June 23, 2010
Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell
Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell will take place in the heart of downtown at Eleanor Tinsley Park, 500 Allen Parkway, 77002 from 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. For more information, go to www.freedomovertexas.org and to volunteer for the celebration, please visit http://www.houstontx.gov/july4/volunteer.html. Prepare Now Before the Next Storm Hits Hurricane season is here. Are you ready? Here are four important steps to take:
Residents who may need transportation assistance during an emergency evacuation are encouraged to register with the Emergency Transportation Assistance Registry with the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM). All persons who have registered for transportation assistance in previous years must re-register for assistance in 2010. To register, individuals may choose from the following options:
For more information and helpful tools for disaster preparedness, please see www.readyhoustontx.gov. Mayor’s Hispanic Heritage Awards: Calling for Nominations Mayor Annise Parker and the Mayor's Hispanic Advisory Committee will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month in September with the 2010 Mayor's Hispanic Heritage Awards. Nominations are now being accepted. The application is available at http://www.houstontx.gov/specialevents/hispanicheritage.html. Please click on “2010 Hispanic Heritage Awards Application.” The deadline is July 15, 2010. Help Bring the Soccer World Cup to the U.S. and Houston Everyone is encouraged to sign the petition to bring the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup™ to the United States and Houston in 2018 or 2022. Houston is one of 18 cities selected for inclusion in the U.S. bid to host the event and is currently ranked first among American cities participating in the petition drive. Please help keep Houston at the top of the list by clicking on The Game is in Houston graphic just below, and when it opens up, click “SIGN THE PETITION." The petition may also be found at http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/houston-tx/. This year’s men’s world soccer championship, the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, is hosted by South Africa. The U.S. hosted its only World Cup in 1994. FIFA will announce its host country selections for 2018 and 2022 on December 2, 2010.
Houston Public Library Central Library Summer Schedule
Beginning, Thursday, July 1, 2010, Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research (Clayton) will be open on Fridays and closed on Mondays. Clayton is located at 5300 Caroline, 77004, 832-393-2600. The new schedule can be viewed at http://www.houstonlibrary.org/clayton. Also, effective July 1, 2010, Kendall Neighborhood Library (Kendall) will add hours, opening on Saturdays. Kendall is located at 609 N. Eldridge, 77079, 832-393-1880. The new schedule can be viewed at http://www.houstonlibrary.org/kendall-neighborhood-library. The Clayton and Kendall changes are as a result of an ongoing evaluation of the new systemwide schedules implemented in April 2010 due to budget constraints. A formal evaluation of all HPL schedules will be made in the fall, looking at the effectiveness of the new schedules and a review of customer feedback. For further information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313. City of Houston Website Getting New Look
Also known as the eGovernment Center, the website is a one-stop shop for resources within the city. The redesign updates the layout, and takes advantage of modern technologies and is being done completely by City of Houston employees with no extra cost to taxpayers. The new look will be introduced during the second half of July 2010. City Budget Balanced Without Tax Increase or Major Service Cuts Houston City Council approved a $4.12 billion city budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2010. The taxpayer supported General Fund expenditure portion of the budget is $124 million below the adopted budget for the previous year and represents the lowest spending plan since 2008. It is balanced without a property tax increase and includes several management efficiencies that are designed to cut costs and save taxpayers approximately $22 million. In this budget, there is no reliance on debt to fund day-to-day expenses. For more information, see http://www.houstontx.gov/budget/11budprop/I_Maylet.pdf, which is a link to the budget letter Mayor Parker provided to Houston City Council. Citizens Are Encouraged to Help “Keep Houston Safe” by Preventing Car Burglaries All citizens are asked to hide their valuables and to lock their vehicles. Police reports indicate that in 2009, over 35,000 cars were burglarized in Houston and in the first quarter of 2010 about 7,600 burglaries of motor vehicles were reported. It takes less than 10 seconds for a thief to break a car window and take items from the back seat. For more information on preventing the burglary of your motor vehicle, visit www.houstonpolice.org and click on Keep Houston Safe.
