Angela DeWree Named Citizen of the Year

Newsletter of the Houston Heights Association
Volume 41, Number Four, April 2015
Angela DeWree Named
Citizen of the Year
The Citizen of the Year award is
given annually to an individual
who has supported the Association in a manner to distinguish
it beyond that of our average
member and volunteer, which
makes Angela DeWree an obvious choice to receive the recognition.
Over the years, Angela has
designed the posters and other
printed material for many of
the home tours and candlelight
dinners, and she co-chaired the
home tour in 2005. She also
designed the candlelight dinner
venues many years, including the
event at the iconic Kaplan’s-Ben
Hur just before it yielded to the
wrecking ball.
Angela is also a community activist for our neighborhood and
a tireless advocate for natural
habitats and wildlife throughout
the City and State. She founded
and still chairs the Association’s
Urban Forestry Committee and
holds at least two events during
the year to bring awareness to our
very treasured old-growth treescape, a characteristic that makes
the Houston Heights unique. She
works closely with City, County
and State urban foresters and
contributing businesses to protect
trees and green space throughout
the neighborhood.
She is a past Board Member and,
for the past several years, she has
organized the monthly general
meeting meetings. Due in part
to her dynamic programming
...continues on page 2
Everyone who attended the
March 9 monthly meeting
enjoyed a performance by
HITS students and heard
about the various 2015 HHA
committees. If you are still
thinking about getting involved
with a committee, please contact
the committee chair or email:
volunteer@houstonheights.org
There is also a listing on
page three of this newsletter of
volunteer opportunities.
April 13 meeting is titled
“Discover Your Memorial Park.”
Join your neighbors to hear
guest speakers: Louis F. Aulbach
of Memorial Park Advocacy
will speak about the history of
Memorial Park; Debbie Markey,
Director of Houston Arboretum
& Nature Center, will talk about
the present state of the park; and
Nicholas Butler, Conservation
Director, Memorial Park
Conservancy, will speak about
the future of the park.
...continues on page 2
Monthly Meetings from page 1
May 11 program is titled
“Heights History: A Look Back”
This is an appropriate program
since May is National Historic
Preservation Month. There will
be a presentation and speakers
to provide information about the
interesting lore of the Heights
and the captivating stories that
create the tapestry of our amazing
neighborhood. You can also
learn about Landmarked places
in our neighborhood and how to
achieve Landmark status for your
location.
Everyone is invited to attend
this free meeting. Doors open to
the Fire Station at 107 W. 12th at
The Houston Heights Association gratefully acknowledges the
support of our Spring 2015 Sponsors:
Platinum
6:30 p.m. The program begins at
7 p.m. Hope to see you there!
Citizen of the Year from page 1
and creative marketing, she has
helped the general meetings go
from a dozen or so attendees to
full houses.
Congratulations to Angela
DeWree, who lives by the philosophy to have fun every day!
(See related article “Time to Say
‘Thank You’” on page 4 for more
award winners recognized during
the Volunteer Appreciation and
Awards Dinner.)
Diamond
Gold
Silver
Bronze
The Heights is published monthly by
the Houston Heights Association, Inc. Its
purpose is to acknowledge achievements and
to inform HHA members of events.
Copyright © 2015, the Houston Heights
Association and/or the authors unless otherwise noted.
Newsletter inquiries, suggestions, or
submissions should be directed to:
Editor, The Heights, 107 W. 12th Street,
Houston, TX 77008-6907,
email editor@houstonheights.org,
or leave a message on 713-861-4002.
VP of Communications................. Julie Pettit
Editor............................................. Julie Pettit
Design & Layout......................... Kate Cairoli
Web Layout..........................Caroline Truong
April contributors:
Stacey Courville, Lauriel Hindman,
Denise Martin, Laura Menefee,
Anne Sloan, Anne Culotta, Brenda Eskelson,
Bill Baldwin, Chris Silkwood, Janet Bucchiet
2
Calling All
Volunteers
She’s a grand ole gal!
