Posts published in September 2010

The Houston Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce and the Greenspoint Mall will host a Law EXPO at the mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 25. The Opening Ceremony will be at 12 p.m.
Various public safety agencies will be represented.
Among those expected to attend will be the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, ESD #1 and Memorial Hermann Hospital’s Life Flight Air Ambulance, Bring your family and questions.
The Houston Police Department’s Mounted Patrol, which is based in Northeast Houston, is also expected to have some of their horses on display.
Each department will have displays were they will show off the equipment they use to protect the community. Photo opportunities with helicopters, horses, boats and more will be available.
Displays will be set up outside near the food court entrance as well as inside the mall.
In past years there have also been free child fingerprinting, child seat inspections and live entertainment.
For more information call the chamber at 281-260-3163.

By GILBERT HOFFMAN
Northeast News
Residents of the Northside, who have anxiously awaited the arrival of the METRO light rail line, and the completion of the renovated Northline Mall, had mixed news this week.
Because of a federal probe into procurement practices that now seem to have ignored guidelines, the FTA (Federal Transit Administration) has told Houston and METRO they must readvertise bids for light rail cars, to insure that the “Buy America” provisions of the contract are followed.
Until this re-procurement is accomplished, the federal government will withhold $64 million in grant funding for replacement rail cars for the existing downtown Red Line, and $50 million in engineering for the new lines, according to a letter from FTA administrator Peter Rogoff. However, in the same letter he promises $150 million in funds for the completion of the North and Southeast Corridor lines will be available if the re-procurement proceeds in an approved manner.

The dispute arose because the former CEO of METRO, Frank Wilson, executed a contract with a Spanish firm to build the new rail cars. Most of the rail cars were to be built in the U.S. in a new plant, but two prototype cars were to be built in Spain, due to scheduling. Wilson insisted he had approval from FTA for this method, but a recent audit of the contracts did not substantiate this conclusion.
As a result, METRO’s new CEO, George Grenias, announced that there will be a delay in operating the North and Southeast lines, from the original date of 2012 to a new date of 2014.

Eventually, METRO hopes to receive $900 million in federal grants to cover the cost of the four lines now in planning. Some of this money is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, meant to put workers immediately into jobs.
Walmart at Northline
Construction work on the new Super-Walmart adjacent to the Northline Commons is continuing, with an opening date set for late October, now tentively Oct. 27.
Walmart is taking job applications, and plans to hire about 300 employees. Anyone can apply for these jobs onsite, at Northline Commons, 4400 A North Freeway, Suite 100.

Aldine ISD opened two new schools when the 2010-2011 school year began on August 23. Rayford Road Intermediate School is the district’s 11th intermediate school and is located at 21919 Rayford Road. Robert Graham, formerly the principal at Carter Academy, is serving as the school’s first principal. The campus has a projected enrollment of 700 students.
Vernon and Kathy Lewis Middle School is the district’s 10th middle school and is located at 21255 West Hardy Road. Cassandra Cosby, formerly the principal at Oleson Elementary School, is the school’s first principal and the school has a projected enrollment of 750 students.
Lewis Middle School is named after Vernon and Kathy Lewis, two long-time educators who served Aldine ISD for close to 80years.

Vernon began his career in Aldine ISD as a teacher at Aldin High School in 1969 and over the next 37 years, he served as an assistant principal at Eisenhower High School, principal at Teague Middle School and Aldine High School, executive director of secondary schools, the Nimitz area superintendent and finally as an assistant superintendent of administration. He retired in December of 2006.
Kathy also began her career in Aldine ISD in 1969 and over the next 38 years she served as a teacher at MacArthur High School and Nimitz High School, and as a special education counselor and regular education counselor at Teague Middle School from 1983 until her retirement in 2007.
The Aldine ISD Board of Education unanimously voted to name the district’s 10th middle school in honor of the couple at the December 2009 Board meeting.
It was an honor that caught Vernon and Kathy totally off guard.
“This was such a surprise for both of us to be honored like this,” Vernon said. “It’s hard to express our gratitude and how overwhelmed we are with this honor. We’re just two ordinary people who were commited to the children of Aldine ISD.”

By GILBERT HOFFMAN
Northeast News
A very small turnout last Tuesday, Aug. 31, determined the school budget and tax rate in the Aldine ISD for the next school year.
Slightly more than 1,100 voters cast their ballots in the District’s tax ratification election, and the majority of the voters said “NO” to raising property taxes by 13 cents per $100 valuation of their real estate. This increase, which was approximately 10 per cent, would have increased the yearly income of the District from state and local sources by about $33.8 million. $15.3 million of that would have been from the state, due to reimbursement formulae, according to authorities.
AISD Superintendent Wanda Bamberg told the Northeast News that she was “disappointed in the vote. We wouldn’t have asked for the increase if it wasn’t necessary.”

Bamberg indicated that no additional cuts will be made in the budget for 2010-2011 because they have already cut $20 million from the budget last year, in the areas of magnet programs, after school activities, class sizes, and bus replacements. She indicated that the district will monitor spending this year, with a tight rein on spending.
The final tally was 682 “no” votes, and 439 in the “yes” category in the elction to get voter approval to raise the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) portion of the tax rate. The district’s Board of Trustees in June adopted the higher rate to increase the district’s revenues, and state law requires a tax ratification election to obtain voter approval.
Aldine was the recipient the last four years of national recognition by the Broad Prize, for outstanding education of a large urban district. Three years, 2004, 2005, and 2008 they were runners up, and received $250,000 for scholarships. Last year they were the top winner, and received $1 million for scholarships for seniors to continue college.
Bamberg said that property valuation will be down 3 to 5 percent this year, meaning less revenue from local taxes. The district will be watching closely what funding is available next year from the state legislature, and the federal government, as well as what additional cuts to make in 2011-2012 to keep the district budget solvent.