Concerned citizens sit on the bricks to prevent further removal.
The Freedmen Town Preservation Coalition (FTPC) showed how serious they are about protecting the historical bricks of Fourth Ward today as they firmly stood on the bricks, unmoved, forcing Conrad construction crew to stop removing the bricks.
On Wilson St, in Fourth Ward construction crews hand removed bricks for what was a demonstration of what will be. They dug up the bricks and stacked them on top of each other before the FTPC and concerned community members began to show unrest about the demonstration.
“This is just a trial,” said Alvin Wright, Public Information Officer for the City of Houston. “We are hand picking them up and taking them to a center to have them cleaned and to see if we are doing the process properly.”
The continuous fight over preservation and restoration has been continuous since June when Mayor Parker announced she would restore the streets in Freedmen’s Town/Fourth Ward after doing infrastructure to update utilities. The issue came in when community members realized the hundred year old historical bricks would be disturbed in the process.
For months the FTPC along with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee championing for them on the federal side have visited City Hall petitioning for a recall of the restoration project while holding press conferences, teach-in and walk throughs of the streets for people to learn history in order to appreciate their effort and join in.
Many entities are involved such as the Texas Historical Commission and TXDot. TXDot is working with the FTPC now to see if disturbing the bricks as is, is illegal due to the historical significance.
Congresswoman Lee said she wanted TXDot and the US Department of Transportation notified so they may begin a thorough investigation as federal money is involved.
The lack of communication between the City of Houston, the FTPC, TXDot and other powers that be led to the misunderstanding of when to touch the bricks and where. Today they all discovered that it will not be an easy task to take up the bricks and the FTPC showed constant displeasure in the process of taking up the bricks.
“They took them up without labeling them, how are they supposed to know where to put them back,” said Lue Williams of the FTPC?
Freedmen’s Town Preservation Coalition President, Dorris Ellis Robinson, laid down in the trench surrounded by FTPC members on the bricks.
After a three hour stand off the bricks that were taken up were replaced in the street. President of the FTPC, Dorris Ellis Robinson, laid down in the trench where the bricks were removed after she led the protestors in the song, We Shall Not Be Moved.
The bricks were replaced and they remain for another day. The Congresswoman has requested another meeting with the City for January as she spoke with the city liaison for Mayor Parker, Keith Wade.
Construction crew replacing the bricks that were removed.
Vested partners in the Villages at Palm Center gather the day before demolition.
The Palm Center at the corner of Griggs at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd will receive a facelift in the next year as the old King’s Flea Market will face demolition to become the new Village at Palm Center, affordable living in an area that is seeing lots of new development.
There will be a four story mixed unit, mixed – income living complex that will hold 222 units and 200 of them will be for low to moderate income. 22 of the units will be at market rate. The breakdown will be 154 apartments and 68 townhomes. There is a call back list for units and once the doors open they will start to call the people who are on the list. “The low income housing will be based off of the incomes of applicants. They are mixed at 30% Area Median Income (AMI), 50% AMI, and 60% area median income and it’s for the whole Galveston and Houston area so a lot of the people who live in the community now can afford it”, according to Chris Akbari of ITEX.
The impending Metro rail that has already paved its way down MLK, Jr. Blvd proved to be an alluring aspect to the ITEX Group, when Clark Colvin, saw the area and began to visualize what could be the future of a once thriving neighborhood that has earned the reputation of being blighted.
“Two years ago Clark Colvin came to me with the idea of demolishing a flea market here in Southeast Houston and rebuilding housing,” said Chris Akbari, President of ITEX Group. “I kind of thought for a second he was crazy because I didn’t really know what he was talking about that day; but as I started to really evaluate all of the enterprises that are going on here in Southeast Houston, all the revitalization and all the collaborative efforts with the management district, with TIRZ, OST Partnership and all the neighborhood organizations that came together to really work to revitalize and do things in the world today where housing is being pushed into the suburban areas it is a tremendous benefit to have revitalization in the inner city of Houston.”
