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District K Friends,
Happy Women’s History Month! March is the time of year we celebrate and recognize the
immeasurable impact and contributions women have made in our society. I hope you make time to celebrate all the women in your life this month.
Mark your calendars for the events we have coming up in District K. March 30th, I will host our 2021 State of District event. It was right after our 2020 State of the District event last year that we began social distancing due to Covid-19. The event will be held virtually and will be just as informational and fun!
It is my hope that your families are safe and have recovered from last month’s winter storm. I recognize for many residents this may still be an ongoing process. If you need specific help please reach out to our office and we will be happy to provide the resources we have available for assistance.
In the meantime I hope you are noticing the improvements happening on the streets, sidewalks and esplanades around the district. I’m proud to say we have over 40 drainage, street repair, and beautification projects happening simultaneously throughout our communities. I will continue to advocate for the improvements needed in District K. If you have specific concerns in your neighborhood, email me and let’s see how we can work together to solve the problem. If your neighborhood group is meeting virtually, let us know, I’d love to join your meeting. As always, do not hesitate to call us or reach out via email. Be kind and take care of each other!
-Martha
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Comcast Rise Small Business Program Opens for Applicants on March 1st-14th, 2021
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Over the last year, small businesses in populous city centers have been particularly impacted as they deal with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, social unrest, and environmental events. Comcast is working proactively to help small businesses throughout the United States that have been hit the hardest.
In October of 2020, Comcast created Comcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment) in a deliberate and focused effort to connect with and support thousands of small businesses that are navigating the challenges and difficulties of the pandemic over the next three years.
Comcast RISE will be distributing new direct grants of $10,000 for eligible Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned small businesses located in specified areas of Philadelphia, Detroit, Houston, Chicago, and Atlanta – five cities which have been severely impacted by COVID-19. The company will award 100 Comcast RISE grants per city, with a total of 500 grants totaling $5 million to be distributed.
The window to apply for the Comcast RISE Investment Fund is March 1 – 14, 2021. Recipients will be announced at the end of April, and grants will be awarded in May. To qualify, grant applicants must be in a business for three or more years, employ a staff of between one and 25 employees, and meet other Comcast RISE eligibility requirements. If a business is not in one of these five cities, Comcast RISE also offers the opportunity for BIPOC-owned, small business to apply for marketing and technology services from Comcast Business and Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable. So far, over 700 businesses have received these services, and another round will be announced in March.
Not only is Comcast investing $1 million dollars in the small business community, they’ve also committed $500k to Winter Storm Relief Efforts in Houston.
If you are a minority small business owner check out the Comcast RISE program and apply. I also invite you to spread the grant announcement and link to your networks to ensure as many small business owners as possible are aware of this opportunity.
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Brookfield St. Drainage Project Complete in Windsor Village Neighborhood
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The residents living on Brookfield Dr. in Windsor Village neighborhood are excited to see the drainage project completed in their neighborhood.
VMPT Martha Castex-Tatum and staff joined the public works inspectors for the final inspection of the project and to speak to residents about their experience during construction.
This drainage project will improve the flow of water on their street. The open ditches are now 4 feet deep with 24 inch culverts that line up with the correct slope for the water to flow towards South Post Oak and out of their neighborhood. Each driveway also received a new concrete apron and the project took about 6 months to complete.
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New Sidewalks in Fort Bend Houston
Along Laughlin Dr.
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New sidewalks will soon take the place of the existing sidewalks on both sides of Laughlin Dr. in Fort Bend, Houston. Construction is scheduled to commence on March 17, 2021 and is anticipated to be complete by May 1, 2021.
The sidewalks will be replaced from Ridgerock Rd. to Cardono Ln. and will also include ADA ramps. If you have any questions about this project, do not hesitate to reach out to our office. We are looking forward to the new sidewalks and ADA accessibility in Briargate neighborhood.
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Recycle Your Water Bottles
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Last month’s winter storm challenges increased our need for bottled water all over the city. Over 3 million bottles of water were donated to Houstonians during that time. Please remember plastic water bottles are 100% recyclable. Let’s keep as much plastic out of our landfills, waterways, esplanades, streets, ditches etc. Place the bottles empty and loose in your green recycling cart. For more information on what to recycle visit the link below:
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Happy 20th Anniversary
Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy
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This month the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy will celebrate its 20th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, Conservancy members funded a project to create a Naturescape Garden. They commissioned the renown tree carver, James D. Phillips to turn live oak logs into birds, fish, turtles, wildflowers, people, and a dog. Mr. Phillips is known for his work carving trees in Galveston after Hurricane Ike and in many public spaces in the area.
Come see Buster the Dog in his new home in the Nataturescape. He has been rescued from a City warehouse and is a wonderful addition to the Greenway. Jim carved Buster 10 years ago and he was most recently at Market Square Park in downtown Houston until a redo of that site in 2020. Many thanks to Conservancy members, Jim, Alex Schwarz: a scout from Troop 740 who completed his Eagle Project by constructing permeable foundations for each of the pieces, and to Will Winters from Novus Wood Group for donating the extremely large and heavy logs. This is a great new addition to our community asset! I anticipate seeing lots of amazing photos in the Naturescape. Happy 20th Anniversary!
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Madison Feeder WrapAround Services to Host
Resource Distribution in District K
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Mark Your Calendars for
Next HHS Pet Pantry Event
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2021 Keep Houston Beautiful Day
Let us Know if Your Neighborhood is Sponsoring a Community Clean Up- DistrictK@HoustonTX.Gov
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We are excited to gather outdoors and make a big difference in this one day community impact event, and we want YOU to join us!
Whether you’re interested in removing harmful litter and debris from your neighborhood and parks, or sprucing up a community garden, planting trees and beautifying your special part of the community, we’ve got the opportunity for you and your team. KHB DAY 2021!
Gather your colleagues, friends and family and register for this year’s KHB Day. We are seeking groups with 20 members or less per location to join in on Keeping Houston Beautiful. Individuals can also register and be placed on a designated TEAM KHB location.
Register your team and project here:
Register as a volunteer here:
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