Yard of the Month: 529 Euclid

September YOM goes to Larry Hall and Louis Aquino at 529 Euclid.  They have a large number of plantings of various varieties.  Some native, some not, some fruit bearers, some flowering - you get the picture.  Larry and Louis are generous neighbors both in their gardening advice and sharing plants/cuttings.   One can usually find "babies" in pots along their sidewalk which they put out for others to take and enjoy.

Larry purchased this home in 2006, when it was clad in turquoise and yellow aluminum siding, and fenced in chain link.   Photos from the 1920's, show the bungalow painted the original white with no trees, bushes, garage or sidewalk.   It was designed by the same architect as 429 Euclid, which it resembles from the street. 

Louis is the "green thumb" behind all of the plants that have been added.  Crepe myrtles, Jerusalem Thorn and Hibiscus trees line the Northwood sidewalk.  There were grand oak trees in those locations in 2006.  There was a drainage ditch along Northwood in 2006, which was changed when major renovations to the storm drainage systems were completed several years ago. 

Except for the large red bougainvillea on the east side of the front yard, Louis has selected and grown most of the potpourri of plants we have.  Planted on the southwest side of the taller fence, is called the "Flaming Glory", or "Orange Pagoda Flower" .  Other plants that have been added include raspberry, white and purple bougainvillea, Esperanza, red and green Coleus, Lantana, "Fire-cracker" bush, Hyacinths, Cuban Gold, Creeping Fig, various ferns and tulips, and miscellaneous bits of color here and there.  Larry and Louis didn't start out with any kind of plan - they just bought what they liked as they went along.  Lots of potted plants and trees are in the backyard including fruit trees and an avocado tree.

More plantings are coming to accent their new front yard fence.  Louis keeps a large bowl out front for neighborhood dogs as well as lots of bird seed.

WHCA Statement Of Activity July 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
7/1/2019 to 7/31/2020

Note: Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org

WHCA Statement Of Activity June 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
6/1/2019 to 6/30/2020

Note: Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org

Yard-of-the-Month: 2803 Julian

Brandon and Kelly Jacob bought the house next door in 1996 and became the third owners of a darling bungalow on a large corner lot.  A  second story addition in  2016 greatly expanded the home and oriented views to the side yard with designs to build a swimming pool.  Instead of a pool, they opted to create several outdoor areas: one with a fireplace, a large pot garden flanked by a fountain,  a separate seating area with swings and a fire pit, and the Piece de Resistance is their Treedeck Oasis with its bright yellow chairs!   
 
While the front yard is planted with many heat tolerants like salvia, Little John bottlebrushes, loropetalum, creeping yews, rosemary and more, their attractive stoop is flanked by pots of succulents which makes it all very inviting.
 
With the heat and social distancing in place, Kelly and Brandon have managed to have a ideal place outside to meet friends, admire the beauty they have created and enjoy the outdoors.  Kudos and a Tip of the Trowel to you!

- Allison Hartzell, Dir of Beautification

Yard-of-the-Month: 607 Gladys

July YOTM just yells for red, white and blue decor! 607 Gladys fits that bill. Jayne and Pat who are long time residents and tireless volunteers for the neighborhood have a bounty of color along with July 4 whirligigs.  Their crepe myrtles, dianthuses, and hibiscus really pop out of the lush greenery in their front yard.  Due to COVID distancing, they were not interviewed for this article.
 
If you have a nomination or suggestion for YOM, please email beautification@woodland-heights.org.

- Allison Hartzell, Dir of Beautification

Beware the Gardening Fairies!

We have gardening fairies who volunteer their time to weed, water, plant and generally maintain the Watson esplanade that you see as you enter the neighborhood from the south.  These neighbors toil away so please tell them thank you if you see them out and about.

WE THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK TO KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKING GOOD!

• Pat Schaper

• Pat Rutledge

• Dan Rueda

• Nicole Wyman

• Louise Moss

Also, please give them a wide berth if you see their orange cones out at the esplanade while they are working.  Looks great ya'll!!

WHCA July 2020 General Meeting

Please join your neighbors virtually for our July General Meeting. We will be introducing new board members and looking for a new Director of Communications and other volunteers. If you would like to suggest a topic for the agenda, please email president@woodland-heights.org.

