Near Northwest Community Job Fair, Wed. Nov. 17, 10 a.m. -2 p.m., Advent Lutheran Church, 5820 Pinemont, Free Parking

Wanted: Employers with jobs to fill for District Job Fair Nov. 17. Contact Carla at 713-895-8021 for more information

Security Meeting, Tues., Nov. 9 at 9 am at 5300 Hollister.

Tinseltown 290 is now showing Indie films. See Conviction with Hillary Swank, go to www.cinearts.com for show times.

Free taxpayer seminars to help business owners understand their state tax responsibilities www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/seminars.html.

Tinseltown 290 is now showing indie films. Starting tonight see Conviction with Hillary Swank, go to cinearts.com for show times.

See video of National Night Out at www.youtube.com/NNWMD.

Wanted: Employers with jobs to fill for District job Fair Nov. 17. Contact Carla at 713-895-8021 for more information.

Security Meeting, Tues., Oct. 12 at 9 am at 5300 Hollister.

National Night Out, Tomorrow night-Oct. 5, 5:30-8:30, 5620 W. Tidwell in Kroger Parking lot, free food, prizes, music, fun for all ages

Free taxpayer seminars to help business owners understand their state tax responsibilities www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/seminars.html.

National Night Out, Oct 5,5:30-8:30pm, Meet your neighbors to build a stronger, safer community, Food, prizes, music, moonwalk, train & more

New grant to help redesign area

The fight against blight has been going strong during the last month. Local TV stations have been in our area almost weekly reporting on progress to rid our area of abandoned apartments and condominiums in the Antoine/ DeSoto area. ( Go to http://ping.fm/0iul7 if you haven’t seen these stories.) We are grateful to State Representative Sylvester Turner and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee and city officials who have been working to help rid our community of these hazardous buildings.

While we have been focusing on getting rid of these abandoned buildings for years now, what happens when they are actually gone? The District has been working to put together a vision for what our community could become. Almost a year ago now the District submitted one vision of how to improve the area to the Houston-Galveston Area Council for consideration for a Livable Centers Study Grant. In September, we received notification that our application was approved and we have been awarded the grant.

The Livable Centers Grant will provide funding to develop design recommendations, infrastructure improvements and urban design solutions that will provide residents and businesses with more appealing places for people to interact and gather, make walking, bicycling and transit more convenient, preserve the environment and create a unique community that will act as a catalyst for investment and development.

The focus of our Livable Center Study is to explore the creation of a Town Center along the Antoine Corridor from the former Inwood Forest Golf Course to Aron Ledet Park that would attract business into the area as well as increase the area's livability for its residents. The Livable Centers Study will help to define practical ways to improve the area's accessibility, increase venues for community activities and generally improve the area through projects like the creation of pedestrian and biking thoroughfares, providing bike parking at bus stops, adding beautification elements, revitalizing vacant shopping centers, improving existing parks and adapting the vacant golf course into a park, community center and wellness facility.

To learn more about this project and to keep in touch with its progress go to the District Web site, www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com.

The District has been awarded a H-GAC Livable Centers Grant to study ways to improve our community. www.h-gac.com/community/livable/centers/default.aspx/

Candlelight Demolition 3: http://ping.fm/U9df4

Candlelight Demolition 2: http://ping.fm/Jzssl

The Demolition of Candlelight 1: http://ping.fm/rBydn

Candlelight Trails will be demolished at 1:30 today.

Facebook for Business workshop hosted by Texas Business Alliance, Sept. 16,11 a.m.-1 p.m., 5920 Milwee. Cost: $59. Info 713-937-1006

National Night Out is Oct. 5! HOAs or businesses wishing to participate in the community celebration at Kroger. Call Carla at 713-895-8021

Help keep your community safe by reporting suspicious activity in our area on www.crime-track.com. Your report can stop crime!

Security Meeting, Sept. 14 @ 9 am-Bus. owners, managers & security personnel are invited to meet with Constables & HPD to share info

Sheila Jackson Lee and Hud officials tour Candlelight Trails and offer support for demolition. Listen to story on KUHF: http://ping.fm/oqfdh

Last night's coverage of our abandoned apts: www.khou.com/news/Northwest-Houston-residents--want-abandoned-buildings-torn-down.html

Recent coverage of our abandoned apts: http://ping.fm/XZN9B

Grant Writing Workshop, August 21, 9-Noon, 6700 Antoine, learn how to find grants and write proposals that get funded. Sign-up@713-895-8021

Business Survival Tip 93: Consider adjusting hours of operation to meet customer demand.

