Homer ClarkWhen driving through Five Corners District, I see visible changes in the landscape. There is a noticeable absence of bandit signs in the medians and the grass had been carefully cut and edged. Graffiti in our District is almost non-existent. The implementation of our porter service has proved to be a great first step.

These are subtle, but obvious indications that the District is moving in the right direction. Have you noticed? Others have, and already, I’ve received positive feedback that people like what they’re seeing. The beautification of our landscape elevates the image of the District and helps move us forward toward achieving our planned goals.

You may not always be able to see what the District is accomplishing, but be assured that we are constantly striving to make the District a great place to live, work and do business.

We already know it’s a great place for education, and you can’t build a great District without good schools. From the Martin Luther King Early Childhood Center on West Fuqua to the Houston Community College South Campus on Airport Boulevard, there are excellent educational opportunities within our District for all ages.

This year, Sonja Williams, Principal at James Madison High School in our District was recognized with the Principal of the Year award from HISD for her instructional leadership, efforts to boost student achievement, and her outstanding contributions to the school District and the community. At Fondren Elementary, Principal Mike Walker received top honors from the state with an HEB Excellence award in May, which included a $10,000 prize and a $25,000 grant for his school.

In addition to our continued focus on education, we’re also dedicated to keeping families safe and businesses secure, so the District has taken the extra step toward ensuring public safety first by contracting with S.E.A.L. Security to provide additional support for local law enforcement in the District. S.E.A.L. is a company with years of experience securing American business interests overseas, and they have brought their expertise back home to help protect local communities as well.

Once we have clearly established that the District is clean, safe and a place where businesses can thrive, we will trumpet this message to the rest of the city and begin to work in earnest on new business development. Along South Post Oak and West Orem, we already have several new businesses that have opened recently and we would like to welcome them. We encourage you to support these businesses and other local merchants within the District.

As we venture toward our goals of improvements in the District, we welcome your constructive comments and suggestions, and we hope you will share your feedback on our progress.