August / September 2010

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Greater Inwood Partnership Matching Grant Award Recognition

On August 24th the City of Houston recoginzed the Greater Inwood Partnership for receiving a matching grant award.

A memorial fund of $3,000 was established for the Antoine Drive esplanade designer Ed Richardson almost 3 years ago. This memorial fund combinded with the matching grant award allowed GIP to create the 4-esplanade Antoine Drive Knock Out Rose Project, with most of the work being done on the 500 foot esplanade directly across from the Aron Ledet Park. That esplanade (click for more info), designed by famed local landscape architect Keiji Asakura, is part of a 3-phase project to create a landmark for the greater Inwood community.

Work just north of Tidwell

Construction begins on White Oak Bayou Trail Extension

Residents of the greater Inwood area having been waiting for the construction of the West White Oak Bayou Trail Extension bikeway for a very long time. We are very excited that it is finally happening. The Greater Inwood Partnership will participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony when the trail is completed. We look forward to a great celebration.

Aldine ISD's Annual Reach Out to Dropouts Walk Day

Below is a request from Aldine ISD:

Dear Business/Community Partners/Parents:

We need 500 volunteers to visit and persuade dropouts to return to school.

Aldine ISD's annual Reach Out to Dropouts Walk Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 11, 8 a.m. to approximately noon. Volunteers are needed at each of the following high schools: Aldine Senior, Carver High, Eisenhower Senior, MacArthur Senior and Nimitz Senior. Continue reading to learn about registering as a volunteer and for information to participate.

On the morning of Saturday, September 11, volunteers who signed up should report to the high school they selected between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. Volunteers must bring a valid driver license or state ID for a criminal background check. At approximately 8 a.m., high schools will conduct a brief training session, and distribute handouts to volunteers including maps/directions and identification placards. Volunteers will form teams and begin visiting students at 9 a.m. Most will have completed visits by noon.

To sign up as a volunteer, please click here and complete the form, or click here and click on the large banner asking for volunteers to help recover dropouts.

Thank you for assisting us with this major outreach. Our efforts may positively change the lives of many students and their families for years to come.

Pine Needles are Falling

The pine needles are falling and we need to mulch the Victory Drive esplanades. Please bag your pine needles and drop them directly on the Victory Drive esplanades between Vogel Drive and Birchcroft Drive (just like you see residents do on T. C. Jester Blvd. just inside the loop).

DeSoto / Hollyview Area

Lots of developing news... just thought we would share some of these with you

Click each for link to article

Apartment Eyesore Could Soon Be Demolished
Apartment complex getting makeover
Residents want abandoned buildings in northwest Houston torn down
Candlewood Glenn complex - A Neighborhood Cancer
Northwest Houston residents are fighting to make their neighborhood safer
Fire at Abandoned Apartment Complex

Construction at Hollyview Apts

A BIG Thanks!!!

Thanks to these individuals who answered our call for help with watering

Sue Baxter
Doug Diehl
Jon Enloe
Julie Grothues
Marilyn Harper
Frank Kleinworth
Cynthia Phillips
Ann Richardson
Jan Rowe
Dee Wisdom

Volunteers needed for National Night Out - Tuesday, October 5th

The Near Northwest Management District is hosting its annual National Night Out in the parking lot of Kroger. The Greater Inwood Partnership will be present with a booth and will sponsor a scavenger hunt. We need volunteers to help at the booth. Please email us if you're interested.

Local business owner featured on radio show

Larry Keast from Venture Tech on Alabonson Road was recently featured on an entrepreneurship radio show. They did a nice interview and video about Venturetech and America in Recovery. We thought you might enjoy seeing it.

Summary from website:

It’s the classic “started the company in his garage” story of American entrepreneurship; his wife ran the bookkeeping. He has stayed at the helm of his company for 30 years, kept it a private enterprise; his wife is still the company bookkeeper. Along the way, he founded non-profit America in Recovery Inc., and began hiring “unemployables,” including recovering alcoholics, ex-offenders, the disabled and “old people.” It’s created an amazing work environment with employees who are more loyal and productive than he ever expected. And it’s created an incredibly inspiring story.

Click to hear interview

Books needed to build children's libraries in northwest Uganda

Education is one of the primary focuses of the Greater Inwood Partnership. Education is also the great equalizer in the world, and books are the foundation of a strong educational system. Access to an education is one of the only opportunities young people have to end the cycle of poverty and attain a better quality of life. So, for many children in Uganda, your donated books are truly a gift of hope for a better life.

Unfortunately, a very real book famine exists in Northwest Uganda. This shortage of books makes it very difficult for the children to learn to read and equally difficult for those who have learned to read to maintain their literacy. Most children in Uganda who attend school have never owned a book. In many classrooms, 10-20 students share one textbook and so the students have next-to-no access to reading materials, even while at school.

Types of books needed:

Children's Books - for all ages - preschool to teen, fiction and non-fiction
Classics - and simplified classics
Dictionaries, including picture dictionaries.
Encyclopedias.
Encyclopedias on CD ROM. Other information on CD ROM (PC format)
English readers and grammar.
Crafts & how-to Books.
Health, especially "Where There is No Doctor" type books
Science and Math (K-University)
Agriculture, vegetable gardening, beekeeping, animal husbandry
Ecology, environment, nature and animals

*Vocational books (plumbing, electrical wiring, carpentry)

National Geographic

Click to email Janice Rowe to donate or for questions.

Share the News!

Our newsletter subscriber list is growing rapidly. We now have almost 500 subscribers! Our goal is to get as many area residents, business and community leaders signed up as we can. Please forward to everyone you know in the area and suggest that they do the same. Click here to signup.

Also, let us know of any news items, neighborhood activities or other ideas you have so we can share with everyone.

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The Greater Inwood Partnership is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to developing, encouraging, promoting, beautifying, protecting, and unifying the greater Inwood area of Houston. The greater Inwood area comprises 35 neighborhoods bounded roughly by Pinemont to the south, Gulf Bank Road to the north, T.C. Jester to the east and Hollister to the west.

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