8-3-16 TWIH
August 3,
2016
City news,
features,
and
updates
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Huntsville Firefighters Chase Wood and Matt Morris were recently recognized for their
commitment and hard work. On May 27 they saved a young man’s life who hydroplaned off
Highway 30 during the flooding in our area.
“The water was very powerful,” Wood explained. “There
was a crazy amount of pressure trying to wash us down
the creek. As soon as I got in the water, I started going the
other way. I was headed for some dangerous debris.
Another firefighter, Donnie Smith, had me by a rope.
Donnie helped pull me back across the creek.” “He was a
limp noodle. He was exhausted,” Morris added.
Fighting the rapid water and dangerous conditions, it truly
became a team effort
to get the young man
to safety. “It took
everything from both of us, me and Matt, to get out of there
safely. That was teamwork at its best.” Wood mentioned.
Captain Greg Mathis, who recently assisted in the Houston-
area high water rescues, wrote a letter to Fire Chief Tom
Grisham to express his gratitude towards these two men.
The commendation letter was forwarded to representatives
from the Police and Firemen’s Insurance Association, who
then came to Huntsville Fire Station #1 to present the duo with awards and honor them for the
incredible job they did that day and every other day.
“I can tell you that beyond any shadow of a doubt, without question, these two young men did
their jobs and their training was of benefit to them,” Mathis boasted. “My expression to Chief
Grisham was, ‘We can send anyone to training, but for them to have the courage to actually do
their jobs when it comes down to it, that’s what matters.’
The City of Huntsville is fortunate to have excellent first responders and many outstanding local
heroes serving our community every day.
Candidate Filing Now Open
The City Council seats for At-large Positions 1-4 will be on the November 8, 2016 General Election
ballot. Filing for the positions will be from July 23 to August 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the office
of the City Secretary (City Hall, 1212 Avenue M).
Candidate packets for the 2016 City of Huntsville General Election are available through the office
of the City Secretary at City Hall, 1212 Avenue M, or at http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/Elections.
The City of Huntsville application fee is one dollar in cash, per City
Charter mandate. City Secretary Lee Woodward acknowledged
members of the public may have questions about the responsibilities of
Councilmembers.
“The City Secretary’s office provides the candidate packets, which
include general information, a brief of the state election calendar, and
references for guidelines and statutes,” Woodward said. “Anyone is
welcome to learn more about the duties of Councilmembers and how
the election process is conducted, even if they have no desire to run
for office. The steps to becoming and the obligations of an elected
Councilmember are many and varied.”
For more information, email citysecretary@huntsvilletx.gov, call 936-
291-5403, or visit the City's Elections page at http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/Elections.
Huntsville Local Heroes
Punt, Pass & Kick
Young pro football fans will have the
opportunity to exhibit their skills
when the Parks and Leisure
Department at the City of Huntsville
hosts the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick
competition on Friday, August 5,
2016, at Kate Barr Ross Memorial
Park on Field 6 at 6 p.m. The
competition is free, and open to boys
and girls ages 6 to 15.
For more information, call Penny
Joiner at (936) 294-5708. Entry
forms are available online at
www.nflppk.com.
Birth certificates are required for
proof of age. No cleats allowed.
Join the Parks and Leisure Department on Friday, August 19,
at 9 p.m., for Flick and Float at the Huntsville Aquatic Center.
The movie Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice will be
shown while you float in the pool!
Be sure to bring your pool floats or camping chairs, no open
swimming will be allowed. There will be concessions available
for purchase at the Aquatic Center. No coolers will be allowed
inside the gates.
If you have questions about the event, please contact the
Parks and Leisure Department at 936-294-5721. The Frank
D. "Poncho" Roberts Aquatic Center is located at 912 Avenue
N.
This year’s closing date for the pool at the Frank D. “Poncho”
Roberts Aquatic Center is August 21. Get to splashing and
beat the heat before the summer is gone! For information on
the Aquatic Center visit http://huntsvilletx.gov/265/Aquatic-
Programs-Fees
Flick & Float
Huntsville Turned 181 Years Old!
The City of Huntsville celebrated its 181st birthday
on July 12. The City was incorporated on July 12,
1835. Huntsville has seen a lot of positive
changes over the past 181 years but still remains
true to its warm welcoming roots.
This year to celebrate we had a party on social
media. Cities around Texas, local organizations
and residents wished Huntsville a Happy Birthday!
