2014/02/28
City news,
features
and
updates
February 28,
2014
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The Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center has
exciting plans for this year’s Spring Break week,
March 11-15, and both Huntsville residents and new
guests are sure to have a great time.
According to Kimm Thomas, Director of Tourism and
Cultural Services, all activities will be offered free of
charge and will include scavenger hunts, geocaching,
games and more.
“Every year, we look forward to our Spring Break
activities at the Statue,” Thomas said. “These events
are open to everyone in the community, and if this
year is anything like years past, we expect to see
between 800 and 1,000 people at the facility each
day.”
Starting Monday, March 11, the statue staff will offer
a collection of “big games,” board games and card
games for guests to play on the Visitors Center
grounds.
“On Tuesday, we’re going to offer a movie and
refreshments,” Thomas said. “We’re doing everything
we can to show the movie in our outdoor
amphitheater, which will be a really unique experience
even if you’ve been to the statue before.”
A postcard and discount day in the Gift Shop will take
place on Wednesday, March 13.
“All of our guests will receive a special Sam Houston
postcard and receive a 10 percent discount on any
purchases if they come to the Statue on Wednesday,”
Thomas said. “The next day will be a lot of fun,
because we’ll hold a scavenger hunt on the Statue
grounds. There will be a lot of great photo
opportunities that day, and it will be another chance
for those who may have visited us before to see parts
of the facility they might not have known about
previously.”
The last day of the week – March 15 – will offer a
special treat for residents and visitors who spend time
geocaching.
“For our geocaching expedition, we are going to start
off at the Statue and give everyone a free mini
flashlight,” Thomas said. “From there, the staff will
provide a list of the Geocaching locations
throughout Huntsville for participants to explore.”
While all activities are offered free of charge,
donations are appreciated. For more information,
contact the Statue Visitors Center at 936-291-
9726 .
Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center to offer full week of
Spring Break activities
Deanna Tyler, Tourism Department Administrative
Assistant, has established a new outreach method
for the Tourism & Cultural Services Department.
Her blog, “Where a Warm Welcome Awaits,” has
garnered nearly 100 views since its creation three
weeks ago, and Tyler plans to grow the effort by
integrating guest bloggers.
“We started this blog as a way to keep people
connected,” she said. “Our intention is to use the
blog to let everyone know what’s going on at the
Statue, preview special events or show captivating
photos.
“Residents or guests can subscribe to get emailed
any time we update the blog, or if they already
have a WordPress account, they can follow our
blog.”
Tyler said the staff plans to work with guest
writers to provide a range of perspectives on the
blog.
“We’re hoping to work with one guest blogger who
discusses statues and their history, but we’re
always open to having additional voices,” she
said. “If anyone likes to blog or wants to guest
blog, we will meet with them and see what they
have to offer.”
The blog may be accessed at
www.whereawarmwelcomeawaits.wordpress.com.
For more information, contact Tyler at (936) 291-
9726 or by email at dtyler@huntsvilletx.gov.
Check out the new
Tourism blog!
Coming soon:
Special Issue of “This Week in Huntsville!”
Very soon, the City will release a special issue of “This Week in Huntsville” providing
extensive detail about the Texas Department of Transportation’s ongoing construction
project at the interchange of State Highway 75 and Interstate 45.
The issue will diagram the various phases of the project, the detours to be put into
effect and other critical items. The City would like to thank TxDOT for their invaluable
efforts in completing this publication. We hope our citizens will utilize the issue
throughout the project.
