Voice of Community-Minded People since 1976 November 18, 2010 E-mail: [email protected] www.southbeltleader.com Vol. 35, No. 42 City tree waste pickup set Tree waste only will be picked up Thursday, Nov. 18, for city of Houston residents living County to construct new detention pond north of Beltway 8. For information, call 3-1-1. By James Bolen posed more than 20 years ago, it wasn’t until a nalized last month. struction of the new pond. The group’s efforts Holiday trash pickup In one of its largest undertakings to date to July 2009 meeting sponsored by Houston City While the endeavor is expected to greatly im- were not necessary, however, as all local offi - Clear Brook City M.U.D. alleviate area fl ooding, the Harris County Flood Councilman Mike Sullivan that county offi cials prove drainage in the area, the Corps project will cials, including U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, were sup- Residents living in the Clear Brook City Control District is set to construct a massive de- decided to take action. At the meeting, represen- still go forward as originally planned. portive of the measure. M.U.D. District will not have regular trash tention pond on 120 acres of land off Beamer, tatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers This past year, a coalition that included the The overall cost of construction has yet to be service pickup on Thanksgiving Day, Thurs- across the street from San Jacinto College. said the earliest drainage improvements could be chairs of both the local Republican and Demo- determined, as Harris County has only begun its day, Nov. 25. Regular services will resume on To be located in the area that once housed the made to Clear Creek would be 13 to 15 years. cratic parties was created to promote the con- Continued on Page 2A Monday, Nov. 29. South Bend subdivision, the new pond will hold The Corps has been studying the Clear Creek City of Houston approximately 1 billion gallons of water. Soil Project since 1962 at the cost of $35 million. Trash and tree waste will be picked up for sampling conducted by both the county and the Corps offi cials at the meeting further said any City of Houston residents living south of Brio Site Task Force have determined the once- future work on Clear Creek would likely require Beltway 8 on Friday, Nov. 26. hazardous site to now be safe. a new congressional authorization and additional The new detention site, which will fl ow into funding, due to its change in scope over the last SVFD Holiday closings set Mud Gully and then into Clear Creek, will be 47 years. similar to the existing pond near Blackhawk and South Belt-Ellington Leader Following the 2009 meeting, Harris County Dixie Farm Road, but roughly four times the opens The Leader office will close at noon on offi cials, with strong support from Precinct 1 size. Wednesday, Nov. 24, and remain closed until Commissioner El Franco Lee, began the process Although the detention facility had been pro- Nov. 29. The deadline for copy is Thursday, of acquiring the necessary land. The deal was fi - new Nov. 18, at noon, and the deadline for paid advertisements and classified word ads is Monday, Nov. 22, at noon. The Thursday edi- station tion of the Leader will be available Wednesday, Mitchell speaks on NASA jobs Nov. 24. Bob Mitchell, president of the Bay Area local NASA presence. The Southeast Volunteer Parker Williams Library Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), spoke The delegation, which included multiple Fire Department cele- The Parker Williams Library on Scarsdale on the current state of NASA at a luncheon spon- elected offi cials including Houston Mayor An- brated the grand opening will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, for sored by the South Belt-Ellington Chamber of nise Parker, played an integral role in maintain- of its new station Satur- Thanksgiving. It will re-open Monday, Nov. Commerce Tuesday, Nov. 16. ing roughly 7,000 direct and 11,000 indirect jobs day, Nov. 13, by having 29, at 1 p.m. A longtime South Belt resident, Mitchell has at the Johnson Space Center. an open house and offi cial Clear Brook City M.U.D. more than three decades of experience in the Mitchell said, however, the group’s mission ribbon-cutting ceremony. The offices of Clear Brook City M.U.D. aerospace and aviation industries and recently was not just about saving jobs, but enhancing the SVFD Chief Chuck Tylka will be closed Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, for the led a delegation to Washington, D.C., in an effort quality of life. is shown on the left with Thanksgiving holiday, and will re-open on to help save NASA jobs. He noted that NASA’s contributions included the Rev. James Burkhart Nov. 29 at 8 a.m. Payments may be left in the On his latest trip to the capital in March, lasik surgery, global positioning systems, cellu- of St. Luke’s church who drop box located on the drive-through window Mitchell, along with 145 other travelers from lar phones, fetal monitors, heart pumps and even is blessing the new build- side of the building. 