Business Survival Tip 92: Evaluate the pricing of your goods and services and analyze for sensitivity to increases or decreases in prices.

New Business: Wet Zone Car Wash, 7316 W. Tidwell behind Target.

District Board Meeting, July 20 at 6:30 pm at 5300 Hollister.

Apartment Manager's Mtg, Tuesday, July 20 at Noon at Dewayne's Bar BQ, 6305 Antoine.

Curves, 7035 W. Tidwell, 112. Trial memberships available, 30 days for $30. Call 713-460-4846.

Rep. Sylvester Turner Town Hall Meeting, Thursday, July 15 6:30 pm at 6700 Antoine (Former Riverway Church location)

LoneStar College Career Fair, Saturday, July 17 9am-1pm, 2330 S. Victory St., bring copies of your resume

Security Meeting, Tuesday, July 13 at 9 am at 5300 Hollister. All businesses and their security personnel are encouraged to attend.

Dewayne's BarBQ, 6305 Antoine Dr, new to the area and some of the best BarBQ & peach cobbler ever! Stop by and welcome him to the area.

Security Meeting, Tuesday, July 13 at 9 am at 5300 Hollister. All businesses and their security personnel are encouraged to attend.

Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better -- The NNWMD District wishes everyone a happy and safe 4th of July.

Wayne Norden was honored by District B Council Member Jarvis Johnson for excellence in leadership & selfless dedication to the community.

Business Network Breakfast: June 3, 7:30 am, Speaker-Donald Ball, Lonestar Small Bus. Center-"Doing Bus. in the New Econ." RSVP 7138958021.

Hurricane Preparedness Workshop: May 27, 6pm, Advent Lutheran, 5820 Pinemont, training for before, during & after a disaster.

Hurricane Preparedness Workshop: May 27, 6pm, Advent Lutheran, 5820 Pinemont, training for before, during & after a disaster.

Internship: NNWMD seeks summer intern for office work, social markteing, events. HS senior or college. Call Carla 713-895-8021.

Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21. Download bike trail maps at www.houstonbikeways.org

Women's Business Support Network: May 20, 6:45-8:30 a.m., Marriott West Loop South. Speaker: Annette Monks VP Sadler Training, eva@geerandassociates.com

District A Townhall Meeting, May 19, 7 pm, VFW Hall, 1650 Foley St. Event to discuss how residents can prevent crimes in neighborhoods.

District Board Meeting--Tuesday, May 18, 6:30 at 5300 Hollister

Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21. Download bike trail maps at www.houstonbikeways.org

This month's GIP newsletter is devoted to home values in the area, go to http://mim.io/7a5a3.

Join us in a trip to City Hall June 8 to ask the Mayor to demolish abandoned buildings in our area. Call 713-895-8021 to reserve a seat.

District Security Meeting-Tuesday, May 11, 9 a.m. at 5300 Hollister

Security Meeting, Tuesday, April 13 at 9 am at 5300 Hollister for law enforcement and security personnel.

Come to Family Day in the Park, Saturday, April 10 at Sylvester Turner Park, 2800 West Little York. Music, free food, fun for everyone 2-7.

Please drive at posted speeds through school zones. Aldine Police Department is actively enforcing speed limits in school zones.

Community News for 3/5/2010

Councilmember Johnson to Speak at Community Forum at Linda Vista Apartments

Councilmember Jarvis Johnson will address crime at storefronts, the demolition of abandoned apartments and other topics of interest to our area at a Community Forum held at Linda Vista, 5500 DeSoto on Monday, March 8 at 4 pm. All community members are encouraged to take this opportunity to let Councilmember Johnson know about the issues that are important to us. Please contact Linda Vista Manager, Greg Washington at 713-956-6270 for more information.

Call for Employer Participation in 3rd Semi-Annual Job Fair

The District and Near Northwest Houston Weed & See Grant will host their 3rd Semi-Annual job Fair on April 7 at Advent Lutheran Church located at 5820 Pinemont. We need employers who are hiring to participate in the fair. Also, small businesses that do not have the staff to attend the fair but need to fill positions may run a free ad in our Help Wanted listings. Contact Carla McGowen for more information at 713-895-8021.

