Free Microchip Voucher
If you live in District A and need to microchip your pet, there are are limited number of free vouchers still available! Please email my office with your address, and we will send you a voucher. This is on a first come, first served basis, so please email us right away at [email protected] or call is at 832-393-3010.
Many loved family pets end up in animal shelters. Shelters do their best to locate owners but often cannot find the owner because the pet has no form of identification. Microchipping is a technology that is virtually painless for your pet and creates a permanent method of identification. A small computer microchip is embedded under your pet’s skin, usually between their shoulder blades. The chip contains a unique ID number that identifies your pet and is a permanent record. BARC recommends microchipping for all dogs and cats. Having a microchip does not mean your pet shouldn’t also wear an ID and license tag; lost pets that have all these forms of ID and a microchip have the greatest chance of being returned to their loving homes and families.
How is the Microchip Inserted?
The chip is very small, comparable to the size of a grain of rice. It fits into a veterinarian’s hypodermic needle and is injected, just like a vaccine, under the skin of your pet, where it remains for the duration of their life.
How Does The Microchip Work?
A special scanner reads the microchip number, which is then called in to a data bank that has your contact information. It is important to keep your contact information current.
What Types Of Pets Can Be Chipped?
Microchipping is safe for all types of pets including dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles and exotic pets.
Hurricane Season Began June 1st
June 1st marked the official start of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Saturday, November 20th. Per Harris County’s Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Prediction Center released its “seasonal outlook that predicts that nine to 15 named storms could potentially develop in the Atlantic basin this year. Of these storms, four to eight could become hurricanes; and two to four could strengthen into major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.
“If that forecast holds, it would make for a near-normal season. An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes. Regardless of the forecast, it only takes one storm to make it a bad year.”
Make an Emergency PlanThe first step in preparing for disasters is to make a plan. Have a plan for what you and your family will do in an emergency. Consider how you will communicate with each other, where you will meet, and who you can leave messages with out-of-state if you can’t reach people locally. Learn more about preparing a plan: http://www.
Houston residents who might need additional help in evacuating during a disaster can visit the OEM website to learn more about the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR), which allows residents to provide information on their specific situation to emergency management officials who will work to help them evacuate safely, or provide them with the appropriate life-sustaining help they need in a disaster: http://bit.ly/
Have an Emergency Supply Kit
After you have your plan, start building a kit. Houston residents should have what they need to be on their own for 5-7 days following a storm. This includes food, water, medications, and individual needs such as medical devices or pet supplies.
The City of Houston Disaster Preparedness Guide (DPG) is updated annually and provides information about emergency planning to Houston residents. The Guide is available in six languages for download:
- English
- Español (Spanish)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- 中文 (Chinese)
- العَرَبِيَّة (Arabic)
- Français (French)
Stay Informed
If you stay informed, you’ll know when disasters are going to strike. Know where to go to get updated information, including local television and radio, as well as official websites such as:
- Houston Office of Emergency Management: houstonoem.org
- Houston Emergency Site: houstonemergency.org
- National Weather Service Houston-Galveston: weather.
gov/houston - Official Social Media Channels:
- City of Houston Emergency Information:
- Twitter: @AlertHouston
- Facebook: facebook.com/
alerthouston
- City of Houston Office of Emergency Management:
- Twitter: @houstonoem
- Facebook: facebook.com/
houstonoem - Instagram: @houstonoem
- Nextdoor: nextdoor.com/pages/
houston-office-of-emergency- management
- City of Houston Emergency Information:
- Emergency Incidents (such as hazmat situations or law enforcement activity)
- Severe Weather information
- Major Traffic & Transit Interruptions
- Missing People (AMBER Alerts & Silver Alerts)
- Information regarding Special Events & Planned Drills
- Recovery information for people impacted by a disaster (such as the flooding from Hurricane Harvey or Tax Day)
Register for alerts today at www.alerthouston.org.
