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Posts published in “Day: December 22, 2020”

Pct. 2 breaks ground for James Driver All-Inclusive Park

December 22, 2020
Conceptual View shows the extensive development of the park, with facilities developed especially for people of all ages with limited abilities.

Built for people of all ages and abilities

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia proudly broke ground on the expansion of James Driver Park last Wednesday. The expansion, the first of its kind in Precinct 2, will make James Driver Park an all-inclusive park, a regional destination for persons of all ages and abilities. Local community members and leaders, including Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado and Texas State Representative Armando Walle, celebrated the exciting occasion at the park on Wednesday, December 16th.

The official groundbreaking for the new James Driver Park took place last Wednesday, Dec. 16. Speaking at the ceremony were Harris County Pct. 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, State Senator Carol Alvarado, and State Representative Armando Walle.

“We have to make sure that we recognize the fact that people, children in particular, with physical and cognitive disabilities are among the largest underrepresented minority groups in the Houston/ Harris County area, and we need to do more for them,” said Commissioner Adrian Garcia. “This park will be addressing an entire spectrum of special needs – a space where children with disabilities can play alongside with friends and siblings, as well as their parents, caregivers, physical therapists, educators, or even physicians.”

The $7.6 million project, has already been recognized as having an important role in the county. Texas Parks and Wildlife awarded the park a $1.5 million grant to transform James Driver Park to a space for residents of all ages and abilities to exercise, socialize, and play. Located in an underserved part of Harris County, this expansion project should also help to revitalize the surrounding community and will serve as a destination to visitors of the city.

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Walle holds District 140 Virtual Town Hall Meeting

December 22, 2020
This slide from the Town Hall illustrates some of the Relief effort extended to families due to the COVID pandemic.

By GILBERT HOFFMAN

State Representative Armando Walle held a virtual Town Hall last Thursday night, by way of Facebook Live on the Internet. About 30 persons joined the session, to listen and chat. The session lasted for over an hour.

Walle covered legislation that affected conditions in his district, Texas HD140. He started by reviewing the accomplishments in the last session, the 86th that met in 2019. The next session, which occurs every two years, is due to start on January 12 of next year. The session will last 140 days, and set a state budget for the next two years.

Walle said that much of the focus in that session was on mitigating flooding, since Hurricane Harvey had just devastated much of the Gulf Coast counties. Locally severe flooding occurred in District 140, as well as other parts of Houston and Harris County. Because Walle sits on the Budget committee, he was able to help get aid for local neighborhoods. $13 million was appropriated for flood relief in Kingwood, for instance, and also help for HCC and Lone Star College. In all, the legislature voted $2.1 Billion for Harvey relief, and an additional $1.8 Billion for other flood mitigation.

The total two year budget that passed was about $250 Billion. As a member of the budget committee, Walle helped pass $6.5 Billion for public schools, of which $2 Billion went for teachers’ raises, and all-day Pre-School.

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