Welcome to my community-building diary series, "Houston, Texas news you can use." As always, opinions are my own. Links, re-posts, comments etc., not necessarily endorsements.
I'm an out loud and proud liberal, card-carrying LGBT community member, nonprofit professional, and DKos Trusted User. I appreciate any/all feedback.
So how does Htown get 600 people to show up for a bike ride? You invite them to Critical Mass Houston - Critical Mass is a world wide initiative for bike awareness and reclaiming public space. Houston Critical Mass meets the last friday of every month in Market Square in Downtown Houston.
CRITICAL MASS HOUSTON APRIL 2012
COMMUNITY
Sharpstown's problem? Its image, civic leaders say
They're trying to pitch the once-popular Houston community as they work on a revival. As it advances through middle age, Sharpstown's wrinkles are showing in crime, decaying infrastructure and the blight of businesses gone broke. Boosters say the Sharpstown area still has what made it such a hot spot in the 1950s and 1960s: solid neighborhoods, terrific freeway access, proximity to downtown and other employment centers, affordable homes.
http://www.chron.com/...
West U resident helps UH with $9 million grant awarded to study, treat learning disabilities
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a five-year, $9 million grant to the University of Houston’s Texas Center for Learning Disabilities to conduct research on the causes and treatment of learning disabilities in children and adolescents. UH is one of four universities nationally to receive funding from the NIH for a learning disability research center. West University resident Jack Fletcher, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor in the department of psychology, University of Houston is the principal investigator for the $9 million grant.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/...
A Belt-and-Suspenders Approach to Disaster Recovery
Hurricane season is right around the corner. Houston businesses have just a few weeks left to fine tune their disaster recovery plans.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
Amid Reports of Violence, Calls for Accountability, Reform at Youth Lockups
Five years after Texas lawmakers overhauled the juvenile justice system, reports of violence, inappropriate staff behavior and poor mental health services at youth lockups are spurring calls for accountability and continued reform.
http://www.texastribune.org/...
New Ordinance Questions Just How Loud Is Too Loud
Last October, the city of Houston revised its sound ordinance — a law which hadn't been touched since 1998. The intention is to help the Houston Police Department enforce the law, but club owners, DJs and audio engineers don't quite see it that way.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
BUSINESS
Steffy: Safety and prevention to dominate OTC, from displays to discussions
OTC is, first and foremost, a trade show, the world's pre-eminent gala of oilfield geek chic. Among this year's standouts: the TeleCoil Downhole Communications System, Baker Hughes' device for improving the flow of real-time data from deep inside a well; and Tesco's Directional Liner Drilling System, which improves the process of angling the direction of a well miles below the surface. And then, there's The Claw. Its sheer size already has made it among the most talked about pieces of new equipment, even though it's too large to actually bring to the conference.
http://www.chron.com/...
Dome Collectibles Could Help Offset Demolition Cost
As Harris County, and eventually local voters, decide what to do with the empty Astrodome, dusty relics of the glory days of the Astros and Oilers are sitting untouched. Selling some of those collectibles to Houston sports fans could help offset the cost of either tearing down the dome or turning it into something else.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
Women on Verge of Chief Executive
A pipeline of women in senior executive positions indicates that the ranks of female CEOs in the U.S. will grow in coming years. The Journal highlights 10 women who recruiters are keeping an eye on.
http://online.wsj.com/...
Harris constables rake in thousands with eviction fees
With the help of their taxpayer-funded offices, five Harris County constables have been using a little-known eviction fee to add thousands of dollars a year to their base $120,000 annual salaries. State law allows a constable to pocket fees - ranging from $10 to $20 - for serving a "notice to vacate," the first step a landlord must take before filing an eviction proceeding in Justice of the Peace Court.
http://www.chron.com/...
New Rules of Getting Everything Done in a Start-up
In the phrase, "it's not my job" is like a four-letter word. Inevitably in this fast-paced, succeed-or-bust environment, employers have no choice but to ask employees to do lots of different things. It's easy for leaders to overlook areas where their employees truly excel. Still, everybody has strong spots and weak spots. According to Gallup's StrengthFinder research, there are 34 common "talents" that can be determined by assessing a variety of personality traits. How can you get your employees whipped into a state of maximized productivity? Follow these 4 tips.
http://www.inc.com/...
NONPROFIT / OTHER
National Guard Members' Next Battle: The Job Hunt
As more soldiers return to civilian life, a civilian job may not be there waiting. Service members with the National Guard have the extra challenge of convincing employers to hire them when they may be called to active duty for a year or more. There are laws to protect them, but it's hard to prove discrimination.
http://www.npr.org/...
The Affordable Care Act - Stronger Benefits to Seniors, Billions in Savings This Year
Two years ago, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The President's health care law gives hard working, middle-class families security, makes Medicare stronger, and puts more money back in seniors' pockets. Prior to 2011, people on Medicare faced paying for preventive benefits like cancer screenings and cholesterol checks out of their own pockets. Now, these benefits are offered free of charge to beneficiaries.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...