06.20.06
Posted in News at 10:34 pm by Paloma Cruz
With all the commotion and all the stuff going on in my life, I missed this one:
JUNETEENTH
Statue unveiling ‘joyous’ despite rain
Celebration of the day Texas’ slaves learned they were free is forced indoors
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
Heavy rain moved a Juneteenth ceremony indoors as a statue marking the state holiday was unveiled Monday morning.
The 9-foot bronze statue stood outside the Ashton Villa although most of the 150 in attendance got a passing glance at it inside the historic mansion at 2300 Broadway.
The statue, created by Eddie Dixon of Lubbock, depicts a man holding the state law that made Juneteenth a state holiday in 1979.
[snip]
Monday marked the 27th year that people have gathered to celebrate Juneteenth. Doug Matthews, chairman of the Texas Emancipation Juneteenth Cultural and Historical Commission advisory committee, said the first year there were about seven people, compared with the 150 who showed up Monday while thunderstorms drenched the area.
[snip]
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Posted in News at 5:11 am by Paloma Cruz
Texas was one of 11 states that were recently rated as having sufficient plans for dealin with disasters. Nice to know.
Feds Say Nation Still Unprepared After 9/11, Katrina
Analysis Finds Only 11 States That Make Preparation Grade
– reported by click2Houston.com
New Orleans is still woefully unprepared for catastrophes 10 months after Hurricane Katrina, and the two cities targeted by the 9/11 attacks don’t meet guidelines for responding to major disasters, a federal security analysis concluded Friday.
Eleven states were rated in a Homeland Security Department scorecard as having sufficient plans to respond to disasters: Alabama, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont.
[snip]
Related posts:
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06.19.06
Posted in News at 9:45 pm by Paloma Cruz
‘We’re not done with this,’ 11 News’ David Paul says
– reported by Channel 11
Flash flooding from torrential overnight rains wreaked havoc with Houston-area commuters Monday, closing some highways and leaving drivers stranded for hours. No serious injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service blamed a slow-moving low pressure system for dumping the heaviest rain in Harris County—between 9-10 ½ inches—and primarily southeast of downtown Houston in the area around the city’s Hobby Airport.
And that low pressure system isn’t likely to go anywhere soon, according to 11 News Meteorologist Dr. Neil Frank.
[snip]
Related posts:
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Posted in News at 5:06 pm by Paloma Cruz
The Houston Chronicle has a great article with tips and ideas on keeping your kids busy this summer.
Ideas include the Houston Zoo:
Zoo much fun: With several thousand residents, the Houston Zoo is the perfect place to get acquainted with colorful, cool creatures. Regular hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $4 for children 2-11, $8.50 for ages 12-64 and free for children under 2. The next free admission day is July 4. For information, visit www.houstonzoo.org or call 713-533-6500.
The movies:
Hit the big screen: Edwards Marq*E Stadium 23 cinema, 7600 Katy Freeway, shows free movies at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Aug. 9. Go to www.regalcinemas.com/freefamilyflicks/index2.jsp.
Soccer games:
Kick back: Now that major-league soccer has arrived in Houston, it’s the perfect time to check out a Houston Dynamo game. Tickets start at $12 for children and $15 for adults. On June 17, the team is offering a discounted Family 4-Pack deal. For more information, visit http://houston.mlsnet.com/MLS/hou/tickets/ or call 713-276-7500.
The Library’s Summer Reading Program:
Read all about it: This year’s Houston Public Library Summer Reading Program, “Reading . . . The Sport of Champions!” focuses on sports and recreational activities. Visit any neighborhood library to sign up for the program, which lasts through Aug. 1. For more information, visit www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313.
The Houston Symphony:
The Houston Symphony continues its annual Sounds Like Fun! free concert series at locations around the city. For more information, visit www.houstonsymphony.org/education/sounds_like_fun.aspx or call 713-224-7575.
Events at Miller Outdoor Theatre:
Miller Outdoor Theatre offers a variety of free, family-friendly performances throughout the summer. Visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com or call 713-284-8350.
Additional resources:
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Posted in General at 7:10 am by Paloma Cruz
Those of us who lived through Tropical Storm Allison remember this scenario vividly: rain that remained stationary, dropping countless inches of water on the city. Roads and highways flooding, and complete neighborhoods cut off from the rest of the city.
On the news, officials keep saying “wait it out” and “be careful.” And, of course, “if you haven’t left already, stay home.”