The 2015 Heights Spring Home
and Garden Tour is getting near
and we are looking for volunteers
to help make this year another
“blooming” success! Home Tour
dates are Saturday, April 11 and
Sunday, April 12 from 12:00 6:00 PM. Here’s what we need:
On March 8, 2015 Houston
Heights current and former residents, current and past Association board members and officers,
as well as city and state politicians and candidates gathered to
celebrate the 100th anniversary
of Houston Heights City Hall
& Fire Station. There was much
revelry around this occasion for
this newly renovated building
that has served our community
for a century.
• Docents for homes, shuttles
and bicycles. Work a three-hour
shift from 12:00-3:00 PM or
3:00-6:00 PM on Saturday and/
or Sunday.
• Ticket sellers at the Fire Station on Saturday and/or Sunday.
The shifts there are 11:30–2:30
PM and 2:30–5:30 PM.
Volunteers receive a free ticket to
the Home Tour and have lots of
fun!
If you can help please contact
volunteer@houstonheights.org.
Left to Right: CM Cohen, Mayor Parker
and Steve Marmion
Ryan Martinez, 8th Grade Student
Community celebrates 100th Anniversary of Houston Heights
City Hall & Fire Station
Mayor Annise Parker read a
proclamation declaring March
16, 2015, “Houston Heights City
Hall & Fire Station Centennial
Day” in honor of the Fire Station
before turning the program over
to Mayor Pro Tem for-the-day, Steven Marmion. Marmion, whose
grandfather was the last Houston
Heights Mayor, J.B. Marmion,
Sr., shared great stories of his
family’s history in the Heights,
as did several other attendees.
Although there were no firemen
in attendance who had worked
at the Fire Station, several family members were there to share
their memories of the old building.
Some of the other highlights of
the afternoon included the playing of the National Anthem by
the John H. Reagan High School,
Alexander Hamilton Middle
School, and James S. Hogg Middle School bands. Ryan Martinez,
an 8th grade student at Hamilton
Middle School, shared a paper
he had written on the History of
the Houston Heights City Hall &
Fire Station.
The following people helped
make the celebration possible:
Mark Williamson, president of
the Houston Heights Association;
John Sullivan, Sullivan Brothers Builders; the Houston Fire
Department, especially Assistant
Fire Chief Mark Donovan, Captain Roy Lozanno, Honor Guard
Commander Warren Hooker,
and Major Hunter Schappaugh;
conductors of the HISD bands
Stephen Becker and Carl Bellatti (Reagan High School), Justin
McLean (Hamilton Middle
School), and David Sells (Hogg
Middle School); HISD students,
including Ryan Martinez (Hamilton Middle School), Helen Marston and Audrey Marston (Helms
Elementary), Savannah Golden
and Annabeth Golden (Harvard
Elementary), and Isaiah Medeles
(Field Elementary).
Thanks also to: Lauriel Hindman
and Nancy Grissom who helped
with refreshments; Angela DeWree who designed the program
and prepared the name tags; Bill
Baldwin and Frank Muniz for
their help in preparing the Fire
Station for the event; and last but
not least, Anne Sloan for working
tirelessly and chairing this special
event for our neighborhood.
3
Time to say ‘Thank You’
The Houston Heights Association can never say “thank you”
enough to the countless number
of people who volunteer their
time and talents to support the
organization. Once a year, at the
annual Volunteer Appreciation
and Awards Dinner, we recognize those who went above and
beyond.
The 2015 dinner honoring accomplishments and good deeds
from 2014, was held on February
22. Emcee Bill Baldwin began by
thanking his event co-chair Andrea Sharp; Denise Martin, 2014
Volunteer Awards Chair; Anne
Culotta, Community Improvement Awards Chair; and Butter
& Co. for the evening’s meal.
Several awards were given out
during evening to recognize
people and organizations for their
support in making the Houston
Heights a great place to live,
work, and play. Congratulations
to all the award recipients.
President’s Award
Outgoing HHA President Matt
Bedingfield presented the President’s Award to Janet Buchheit.
Matt spoke of Janet’s tireless
efforts coordinating fundraising
events during 2014, as well as her
contributions as an HHA board
member.
4
Tom & Janet Buchheit
Boulevard Award
Boulevard Beautification chair
Jim Bennett presented an award
to the Heights Garden Club for
their colorful work on Heights
Boulevard, especially for their
maintenance of the flower garden
by the entrance sign and the rose
garden at 20th Street.
