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2014/12/11 City news, features and updates December 11, 2014 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e Holiday event photos - page 4 City renames statue amphitheater in honor of former City Manager Gene Pipes - page 2 In this issue... Construction on the City of Huntsville’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project has recommenced with a new contractor, and the full project is scheduled for completion by May 2015. According to City Engineer Yellambalsi Ramachandra, the City has contracted with Encino Landscape to address a comprehensive project “punch list” as well as to complete construction on additional roadways. “After our previous contractor defaulted on our construction agreement for the Safe Routes to School project, we set out to find a new contractor to complete the task,” Ramachandra said. “Working with CNA Surety out of Chicago, we found Encino Landscapes from Cleveland, Texas. “They have completed projects which required the exact same type of work included in SRTS with the Texas Department of Transportation, and they received very good reviews from all of the area engineers we spoke with, so we feel confident in our choice to contract with them.” Mike Goebel, Capital Improvement Projects manager, said Encino Landscapes commenced their work on the SRTS project - effective December 1 - by working on a punch list, a comprehensive list of tasks to be completed to satisfy the terms of the SRTS contract. After completing the items on the punch list, they will move forward with construction of sidewalks on State Highway 190, and finally complete work on Dogwood Drive. “Encino Landscape will pick up on all of the streets that have been previously worked on, including Avenue M, 7th Street, Hazel Avenue, Goodrich Drive, Trinity Cut- Off, Louis Davis Drive, Pine Street, Holly Drive and El Road,” Goebel said. “When the items on our punch list for those areas have been addressed, Encino will continue work in other major parts of the project, starting with Highway 190. “Altogether, our new contractor will have 124 working days to finish the project.” Ramachandra said the completed SRTS project will have a very positive impact on the City as a whole. "The City is very grateful to the residents and businesses who have been impacted by the ongoing SRTS project,” he said. “We are confident that the finished product, safer paths to and from our community's schools, will make it well worth the time invested." For more information, visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov. City moves forward on Safe Routes to School project with new contractor HPOA/SHSU charity event - page 3 HPOA, SHSU organization team up for Boys and Girls Club The Huntsville Police Officers Association recently partnered with the Sam Houston State University Sigma Alpha organization to hold the second annual “Santa Slam Kickball Tournament,” benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Walker County. According to Huntsville Police Department Sergeant Eric Scott, participants collected dozens of new toys that were donated to the Boys and Girls Club during a special ceremony on December 8. "I am so proud of both our officers and the group of participants from Sigma Alpha for dedicating their time and effort to giving back to the community," HPD Chief Kevin Lunsford said. "The Santa Slam Kickball Tournament represents a great opportunity to not only support a vital community organization, but for members of the public to get to know our uniformed and civilian staff." On November 18, City Council passed Resolution 2015-04, naming the amphitheater at the Sam Houston Statue Visitors Center in honor of former City Manager Gene Pipes. Pipes, who served as the City Manager of Huntsville from 1980 to 2000, was instrumental in the development of Huntsville during that time, and is recognized in the resolution for “consistently striving for park, recreational and educational opportunities for the youth of Huntsville.” In the early nineties - from when the idea for the statue originated through its official dedication in October 1994 – Pipes played an instrumental role in the monument’s completion, working closely with artist David Adickes, the City Council, the Huntsville community and businesses from around the state. “There is no experience at all that would equate to, or prepare you for, taking on a project like that,” Pipes said. “I had a great time with the Council and staff I worked with during the construction, and it’s certainly a nice story to tell today. “It was a privilege to have had the opportunity to see this project through in the first place, and that someone came up with the idea to recognize me 20 years later is a great honor.” Building a Tribute When David Adickes approached Pipes with the idea of a 70-foot statue of Sam Houston, one of the first challenges was finding a location for the finished product and gaining the necessary political support. “The whole idea for the statue really came to life when David walked into a live City Council meeting in December 1992 and offered to give the City a Christmas present and an icon,” Pipes said. “I’ll never forget when the Mayor – who was Bill Hodges at that time – turned to me and said, ‘Get ready, you’re going to be building a statue.’ “It was one thing to build playgrounds and swimming pools while administratively running the City, but I knew the statue project was going to be something different entirely.” Working with the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce, the City began the work of raising money for the statue through the “Stand with Sam” committee in 1993. “One of the conditions of building the statue was that the funding had to come out of private donations, meaning we had to build it without using any tax funds,” Pipes said. “It was a public-private partnership like that no one had seen before, and I have to give credit to that entire group, especially Johnny Holland who chaired the committee. “The group worked to sell personalized brick pavers in order to offset the cost of the foundation, the granite base and the assemblage of the statue, and their efforts were very successful. Adickes also raised funding independently to defray construction costs throughout the period.” A critical