The Thomas Telegraph Vol. 5, Issue 10 – November 9, 2023

Vol. 5, Issue 10 – 11.9.23

HOTSPOT TEAM UPDATE

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2

Images above are from Amanda Lane. The Hot Spot Team continues to remove the trash and clear the overgrown trees, weeds, grass, and bushes.

CITY CANCELS VETERANS DAY PARADE

The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Special Events and the Mayor’s Office of Veterans and Military Affairs has canceled the City’s annual Veterans Day Parade.

While the ceremony that traditionally precedes the parade will take place inside the City Hall Legacy Room.

The indoor event is open to invited guests, participants, and media only. The public is encouraged to watch the live streaming on Houston Municipal Television at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 11. HTV Website HTV Houston Television (houstontx.gov) and
HTV Facebook HTV Houston Television | Facebook

The televised celebration will include distinguished guests, a moment of silence in honor of the signing of the WWI Armistice, and Keynote Speaker Dr. Quindola Crowley, Lt. Colonel (Ret.) U.S. Army.

MAYOR’S RACE GOES TO RUNOFF ELECTION

On November 7, Councilmember Thomas was re-elected to the Houston City Council. She ran unopposed to represent District F. The race for Houston mayor is headed for a runoff between two Democratic heavyweights.

State Senator. John Whitmire and U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee led a crowded field of 16 other candidates in the race. But neither garnered enough votes to win Tuesday’s election outright. They will face off again on December 9. REMINDER: You must vote again in the runoff election.

Click here for more information.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT UPDATE
FOR VETERANS DAY

There will be NO INTERRUPTION to the collection service on the Veterans Day Holiday, Friday, November 10, 2023. Solid Waste employees and contractors will report to duty to collect garbage, yard waste, tree waste, and recycling on the regular collection schedule. However, please note that all drop-off facilities and administrative offices will be closed for the holiday.

Saturday, November 11, 2023
Neighborhood Depositories, Westpark Recycling Centers, Environmental Service Center, and the Reuse Warehouse will resume normal operations.

CITYWIDE DROUGHT RESTRICTIONS CONTINUE

The City’s water system remains under stress due to a high number of water leaks. As rainfall returns, soils shift as clay swells, contributing to more water leaks. In addition to the recent rainfall, record-setting temperatures have subsided and the community’s efforts to adhere to mandatory watering restrictions continue to lessen the demand on the system.

200 MORE TREES PLANTED IN ALIEF

On October 28, an extraordinary bunch of volunteers planted and mulched 200 trees in less than three hours. Three more Alief esplanades were planted in the linear forest pattern–the objective is more shade and less mowing. Special shout out to Thomas Tran and Terry Garner — tree-planting/mulching superstars! Chaired by Barbara Quattro, the Alief Super Neighborhood Council is dedicated to cooling down and beautifying Alief–one esplanade at a time.

Click here for The AliefLife “On Topic” emails.

Click here to view the Google Groups “AliefLife – The Alief Super Neighborhood Council” group discussion.

STREETLIGHT AND TREE CANOPY SERVICE

Urban Forestry has begun servicing streetlights and overgrown tree canopies in District F. In some cases, the trees are blocking the streetlights. In other cases, the streetlights are out or are too dim. We need your help to identify additional areas of concern. Click here to submit a service request form for your street.

TAKE THE SURVEY

We want to hear your voice, if you are a Latino in the Greater Houston area please help shape a new home for culture. Please take the voice ofALMAAHH survey HERE

Queremos escuchar su voz, si usted es un latino en el área metropolitana de Houston, por favor ayude a dar forma a un nuevo hogar para nuestra cultura. Por favor, tome la encuesta de La Voz de ALMAAHH AQUÍ

FREE TICKETS TO THE ZOO

We have a limited amount of zoo tickets available. The first 15 families to complete the form will receive zoo tickets. Please click here to reserve your free tickets to the Houston Zoo. Priority will be given to District F residents and there is a 5-ticket limit per household.

Tickets are valid until December 31, 2023.

ALIEF VOTES

On November 7, District F director of communications Ken Ulmer presented Madeline Medrano with a Certificate of Appreciation for her work with AliefVotes and her ongoing commitment to civic engagement.

CELEBRATING DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
FESTIVAL & PARADE

On November 4, District F Chief of Staff Isaac Equia and his family joined hundreds of people at the third annual Dia de los Muertos Festival and Parade in downtown Houston. Also known as the Day of the Dead, the holiday originated in Mexico. It’s a celebration of life and death to honor loved ones who have passed away.

GRADUATION & LITERARY
SHOWCASE @ HACKBERRY PARK

On November 4, District F Chief of Staff Isaac Eguia joined Hispanic Heritage Month honoree Conrado Contreras at the graduation celebration for Conrado’s most recent English as a Second Language adult students. The graduation was also a showcase for the cultural and literary arts, including poetry readings, folk dancing, and a musical performance with singing.

ASHTON VILLAGE HOA MEETING

On November 2, Councilmember Thomas attended the Ashton Village HOA meeting to discuss the SWAT (storm water action team) drainage project, which was followed by a speed bump update/expected timing.

Click here for more information.

HHA & DELEGATION FROM BATON ROUGE

On November 2, Councilmember Thomas welcomed the delegation from Baton Rouge (CM Daryl Hurst, CM Cleve Dunn, CM Aaron Moak, and Dr. James Gilmore from Mayor Broom’s Office of Economic Development) to Houston for a series of meetings. They attended the Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Public/Private Partnership & Complete Communities meeting hosted by the Houston Housing Authority (HHA).

Click here for more information.

INAUGURAL CELEBRITY WAITER LUNCHEON

On October 31/Halloween, Councilmember Thomas attended the first-ever Celebrity Waiter Luncheon hosted by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (GHWCC) and benefitting the GHWCC Scholarship and STEAM Town USA Programs. Since it was Halloween, the local celebrities, politicians, and business leaders came in costume. In the picture above, Councilmember gets a rose from the Phantom of the Opera–Lee Vela, vice president of Public Affairs at Clear Channel Outdoor.

Click here for more information.

VAPhA GALA 2023

On November 28, Ken Ulmer, District F director of communications presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Caroline Ngo, president of the Vietnamese American Pharmacists Association for supporting over 100 health fairs offering blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol screenings, as well as giving more than 10,000 COVID along with flu, pneumonia vaccines to low-income and underserved Houstonians.

Click here for more information.

CHAT FALL FESTIVAL

On October 28, Ken Ulmer, District F director of communications presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Siddiqui Aisha, DrPH – founder and CEO of the Culture of Health – Advancing Together (also known as CHAT). The certificate was in recognition of their ongoing work to improve the health and well-being of constituents in the immigrant and refugee communities.

Click here for more information.