Special Award
Special recognition as given to
Bill Baldwin, Vice President of
Finance and Operations, for his
vision and work on renovating
the Houston Heights City Hall &
Fire Station, including the recent
outdoor lighting, landscape and
brick courtyard.
Special Award
Chris Silkwood and Gus Kopriva
were recognized and thanked for
bringing the “True North” project to Heights Boulevard. Now
on the Boulevard is “True South”
for everyone to enjoy.
Corporate Citizen of the Year
This award went to The Heights
Pages publishers Dee and Mel
Melancon, who have consistently placed big layouts in their
quarterly publication about the
Association’s events and accomplishments, helping boost our
fundraisers to greater success and
creating more awareness of all
that the Association does. They
have published fascinating stories
each quarter called “Getting to
Know Your Neighbor” and “Getting to Know Your Local Business
Owner,” that feature some of our
amazing citizens.
Mel & Dee Melancon
Besides their publication, Mel
is a past board member and has
chaired or served on the Heights
Fun Run numerous times. Dee
was instrumental in organizing
the Heights Garden Club, which
is now in it second year and making a beautiful difference on the
Boulevard.
Marcella Perry Award
Tom Buchheit was presented
this award by his wife, Janet, who
recognized Tom for never hesitating to work behind the scenes to
see a project or event through.
From the Heights Festival to the
building of Donovan Park, and
the first steps to renovate the
Fire Station, Tom was involved.
He also walked blocks for deed
restrictions and took very seriously the task of watering newly
planted trees along the hike and
bike trail.
Recently Tom has taken charge
of pre-sale tickets for the Home
Tours. In fact, he was Janet’s “goto” guy when she needs help with
the Spring Home Tour, Fun Run
and Bike Rally. Tom is recognized
by many for never saying “no”
when called upon to do a last
minute task.
Community Improvement Award
During the Volunteer Dinner
& Awards Dinner, those who
made changes to the landscape by
building or renovating in an exceptionally fine way during 2014
were recognized.
The judges selected finalists
from among the many nominations received, and the winners
were selected from that list. The
judges were Pam August, Donna
Bennett, Jeff Cox, Anne Culotta
(committee chair), Martin Hajovsky, Lauriel Hindman, Kelly
Simmons, and Mark Williamson.
Commercial New Construction
Tommy Vaughn Ford, at 1145
North Shepherd, received the
award. Also recognized as a finalist was Texas Loan Star, which is
located at 2233 Yale.
Residential New Construction
Thomas Vertheen, who designed
and built his home at 3315
White Oak, received the award.
The other finalist in this category
was Row on 25th LLC, for the
new construction in the 200
block of West 25th Street.
Upcoming Garden
Club Adventures
Saturday, April 11, 10-11a.m. visit
Micki Fine and John Pavlicek’s
bee garden at 1819 Columbia.
The couple took the empty
50-by-132-foot lot next door to
their home and created a pollinaResidential Renovation
tor refuge. Behind the painted
Brie and Scott Kelman’s renovaperiwinkle-colored door seeds of
tion of 1207 Harvard received the
bee balm, black-eyed Susan, coral
award. Finalists in the residential
honeysuckle, gaillardia, gayfeather
renovation category also included
(liatris), passion vine, winecup,
523 Harvard (Amy and William
and zinnias have been planted to
Ward, homeowners) and 1811
emerge in nature’s time during
Harvard (Tera and Jason Starr,
the spring and summer. Each
homeowners).
morning, thousands of honeybees
venture out from two-bar top
hives set up at the heart of the
pollinator way station.
Commercial Renovation
Coltivare, which is located at
3320 White Oak, was the only
finalist and received the Community Improvement Award.
John Pavlicek & Micki Fine
...continues on page 6
5
New Members
Please welcome these new members to the Houston Heights Association.
