Westbury Crier HIGHLIGHTS: The new Westbury Park VOLUME 58, ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2013 is now open. Go explore at 5600 Stillbrooke. Deck the Halls Parade WCC Board Meeting: January 15 at 7PM December 14 @ 5PM at Westbury Baptist The 14th Annual Deck the Halls Parade will be on Saturday, December 14th, at 5PM. The parade is sponsored by December’s heavy the Mandell family. While this parade is not a WCC sponsored event, we are happy to advertise it and participate in it. The trash is Junk Waste. parade was mentioned specifically by Houstonia magazine Pick up is December 12 when it ranked Westbury in the top 25 neighborhoods in for ALL of Westbury. Houston this summer! This year's theme is “Super Heroes”. The Grand Marshall, Wonder Woman, will lead heroes and villains along the route through Westbury, plus there will be the traditional parade favorites like Santa, Hanukkah Harry, and Pancho Claus. As INSIDE THIS always, the parade organizers are collecting toys for under-privileged children for the holidays, so please drop off ISSUE: toy donations in bins at Cue's Burgers (Post Oak just south of Platou Schedule 4 Bellfort). MUST READ Calendar of Events 5 The parade organizers hope residents on the route will light up ARTICLES White Elephant their homes and yards for the parade and wear their favorite 6 *Westbury Square Update Keep Beautiful Super Hero costumes. If you or your group would like to 7 participate in the parade, please contact Ember Mandell at Page 15 Mural @ WGC 8 713-367-3787, or visit them at www.deckthehallsparade.org *Donate Now Save the Garden 9 Parade Route: The parade lines up at 5505 Belrose in front of Page 9 the old post office, marches down Burlinghall, then right on WAIC 10 Ashcroft, around to and down Warm Springs, right on *Westbury Park DONE! Crime/Security 11 Atwell, and back to Belrose. If you are coming to watch, pick a Pages 20-23 spot at one of the intersections for the best view. 2014 Assessments 13 Westbury Square 15 SECURITY ALERT WHS Magnet Prog 16 Thieves are stealing packages off front porches. This is occurring in sections of Westbury. Please be Power of One 17 ALL Levitt Pavilion alert and call the WAP Constables at 281-463-6666 to 18 report suspicious vehicles and people. 20- Westbury Park 23 Westbury Park 22 Donors YARD OF THE MONTH WCC OFFICE HOLIDAY DECORATION HOLIDAY JUDGING HOURS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 Closed: December City Run-Off Published by: 23- January 1 Westbury Civic Club, Inc & SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15. Election Editor-in-chief: More information Jennifer Edmondson Edited by: WCC Publication Committee on page 5. December 14 Copyrighted © see pg 12 1 Westbury Civic Club Board of Directors USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS President Becky Edmondson [email protected] Westbury Area Patrol Constable Dispatch 281-463-6666 Vice President Marcia Hartman [email protected] HPD Non-Emergency Secretary BJ Turner [email protected] 713-884-3131 Treasurer Pamela Schertz [email protected] Power Outages (Centerpoint) 713-207-2222 Westbury HPD Storefront Directors at Large 713-726-7126 Communications VACANT [email protected] Platou Community Center Community Cindy Chapman [email protected] 713-726-7107 Relations Poison Control Deed Restrictions Jennifer Edmondson [email protected] 1-800-764-7661 Flood Control & VACANT [email protected] Street Light Repairs (Give pole number Infrastructure 713-207-2222 Greenspace Carlos Mata [email protected] District K Councilmember Larry Green Beautification 832-393-3016 Membership VACANT [email protected] District C Councilmember Ellen Cohen 832-393-3004 Security Leslee Cross [email protected] County Commissioner El Franco Lee Volunteer VACANT [email protected] 713-755-6111 Coordinator Deed Restriction Enforcement (City Legal) 832-393-6333 Section Directors Westbury 1 Sylvia Rendon [email protected] City of Houston 311 Hotline Westbury 2 VACANT [email protected] (for all Non-Emergency Issues) Westbury 3 Robert Montgomery [email protected] Forestry Department Westbury 3 Charlsey Porcarello [email protected] Graffiti Westbury 4 Eugene Sirls [email protected] Hazardous Waste Disposal Westbury 4 Vicki Eldridge [email protected] Heavy Trash Westbury 5 Virginia Livingston [email protected] Neighborhood Protection Westbury 5 Genie Mitchell [email protected] Parking Management Westbury South Robert Capps [email protected] Recycling Parkwest 1 William Grimsinger [email protected] School Crossing Light Repairs Parkwest 2 VACANT [email protected] Water and Sewer Repair Parkwest 3 Joe Niles [email protected] Westbury Civic Club Office Office Hours:Monday —Thursday 