Expert in the Field
Time employed with City of Huntsville: 9 years
Education: Bachelor of Science in Health Education from Sam
Houston State University; also holds a designation as a Certified
Professional of Food Safety as well as a national credential of RS/
REHS (registered sanitarian/registered environmental health
specialist)
Job description: As a Health Inspector with the City of Huntsville, I
inspect all restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, meat
markets, bars, night clubs, schools, and day-cares. We also
inspect foster homes as a courtesy to the Department of Family
and Protective Services. During our inspections our main focus is
food safety. Sanitation and personal hygiene are also very
important in maintaining food safety. We focus heavily on
temperatures during our inspections to ensure food is being
cooked, cooled, and held at the appropriate temperatures during
the operation hours. Sanitizing of equipment and food prep areas
are also critical. We also check pest records, grease trap
cleanings, vent hood cleanings as part of the inspection. We
check food contact surfaces (utensils, ice machines, soda
machines, anything that will come in contact with food) to make
sure proper cleaning and sanitizing is done. We visually observe
employee behavior to prevent any cross-contamination of
food. We also visually check their personal hygiene as well for
details like clean clothes, aprons, hair, nails, no sores on hands or
arms, etc. All food must be from an approved source with proper
labeling and documentation as well. We work closely with U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and
Deven Merchant
Health Inspector
(936) 294-5711
the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Restaurants are given demerits according to which violations
they receive. There are various demerits that are tallied at the
end of the inspection for a final score. A score of 0 would mean
there were no violations. A score of 20 or above is considered
failing and requires a re-inspection which is accompanied by a
$55 fee. If any establishment has an imminent health hazard
(pest infestation, sewer back-up, flood, fire, no running water,
etc.) or extremely poor sanitation, they will be required to close
until repairs or compliance is achieved. Generally all critical
violations are encouraged to be corrected on-site if that is not
possible they will be given 24 hours for compliance. Any
establishment that receives a score of 20 and above will be
given two weeks for compliance. Our day-care inspections have
a food-safety check as well as a safety check of all toys and
equipment that children use.
Colleague perspectives: Kristie Pacher, Faith Lutheran School
“When Deven comes for inspections, she’s always looking for
what health inspectors look for, but she’s always very generous
with suggestions and is very thorough if I have a question about
something in her answer. If there is anything she doesn't know,
she finds out and lets me know in a timely manner. She is very
easy to work with - she’s there to do her job, but she always
makes it a pleasant experience.
Deven has also come to speak to our staff about her job. I felt
she was going above and beyond by participating in our staff
development efforts.
Brad Blackburn, Resident District Manager for Aramark
“We rely on Deven’s expertise a great deal - she is very
knowledgeable, always more than willing to assist us, and she
has assisted with our annual training program. She is a great
asset to have.”
Project Valuation Address
Convenience Store $800,000.00 266 FM 247
HHS Practice Field/Bleachers/Press Box $1,200,000.00 441 FM 2821
Parkview Place Remodel $2,401,929.00 1110 Avenue N
Walker County Jail $17,500,000.00 655 FM 2821
Hampton Inn Hotel $4,000,000.00 120 Ravenwood Village Dr.
Fraternity House $460,000.00 287 Bearkat Blvd.
Apartments $569,480.00 1239 20th Street
Public Storage Units $202,428.00 150 SH 19
CVS $1,400,000.00 2421 Sam Houston Avenue
Dialysis Medical Clinic $760,000.00 540 IH 45 S; Suite A
Physical Therapy Clinic $340,000.00 540 IH 45 S; Suite C
TDCJ Office/Storage $650,000.00 3365 Collard
Retail Space Shells (Ross, Petco & Maurices) $1,982,960.00 249 IH 45 S
Retail Space Shell (TBD) $486,000.00 245 IH 45 S
Academy Sports & Outdoors $4,800,000.00 281 IH 45 S
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The City of Huntsville is happy to welcome Lindsay Lauher as the
new Main Street Coordinator and Historic Preservation Officer.
Lauher, 25, holds a Master of Business Administration and a
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Sam Houston State
University.
“I’m so excited to take part in all of the aspects of the Main
Street program and the historical preservation efforts of the
City,” Lauher said. “I’ve always liked history, which I attribute to
being born in Williamsburg, Virginia and spending time in many
other fascinating parts of the country while growing up.