Akbari explained benefits of restoring the inner city community instead of pushing residents out so they have to live in the Pearland and in the outer suburban areas.
“It’s a chance to revitalize a part of the community that has needed it for quite a long time,” said Akbari.
This project had help from citizens as well who had a vision for their neighborhood and allowed ITEX to make it happen for them. Neal Rackleff, Director Houston Housing and Community Development Department, was an integral part of the $40 million project, providing $15.3 million in city funding to get it underway.
“How do we go from neglect and disorder to unity to light to beauty,” questioned Rackleff? “It takes people. It takes good people.”
He recognized the hard work of the community and reassured them that great things are happening there. Also District D’s Councilmember Boykins was attributed for his approval of the allocation of the money. He was cited as a champion of the community.
“We are really proud to be at the forefront of the resurgence of this community. The Village of Palm Center will have state of the art amenities including a 4,000 square foot community center, 2 playgrounds, a fitness center, ample green space, 222 units and 200 will be dedicated to people with low and moderate income,” said Rackleff. “One of the reasons we chose this area and we were quite strategic about it was because this area is on the upswing and people who live here are well aware. It was important to find a way to make sure that those with lower income can remain in this community as this wave of gentrification passes over us. It’s on the light rail, right next to the Houston Texans YMCA.”
Councilmember Dwight Boykins of District D was extremely excited about the new development in the area. As a native of the area he has big plans for the future of the Palm Center.
“I have to thank the Mayor for her commitment to the Village at Palm Center,” said Boykins. “It is a $15.3 million dollar financial investment into District D, with 15% set aside for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).”
Boykins did request for jobs for local residents and for non- violent ex-offenders.
“This project is going to revitalize this neighborhood; we are going to put some mixed units here, retail under the ground. We are going to protect this neighborhood,” said Councilmember Boykins. “This is going to be good for our community, we are going to bring it back you guys and I’m so, so excited.”
He also mentioned that it was easy to get a project like this in that area. The land was there, an investor and developer that wanted to come in, along with the potential of the neighborhood and rail coming.
“In their calculation they had to determine if it was worth it and they saw future development with 610 and the universities here and land locked with University of Houston is prime,” said Boykins.
The defining element of this project is the shopping area that will be located on the first floor of the complex. It was stressed by the community and their councilmember that the right retailers come in that will match the community’s needs.
“It will be small retail because the square footage will go for living accommodation. That’s why it’s called mixed use because underneath on the first floor it will be commercial like a coffee shop, a little convenience store,” said Boykins. “We want it to fit the community. There is no need to put a product in here that nobody is buying because you want it. We want it to be service because the nearest major store is off of Mykawa and Gulfgate but you have all these people in this area here that need basic services.”
Super neighborhood President, Preston Roe, was in support and attendance as he too worked with the project to address the needs of the community. As a 50 year resident in the same house, he remembers how vibrant the area once was mentioning the Montgomery Wards that use to be there.
“We are coming back to bring the neighborhood back to what we the ones who have been staying in this area have once knew it to be. In times that have passed this has been a fluid area but the area went down. Many people left but I stayed,” said Roe. “As people see it grow they will gradually come back into the area.”
Demolition starts on Thursday, December 4th to tear down what is affectionately known to Houstonians as King’s Flea Market and it will last 60 days and then vertical construction will start. Construction will last about 14 months and the newly erected Village at Palm Center will be open to the new tenants.
SunPhoto/Myra Griffin Mayor Annise Parker joins Lan Bentsen, founder and chairman of Shape Up Houston-Million Pound Health Challenge and city employees such as Griselda Garza (far right) in the plight to reduce obesity in the city of Houston in 2014 with the million pound challenge.
By: Myra Griffin The Houston Sun
The city of Houston will sponsor and participate in Shape Up Houston’s Million Pound Health Challenge that will launch in the month of January 2014. The challenge is for Houstonians to lose one million pounds collectively.
Shape Up Houston’s campaign will last a year and address an issue that is plaguing cities all around America, obesity.
