2020 BMX World Championship Coming to Houston.

The 2020 BMX World Championship is coming to Houston. Houston is attracting many events and this one will have an Olympic tie-in. The 6-day event will draw in 3,000 participants and 300 Athletes from 40 countries. It will be held at the North Houston Bike Park which is currently under construction. The North Houston Bike Park can seat 3,500 guests and is a $14 Million complex. It is also close to Bush Intercontinental airport and will connect to the Greens Bayou bike trail. The championship will happen right before the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Houston hosts many events and I am sure we will pull off an extraordinary BMX World Championship.

11 New Stores Open in Houston Galleria.

Eleven new stores will open in the Galleria Mall. Houston’s Galleria mall continues to be one of the best sites in the country for shopping. The stores opening in Houston’s Galleria include Cole Haan, Coach, Kate Spade New York, St. John, Tumi, Ted Baker, Tadashi Shoji, AG Adriano, Goldschmied, Massimo Dutti and Robin’s Jeans. The new stores will open in 2017 and together, mean 110,000 new square feet of retail area in the Galleria Mall. The Galleria and Houston continue to grow!

JP Morgan Chase donates $1 Million to help Houston homeless

JP Morgan Chase has donated $1 Million in order to help Houston homeless. Houston has already been doing a lot to help its homeless but this only makes our efforts so much better. This is the first time a major corporation has donated money to help Houston homeless. Houston doesn’t have a homeless problem as large as other cities its size does, because Houston is so affordable. Even so, this is great news!

Houston Photo Series #16

New City IT Director Named

Mayor Sylvester Turner has named Lisa Kent as the cities new Chief Information Officer.  The Mayor’s new appointment is good news; however, he has been taking too long in putting his cabinet together. Kent has been serving as an interim CIO since August. She was formerly the Chief Technology officer for the Houston Airport System. The Mayor was quoted as saying “I want a City IT Department that is able to respond quickly to the technological advances occurring almost daily in today’s fast paced 21^st century world we live in. Lisa is the perfect choice for this position. She has 26 years of technology experience and is a skilled leader with the ability to change gears quickly and often. She is also quite familiar with the systems due to her time in the airport systems.” I wish Lisa Kent luck in her new position and Mayor Sylvester Turner luck in filling in his cabinet.

Houston Most Charitable City in the Country

Houston has been ranked the most charitable city in the country. More good news for Houston. Charity Navigators Annual Metro Market Study ranked Houston number one for overall financial help and commitment to accountability and transparency. It also found that Houston charities received proportionately the most donations of any city in the analysis. This is actually a repeat, as Houston took the top spot last year as well. The other metros in the top five include St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Dallas and San Diego. Houston is the most charitable city in the country and it is well deserved.

Houston Photo Series #15

Houston Photo Series #14

Cigna's "Sunday Streets" Event

Over the past two years, Cigna has been holding a monthly “Sunday Streets” day in Houston. Where it closes down city streets to cars and holds a festival. Sunday Streets is a fun Houston program, which is your only chance to experience some Houston neighborhoods, entirely carless. Since it began in 2014, Sunday Streets has held events closing down The Heights, Montrose, The Third Ward, The East End, The Museum District and Downtown. Today, on October 2^nd, Cigna’s Sunday Streets event is being held in the Energy Corridor. Businesses along the closed corridor offer food and drink specials. The next Sunday Streets event will be held in the Fifth Ward on November 13^th. Then on December 4^th , there will be an event in Garden Oaks.

Sunday Streets is a fun event in Houston and the only chance you will get to experience Houston neighborhoods entirely carless.

Simone Biles to Grand Marshall Thanksgiving Day Parade

Simone Biles will be the grand marshall for the Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is exciting that we will have an Olympic champion in our parade. Simone Biles is a worldwide known athlete from the Houston area who is an Olympic gymnast. Simone Biles was asked by Mayor Sylvester Turner to be in the parade and she agreed. Simone Biles is the first woman to receive three consecutive world all-around titles and she earned four gold medals and one bronze at the Olympic Games in Rio, setting a new American record for most gold medals won in women’s gymnastics at singles games. Simone Biles is one of our most famous Houstonians and deserves to be in our parade.

Houston Mayor Says Don't Give to Panhandlers.

Mayor Sylvester Turner has said that he does not want Houstonians to give to panhandlers

Houston is preparing to crack down on panhandlers. New attention has been propelled by an incident in which panhandlers attacked a man in July 2016. The Mayor promised a more comprehensive plan to be released in three weeks. The Mayor is cracking down on panhandlers and we need him to.

Houston to Clean Areas Under Highways and Overpasses

Mayor Sylvester Turner plans a new program to clean up areas under Houston highways and overpasses. The program is a great way to clean Houston. The Department of Solid Waste Management will carry out the program. Highways and overpasses included in the program include Inner Loop 610 and I-45. The cleaning will happen once every few days. Our Mayor is doing what he can to keep Houston clean.