American Cancer Society Relay for
Life of Greater Heights,
Heather Hines
Kevin Anderson
Jim Bell
Bicycle Bungalows, LLC, Bill Riley
Anitra Brod
Kevin Chenevert
Core Details, Kent Simons
Diana DiMartino
Jonathan Fischer
Tara & Casey Foley
Mark Friday
Donations
6
Jeremy & Emily Gatzemeier
John & Tammy Goforth
Jeffrey & Kelly Hewett
Erika Lindberg & Josh Sebastian
Elizabeth Logan
New Roots Landscaping &
Antiques,
Jim Ruzicka & April Cohen
Matt Perkins
Laurie Puglin
Gary Putnam
Larry & Lee Renaud
Von, Valery & Hayden Rogers
AIG Matching Grants Program for employee Lorri Ittmann—
Donovan Playground
Ron & Bobbi Alford—Donovan Playground
Scott & Melly Alley—Firestation Restoration
Michael August & Monica Silber
Mike Ball & Gary Rodriguez—Boulevard
Jacquelyn Barish—Parks and Boulevard
Dub & Sharon Bartlett—Donovan Playground
Jim Bell—Boulevard/Gardens
Teresa Coffman—Parks
David Douglas & Lamar Mathews—Boulevard
Lynn Duncan
Frizzell Group International—Boulevard
Jack & Patricia Fu—Donovan Playground & Flower Gardens
John & Tammy Goforth
Francisco & Maria Hernai—Flower Gardens
Gary Koehler—Donovan Playground
Charles Krenzler
Elsa Muguerza—Boulevard
Suzy Morton & Dell Toelkes—Boulevard, Flower Gardens and
Firestation Restoration
Nuvo Builders, LLC—Firestation Restoration
Maria Otero Family and Friends—Donovan Playground
Jere & Ted Pfister—Boulevard & Firestation Restoration
David & Alice Pita—Parks
Jim Prock & Jeff Brown—Flower Gardens
Von, Valery & Hayden Rogers—Firestation Restoration
Dan & Susan Sessions
Texas State Optical, Aurea Rivera—Boulevard
Mary Tran—Flower Gardens
David & Anne Sauber
Meg Seibel & Cody Miller
Whitney Stoebner
Village Heights, Bill White
Andrew & Caitlin Weber
Garden Club from page 5
The garden tour on May 9th will
be at 3232 Inwood Drive. Brenda
Pennington will be our guide for
this two-acre private native garden
in the heart of River Oaks. Beginning in 2001, she and Thomas
Collins of Urban Gardeners
developed and have maintained
this organic garden as a wildlife
habitat. There are wooded areas:
pond and stream; a pocket prairie; and large numbers of native
shrubs, annuals and perennials.
The wide variety of plants that
thrive here provide visual interest
year round and become magnificently colorful in the spring and
fall seasons.
All Garden Club events are free.
For more information check the
Facebook page or the website at
www.heightsgardenclub.com. Calendar of Events for May 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
(continued from back cover)
Thursday
May
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
HHA Land Use
6:30 PM
Fire Station
5
PIP meeting
7:00 PM
1602 State
Street
6
7 - garbage and
recycling
8
Deadline for
next newsletter
9
Heights Garden
Club
10:00 AM
10
11
HHA General
7:00 PM
Fire Station
12
13
14 - garbage
15
16
17
18
HHA Board
6:30 PM
Fire Station
19
20- tree waste
21 - garbage and 22
recycling
23
24
25
Memorial Day
26
27
28- garbage
30
29
31
Community Calendar
Events planned by other community organizations
Every Saturday, 8:00 AM, Heights Running Club meets on the
Heights Boulevard jogging trail at 7th Street. To be added to the
weekly distribution list contact Meghan.olds@gmail.com.
First and third Thursdays, 7:30 PM, English Country Dancing
in the Heights, dances taught and called. For more information,
email jnjbloom@gmail.com or visit http://www.hatds.org/index.
php?page=ecd.
Future History
June 6, Heights Fun Run
October 4, Bicycle Ride &
Scavenger Hunt
December 4–5, Holiday Home
Tour [tentative dates]
December 15-16, Holiday Food
Baskets [tentative dates]
February 29, 2016, Awards Dinner
[tentative date]
At The Properties
Heavy Trash Notes
March is a “Yard Waste” month. The heavy trash pickup date is
the third Wednesday for most of the HHA coverage area.
For dates at your address, visit the City Solid Waste site www.
houstontx.gov/solidwaste/tree-waste-and-junk-waste-program.
