UPDATE ON SAVE 2ND WARD....Good morning to all..on Saturday, January 3, there was a second meeting of the community and those interested in our new effort SAVE SECOND WARD...TWO different plans, and there were others discussed, to wit: 1) Tom McCasland the head of the Harris County Housing Authoritty, wants to acquire James Bute Park and build on that site a new HCHA Administrative Building AND multiple housing units for homeless folks and using money from the County available, house homeless non-violent (one would suppose) jail releasees. HIs Board is pushing for this, with the probable collusion of SEARCH, and Andy Ickes, the City of Houston Development Director. This idea must be opposed by the community. Although it would possibly clean out some of the VAGRANTS (note: we must seize the narrative, most of these poor unfortunates are NOT homeless. They suffer from mental impairments, or have family situations so dysfunctional, that their own families will not take them in.) They must be assisted and rehabilitated, return to useful life in general society, but this process should not be forced upon us in the Second Ward, without our input or consent, and our community should not be kept in the dark about the many schemes, some of which we dont even know about, because of an almost total lack of transparency by Harris County Commissions Court, The City of Houston, TxDOT, and other local TIRZ agencies...the list is long. 2) Mr. Mike Garver, President emeritus of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and one of the most distinguished and respected pioneers in advocating green space for public use, hike and bike trails, parks and park development, spoke with a different idea and approach. He has spoken to County Judge Ed Emmit, a close friend of his, and with individual commissioners to advocate that James Blue Park by given or sold to the Partnership, for true development as a park and future green space for use by the entire community. The several folks at the meeting seemed interested in this idea....but... Harris County Commissioners Court has scheduled a January 27 vote on disposing of James Bute Park. Unless done in a comprehensive and planned approach, the wrong decision could effectively condemn Second Wards stability as a hood, its cohesiveness as a community, and put much pressure onto the local land-owners, private and non-profit, to re-access their viability in that part of town. Alledged is the there has been for over a year not, a City/County combined to establish vagrant service institutions on the gateway to Second Ward, fueled by the downtown business interests, the real rulers of the city, and to utilize the high Second Ward, since our community to them appears powerless to mobilize to fight this invasion SAVE 2nd Ward has stated the following: 1) We must demand NO expansion of any vagrant or homeless services at James Bute Park, 2) The FAIR and EQUITABLE enforcement of feeding ordinances now on the books, 3) The City must end its agreement with Hill Ministries, whom they have issued a permit to feed in Bute Park four days a week. 4) We demand enforcement of trespass laws not currently being enforced at the Viaduct, the Freeway and the McKee Street Bridge. WHAT: Community wide TOWN HALL MEETING on these vital issues central to the existence of Second Ward as a viable community. WHEN: Saturday, January 10, 2015 10AM WHERE: Talento Bilingue de Houston, 333 S. Jensen, Houston 77002 (map and directions at www talentobilingue.org Below a little background... At James Bute Park, El Barrio del Alacran historical site, the City of Houston is planning to establish a homeless encampment at James Bute Park, which would affect the entire High Second, and spread the continuing degradation of community cohesiveness of the High Second residents. City of Houston Development Director Andy Icken has been working on this, in planning, for months now, with the full collaboration of the SEARCH agency. TXDot is planning to lower the Elysian Street Viaduct to ground level - this would destroy the ability of Historical preservation groups from developing El Barrio de Alacran site for education and cultural enrichment and archeological excavation activities there. There wasnt any money to do this, but since Prop 1 passed on Nov. 4, TxDOT may now have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, and are awaiting funding to flow past the opening of the Texas Legislature on 1/13/15. Harris County Commissioners Court, which has ended maintenance activities in that area, to the detriment of all of high Second Ward. Our Precinct 2 Commissioner, Jack Morman, has via Pct. 2 Parks Director Gilbert Smith, suspended and diminished a 28-year history of maintenance of the environs of James Bute Park green belt. The continuing flood of ministry groups who feed the homeless at James Bute Park now everyday, although only Hill Ministries, Inc. has a permit to do so, and on a limited basis. The City of Houstons Anti-feeding ordinance, under court challenge, is being enforced selectively and this will be discussed in full. The State of TEXAS, a major landowner in this part of High Second, is refusing to enforce trespass laws already on the books against the growing number of squatters and campers living under Hwy 59 and the Elysian Street Viaduct. We must begin a conversation about who exactly are our friends in these concerns. The East End Management District? Greater Houston Partnership and Downtown Houston? Bob Eury? Andy Icken? Our honorable representatives Sylvia Garcia, Ed Gonzalez and Robert Gallegos? These are a few of the issues that need to be illuminated. Transparency by all of these folks and entities is only one objective. The Council Members from District H and I will be invited and hopefully can attend or send representatives., appropriate County and City departments; groups who have footprint in Second Ward and El Barrio del Alacran will be asked to attend as well... Si se puede.... Carlos Calbillo Filmmaker, The Scorpions TALE: El Barrio del Alacran
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 18:08:53 +0000
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