Be sure to watch our birthday celebration recap at
http://bit.ly/2ar02Nu!
Come to Story Time – a fun early literacy program for kids 5 and under. Join us for interactive stories, songs, rhymes, and
crafts. The early literacy practices featured each week help build the foundation for a lifelong love of reading and learning.
For parents and caregivers, story time offers an opportunity to experience early literacy practices in action, discover great
books and resources for home use and socialize with other parents after Story Time. Each session has its own theme. Story
Time is sponsored by Amerigroup and sign-up is not required. Story Times are held on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:45 a.m.
August 3, 5 10, 12, 19, 24, 26, and 31.
Do you have children ages 2 or under? Then Mother Goose Lapsit is a story time designed
for you! Held on Mondays at 10:30 a.m., it’s a half hour of developmentally appropriate play
featuring stories, songs, and rhymes. This program introduces little ones to the story time
experience and is perfect for their language development and developing vocabulary.
Sign-up is not required. August 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.
You don’t want to miss Family Movie Night at 5:30 p.m. Friday, August 12th, as we show
Zootopia. Enjoy complimentary popcorn and drinks sponsored by the Texas Children’s
Health Plan. Bring your own pillow or blanket. Sign-up is not required. All ages welcome.
The Frances Sprott Goforth Memorial Genealogy Weekend will be held Friday, Aug. 5th, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and
Saturday, Aug. 6th, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Huntsville Public Library. This year's event, "Researching Texas", is
hosted by the HPL and Walker County Genealogical Society. Among the libraries represented are Texas State Library &
Archives, Clayton Library, Texas General Land Office, Sam Houston Regional Library & Research Center, Montgomery County
Memorial Library, Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Rosenberg Library, and the Sam Houston State University Thomason
Room/Archives. A light supper being provided during the lock-in. A silent auction will be held during the weekend and is open
to the public. The auction will end at 4 p.m. Saturday. The event is free but requires registration. Call 936-291-5472 or sign
up online at www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com. Admission is free.
Ce Schlicher of the Walker County Healthy Initiative will discuss the DASH Diet, (originally designed to help lower blood
pressure, but has the added benefit of taking off pounds and helping diabetics manage their diets, too.) Meet at noon,
Monday, August 15 and 22 in the Huntsville Public Library Community Room. Admission is free.
The Huntsville Public Library continues its Brown Bag Lecture Series on Thursday, August 25th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The lecture will be presented by Aric Schneller, Director of Sam Houston State University Jazz Studies. Attendees may bring a
brown bag lunch. Lunch time begins at 11:30 a.m. and the lecture will begin at noon. The lecture series is planned for the
fourth Thursday of each month. Some of the topics that will be explored include interesting and novel topics of general appeal
to Huntsville. Beverages will be provided. Admission is free.
Are you ready to take on the new school year? Join us at
Huntsville Public Library on Wednesday, August 17th
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for their Back to School Bash, an
exciting event sponsored by Texas Children’s Health Plan
and the Huntsville Public Library. Families can have fun
at activity booths, receive free dental and vision
screening, and much more! School-aged children who
attend will also receive a free backpack with school
supplies while quantities last. Please bring a report card
or enrollment form to receive supplies.
For more information, please contact Rachel McPhail at 936-291-5910.
For more information, please contact Adult Services Coordinator Mary Kokot at 936-291-5471.
August Library Events
http://twitter.com/HuntsvilleTexas www.facebook.com/HuntsvilleTX
CityofHuntsville Get Social!
City’s ISO Rating Improved
At the July 19, 2016 City Council meeting, Director of Public Safety Police Chief Kevin Lunsford and Fire Chief Tom
Grisham shared information on the City's updated ISO rating. Huntsville's Public Protection Classification rating
has been improved to a 2 from a previous 3.
Established in 1971, the ratings are a system of the for-profit Insurance Service Office organization, and range
from 10-1. The City's Fire Department has worked hard to improve the area's rating through staffing, training, and
equipment purchases and maintenance.
For more information, contact Chief Grisham at 936-291-5941 or visit http://huntsvilletx.gov/568/ISO-
Information to download the corresponding documents to present to your insurance company to discuss a
possible reduction in rates.
Be sure to thank a Huntsville Fire Fighter for all they do to protect and improve the City’s quality of life!