Security Update – Slow Down in School Zones

Aldine Police Chief Brian Allen, an active member of the Weed & Seed Steering Committee, reminds motorists to drive at posted speeds through school zones. The Aldine Police Department has received a gift of three new radar guns and is actively pursuing speeders. In the first full month of use, Aldine deputies report writing 28 citations for speeding in school zones and additional citations for speeding, no insurance, expired registration, expired driver’s license, evading arrest and assault on a peace officer.

Near Northwest E-news

The Near Northwest E-News is your source for what’s going on in Near Northwest Houston each and every week. Whether you’re looking for opportunities to get involved in your community, business development tips, new business openings, or special events we’ve got the information you need. So spread the word to your friends and coworkers. Tell them to sign up at www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com

Update on Demolition of Candlelight Trails
The city of Houston has approved additional funding for legal fees to sue owners of Candlelight Trails condominiums to cover the close to half-million dollars to tear down the dilapidated property. See the full story at:
http://ping.fm/4FUme

Small Business Workshops
The City of Houston's One Stop Business Center, in partnership with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and Houston Public Library's C.O.R.E. (Careers, Opportunities, Resources, and Education) Center, will present two 1.5 hour workshops on the rules and regulations which govern the operation of small businesses in Houston.

If you are thinking about starting your own business or are an established small business owner, these FREE workshops are for you.

Monday, February 22, 2010
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Acres Homes Neighborhood Library
8501 W. Montgomery
Houston, Texas 77088
832-393-1700

Thursday, March 11, 2010
6 - 7:30 p.m.
McCrane-Kashmere Gardens Neighborhood Library
5411 Pardee St
Houston, Texas 77026
832-393-2450

For more information, contact the One Stop Business Center at 832-393-0954 or http://ping.fm/D1vij You can also visit the Houston Public Library's website at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313.

Security Update
The District hosted its first revamped Security Meeting February 9. The new format of the meeting is a working session for area law enforcement officials, private security personnel and community members to share information about security issues in the area and work together to solve them. We would like to offer a special thanks to Linda Vista for bringing their Security officer to the meeting who was able to share information with Constables that led to an arrest in an ongoing investigation.

The next meeting will be held March 9 at 9 a.m. in District offices at 5300 Hollister. Area business owners are encouraged to send their security personnel to join the effort to make our community safer.

How to get a vacant building torn down: http://ping.fm/aMtU1

Update on Candlelight Trails demolishion: www.khou.com/home/City-files-lawsuit-in-effort-to-tear-down-crime-ridden-condos-83508597.html

The District is working to get abandoned apartment buildings demolished. www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6867531.html

Weed & Seed Steering Committee Meeting tonight at 6 pm at 5300 Hollister. Come and see how you can be involved in improving our community.

Come to Cristiano de Vida Eterna, 5304 Hollister, Sat. 11-4, Grand Opening of GCSA, bringing mortgage & bill help and more into the area.

Keep Teens Safe on the Internet

• clear, simple, easy-to-read house rules should be posted on or near the monitor. Create your own computer rules or print the Internet safety pledge. The pledge can be signed by adults and children and should be periodically reviewed.
• look into safeguarding programs or options your online service provider might offer. These may include monitoring or filtering capabilities.
• always read a web site's privacy policy before giving any personal information. Also make sure that a web site offers a secure connection before giving credit-card information.
• web sites for children are not permitted to request personal information without a parent's permission. Talk to children about what personal information is and why you should never give it to people online.
• if children use chat or e-mail, talk to them about never meeting in person with anyone they first "met" online.
• talk to children about not responding to offensive or dangerous e-mail, chat, or other communications. Report any such communication to local law enforcement. Do not delete the offensive or dangerous e-mail; turn off the monitor, and contact local law enforcement.
• keep the computer in the family room or another open area of your home.
• get informed about computers and the Internet. Visit the resources section to find additional information on Internet safety.
• let children show you what they can do online, and visit their favorite sites.
• have children use child-friendly search engines when completing homework.
• know who children are exchanging e-mail with, and only let them use chat areas when you can supervise. NetSmartz recommends limiting chatroom access to child-friendly chat sites.
• be aware of any other computers your child may be using.
• Internet accounts should be in the parent's name with parents having the primary screenname, controlling passwords, and using blocking and/or filtering devices.
• children should not complete a profile for a service provider and children's screennames should be nondescript so as not to identify that the user is a child.
• talk to children about what to do if they see something that makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Show them how to turn off the monitor and emphasize that it's not their fault if they see something upsetting. Remind children to tell a trusted adult if they see something that bothers them online.
• consider using filtering or monitoring software for your computer. Filtering products that use whitelisting, which only allows a child access to a preapproved list of sites, are recommended for children in this age group. NetSmartz does not advocate using filters only; education is a key part of prevention. Visit the resources section for web sites that provide information on filtering or blocking software.
• if you suspect online "stalking" or sexual exploitation of a child, report it to your local law-enforcement agency. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has a system for identifying online predators and child pornographers and contributing to law-enforcement investigations. It's called the CyberTipline®. Leads forwarded to the site will be acknowledged and shared with the appropriate law-enforcement agency for investigation.

