Houston Photo Series #20

Texas first Medical Marijuana Lawyer opened her practice in Houston.

The state of Texas first lawyer to specialize in medical marijuana laws has opened her practice in Houston. This is a groundbreaking step in the transformation of Texas medical marijuana policy. Texas legalized medical marijuana in 2015. Lisa L. Pittman opened her practice in Houston on April 20^th, 2016.  Although she received a law degree in 2001, Lisa went through many years not working as a lawyer until she was forced to by financial reasons. The medical marijuana policy in Texas continues to shape itself.

Three of the Top 10 Schools in Houston are inside Houston's inner loop.

A recent ranking found that three of the top ten schools in Houston are in the Inner 610 loop. This is good news for parents looking to live inside Houston’s inner loop.

The list was put together by “Children at Risk” a statewide education advocacy group. It was also published by LearnCentralHouston.org; an inner loop education information website. This is good news for parents of inner looper kids and good news for Houston’s inner loop, which continues to rapidly improve.

LearnCentralHouston.org

LearnCentralHouston.org is a website which will help parents find the best schools for inner looper kids who live inside the Inner 610 Loop.

LearnCentralHouston.org is a great website. You can search by school, search by neighborhood, or find your selection on a map. There are also filters you can provide when making your search, which includes, public, private, elementary, middle, high, dual language, fine arts magnate, health sciences magnet, etc. Check out LearnCentralHouston.org. It is a great asset for parents looking to live in the inner loop.

UpSkill Houston

In 2014, the Greater Houston Partnership created an organization named UpSkill Houston. The purpose of the organization is to help individuals who have a high school diploma but not a college diploma, find jobs in the Houston area.

UpSkill Houston is a great organization which helps improve Houston’s economy.

The organization tries to encourage jobs which fall into the category of requiring a high school diploma but not a college diploma come to Houston. It helps train these individuals and helps them find these jobs. A board of 32 members runs the organization. The Greater Houston Partnership launched a great program with this organization, which will greatly benefit Houstonians.

Heights Theater Reopens as Theater after Spending Many Years as an Art Gallery.

After a number of years of being an art gallery, The Heights Theater was restored to being a theater again.

The renovation brings a new concert venue to Houston.

The Heights theater opened in the 1920s however for many years was used as an art gallery. The owner, Edwin Cabannis, has also renovated and reopened the Kessler Theater, in the Dallas area. He bought The Heights Theater in 2015.

The Heights Theater brings another high-quality concert venue to Houston.

Casino Ship Finds Loophole to State Gambling Laws

A local entrepreneur has introduced a creative way to overcome the states gambling laws. He has formed a Casino Boat, which travels out to federal waters, where gambling is legal. The company is a creative way to give Houstonians access to hours of gambling.

The ship is called Jacks or Better and the ships first sail began April 8^th, 2017. The ship can hold up to 60 passengers and costs $15 a ticket. Each trip lasts seven hours. It takes an hour and a half to reach federal waters and back, while the passengers are given five hours to gamble.

Jacks or Better is a great addition to the City of Houston’s list of things to do.

Houston Photo Series #19

Houston Mayor Visits London, Promoting Trade and Businesses Investments between London and Houston

From July 7^th-July 15^th Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Greater Houston Partnership will visit London, England in order to market Houston, as a business and trade destination, including enhancing relationships between the City of Houston, the City of London and London based businesses considering investing in Houston. The Mayors efforts portray a cheap and innovative way to bring businesses to Houston. The Mayor has made similar visits in Mexico and Cuba. A pattern not followed by previous Mayors. During the trip, the Mayor gave this statement. “As key investors in the region, both the United Kingdom and Germany are important markets in our efforts to expand Houston’s economic and cultural reach around the world.”

After the trip, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Bob Harvey of the Greater Houston Partnership, will visit Istanbul, Turkey in order to accept the nomination  for Houston to host the World Petroleum Congress in 2020.

The Mayors plan to market Houston to other countries, highlights a way Houston can cheaply bring foreign business investments into Houston.