MobileNOW! Paid Parking System Being Implemented
The conversion of Bobby K. Marks Drive and Bearkat Boulevard to one-way traffic has been completed and the
traffic patterns have changed. Over 200 paid parking spaces have been installed along the two street segments.
Informational signs for paid parking will be installed within the next two weeks with directions on how to use the
MobileNOW! system. Crews have been preparing the area and equipment for each sign and the contractor will be
installing them starting the week of July 25.
The new parking spaces will be controlled through a pay-by-space
on-street parking system. Drivers will be able to pay for parking
quickly and easily using the free MobileNOW! app on smartphones,
tablets, and smart watches. Those who are not smart device users
can pay for parking by calling MobileNOW! at 936-666-2296.
To use the system, download the free MobileNOW! application and
follow the instructions to create an account from the homepage.
Once the account is set up, drivers will be able to select the
numbered parking space they are in and indicate how much time
they would like to purchase. A benefit of MobileNOW! is that the
system will send alerts when the time is almost up and more time
can be purchased remotely by phone or app. The paid parking will
be enforced by the Huntsville Police Department using MobileNOW!
software.
There is a $1.25 per hour parking fee, plus a $0.25 convenience fee per transaction. There will also be instructions
and a QR code to download the application on the signs spaced at every four parking spaces. For more
information, contact the City of Huntsville Finance Department at 936-291-5419.
The City of Huntsville’s Department for Community
and Economic Development has recently launched a
new website to assist potential new businesses and
new residents find a home in Huntsville. The site
features detailed information on our city including a
community profile, resources for businesses and
quality of life information. The site also features easy
to navigate resources about utilities and maps of the
City of Huntsville.
“The Economic Development website allows us to
share information with anyone looking to develop in
the City of Huntsville.” said Aron Kulhavy, Community
and Economic Development Director.
“These type of websites are the number one source
of information for people seeking to come into town.
Before this website, we had very little presence on
the Internet in the development arena so it was
difficult for people to get information. We have
already received inquiries generated from the site
and plan to add more features to it in the future.”
Visit the new page at http://huntsvilletx.gov/407/
Economic-Development.
Road to Rio 2016
The Sam Houston National Forest is home to the legendary Karolyi Ranch, the Olympic training site for the
USA Gymnastics National Team. Coaches Martha and Bela Karolyi built the ranch almost 30 years ago in the
middle of the forest.
On Friday, July 22, Huntsville City Council and staff were invited to the Ranch for a rare opportunity to see the
team perform their Olympic routines. Everyone was greeted at the door by Bela himself and enjoyed listening to
him give the inside scoop on all the athletes. The City wishes the team and all Team USA Olympians the best of
luck in Rio!
If you haven’t heard about the Ranch be sure to watch the NBC Sports documentary here, http://bit.ly/2a9cqly ,
to learn more about this great asset to our area.
New Economic Development Page is Helping Huntsville Grow!
New Economic Development Page is
Helping Huntsville Grow!
Huntsville Public Library hosted Dr. Pamela J. Zelbst during their monthly Brown Bag Lecture on Thursday,
July 28. The lecture featured Medical 3D printing.
Dr. Zelbst is an Associate Professor at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in the College of Business
Administration (COBA). In addition to teaching, she serves as the Director for the Center for Innovation and
Technology and the Sower Business Technology Laboratory.
“Dr. Zelbst drew in a large crowd.” said HPL Reference Librarian Richard Lane. “She spoke on a number of
applications including commercial and medical usages of 3D printing. She discussed the efficiency of the
process as well as economic issues related to transportation and waste.”
Zelbst and two of her graduate students demonstrated the operation of a 3D printer and displayed several
examples of 3D printing, according to Lane.
“One of the examples was a three-dimensional gearbox with moving gears. It was printed as a complete
unit and did not require any hand assembly,” Lane said. “It was really neat.”
Huntsville Public Library will be hosting more 3D printing events in the near future, added Lane. The
Friends of the Huntsville Public Library recently donated funds to purchase a 3D printer for the library.
“The donation was monumental for the library in terms of advancing technology and making it available to
our community,” said Asst. City Librarian Anne Sparks. “We will be holding special classes soon. The
printer we received does take time to print, but is well worth the wait. We are truly excited.”
For more information about upcoming events, follow the library on Facebook at Huntsville Public Library,
on twitter @HuntsvilleLib or on Instagram at Huntsville_Public_Library.
3D Printing at the HPL