“Two-thirds of our adults are overweight or obese, as well as a third of our children,” said Lan Bentsen, founder and chairman of Shape Up Houston- Million Pound Health Challenge. They will tackle other health related issues such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. “The campaign will be voluntary, educational, fun and competitive,” said Parker. “Within the city we will see friendly competitions between HEB stores, YMCA branches, fitness centers and ideally, hospitals and corporations.”
Houstonian and city employee, Griselda Garza, modeled as she has lost 40 pounds over the past two years as she has helped fellow colleagues lose the weight and get in shape. She volunteers five days a week to teach a fitness class during the lunch hour.
“I just saw what a healthy lifestyle can do and now I want to share it,” said Garza.
Shape Up Houston’s approach has found success in other U.S. cities. They also have found a partner with HEB stores as a “Gold Sponsor” where they will engage in the challenge as well.
“I encourage companies across Houston to organize teams and participate. By challenging fellow employees, we will see real results as employees and our community join together to appreciate the benefits of good health,” said Mayor Parker.
Bentsen noted that State Comptroller, Susan Combs reports that the indirect and direct impact of obesity on the state economy was 5 million in 2000, it doubled to 10 billion in 2010 and it is projected to triple t0 32 billion by 2030 if it is unaddressed.
Mayor Parker has announced that legally married same- sex couples are now be eligible to receive the benefits of their spouse who works for the city.
Mayor Parker made her decision promptly after the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a ruling that legally married same- sex couples could access federal benefits, which left an umbrella for Houston to fall under.
“I’m sure there was a time where it was contemplated that same sex couples would be in legally based sanction relationships that could ever be recognized in a state or by the federal government but after a careful review we can determine that case law is such and with what’s happening around the country that we cannot continue to treat employees differently based on their sexual orientation if they are in fact legally married,” said Mayor Parker.
Due to the voter approved City Charter referendum in 2001 that said the city could not grant same sex benefits, the new policy will amend that amendment and provide benefits to legally married same- sex couples whose marriages weren’t recognized in Texas.
“Based under the equal protection under the law it is unconstitutional for the city to continue to deny benefits to the same sex spouses of our employees that are legally married. This is not the legal thing to do it is the right thing to do,” said Mayor Parker.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced in August that all legally same sexed couples will be recognized as married for tax purposes even if they live in states that don’t recognize same sex marriage. This decision also was an incentive for the mayor to make her decision.
“The procedure is the same in filing for the benefits. You would bring in a copy of your marriage license and proof that you have been married in a place that recognizes your relationship,” said Mayor Parker. “This policy doesn’t extend this to domestic partners; we still have a prohibition against that in the city charter it applies only to legally married couples.”
Mayor Parker responded to the question of her own partnership and expressed that it wasn’t a personal decision as she and her partner of almost 24 years are not married.
Although the mayor may not be partaking in the benefits package, but city employee Noel Freeman, a Public Works Engineer, can’t wait to get his husband medical insurance.
Freeman was married for 3 years ago in Washington D.C. and is the only one in the family with insurance which is provided by the city.
“He hasn’t had insurance his entire adult life and it’s a struggle for us to try and find an affordable policy for us and for the first time in many years he will be able to have medical coverage,” said Freeman. “We’re married just like any other couple but we haven’t been able to receive the benefits. What this does is level the playing field.”
As a result of this policy change same sex spouses of city employees will be eligible for the same healthcare and life insurance benefits previously only offered to heterosexual married couple. This mandate goes into effect immediately.
Protestors stormed Houston ‘s City Hall chanting no justice, no peace and Trayvon Martin that errupted into chaos in council chambers as Houston Police dept. rushed in to shut down the protest.
Two women were handcuffed as a small scuffle broke out. The story is still developing. #thsoriginalnewsreporting
After the demonstration was over and done, people were escorted out of City Council chambers the emotions of the day still lingered in the minds of city councilmembers. During the city council meeting on Wednesday, July 17th Councilmember, Larry Green spoke on the issue that brought the protestors out, Trayvon Martin.