“It has always been really important to me to live in an area with
a historic, culturally enriched downtown area –to me, that
defines a community. I understand this position is pivotal to the
identity not only of Huntsville but to our downtown area, and I
look forward to making the most of it.”
The Main Street Coordinator/Historic Preservation Officer is
charged with facilitating the creation of an inviting and historic
downtown area and other historic places that will serve as the
center of economic, cultural and social activity for the City of
Huntsville’s residents and visitors.
The program facilitates several events throughout the year
including the Downtown Music Series, the Farmer’s Market, and
Scare on the Square.
“We have quite a few events coming up during the next several
months,” Lauher said. “We’re integrating our annual Spring
Clean event into the Sam Houston State University ‘All Paws In’
effort on March 1, and we also have our Downtown Music Series
kicking off in April.
“In May, our Downtown Farmer’s Market will start up for the
summer, and we’ll also take part in the Downtown Business
Alliance’s ‘Wine Down, Shop Small’ event on May 1.”
With respect to historic preservation, Lauher said she and her
supervisor - Aron Kulhavy, Director of Community and Economic
Development – have set several goals to ensure the program’s
success.
“We are working
to get a Historic
Preservation
Committee
established and
ready to accept
applications later
this year,” she
said. “We’re also
putting a lot of
effort into
becoming a
Certified Local
Government
through the
National Park
Service. This
designation will
assist us in
securing grant
funding for
historical
preservation initiatives.”
Lauher said her transition into the role of Main Street
Coordinator has been much easier with the assistance of Ariel
Traub, who has served as the interim program coordinator since
the former coordinator’s departure.
“After Kim McAuliffe, the previous Main Street Coordinator,
accepted a new position earlier this year, Ariel stepped up and
has done an incredible job with the program,” Lauher said. “She
is certainly helping me get up to speed quickly, and she’s really
helping me pick up where Kim left off with respect to programs
and office practices.”
Lauher may be reached at (936) 291-5920 or via email
at llauher@huntsvilletx.gov.
City pleased to welcome new Main Street Coordinator,
Historic Preservation officer
Lindsay Lauher
The Walker County Master Gardeners will hold a special seminar at the Huntsville Public
Library on March 6 to provide tips and ideas for spring gardening.
The event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Community Room, and the
public is encouraged to attend.
According to Master Gardener Bill Dawson, the event will place an emphasis on container
and urban patio gardening, and handouts will be provided to participants for future
reference.
“We plan to provide our class with information on all aspects of gardening, such as
mulching, composting, proper watering and irrigation, environmentally friendly gardening
practices and drought management,” he said.
Attendants will also learn about the standards of Organic Edible Gardens; integrated pest
management; design options and aesthetics; the best herbs, fruits and vegetables for
planter growth and more.
Dawson will further address gardening tips in the Master Gardeners column to be
featured in the March 2 issue of The Huntsville Item.
For more information, contact Adult Services Coordinator Denise Tilson at (936) 291-
5471, or visit the Master Gardeners Web site, www.grovesite.com/mg/wc.
Walker County Master Gardeners to hold spring gardening class
at Huntsville Public Library
Did you know?
According to information
from the Master Gardeners,
there are specific fruits and
vegetables that are well-
adapted to planters.
Some of the best fruits are
blueberries and
strawberries, and some of
the best vegetables are
carrots, cucumbers,
radishes, onion and kale.
Learn more at the March 6
class!
Art contest winners unveiled!
Several members of the City
Council toured the Trinity River
Authority water plant and heard
from Operations Manager Keith
Bass regarding ongoing
construction.
As of February 2014, the plant
expansion is expected to be
complete by early fall.
Photos by Lee Woodward
Stop by the Huntsville Public Library Children’s Room to
see the winning submissions from this year’s Art
Contest! A total of 15 children from five age categories
(5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-18) won $10 and the
honor of having their art displayed in the library for a
full year, and several more participants received
honorable mention certificates.
Council visits
TRA Plant