It’s time to get real about sustainable transportation by Lori Bigler

By now, you’ve probably seen the Houston BCycle station at Woodland Park. What you might not realize is that the station connects our historic neighborhood to a public transit system with 65 other bike share stations across Houston.

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Anyone can pick up a bike from our Woodland Park station and ride to nearby places like Bobcat Teddy’s, Sabine Bridge, and Market Square Park. When you arrive at your destination, you simply dock the bike and go about your day until you need to ride again. (Round-trip rides are permitted as well.)

You can take as many hour-long rides as you’d like for just $9 per month. It’s even cheaper if you’re a student or staff member at a local university–those pursuing and providing higher education pay just $25 per semester for full access. Memberships are not available at the stations; you have to visit the BCycle website or download the mobile app to sign up.

Once you’ve got your membership activated, you’ll find that short trips that used to be a hassle in a car are now fun bike adventures. You’ll start to become increasingly familiar with the station map as you plan each upcoming bike share expedition. You’ll find incredible value in skipping traffic and parking hassles while enjoying a much more intimate view of the city.

Last year, a record 142,257 rides were taken throughout the system, replacing nearly a million pounds of carbon emissions. As a local nonprofit-run organization, Houston BCycle is looking to continue to offer affordable transportation that improves the health of riders and the environment alike.

Fresh off of City Council’s approval, Houston BCycle will be growing even further into the Heights in the coming year, along with major expansions at Texas Medical Center, University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown, and Texas Southern University.

Let’s keep Houston rolling and start seeing our city on two wheels.

- Henry Morris, Houston Bike Share

WHCA August Newsletter Is Almost At Your Doorstep by Lori Bigler

As we pass the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey with a blissfully quiet week in WH, I'm pleased to announce that the next printed WHCA newsletter is on its way. Our squadron of volunteer block captains, under the direction of Andrea Gorney, begins distribution today.

This issue highlights various facets of the planning for the 31st annual Lights in the Heights and related events. This year LITH events start in September, with a LITH Neighborhood Forum at the WHCA General Meeting on Sept 11th.

Beyond LITH, this issue also includes an article about Bike Share Houston and Jay Francis' take on the chile con queso recipe from Felix Mexican Restaurant on Westheimer.

While the printed version will be at your door shortly, you can download an electronic version right now by clicking on the image above.
 

Recipe: Felix Mexican Restaurant Chile Con Queso by Lori Bigler

Source: Felix Mexican Restaurant, Houston, Texas – A recipe that I worked on when doing recipe testing for The Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh. For many of us growing up in Houston, we remember this queso very fondly. It is still available at El Patio on Westheimer.

My own personal theory is that Felix Tijerina might have known a French chef or had access to a French cookbook, as his particular queso is very reminiscent of the cheese sauces of France.

The Recipe
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
Garlic powder to taste
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 pound American cheese, grated (2 cups)

Combine oil, onion, salt, pepper, tomatoes, cayenne, sugar, paprika and garlic powder in heavy pot and simmer 25 to 30 minutes over medium heat.

Mix flour and water in small bowl; add to onion mixture gradually, stirring until smooth and thick. Add cheese, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Cook until well-blended and smooth. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Note: A similar recipe attributed to Felix’s appears in the Houston Junior Forum cookbook, Buffet on the Bayou. But the sugar is omitted and the paprika is increased to 3 tablespoons.

- Jay Francis, VP-Membership, WHCA

YOTM: 418 Byrne by Lori Bigler

418 Byrne is the vibrant, yet subtle and pretty yard of Megan Mastal, who has nurtured her greens and flowers here since 2001, and in the neighborhood for 25 years. The white, lime, and yellow hues come through in potato vines and fig ivy, hugging the brick, tracing up little statuettes, and bringing the century home to life.