“Mayor we are all mindful of the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin last year in SanforD, Florida and we’re also aware that the state trial that reached its conclusion on Saturday evening, as Americans we recognize we are a nation of laws and that the jury has spoken, however the community is deeply and rightly concerned about this case and as passionate community leaders and concerned citizens have expressed in our city over the past few days since the not guilty verdict and here at council yesterday. As an African American male I am also very concerned about this case because our young African American boys should not fear their lives just walking in their neighborhoods and they should not be profiled because of the color of their skin or what they’re wearing. I believe this tragedy provides us another opportunity for our city to speak openly and honestly about the complicated and emotionally charged issue that this case has raised issues of race, class, and the belief by some in our community that somehow black life is not valued as others in this community. It is time to strengthen our resolve to address these issues that directly impact our children. We must confront the underlying attitudes and mistaken beliefs and the unfortunate stereotypes that serve too often for police action and privat judgments against African Americans in our city. I would ask the city council in one of the most diverse cities in the country that we pledge to work together to ensure that the young Trayvon Benjamin Martin did not die in vain.” – Larry Green City Council, District K
Follow up: No arrest were made both women were released.
Councilmember C.O. Bradford as well as the Mayor both praised the efforts of the Houston Police Department in their effectiveness of controlling the crowds and how they treated the protestors.
Mayor Annise Parker and Texas Southern University have entered into a partnership with the Barbara Jordan Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs to allow city employees the opportunity to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. The program will be a reduced course load offered at the E.B. Cape Center. The center serves as the city’s corporate university that provides a learning atmosphere for employees to enhance their job skills and performance. Mayor Parker has entered the city into this agreement as an investment in the employees so they can serve the citizens better. “If they complete designated courses at the E.B. Cape Center they will have the opportunity to receive credit and enroll at TSU with a reduced course load. Once enrolled at TSU’s MPA program, up to 6 hours of classes taken at the E.B. Cape Center may be credited towards the 48 hours required,” said Mayor Parker. “The University will also wave the required internship because our employees are actively working every day hands on with the citizens of Houston. This is an offering that will enhance our employees to serve better and also a wonderful new partnership with TSU which turns out degree many people who work for the city of Houston.” City employees can take up to 12 hours that they don’t have to pay for as long as they are classes that are inline with the E.B. Cape and MPA program. Dr. Sonny Ohia, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research at TSU extended greetings from the university and on behalf of President Dr. John Rudley. He expressed his pleasure and excitement at the opportunity that TSU will be partnering the city of Houston. “With the purpose of the university to be engaged in the community and to contribute to the community, what better way can we do that than by offering education to the city employees and to join with us and earn the academic credentials that will help create a better workforce for the city of Houston,” said Ohia. Mayor Parker called up Dr. Michael Adams the Interim Chair of the Political Science department to the podium attributing him as a person who played a pivotal role in the collaboration. Adams came forward all smiles as he too is happy about the partnership between TSU and the city. “We are indeed happy about this historic occasion to enter into a MOU with the city of Houston to provide an expanded education and professional training to city employees,” said Adams. “We are the only NASPAA, (National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration), accredited public administration program in the city of Houston so it means a lot to the city of Houston.” Omar Reed, the Human Resources Director for the city of Houston and a graduate of Texas Southern spoke as a representative of the city and the E.B. Cape Center. Reed noted that the E.B. Cape Center offers a variety of courses for employees and that it’s a great opportunity to partner with TSU. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to partner with TSU and continuing the services we offer at the E.B. Cape and give employees at the city and opportunity to continue to expand their educational endeavors and we look at it as an important partnership.” This opportunity is only for those pursuing a Masters in Public Administration. Any city employee can partake in this opportunity but any other endeavors outside of the MPA will be an out of pocket expense and the city will not reimburse city employees for classes taken , they must be in accordance to the plan and agreement between E.B. Cape and Texas Southern University.