contribution – the land on which both the statue and the visitors center now sit – was given by Gibbs Brothers and Company, led by Donald Gibbs and other individuals. “The Gibbs family donated six acres of land between State Highway 75 and Interstate 45 – an almost priceless piece of property – which would allow the statue to be visible from 6.5 miles down the freeway,” Pipes said. “During that time, Adickes was also working on the statue using borrowed space at the W.S. Gibbs Farm, offered in-kind by Sam Houston State University.” Nearing completion As time went on, Pipes was faced with many of the practical considerations of completing the project, from transporting and assembling the pieces of the monument to securing a parking area for the attraction. “One day I got a call from the chairman of the board for Gifford Hill, a concrete company out of Houston,” Pipes said. “He had seen a story about the statue in the Dallas Morning News, and basically said to me, ‘We’re a Texas company and we’d like to help, so let me know when you need the rock for the parking lot and how much you want.’ “This was around the time we were trying to figure out how to get each section to the construction site and finally moved each Sam Houston Statue Amphitheater named in honor of former City Manager Gene Pipes Former City Manager Gene Pipes holds a clipping from the April 30, 1994 issue of the Huntsville Item, which featured him working with statue artist David Adickes on the interior of the structure. Pipes said he and Adickes were “a pair made out of accident - an artist and an administrator working toward a major goal.” section on a trailer without tearing up the surrounding woods.” During the summer of 1994, Pipes worked with Kirkland Crane company to stack several of the segments of the statue, building the monument to the waist before Adickes returned from a brief vacation. “When he came back, he nearly ran off the road when he saw how much work we had gotten done,” Pipes said. “He just couldn’t believe it, but I knew the ‘Stand with Sam’ committee had promised everyone we’d have the statue finished by October 22, so we kept moving forward.” “A Great Occasion” – The Dedication and beyond Despite heavy rains leading up to the event, the Sam Houston Statue – which Adickes named “A Tribute to Courage” – was dedicated on October 22, 1994. “I can’t tell you how many people were here for the dedication – we had lines of citizens along with national, state and local dignitaries,” Pipes said. “It was a really great occasion, and I think the idea of changing the image of Huntsville to the home of Sam Houston was really exciting for everyone.” After the dedication, the Statue Visitors Center was opened in February 1995, and the amphitheater followed soon after. The official naming ceremony will take place in March for the annual birthday celebration. “The naming of the amphitheater is long overdue, and we are so pleased to officially entitle the facility after former City Manager Gene Pipes,” said Kimm Thomas, Director of Tourism and Cultural Services. “We hope the public will join us for the official naming ceremony, to be held as part of the Sam Houston birthday celebration on March 2.” For more information, visit the Tourism Department’s Web site, www.huntsvilletexas.com. On left page, Gene Pipes poses in the recently re-named amphitheater at the Sam Houston Statue Visitors Center. Photos by Kristin Edwards. City Secretary reaches two professional milestones City Secretary Lee Woodward reached two significant career milestones in December, graduating as a Certified Public Manager and being named President of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association’s Salt Grass Chapter. On Monday, December 8, Woodward – accompanied by Mayor Mac Woodward and Mayor Pro Tem Keith Olson – took part in a special CPM graduation ceremony in Austin, Texas. To complete the professional certification, Ms. Woodward took part in courses through the Hobby Center at Texas State between November 2012 and December 2013, after which she completed a final project. Coursework included material pertaining to human resources, quality management, communications, applied research, finance and budgeting. “This could not have been done without the City Council support of education and continuous improvement. Special thanks are also due Kristin Edwards, Deputy City Secretary, for enabling us to continue providing the same level of service during this process,” Woodward said. “The material covered in the program continually plays a part in my role as the City Secretary, and my hope is to better serve the public with the knowledge and experience the CPM courses have provided.” Additionally, on Wednesday, December 10, Woodward took part in the Salt Grass Chapter’s annual Holiday Banquet and Chapter Installation, during which the five officers for 2015 officially accepted their new positions. During 2014, Woodward served as Vice President for the chapter, she has previously served as secretary and historian. “It will be an honor to serve as the President of the Salt Grass chapter,” Woodward said. “The opportunity to work closely with a group of professional peers is already invaluable, and leading the organization with the other officers will only enhance the experience.” Woodward was also the recipient of two scholarships from the Chapter, and Edwards received one donated to the Chapter by Olson & Olson, LLP, for use in their continuing education efforts. Woodward, far left, is pictured with Paula Favors, Doris Speer and Olga Garza, TMCA members and 2015 Salt Grass chapter officers. The Huntsville Public Library hosted a special “Winter Holidays Around the World” event on Saturday, December 6, in which community volunteers and library staff showed guests winter traditions from countries including Belgium, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. During the event, participants learned about native culture, foods, games and more, and had the chance to make their own souvenirs. Photos by Kristin Edwards The City of Huntsville Main Street program and the Recreation Services division held two successful Christmas events on Saturday, December 6. With live performances, arts and crafts, vendor booths and even “Selfies with Santa,” the two events drew hundreds of participants downtown.