More information available at
http://ping.fm/A68YK

Keep teens safe on the Internet. Get Internet safety tips at http://ping.fm/dUuW6

January Board Meeting

The January Board Meeting (monthly Board meeting are always held on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30) was one of our most exciting yet. The Board initiated Larry Rideaux of Lone Star College and Jake Welch of Target to fill two vacant Board positions.

The room was alive with enthusiasim for the work we have ahead of us. Mr. Rideaux is working to develop the new Lone Star campus at W. Little York and T.C. Jester. This campus will focus on providing basic college and GED preparation classes as well as a cirriculum helpful to small business owners.

Mr. Welch is the head of asset protection for Target and will be working with us to draw corporate security personnel to our regular security meetings (held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30) so that we can further our security network into the business community and make the area more secure for everyone.

The District welcomes Larry Rideaux, Lonestar College, and Jake Welch, Target, to our Board.

The U.S. Census Bureau is hiring for the 2010 Census. Call 866-861-2010 to schedule a basic employment test.

December Patrol Stats for NNWMD

Each month Precinct 1 Constables patrol the NNWMD District to make contact with business owners and community members. Below are the numerical results for their efforts. Beside each activity are three sets of numbers. The first is the results of our Weed & Seed officer, paid for by the Weed & Seed grant, patroling the 4 square mile Weed & Seed site. The second is the results of a two day anti-crime initiative on December 17 & 18 focused on the Antoine Corridor. The third is the results of 7 constables patrolling a 16 square mile area during the entire month.

Activity - W & S - 17-18 - NNWMD
Business Contacts – 29 – 41 - 379
Property Checks – 123 – 42 - 255
Citizen Assists – 29 – 3 - 51
Disturbances – 4 – 0 - 5
Assist OLEA – 54 – 16 - 45
Susp. Person/Vehicle – 31 – 12 - 49
Traffic Citations – 53 – 123 - 151
Traffic Violations – 89 – 171 - 199
Misdemeanor Arrests – 24 – 35 - 52
Felony Arrests – 2 – 0 - 1
Reports – 25 – 21 - 44
Total On-View Calls – 3 00 – 464 - 1253
Total Miles Patrolled – 1157 – 1501 - 6435

New Bus Service a Possibility for NNWMD

The staff at the Near Northwest Management District has been pondering whether or not increasing transportation in the area would be worthwhile or not. We believe that it would solve a number of problems in the area and have begun to talks with area bus companies to see if the idea is feasible.

We know that a lack of transportation is an issue in the area. A large number of area residents either own unreliable cars or don't own them at all or, particularly if gas goes up to $4 a gallon, can't afford to operate them. We also have a large aging population who could benefit from bus service.

Currently, we are meeting with several transportation companies to explore the feasibility of having a local circulator bus in our area. We believe that a route designed to pick up residents from apartments and neighborhoods in and around the Weed & Seed site and transport them to area businesses and attractions including the Library, Metro stops and Park & Ride, shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues along 290 and local grocery stores would benefit both residents and businesses and help to our community to thrive.

We would love to hear your ideas for ways to improve our community.

What if the NNWMD ran a bus to connect residents to area businesses, shopping, Metro stops & a community center? Cool? Would you use it?

The District is charging into 2010 with many exciting programs and plans to improve the area! What do you think wold most benefit the area?