While I think her delicate yard shows the cool and calm charm we love in our historic neighborhood, Megan says she and her neighbors have big decorating plans for Lights in the Heights! I’m so happy to have Byrne on the LITH route this year!
- Stephanie Riceman, VP-Beautification

The City Wants Public Input About Crosswalks on Studewood by Lori Bigler

On August 14th our Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council met with the City of Houston’s traffic engineer Ian Hlavacek to discuss the crosswalk situations at key hike and bike trail crossings, as well as two Studewood crossings at Merrill and 8th. The Studewood crosswalks
are especially important to the Woodland Heights because they keep our neighborhoods connected with each other, enable us to reach businesses across Studewood like Antidote and Sonoma without driving (and contributing to parking congestion), and make it safe for middle school students on the other side of Studewood to walk to school at Hogg.

While Mr. Hlavacek acknowledged the need for these crosswalks to be made safer and more accessible, he would like community input on how we would like for this to happen. Cost is an issue, but when we have a plan in place we could make it happen when the funding becomes available.

Please send your thoughts to:
Ian Hlavacek, P.E. | Supervising Engineer
Houston Public Works | Transportation & Drainage Operations
Ian.Hlavacek@houstontx.gov

WHCA September General Meeting & LITH Neighborhood Forum by Lori Bigler

The Woodland Heights Civic Association has bi-monthly General Meetings. The upcoming meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 7:00 PM in the Hogg Middle School cafeteria.

This meeting will have the added dimension of offering a Neighborhood Forum to discuss the plans for the 31st annual Lights in the Heights festival. The upcoming Meeting and Forum, like most of our General Meetings, is open to all who wish to attend, whether or not they are Members of the Association.

The Association’s Board of Directors and related committee members will be on hand to entertain all discussion points as they pertain to the LITH festival. The goal is to provide a platform for all those wishing to express comments or concerns about the LITH events as outlined in this newsletter.

We understand in such a diverse neighborhood as ours, perceptions and expectations can vary, but it is our hope this forum will foster a constructive dialogue amongst neighbors. The Board will listen to those varied opinions, learn from our neighbors and, if appropriate, act on comments or criticisms from the stakeholders in the neighborhood.

Of course, the LITH Neighborhood Forum will be part of our regularly scheduled General Meeting and subject to the Association Bylaws. If you are curious about those Bylaws, they are all on the Association website at https://www.woodland-heights.org/bylaws/.

To be heard you must attend. Please plan to attend.

Harry McMahon, President
Woodland Heights Civic Association

FWP: The Fabulous Fireflies by Lori Bigler

The Friends of Woodland Park are very proud of the recent installation of Dylan Conner’s remarkable Firefly Field sculpture in Woodland Park. In all respects it has exceeded our lofty expectations. And we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the many donors who contributed so this goal could become a reality.

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We realize the caution tape around the sculpture bases is less than attractive and hardly ideal, but by the August 18th weekend the base of the landscape garden (along with its moss rock edging) will be installed. So be sure and come by to witness the evolution of this park project.

After that, what remains is the installation of mulch (soon after), and the planting of the native grasses once Autumn arrives. And we could definitely use your assistance with both these tasks. Please visit our website for details or monitor our Facebook page and Nextdoorpostings for the dates and times for these projects. Neither will take very long if we have a group of enthusiastic volunteers helping us.

Additionally, be sure and circle Friday November 2nd 6-9 PM on your calendar for the formal dedication of our sculpture. Our celebration event: “Illumination of Firefly Field by Dylan Conner”, will be a memorable and fun evening for the whole family. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for details.

If you appreciate the successful completion of this amazing project and you value our community spirit and wish to show your support for local art and artists, one way to do so is through a donation to FWP specifically for the future care of Firefly Field. Your tax deductible donation (FWP is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and donations are deductible within stated IRS rules & guidelines) can be specifically earmarked for the perpetual care of this new  community landmark.

Please consider supporting local art and artists with your gift to keep the Fireflies and their landscape garden in a first class condition.

- Pat Rutledge, Friends of Woodland Park