HISD board votes not to remove ‘interim’ from Lathan’s title; national search to resume

Houston

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13 November, 2020

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HISD board votes not to remove ‘interim’ from Lathan’s title; national search to resume

HOUSTON – HISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Granita Lathan will remain in the interim role.

This after the board of trustees voted, 6-3, Thursday to not make her a sole finalist for the job.

Well over a hundred people signed up to speak at Thursday night’s meeting — held virtually. While Lathan also attended to learn her fate. And there was a mix of strong opinions on both sides of the motion.

Some against — like parent Shana Halverson.

“She’s the leader of our district yet she has failed and continues to fail an entire subsection of students that she is responsible for educating,” said Halverson.

There were almost as many in support.

“We should not pass up the opportunity to solidify this proven and passionate leader,” Jesse Woods said.

Earlier in the day the Houston NAACP preemptively sent out a statement also in support of Lathan being named the sole finalist. Vice President Dr. James Dixon cited what he called Lathan’s ability to work with others and provide stability.

“It’s time that HISD understands the need for stable leadership,” Dixon said. “Changing just to change, without the change being necessarily based on merit is unwise.”

But in the end, the trustees voted against making Lathan the sole finalist — only to vote minutes later to continue their nationwide search. Lathan is free to reapply for the position.

HCOHSEM, MOPD and Deaf Link Create Preparedness and Safety Videos for Deaf and Hard Of Hearing Community

Weather

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13 November, 2020

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HCOHSEM, MOPD and Deaf Link Create Preparedness and Safety Videos for Deaf and Hard Of Hearing Community

Houston, Texas — The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM), in collaboration with the Houston Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) and Deaf Link, have developed preparedness and safety videos for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The partnership is designed to ensure that the deaf and hard of hearing community has access to preparedness and emergency information via sign language interpreting, with English and Spanish subtitles. These videos are one of many steps HCOHSEM is taking to reach all members of the diverse Harris County community.

“Harris County understands that those who are deaf or hard of hearing need access to life-saving information when disasters strike, just like any other part of our community. This partnership is all about providing access to this underserved community and we are excited to make it happen,” said Francisco Sanchez, Harris County Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator.

Gabe Cazares, City of Houston Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Director said, “We are excited to see increased accessibility in Harris County. All partnerships that center on increasing access and information for people with disabilities are valued.”

HCOHSEM, MOPD, and Deaf Link created a series of American Sign Language videos in English and Spanish that include topics such as:

Anxiety and Behavioral Health
Evacuation Assistance
Evacuations
Flood Insurance
Get a Kit
Make a Plan
Medical Care and Disasters
Pet Preparedness
Power Outage
Sheltering Information
Stay Informed

Notah Begay III Jr. Golf Nat’l Championship

Adversavvy

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12 November, 2020

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Notah Begay III Jr. Golf Nat’l Championship

Biden chooses Ron Klain as chief of staff

Politics

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12 November, 2020

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Biden chooses Ron Klain as chief of staff

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has chosen his longtime adviser Ron Klain to reprise his role as his chief of staff, installing an aide with decades of experience in the top role in his White House.

Klain will lead a White House likely to be consumed by the response to the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to spread unchecked across the nation, and he’ll face the challenge of working with a divided Congress that could include a Republican-led Senate. Klain served as the co-ordinator to the Ebola response during the 2014 outbreak.

In a statement Wednesday night, Biden suggested he chose Klain for the position because his longtime experience in Washington had prepared him for such challenges.

“His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,” Biden said.

Klain served as chief of staff for Biden during Barack Obama’s first term, was chief of staff to Vice-President Al Gore in the mid-1990s and was a key adviser on the Biden campaign, guiding Biden’s debate preparations and coronavirus response. He’s known and worked with Biden since the Democrat’s 1987 presidential campaign.

The choice of Klain underscores the effort the incoming Biden administration will place on the coronavirus response from Day One. Klain has experience in public health as the Ebola response co-ordinator and played a central role in drafting and implementing the Obama administration’s economic recovery plan in 2009.

“I’m honoured by the President-elect’s confidence and will give my all to lead a talented and diverse team in a Biden-Harris WH,” Klain tweeted.

Choosing Klain is also likely to assuage some concerns among progressives who had been gearing up for a fight over one of the first and biggest staff picks Biden will make as he builds out his White House team. The chief of staff is typically a gatekeeper for the president, crafts political and legislative strategy and often serves as a liaison to Capitol Hill in legislative negotiations.

Progressives had expressed concerns that Biden would pick one of his other former chiefs of staff: Steve Richetti, who faces skepticism for his work as a lobbyist, or Bruce Reed, who is seen as too much of a moderate to embrace reforms pushed by the party’s base. But progressives see Klain as open to working with them on top priorities like climate change and health care.

Houston City Council Approves Relief Plan For Musicians and Music Venues

Houston

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12 November, 2020

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Houston City Council Approves Relief Plan For Musicians and Music Venues

Houston’s many music venues and musicians may finally have some good news. Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston City Council voted to approve a three million dollar relief plan for those adversely affected by the closures due to COVID-19.