When:

Jul 14, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time

Where:

This virtual gathering will be conducted using Zoom.
Neighbors seeking to attend must register in advance.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 
 
Respectfully,
Alaina Hebert
President, WHCA

An Option To Protect Your Home From Being Torn Down

Are you concerned about your beloved home falling prey to a wrecking ball?  Looking for a way to protect it?  An option is to apply for Protected Landmark status.  In a nutshell, here are some of the details.
 
Buildings have to meet three of these general requirements to qualify as a protected landmark: 

• 50 years old or older*

• Example of an identifiable architectural style*

• Associated with a known architect, builder or craftsman.

• Important building to the community or scene of a significant event in the community*

• Illustrates how the neighborhood developed or last surviving example in its neighborhood*

• Associated with a family or individual prominent in the community. 

The four with asterisks are the most common qualifiers. When it says community, it can just be the neighborhood; it does not have to be the whole city.
 
The ordinance is concerned with structural changes to the house: things like replacing windows and doors, enlarging the openings. Substantial changes. You can also build additions to the house as long as they don’t dominate the historic portion. All these kinds of changes have to be submitted to the preservation office for approval before the work is begun.
 
At the owners request, Preservation Houston can produce the protected landmark nomination at no charge.  Contact Preservation Houston at  713-510-3990  for more information.

WHCA Statement Of Activity May 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
5/1/2019 to 5/31/2020

Note: Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org

Travis Brownies Conduct Food Drive

Travis Elementary-based Brownie Girl Scout Troop 122109 did a socially-distanced food drive for the Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry in May. They created flyers to distribute to their neighbors and collected donated food from porches. The girls were able to collect 16 bags full of canned and dried goods to support the neighborhood food bank. For their next community service project, they are spending the summer writing to seniors who are not able to venture out. Way to go Girl Scouts! 
- Melanie Gehman

Yet Another New Little Library at 408 Byrne

Like mushrooms after a rain, we see little libraries popping up around the neighborhood. This one, known as Byrne Books, is at 408 Byrne across from the infamous Feel The Byrne lights. I stumbled upon it while our walking the dogs last week.

Be Someone Who Keeps The Constable Patrol Program Funded!

Imagine a world in the distant future… A world where Covid is a word of the past and hardly spoken. A world in which families go on vacation but do not spend every single moment of the day together. This day will come (of course not soon enough) but when it does ... Who will watch over and protect our neighborhood? Who will come to our rescue?  Will it be the raccoons, possums, feral cats, lost parakeets or possibly squirrels? No, it will be our Constables.

Have you signed up? If you haven’t it’s not too late. Act now and for $350 you will receive an up-to-date sticker/sign. This will give our neighborhood a daytime and nighttime constable. You can also request to have your house checked while on vacation. Remember, your subscription is auto renewable now.

I am new to this position and want to hear from you with suggestions or concerns. This program will only be successful if we are all a part of it.

- Margaux Poizat, Dir of Security

Meeting on a Street Corner: the Story of Mrs Scott and Mr Pattillo

Keith Pattillo was long time resident of 308 Woodland, a home that he shared with his dog “Lucky.” I first encountered Keith and his dog while walking our two Labradors, as we often traversed Beauchamp to Woodland westbound. He was always friendly, with a smile and something nice to say.

We typically saw Keith driving around in his old pickup truck with Lucky in the passenger seat. Lucky passed away early in 2018 and Keith joined him in July of that year. His passing was noted by neighbor David Jordan and many others.

Earlier this month The Houston Chronicle published an essay by Mildred Scott, a crossing guard at Travis Elementary School. It details the evolution of her friendship with Mr. Pattillo. It’s a lovely story of hope and kindness. While I cannot republish it here, I offer it as recommended reading.

Thanks to Debbie Hall for bringing it to my attention.

- Michael Graves, Dir of Communications

New Faces on the WHCA Board of Directors

In a message a few weeks back we noted some recent changes in the WHCA board. I thought it good to introduce these new folks, who have taken up the task of helping WHCA navigate through the coming two years.

Director of Beautification: Allison Hartzell

Living in and being active in Woodland Heights for over 30 years has given me great insight into the neighborhood and Heights in general. My husband and I worked to pass the original deed restrictions back in the 1980's when we got our start in volunteering for the community.

Our three girls are native Woodland Heighters and all went to Travis. Being a long time volunteer in the local community, including past president of WHCA (2010), as well as an avid gardener, makes Beautification a good fit so I can continue to give back to the neighborhood which has brought me and my family lots of great memories.