I think I’m going to do that.
In the meantime, check to see if your summer school has closed for the day. And visit one of the local news channels to check traffic.
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Posted in General at 5:25 am by Paloma Cruz
Tomorrow at 11 a.m. is the next Houston Symphony “Sounds Like Fun!” program.
Join the Houston Symphony at its annual Sounds Like Fun! FREE concert series.
The centerpiece of the Houston Symphony’s Education & Outreach program,Sounds like Fun! offers children an entertaining first encounter with classical music and lays the groundwork for further classical experiences. This summer, bring the whole family and make this Houston tradition one of yours!
When and where:
Tuesday, June 20 at 11:00 AM
Miller Outdoor Theatre
Hermann Park, Houston
Wednesday, June 28 at 10:30 AM
Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church
8300 Katy Freeway, Houston
Wednesday, June 28 at 7:30 PM
Cypress-Ridge High School
7900 North Eldridge Parkway, Houston
Thursday, June 29 at 7:30 PM
Morton Ranch High School
21000 Franz Road, Katy
Thursday, July 6 at 7:30 PM
Second Baptist Church
22770 Highway 59 North, Kingwood
For more information for Sounds Like Fun!, call (713) 238-1449 or (713) 238-1447.
Special thanks to Kids Activity Queen for pointing me to this.
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06.18.06
Posted in News at 3:47 pm by Paloma Cruz
Houston lags in education
Study reports city is hurt by dropouts, poverty
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
More students need to graduate from high school and college if the Houston area is going to be competitive in an economy that is knowledge-based, a Gulf Coast Workforce Board report says.
[snip]
For the second year, the board compared Houston with Atlanta, Denver, San Diego, Dallas, San Antonio and Miami. It used publicly available economic data, ranging from job growth to median household income to the number of new businesses.
The Houston area scored fifth among the seven, losing points because a higher proportion of its residents live in poverty, don’t speak English and haven’t finished college.
Another troubling fact, according to the report, is the low ratio between 12th graders to 9th graders which, while it doesn’t directly correspond to a drop-out rate, indicates students are leaving high school before they graduate.
The higher the ratio, the better. In San Diego, for example, the ratio is 0.76 and in Denver it’s 0.69. In Houston, however, the ratio is 0.58.
[snip]
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Posted in General at 2:23 pm by Paloma Cruz
The Kids Activity Queen blog has a wonderful post about volunteer opportunities available for Houston’s children. These include:
- AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc.
- Memorial Hermann Hospital
- American Diabetes Association
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- BEAR…Be A Resource for CPS Kids
- Reach Out & Read, Texas
- The Children’s Museum of Houston
- DePelchin Children’s Center
- Sheltering Arms Senior Services
- Dress for Success
- SPCA
- Holocaust Museum Houston
- The Houston Food Bank
- Star of Hope
- Houston Museum of Natural Science
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas
- Teen Health Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine
- Texas Children’s Hospital
The only one I’d add is the Houston Public Library.
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06.17.06
Posted in General at 2:19 pm by Paloma Cruz
The Houston Area Live Steamers group offers free train rides in Houston every third Saturday of the month:
Public Run Days are scheduled for the 3rd Saturday of the month, March through November at Zube Park. During this time we offer free train rides to the community. Here is a map with directions to the park.
[snip]
All ages are welcome to ride. We have two club diesel engines that normally run the passenger trains but many times you will find a steam engine also running. We have specially designed cars for the young and the young at heart who enjoy hearing the clickety-clack of the rails. A newly designed car for wheelchairs will be online soon for those needing special assistance.
Special thanks to the Kids Activity Queen for pointing me to this resource.
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06.16.06
Posted in News at 12:17 am by Paloma Cruz
The Culinary Institute Alain & Marie LeNotre has been in Houston for eight years, offering training and instruction to hundreds, perhaps thousands students. They are now a federally accredited junior college.
Culinary Institute receives federal accreditation
– reported by the Houston Business Journal
Eight years after its creation, the Culinary Institute Alain & Marie LeNotre has become a federally accredited junior college.
The Houston-based institute now offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Art and an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Baking & Pastry Arts.
[SNIP]
The full-time schedule is an intensive schedule designed to fast-track students, allowing them to attend classes five days a week for 14 months to achieve 107 credit hours, compared to two years for most schools.
[SNIP]
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