15, 2012. Organization’s representatives should call 713-676-68325 to obtain more information or e-mail Sheila Pous at Sheila.pous@houstontx.gov.

If your organization would like to participate as a Food Service Site, download the application:

Summer Food Service Program Application

Houston Park and Recreation Department’s Summer Food Service Program, for youth ages 1 to 18, will operate from June 4 – August 17, 2012. This program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), administered through Texas Department Agriculture and sponsored locally by HPARD since 1984.

For the 2012 Summer Season, HPARD has teamed up with Wal-Mart and NRPA to Fight Childhood Hunger in Houston this summer. For a location near you a link will be available in June 2012 at http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/summerfood.html.

The Summer Food Service Program operates Monday through Friday at more than 464 sites in Houston and Harris County throughout the summer. No registration is required. SFSP meals are served at Houston Parks and Recreation Department Community Centers and other participating locations including: churches, apartment complexes, learning centers and other non-profit organizations.

The nutritious packed lunches are prepared and delivered daily to each site and comply with federal and state requirements. They include one serving of milk, two or more servings of vegetables and/or fruits, one serving of grain or bread, and one serving of meat or meat alternative.

Lunch is served 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and a healthy snack is served from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. To find a site near you call 2-1-1 or (713) 676-6832 and give the operator your zip code.

Click HERE to download the complete workshop schedule.

A key component of the program is that participants will take their new knowledge and put it to use by designing individual action plans that they will implement in their community.  The next METRO Transit Academy begins Wednesday, June 6, 2012 and will consist of seven (7) weekly evening sessions scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The class concludes Wednesday, July 25, 2012.  If you are interested, applications should be submitted no later than Tuesday, May 15, 2012.  For more information regarding the METRO Transit Academy, please feel free to contact Jose Pulido at 713.739.4888 or via email at jose.pulido@ridemetro.org.

Click HERE to download the Metro Transit Academy application form.

First, our Business and Economic Development Committee has been actively working to implement programs to stimulate investment and job creation in the district. We know that the growth of both new and existing businesses has the effect of generating positive interest in an area and attracting even more development.

Second, we are committed to promoting quality of life within Brays Oaks through the development of new green space and the preservation and maintenance of what we already have.

Recent studies have shown that the proximity of quality public green space has a positive impact on home values. Preserving the “green” aspect of the District is the focus of the Environmental and Urban Design Committee, composed of board members, business owners and community stakeholders.

Green is the color of both a healthy environment and economic prosperity––two of the many goals the Brays Oaks Management District pursues on behalf of the residents and businesses in the area. As always, your involvement in the process is welcomed and encouraged, and the board of directors is eager to hear your input.

Etan Mirwis
Chairman
Brays Oaks Management District Board of Directors

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