Many of you may know my dog better than me, Chuck and I stroll the neighborhood multiple times a day though our walks are getting shorter and shorter as he hits his golden years. We will be perusing yards for Yard of the Month on our walks!  Please feel free to drop me an email if you have suggestions or want to nominate a Yard of the Month.

Director of Security: Margaux Poizat

I was born and raised in New Orleans and moved to Houston in 2001, to eventually purse my Nurse Anesthetist degree. I crossed paths with my husband who was here for an engineering internship. The Heights always drew me in because of the resemblance to my home town. So this is where we choose our home in 2007. 

Our children have attended the neighborhood schools from the time they were four years old. My daughter will be starting her last year at Travis Elementary in the fall and my son will start his second year at Hogg Middle School. 

In my spare time I like to tinker. I enjoy making jewelry, collecting/restoring antiques and playing the piano. I’m excited for this new role in our community. 

The nominating committee is continuing to seek candidates for several positions that will be filled at the Annual General Meeting in July. For details please contact Alaina Hebert at whcavolunteer@googlegroups.com

Box Turtles - What do you know about them?

It was mid-April when the Friends of Woodland Park received an email from Keith Williamson asking two questions:  1) are box turtles native to this area, and 2) are nutria actively controlled to protect the park or simply left alone. Our response to the nutria question was that there is not an abundance of nutria in this area and the natural predators keep their numbers in balance.

The inquiry about the box turtle (see Keith’s photo taken at Woodland Park) required an online search which resulted in learning that box turtles in Texas are declining in number and need to be protected.   

Do you know…

• Box turtles often live for 50 or more years.

• Box turtles may live for nearly 10 years before they mate and lay eggs.

• The number of eggs laid by female turtles is relatively few and many eggs are eaten by predators.

• Very few baby box turtles reach adulthood due to being eaten.

• Most of the box turtles sold in stores have been taken from the wild.

• About half of the box turtles taken from the wild for the pet trade do not survive due to filthy conditions and lack of food and water before being placed in a pet store.

• Turtles bought at pet stores or flea markets are probably in ill health.

So how do we protect box turtles other than not running over them with our vehicle when they are crossing the road?  If you can safely pull off the road and rescue the turtle there are several things to keep in mind.

• Pick up the turtle and move it off the road in the direction in which it was heading. (The turtle may try to cross the road again if it’s moved to the wrong side of the road.)

• Don't take the turtle to another location unless you feel it’s not safe where you found the turtle. Turtles will try to find their old "neighborhood" and need to remain in the same vicinity.

• Don't take the turtle home for a pet. If you take a female turtle home, it will be removed from reproductive potential for possibly 40 years.

• If you find a box turtle when out for a walk in the woods or a bicycle ride, take a photo to share with your friends but please leave it where you found it (if in a safe place) after you’ve taken time to marvel at Nature’s wildlife with whom we share our world.

Please enjoy the trails at Woodland Park and let us know if you have questions or wish to share photos of wildlife you’ve seen there.

Louise Moss
Friends of Woodland Park
www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org

Heights Bread Group Spawned by Pandemic or Where has all the flour gone?

With the pandemic, we have spent more time at home and some residents have had more time to indulge in various hobbies or passions. One such activity for a group of Heights residents has been baking, particularly bread, and particularly sourdough bread.

A few months ago, a local bread baker, Jan Ford Young, had the idea of giving away sourdough starter to get others into bread making. She posted on Next Door and the requests literally poured in. To date, Jan has given away 107 jars of sourdough starter from her back porch.

As it turns out, not everyone who took the starter knew how to use it. Jan created a Facebook page which allows her to post bread pictures, links to bread tutorials, recipes, and a forum for other bakers to share their successes, failures, and get advice. Jan has basically become a Mother Hen to Heights bakers and we thank her for that service.

If you are interested in baking, join the group. As it turns out there is a lot to learn about bread culture and it is fun. Looking at a fresh baked loaf that you baked yourself makes you feel slightly euphoric.

To check out the Facebook Group, go to Facebook and search for Houston Heights Bread Club. You can contact Jan directly via email: Jan.young@icloud.com. She is happy to share a starter with you, but she may need a jar in return. Happy baking. You can do this.