Events at the Houston Heights City
Hall & Fire Station, Donovan Park,
and Marmion Park
Heights Tai Chi Association
meets Saturdays at 9:00 AM
and Wednesdays at 7:00 PM
in Marmion Park, Heights
Boulevard at 18th.
7
HOUSTON HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION
107 W. 12TH ST.
HOUSTON, TX 77008-6907
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAID
HOUSTON, TX
PERMIT NO 2995
Return Service Requested
Calendar of Events for April 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
April
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2 - garbage
3
4
Deadline for
next newsletter
5
6
HHA Land Use
6:30 PM
Fire Station
7
PIP meeting
7:00 PM
1602 State
Street
8
9 - garbage and
recycling
10
7:00 PM Candlelight Dinner &
Silent Auction
11
Home Tour
Heights Garden
Club 10:00 AM
12
Home Tour
13
HHA General
7:00 PM
Fire Station
14
15 - heavy trash
(tree waste in
odd months)
16 - garbage
17
18
19
20
HHA Board
6:30 PM
Fire Station
21
22
23 - garbage
and recycling
24
25
26
27
28
29
30 - garbage
continued within
HHA headquarters: The Fire Station is on the corner of Yale and 12th Streets.
HHA web site: www.houstonheights.org
Houston Heights Association
2015 Home & Garden Tour
Saturday and Sunday • April 11 & 12 • Noon - 6 p.m.
Embracing Change
Platinum Sponsors
Diamond Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors: Buchanan’s Native Plants • BullsEye Storage • CenterPoint Energy • Anne and Ken Culotta • Eclectic Home • Trudy Waguespack Nelson
Bronze Sponsors: Allegiance Bank Texas • Barry Gremillion • Grogan Building Supply • Heights Liquor on 11th • The Center for Success and Independence
The Villages of the Heights •Tommie Vaughn Ford
FEATURED HOMES
In keeping with this year’s theme, Embracing Change, the selected homes featured on the 2015
Houston Heights Spring Home & Garden Tour highlight the positive changes to the neighborhood and represent a diverse mix of architectural styles and inviting gardens.
Roche Home
1414 Ashland
Known to many in the Heights as “The Heron House,” this
modern Craftsman was very consciously designed to preserve three
old-growth Live Oak trees—home to families of Yellow-Crested
Night Herons that return every spring. The home’s open, lightfilled design–with four porches and plentiful windows–not only
protected the majestic nesting trees and their inhabitants, but
created the illusion of being amid the quiet foliage. Completed in
2014, the front elevation features a Craftsman-style door of metal
and glass and double-hung windows. Stepping into the home,
Amanda and Fabrice’s delightful interior design is modern and
eclectic.
Florals: The Empty Vase Table Design: Crate and Barrel Head Docents: Heather Thompson and Holly Simmons
Gilbert Home
1638 Harvard
Dating 1920, this one-story bungalow lacked central heat and
air and was barely livable when Peggy purchased it as a rental in
2009. She has since renovated and expanded the home which
is now her personal residence. Removal of aluminum cladding
revealed its original teardrop wood siding, and modern touches
include Vetrazzo (recycled glass) and concrete countertops. Other
thoughtful details include three uniquely different stained glass
windows—one contemporary, one Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired and one traditional. The master bedroom
door is fashioned from the stained glass of a decommissioned Catholic church. Peggy’s creative design
mixes old with new and various styles of art.
Florals: Whole Foods Market
Head Docent: Bill Baldwin
Lopez-Marks Home
2023 Arlington
Drawn to the Heights for its artistic, diverse, small-town,
historic vibe, Laura and Lewis—who share a passion for historic
buildings and architecture—have owned several homes here since
1994, purchasing this 1921 Craftsman bungalow in 2012. Sitting
on a nearly one-half-acre lot, the home is recognized as a Houston
Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Laura’s colorful paintings are hung throughout the home, which
also features four porches, a pass- through utilizing reclaimed
shiplap from the home’s original walls and a great room that
doubles in size when a retractable wall is opened.