Know your Neighbors
Your neighbors can be a great source of help immediately after a disaster. Get to know your neighbors, particularly those too elderly or too ill to independently plan or prepare themselves for a disaster. By knowing your neighbors ahead of time, your community will work better as a team when disasters strike.
For more information about helping your neighborhood get ready for hurricane season, visit www.houstonoem.org/
Rules to Dispose of Shingles and Other Materials
With the recent hail damage in District A, there might be a lot of roof/shingle replacements. You can bring shingles to a City of Houston Neighborhood Depository, but make sure that it is packed in a container or bag. Also, you must bring photo identification and either a utility bill or lease agreement. Please see the following for more information:
Explore the Unknown – At the John P. McGovern Summer Reading Program
Enjoy the summer fun and excitement with the John P. McGovern Summer Reading Program. June 1, 2019 through August 1, 2019, kids ages 5-12 and teens 13-18 are invited to Explore the Unknown by participating in this year’s Summer Reading Program (SRP) where they will earn reading and activity badges and unlock awesome prizes! Free summer meals are available too for youth ages 1 -18 at participating libraries. Check our online calendar for locations and times!
Visit: houstonlibrary.org/summer or call 832-393-1313 for details.Kids and teens will receive a FREE book and lanyard just for registering! They can earn even more books and cool pins to decorate their lanyard when they reach their reading goals. Kids and teens will even get pins for Exploring the Unknown by attending library activities. The Library offers a wide variety of programs so there’s something for everyone. There will be animals, music, storytimes, performances, balloon shows, workshops and more! Check HPL’s online calendar for library locations, dates and times.
Register, Login and Win!
Signing up is easy! Head over to houstonlibrary.org/summer and click on the registration button, and follow the prompts. If kids signed up for SRP or the Winter Reading Program last year, they can use the same user name or email and password to log in. If they’ve forgotten their password, they can use the “I forgot my password” link.
Kids can Log in anytime to track the days and titles they have read. If they read at least 20 minutes, they can count that day! They can also unlock badges by logging minutes and attending programs. Some activities require registration; check HPL’s online calendar. Visit any local Houston Public Library location to pick up prizes!
Prizes!
Kids and teens will have the chance to win prizes from:
- Houston area Museums
- inSPIRE Rock Climbing
- Houston Astros
- Benihana
Family Fun!
Parents and caregivers can read this summer, too. Families (1 adult + 1 youth) who complete SRP will win a Family Prize! *while supplies last. In order to qualify, the child must complete the 30 day level and the adult must write 2 reviews (1 for an item read for the adult’s enjoyment and 1 for a youth item read with their child).
For further information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org, on Twitter @houstonlibrary, on Facebook – houstonlibrary or call 832-393-1313.
Seeking Local Arts Projects for Competition for Federal Grants
The City of Houston invites proposals for local public art projects that Mayor Sylvester Turner would endorse for potential grant funding by a National Endowment for the Arts program called Our Town.
The federal agency’s grant program is interested in art projects tied to community priorities such as public safety, health, blight and vacancy, environment, job creation, equity, local business development, education, civic participation, and/or community cohesion.
The mayor may nominate two Houston projects for grants up to $200,000. Artists and organizations who receive the grants must provide matching funds.
The Our Town program supports projects that create lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. The grant embraces the expanding role that culture plays in communities.
Applications guided by the City’s Arts and Cultural Plan will be most competitive for the mayor’s endorsement. For more about the Arts and Cultural Plan visit this page.
Applicants should submit their concepts, with identified artists and partners, no later than June 18, 2019 to [email protected]
Applicants should consult the Our Town grant program website, which includes guidance and resources including case studies for developing successful projects.
Successful applicants will receive the required endorsement letter to include with their final submission to the National Endowment for the Arts, due on Aug. 8, 2019.
To learn more about the City’s cultural programs visit online and follow the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs on Facebook and Instagram @HoustonMOCA.