26 states, made a record 355 congressional of- modern tire treads. ing. Burkhart has also fi ce visits. Since February, Mitchell has given 33 The speaker said it is essential for NASA to been named chaplain Dobie JROTC car wash set speeches and 157 interviews and has appeared in maintain a robust manned space program to re- of the department. The The Dobie High School Air Force JROTC 111 print and electronic media articles. He said main competitive with other countries such as statue shown in the photo will host a car wash on Saturday, Nov. 20, at approximately 62,000 letters had been delivered Russia, China and India, which are vigorously commemorates fi refi ght- the McDonald’s at 11323 Fuqua (next to the to President Obama, urging him to keep a healthy going forward with their own endeavors. ers who have died over Sam’s Club) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the years. More photos of the event will run in next PW Library sets events Dobie season comes to close week’s Leader. The following events are scheduled for the Photo by Marie Flickinger week of Nov. 18 through Nov. 24 at Parker Dobie’s return to the varsity football playoffs Phillips and his staff the entire way. Thus, Phil- Williams Library, 10851 Scarsdale Blvd.: after a fi ve-season drought was short-lived as lips knows there is more to come. Saturday, Nov. 20, Vietnamese storytime host Beaumont West Brook downed the Long- “These kids accomplished so much this sea- will include Reading Club at 9 a.m., followed horns 46-21 in the Class 5A Division I bidistrict son, showing that what we saw as coaches was by intermediate storytime at 11 a.m. and round Nov. 13 at the Thomas Center in Beau- true. There are athletes and plenty of abillity here Meeting set on Shaver repairs beginner storytime at 1 p.m. mont. at Dobie, and this is just the start of something Houston City Councilmember Mike Sullivan tention pond that outfalls from South Shaver. Fall craft time will be held Monday, Nov. West Brook, which advanced to take on Pear- special,” Phillips said. will host a meeting Thursday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. at Since taking offi ce, Sullivan has received nu- 22, at 2:30 p.m. This program is for school age land in the area round, scored the fi rst 14 points “The offseason has already begun for us. The the YES Prep Southeast School, 353 Crenshaw, merous complaints about the lack of attention to children 5 and up. Also, the Friends of the of the fi rst quarter and the fi nal 11 of the second next step is to win the district title again and to to discuss the widening of South Shaver Road. South Shaver Road. He has continued to work Parker Williams Library will meet at 9 a.m. quarter en route to a 25-7 halftime edge. get a fi rst-round playoff win. West Brook had Speakers at the function will include represen- with the city and TxDOT to ensure that this Cap- Preschool storytime is at 10:30 a.m. Wed- From there, the two teams battled back and been there before. They went three rounds deep tatives from the Texas Department of Transpor- ital Improvement Plan (CIP) project be realized nesday, and toddler storytime is at 10:30 a.m. forth, with West Brook coasting to the win. So in 2009. Now we have some of that experience tation and the City of Houston’s Department of during his tenure. Thursday. Dobie’s season is over at 8-3 overall, but head of being in a playoff environment. We’ll know Public Works and Engineering. After many delays with the other organiza- coach Jim Phillips, who has now completed his better what to expect. It’s going to be an exciting The proposed construction would widen South tions involved in this project, Sullivan is anxious Knight’s Fish Fry cancelled fi rst season at the school, is far from disappoint- offseason for us.” Shaver Road from the Gulf Freeway to Highway to see it scheduled to begin in the fall of 2011. ed. For more on Dobie’s playoff battle with West 3. The project would expand the area street from “Seeing the South Shaver Road project come The Knights of Columbus Council 9201 The Longhorns won their fi rst district champi- Brook and other football-related news, see Page a four-lane undivided roadway with open ditches to fruition has been a priority from day one,” Sul- Fish Fry scheduled for Friday, Nov.