The Musicians and Music Venues Economic Relief Program is funded by the city’s CARES Act 2020 funds provided in the relief package by the federal government in March to help cities, their businesses and residents try to survive the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than $2 trillion were provided to cities all over the United States with Houston receiving $405 million. Houston’s City Council last week a vote approved this plan as well as the allocation of an additional $5 million for Small Business Relief.

Musicians and music venues have until 5 p.m. on November 25 to apply online and all applicants must meet the requirements of being based within the city limits, provide evidence of decreased revenue due to COVID-19 restrictions and be in good standing with the city.

Musicians could be eligible for up to $5,000 in relief and music venues for up to $50,000 or $100,000 depending on their budget size. A weighted scoring matrix will be used to fairly determine the amount provided to approved applicants.

The City of Houston teamed up with the Mid-America Arts Alliance to oversee the program. M-AAA is a regional non profit serving to enrich lives through cultural experiences. M-AAA has already helped to distribute almost $600,000 of CARES Act funds in other cities.

M-AAA will be hosting online information classes to assist applicants with the application process. The session will be held on November 10 at 10 a.m. for music venues and at 3 p.m. for musicians. Applicants can also sign up for virtual office hours online. Virtual office hours will take place from November 16-20 from noon to 1 p.m.

Applicants will be notified of the status of their applications in the first week of December and funds they will be distributed the following week.

Houston musicians and music venues have struggled greatly during this pandemic and have seen few efforts to aid them during this time. The Houston Arts Alliance and Houston Music Foundation have been where local artists have received the most support during the pandemic with venues left to fend for themselves and make do with the PPP loans they were possibly granted as the pandemic began almost nine months ago.

Many local music venues have aligned themselves with the National Independent Music Venue Association in support of the Save Our Stages Act, an act that is one of the many issues congress will vote on when they return this week. In September, the city’s venues and bridges were lit red to join the national movement in support of independent music venues.

While no one knows what may happen in Congress and how they will vote for a national relief package, it is good news all around for our city’s music community and hopefully a sign of additional support to come on the national level.

Texas becomes the first US state with more than 1 million Covid-19 infections

Adversavvy

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12 November, 2020

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Texas becomes the first US state with more than 1 million Covid-19 infections

Texas has surpassed 1 million Covid-19 infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University — becoming the first US state to record such a staggering number of cases.

That means about one-tenth of the country’s more than 10 million positive tests were reported in the Lone Star state.

for total cases, according to Johns Hopkins data.

India, Brazil, France, Russia, Spain, Argentina, the United Kingdom and Colombia have also all reported more than a million infections, Johns Hopkins data shows.

Texas also reported more than 10,000 new cases for a second day in a row Wednesday, topping the record set just a day before.

More mobile morgues on the way for one community

The state’s million-case milestone comes amid a brutal Covid-19 surge that’s ripping through American communities and has already devastated health care systems and overwhelmed hospital workers. Numbers nationwide are climbing faster than ever before, with infections topping 100,000 for at least eight straight days and hospitalizations reaching an all-time high. Covid-19 deaths have also began creeping up, with one Texas county making a chilling request this week.

Online Nutcracker Market opens for shoppers on Wednesday

Houston

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11 November, 2020

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Online Nutcracker Market opens for shoppers on Wednesday

HOUSTON — The shopping event that has become a holiday tradition for generations of Houstonians and others, will still go on this year.

The Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker Market will not be held in person when it opens Wednesday for its 40th season.

“To help ourselves stay alive financially, and to help our merchants as well, this was the best option that we could come up with,” Nutcracker Market CEO Patsy Chapman.

For obvious reasons, the event had to be moved from the exhibit halls to the internet this year.

The shopping will start at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning on nutcrackermarket.com.

“I think it’s going to be a huge success,” said longtime merchant Donna Slaven, who credits the growth of her business to the annual event. “It is what put The Round Top Collection on the map. The Nutcracker Market gave us an opportunity 29 years ago to show our product.”

This season, Slaven’s ornaments will still be among the thousands of other specialty holiday items only found in one place, once a year.

“It has always been an opportunity to go and find things that you don’t find anywhere else,” Slaven said. “You don’t find them on Amazon. You don’t find them at the local mall.”

Even though this holiday season may not be like those of years past, Slaven said you can still make it feel that way.

“Let’s decorate our homes, let’s feel the season,” Slaven said. “Let’s be happy with what we have, and been blessed with what we have been given.”

The Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market is free and will be open for shopping until Dec. 11.

Here’s How to Watch the 2020 CMA Awards Fiasco

Entertainment

Adversavvy

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11 November, 2020

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Here’s How to Watch the 2020 CMA Awards Fiasco

The Country Music Association’s hopes for a “no-drama zone” at the 54th Annual CMA Awards (in the midst of a pandemic, at the end of a divisive election cycle) were quickly dashed as performers began testing positive for COVID-19 and rumors about the breakup of the duo Florida Georgia Line over political differences began to swirl. The show will go on in-person at Nashville’s Music City Center, featuring over 20 performing artists and ten presenters. The determination to bring the genre’s biggest stars together in one room could result in even more COVID-19 cases within the country-music community. But, hey! There’s no other way to possibly do it! While it may not be drama-free and COVID-free, it should at least be entertaining.

Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker will host tonight’s event, with performances by Chris Stapleton, Rascal Flatts, and (most recently announced) Kelsea Ballerini. Justin Bieber and Charlie Puth will also make appearances tonight, Puth performing “I Hope” with Gabby Barrett and Bieber performing “10,000 Hours” with Dan + Shay. Country-music titans such as Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, and Carrie Underwood are up for some of the top prizes, including Entertainer of the Year. They don’t have to compete with Garth Brooks this year, who removed himself following a tweet that called out his domination of the category (another bit of drama). Two awards were announced earlier today on Good Morning America, including Lambert’s Music Video of the Year win for “Bluebird” and Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s Musical Event of the Year win for “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” Country’s pop queen Kacey Musgraves is up for Female Vocalist of the Year and Lady A competes for Vocal Group of the Year. The big question is: If Florida Georgia Line wins Vocal Duo of the Year tonight, will they cross state — and political lines — to celebrate?

Things will kick off this evening at 8 p.m. ET, airing live on ABC, and wrap up at 11 p.m. ET. The pre-show red carpet event starts at 7 p.m. ET, hosted by Lara Spencer of Good Morning America and featuring interviews with CMA Awards 2020 presenters and performers. For those sticking to streaming, Hulu Live and Youtube TV have got you covered.

City of Houston breaks ground on state of the art neighborhood center in Alief

Houston

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11 November, 2020

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City of Houston breaks ground on state of the art neighborhood center in Alief

City of Houston breaks ground on new Alief Neighborhood Center and Park

Mayor Turner discusses the Alief Neighborhood Center and Park

HOUSTON – Alief will soon be home to a first-of-its-kind mixed-use center in Houston.

Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner was joined by District F Councilmember Tiffany Thomas and City of Houston department directors for the Alief Neighborhood Center and Park groundbreaking.
The site off Bellaire Blvd. and Kirkwood in southwest Houston will be home to a new $54-million mixed-used center that will accommodate three City of Houston Facilities under one roof.

The Alief Neighborhood Center is the first City of Houston facility designed specifically to provide the delivery of popular public services through the Library, Parks & Recreation, and Health departments’ combined resources.

“This new facility will provide community members and visitors with the opportunity to gather and socialize, mingle and play,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Last year, I added the Alief-Westwood area in the second phase of my Complete Communities Initiative. We are excited to be able to provide new programming and services that will meet the community’s needs and demands.”

“Today is not just about the residents of Alief and their vision finally coming to fruition, but this is about us imagining what our city could look like when we invest funding. when we design buildings with resiliency, with community input in mind, and we leverage our city buildings as assets for all,” said District F Councilmember Tiffany Thomas. “This is just one example of how we can have a more complete community. We believe revitalization is happening in our community, and this model will demonstrate that for the city.”

The new 69,900 square foot facility and renovated park will enhance the departments’ programming opportunities both inside the building and in the park. Parks programming includes HPARD’s After-School and Summer Enrichment Programs for Youth, Summer and After-school Meals Programs, sports and recreation leagues for youth and adults, fitness classes and weight room access, leisure and educational activities for seniors, swimming and learn to swim programs. There will also be soccer fields and a skate park on-site.

“The new Alief Neighborhood Center will be a game-changer for the Alief community,” said Steve Wright, Houston Parks and Recreation Department director. “It’s destined to become a neighborhood landmark while providing a multitude of much-needed services in a single location. It’s also an excellent example of City departments working together toward a single goal. I expect it to become a model for the nation on how different City departments can collaborate effectively to answer the needs of a community.”

The public library will provide access to books as well as digital resources and state of the art technology.

“This project is all about interdepartmental collaboration and the best use of City resources,” said Dr. Rhea Lawson, Houston Public Library director. “The Houston Health Department, Parks and Recreation Department and the Houston Public Library have a longstanding history of working together to best meet the needs of the communities we collectively serve and this latest endeavor is an example of our continued concerted effort to provide “one stop” services to Houstonians in their communities.”

The new Alief Neighborhood Center will mark a significant expansion of the Houston Health Department’s Diabetes and Wellness Network, which provides free diabetes self-management education and many other health-related services to Houstonians in order to reduce and prevent chronic disease.

The center will also house a WIC clinic and offer services through the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, which coordinates various comprehensive services for adults 60 years or older and their caregivers.

“The COVID-19 pandemic shines a spotlight on the importance of accessible and equitable programs and services that empower all Houstonians to live healthy lives,” said Stephen L. Williams, Houston Health Department director. “This center brings vital public health programs to the Alief community that will serve every age group, from babies through our WIC program, to adults with our chronic disease program, all the way to older adults through our aging program.”

The Alief Neighborhood Center and Park is scheduled to open Spring 2022.