Summer Safety Tips from the Houston Fire Department
IT'S HOT AND GETTING HOTTER
FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON
WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES City Removes 185 Dangerous Buildings from Neighborhoods Residents cheered as they watched the demolition of 185 neighborhood eyesores that were taken down as part of Demolition Day, the most structures ever removed in one day in Houston. The effort was made possible by the volunteer help of the Houston Contractors Association, which removed 103 of the buildings. The organization’s donation saved the City of Houston an estimated $370,000. City contractors took down the other 82 properties, which had asbestos problems or were structurally unsound. The city is on track to have torn down 831 buildings by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, 2010, setting a new record and far surpassing the initial goal of removing 600 dangerous buildings. The city takes action to remove a dangerous building only after the owner has ignored repeated orders to take care of the problem. To report a dangerous or structurally unsound building in your neighborhood, call 3-1-1. Houston Police Department Opens a Downtown Museum and Gift Shop
Visitors will see a unique display of artifacts including authentic HPD uniforms that date back to the early 1900s, antique guns, newspaper clippings, photos, vehicles and other historical pieces that chronicle the department's existence for more than a century in Houston. The museum also features an ornate Wall of Honor which highlights the names of fallen officers and the badges they once wore. The HPD gift shop is located inside the museum with all merchandise proceeds benefitting the Houston Police Foundation. To learn more about the HPD Museum, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/police/museum/index.htm. City of Houston Historic Preservation Ordinance As the first step in a process that will lead to enhancements to Houston’s 15-year-old Historic Preservation Ordinance, City Council has voted to temporarily discontinue the 90-day waiver for demolitions, relocations and incompatible new construction in City of Houston Historic Districts that are denied Certificates of Appropriateness (C of A) by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (HAHC). In other words, if the HAHC says no, the project cannot proceed. However, if the HAHC approves a C of A for demolition, relocation or new construction, the applicant is free to move forward with his plans after seeking the appropriate permits. The temporary discontinuance also applies to new applications for historic districts. However, there is an exemption for applicants who expended money or took other preliminary steps toward a new construction project prior to council’s passage of the ordinance. The measure will remain in effect until the end of the year or until amendments to the historic preservation ordinance are adopted, whichever is earlier. Community meetings are planned this summer. In addition, any recommended changes to the Historic Preservation Ordinance will be considered by the HAHC, Planning Commission and City Council, providing numerous opportunities for dialogue and public input. See http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/historic_pres/hist_pres.htm for the existing ordinance. In other historic preservation efforts, HAHC has launched a new educational website, www.houstonpreservation.org, with video tours of historic districts and stories to help citizens gain an understanding of historic preservation and a feature that lets visitors ask questions of historic preservation experts. City Veterans Office Welcomes Home Soldiers
TAP seminars are free programs designed to educate our local active duty, Reserve and National Guard service members about their federal and state benefits, available employment opportunities and provide direct access to Houston’s world-class educational institutions. Houston’s TAP seminars are different than those at active duty military installations because local individuals are present to directly connect the transitioning servicemen and servicewomen with critical services located near their homes as opposed to only providing generalized information.
The Office of Veterans Affairs was created in 2007 as a division of the Mayor’s office to make Houston the best city for veterans. For more information on TAP or to register, please visit www.houstontx.gov/vetaffairs, Facebook, Twitter @COHOVA or call 832-393-0992.
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Join the City of Houston in celebrating America's birthday on Sunday, July 4, 2010 with an explosive concert by country music stars Pat Green, Little Big Town and Cowboy Mouth. Enjoy the largest land-based fireworks show in the nation, presented by Shell, and a lively outdoor festival featuring fun activities for the entire family. 
The Houston Public Library (HPL) Central Library is open every day during the summer except Fridays and Sundays. It will reopen again on Sundays beginning August 22, 2010. The Central Library is located downtown at 500 McKinney, 77002, 832-393-1313. The full Central Library’s summer schedule can be viewed at 
The City of Houston website is undergoing its first major modernization and rebranding since its debut in January 2005 as 
A new tourist destination has opened in downtown Houston! The Houston Police Department (HPD) Museum is now open and is located in the lobby of HPD headquarters at 1200 Travis, 77002. Admission is free and the museum is open Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. and closed on weekends.
In May 2010, the City of Houston Office of Veterans Affairs hosted more than twenty-five soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen in their quarterly Transition Assistance Program (TAP) seminar. 
This program is open to all retiring/separating service members, recently discharged veterans and their families returning to the Houston area.