9:30AM— 1:30PM*, Closed Fridays Stay connected! Address: 5322 W Bellfort Ste. 107 Houston, TX 77035 Are you one of the 787 Phone: 713-723-5437 Office Manager: Jennifer Edmondson likes on our Facebook Email: [email protected] page, Westbury Houston? *The office is closed on all major holidays, weekends (follows HISD calendar) FREE NOTARY SERVICE IS AVAILABLE TO ALL WESTBURY RESIDENTS WWW.WESTBURYCRIER.COM 2 President’s Message I love this time of year between proof. The Parker and Westbury High to have those in great abundance! Thanksgiving and New Year’s. There School bands entertained the crowd. In addition to volunteers, it takes is so much to be thankful for and to The WHS ROTC color guard presented money to get things done. We celebrate. The Westbury Park the colors. The Westbury High School appreciate the City's investing in celebration was a great success and honor society students entertained Westbury and we appreciate all who you will see it highlighted throughout children all afternoon with their craft donated to the Westbury Park fund. this month's Crier as it exemplified so booth. In this issue, you will read On page 22 you will see the list of much of what makes not only about our efforts to help WHS remain donors who helped make the Westbury, but Houston such a great a magnet school. Westbury High has Westbury Park transformation even place to live. Bill Burhans envisioned so many great students and I hope more remarkable. Thank our the grand opening as a community many of you have had a chance to corporate sponsors when you shop celebration to celebrate all the many meet them as they perform with them. aspects of our community. community service throughout Westbury, from delivering the Crier, Thanks to all of you who have donated To have a good neighborhood you to working at the community garden to the Save the Community Garden have to have a strong civic association and beyond. fund. Our efforts are continuing and I and for 57 years the Westbury Civic can't wait to host the celebration Club, with members and volunteers Living in the best city in the USA is a when we have successfully saved like you, has been supporting and real plus to our community. On hand seven acres of greenspace from advocating for Westbury. from City departments were the becoming an unneeded housing Neighborhoods need programs and Mayor's Assistance office and the project. The end of the year is the the Westbury Community Garden and Dept. of Neighborhoods, the Mayor's perfect time to make a tax deductible Westbury Soccer Club were on hand Special Event office, the Director of donation. A donation website has to share their missions. Scouts from Houston Parks Dept, Joe Turner, and been setup and a link is available on Troop 99 helped set up the event and Trent Rondot from the Houston Parks the WCC website and the WCG led the Pledge of Allegiance. Board. Our elected officials were on website, see page 9 for more hand too: City Council members Having a safe community is of information. Melissa Noreiga, Jack Christie, Larry paramount importance and Green and Andrew Burks. But it didn't I hope you enjoy this issue of the representing our partners in end there as State Rep. Borris Miles Crier celebrating all the things that neighborhood security were HPD's sent his constituent representative come together to make Westbury mounted patrol and officers, our Mary Seymour and State Senator such a wonderful neighborhood. HFD's station 48, with a fire truck to Rodney Ellis sent Jeremy Brown and Wishing you all the joys of the holiday the delight of many children, and Ashley San Miguel. season. three Precinct 5 deputies. Having quality education for our children is And maybe the most important invaluable and Parker Elementary and ingredient of a great neighborhood is Becky Edmondson Westbury High School were visible great residents. Westbury is blessed Board Notes The board approved motion to donate $100 to the WHS Arts Dept The board approved a motion by Security Director Leslee Cross to add a 4th deputy to the WAP Constable contract beginning in March of 2014 The board approved 5 policies to be filed on behalf of the WCC. The 5 new policies are Record Retention, Document Production, Payment Plan, Open Board Meetings, and Prohibited Yard Parking. No December WCC Board Meeting. The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 15 3 Platou Community Center “Like” us on Facebook 11655 Chimney Rock “Like” us on Facebook Monday-Thursday 12PM—8PM; Fridays 11AM-7PM Supervisor: Dan Reilly, [email protected] or 713-726-7107 Stretching Exercise Class Portable Projects Monday, Wed, Friday, 9-9:45AM Thursday, 9:30AM to 11:30AM. Improve your flexibility by joining