- Debbie Hall

Yard-of-the-Month: 528 Highland

Are you feeling down in the dumps with everything appearing lackluster?  Stroll by 528 Highland at the corner of Northwood for some cheer and vibrancy!  Shannie and Doug Sharp toil away to make their yard a colorful and entertaining oasis. An assortment of bright flowers along with attractive touches like decorative and vintage pots anchor the yard which attracts loads of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Shannie has an antique bench anchoring the corner succulent garden. An old iron spoked wheel sections off her herbs. Beautiful planters on the front steps welcome you to their comfortable porch. Something is always blooming! You can really see Shannie's artistic talent shine through when she decorates her windows and front porch with festive handmade artwork and banners. Accents of yellow and turquoise really brighten things up along with the yellow poodle standing guard next to the front door.  This lovely package is wrapped up in a fence full of Peggy Martin roses!  

The home quarantine has benefited those of us who like to stroll past the house because all the extra time has kept these two owners working more in their beautification efforts!  Kudos to you Sharps!

- Allison Hartzell, Dir of Beautification

WHCA Statement Of Activity April 2020

WHCA Financial Statement
4/1/2019 to 4/30/2020

Questions about WHCA finances can be directed to treasurer@woodland-heights.org.

May General Meeting Cancelled

May General Meeting Cancelled

Under normal circumstances we'd be approaching the May General Meeting, which was planned for May 12th at Travis Elementary School. However, these are anything but normal circumstances.

As was foreshadowed in the last WHCA newsletter, the board last week officially moved to cancel the May General Meeting. In reality, it was not our decision. The current restrictions on public gatherings, the result of COVID-19, make a meeting impossible. 

Election in July

The primary purpose of the May General Meeting would have been to hold an election to replace those on the WHCA board whose terms are coming to an end. The board has decided to move that election to the July General Meeting. Those board members whose terms would have ended shortly have agreed to stay aboard and facilitate an orderly transition after the election is finally held.

While we are are hopeful that an in-person gathering might be possible by then, we're working on plans for a remote gathering, so the election may go ahead in any case. The last two board meetings were conducted using Zoom video conferencing.

Two New Directors

The Nominating Committee, lead by Alaina Hebert has been seeking board candidates for several months. That effort is ongoing. However, they have been successful in finding new folks for two positions. This allowed some change in the board at the most recent meeting.

The board accepted the resignation of Cody McGregor, Directory of Security, appointing long-time WH resident Margaux Poizat to the post effective immediately.

Similarly, Stephanie Riceman stepped down as Director of Beautification. That position was filled by the appointment of Allison Hartzell, both a long-time WH resident and past WHCA president.

So the evolution of the board continues. Collectively, we'd like to thank Stephanie and Cody for their efforts over the past two years. The neighborhood as a whole is better for the volunteer efforts of such caring people.

The Hunt Continues

The Nominating Committee is still seeking candidates for three positions: President, Director of Deed Restrictions and Director of Communications. This process has been made more challenging by the various restrictions imposed by the county and city.

If you have any interest, or know someone who does, or heard a rumor about someone might be interested, or would like to create such a rumor, contact the nominating committee at whcavolunteer@googlegroups.com.

A Message from the WHCA Board

Dear Woodland Heights Neighbors,

We are all living through time unprecedented within most of our living memory. I see no need to belabor the point, but, group meetings for Associations like ours are, at least for the near term, right out of the question. The result is we cannot hold our scheduled May General Meeting.

The business of the WHCA goes on despite the Covid crisis. The image above is a screen shot from our April board meeting, conducted using Zoom.US. It was one of the shortest meetings in recent years.

The overarching issue for the Association at our May General Meeting is our Annual Meeting, in which we vote on the Board of Director positions scheduled for election. To facilitate this unavoidable cancellation, in our Board Meeting of April 7, 2020, the board voted unanimously to postpone board elections until the next General Meeting, scheduled for July 14, 2020.

To accommodate this action, several outgoing board members have graciously agreed to stay on and see us through to the July election. In preparation for the July General Meeting and Board Election, we need to identify candidates for all positions up for re-election. We have interest from neighbors for Directors of Security and Beautification, but still need candidates for President and Directors of Communications and Deed Restrictions. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Alaina Hebert, the Secretary for the WHCA and the Chair of the Nominations Committee, at secretary@woodland-heights.com.

I know July is not the best time for holding elections. Historically, our July meeting is our meeting of lowest attendance. Therefore, in order to build a quorum permitting the election, I am appealing to your civic pride to break that trend. We truly need you to attend.

Further, please rest assured we, the Board of Directors of the WHCA, will find a suitable way to hold a meeting, either in person or virtually, based on the situation as prevails on that second Tuesday of July. To be plain, your attendance, regardless of the fashion or format, is important for our community.

- Harry McMahon, President, WHCA