Florals: Art Attack/Merry Schooley
Table Design: Art Attack Head Docent: Shirley Foreman
Nelson Home
1615 Columbia
This 1920s bungalow beautifully blends old and new. With
entertaining in mind, the home was completely renovated in 2012
and expanded from 1,400 to its current 3,400 square feet. The
wood-frame, pier-and-beam structure features front and back porches
and terra cotta paint with off-white trim and gold accents. A front
parlor and warm fireplace greet visitors to the home which boasts
impressive built-ins, hardwood floors, a kitchen with oversized
island, a downstairs master bedroom and a media room. The lushly
landscaped backyard—where Kim and Jeff love to entertain— has a
summer kitchen, pool and hot tub.
Florals: Heights Floral Shop Table Design: Williams-Sonoma Head Docents: Marianne & Kenny Terrell
McIngvale-Cegelski Home
713 East 13th
Built in 2014, this lovely two-story home embodies a trove of
Craftsman charm, which includes exposed rafter tails, decorative
gables, a porte-cochere, solid wood Craftsman-style doors and
nine-light patterned windows. Reminiscent of period Heights
architecture, the home has a full- width front porch and large
covered back porch. The open living room and kitchen floor
plan allows for large gatherings of friends and family. Elizabeth
and Michael’s classic, clean, chic decorative style showcases the
beautiful woodwork, and each bathroom features a unique selection of tile.
Florals: A Memorable Event/Linda McIngvale Table Design: A Memorable Event
Head Docents: Staci & Damian Ogier
Johnson Home
1011 Heights Boulevard
The only one of its type on Heights Boulevard constructed
of brick, this Queen Anne Victorian— widely known as Webber
House—was built in 1907 by brick mason, Samuel H. Webber, for
his family. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984. Its asymmetrical hipped roofline has a gable end bay and
a tower (or turret). It served the community as a quaint bed-andbreakfast for many years before Colleen and Kurt made it their
home. The house features a side porte-cochere, a front porch with
Doric half-columns on brick piers, windows with one-over-one lights
and a recessed entry way.
Florals: Darlene’s Flowers and Gift Shop Table Design: Bespoke by
GJCD Head Docents: Anne Rodgers and Anne Sauber
The Details
Advance tickets for $20 are available online at www.houstonheights.org, Buchanan’s Native Plants, 611 E. 11th
St.; Jubilee, 325 W. 19th St; and Another Place in Time, 421 W. 11th St.
Days-of-tour tickets for $25 are available at the Houston Heights Fire Station, 12th and Yale streets, and at all presale ticket locations. No tickets will be sold at homes on the tour.
Luxury shuttle buses will transport tour visitors from the Fire Station to the homes.
Bicyclists, who choose to ride their bikes from home to home, will find bicycle racks at each location and a “bicycle
valet” to assist with parking and securing bikes.
Dinner, auction precede public home tour
A Candlelight Dinner and Silent Auction on April 10 kicks off the Houston Heights Association Spring Home &
Garden Tour.
An exclusive tour of the homes from 5-7 p.m. will be followed by the dinner and auction, which will held from 7-11
p.m. at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards St. in the Houston Arts District. Prior to the dinner, guests can view
and place bids on featured donations of contemporary art, items for families and pets, food, entertainment, getaways,
health, beauty, as well as home and garden items.
A live auction will follow dinner. A featured auction item will be “The Heights,” a 40- by 60-inch acrylic on canvas by
Taft McWhorter, who was named one of “Houston’s Top 10 Painters” in 2014 by the Houston Press. Other items in
the auction will include a glass mosaic and acrylic measuring 22” x 72” by Chris Silkwood; a 35” x 50” oil on canvas
titled “Forest Glow” by Sharon Kopriva; a whimsical steel indoor/outdoor sculpture by Mark “Scrapdaddy” Bradford;
and a luxurious Lake Travis getaway with 10 guest rooms, two swimming pools, a bowling alley, and a movie theater,
plus lovely views of sunsets and sunrises from the home’s direct access to Lake Travis.
Tickets to the event are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Individual tickets are $150. Reserved
tables are $1,500 for 10 people and $1,800 for 12.
For more event information about the Home & Garden Tour email
springhometour@houstonheights.org
For more information about the dinner & auction email
candlelightdinner@houstonheights.org