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I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, AND WHAT YOU'RE WATCHING IS A NEW CITY PULSE ON HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION.
COMING UP, WE'LL SHOW YOU MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER IN REWIND AND HOW PARKS AND RECREATION TRIES TO BE HEARD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE OTHER SEATED DEPARTMENTS.
BUT FIRST, WE PREPARE FOR LIFTOFF LIFTOFF HOUSTON.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S ANNUAL BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION CELEBRATED ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY.
THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, OBO AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS LIKE THE CITY'S VERSION OF SHARK TANK, BUT WITH CAPITAL ONE AS THE KEY INVESTOR.
OVER THE LAST DECADE, CAPITAL ONE HAS GIVEN OVER $500,000 IN CASH PRIZES TO START UP BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS.
AND OBO DIRECTOR MARSHA MURRAY, CAUGHT UP WITH THIS YEAR'S WINNERS, $5.5 BILLION.
NO WORDS, RIGHT? LIKE JUST FEELS GOOD TO BE IT FEELS RIGHT, FEELS RIGHT TO BE REPRESENTING HOUSTON.
UM, CITY I GREW UP IN THAT GAVE ME EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE.
UM, IT FEELS LIKE A GOOD START.
IT'S KIND OF SINKING IN NOW BECAUSE I WASN'T REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT UNTIL I PITCHED.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED AND UH, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT I WAS VOTED BOTH THE FAN FAVORITE AND THE BEST INNOVATION PITCH BY THE JUDGES.
SO NOW IT'S KIND OF SINKING IN AND I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING AND IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG STEP FOR MY BUSINESS.
SO WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, AT YOUR STAGE IN THIS PROCESS? AT MY STAGE? YEAH.
PAY ATTENTION, ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, IT DOESN'T HURT TO ASK.
MY MOM ALWAYS TOLD ME, JUST ASK.
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS SAY NO OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T ASK, YOU DON'T GET LIKE MY SCORE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT LIFTOFF HOUSTON.COM.
LIFTOFF HOUSTON MAY BE AN ANNUAL SIGNATURE EVENT FOR THE LIBRARY.
IT IS NOT BIGGER THAN WHEN A NEWLY REMODELED LIBRARY OPENS ITS DOORS AND BOOKS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THE KENDALL NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY STANDS TODAY FULLY RESTORED AND BETTER THAN EVER, WE ARE REMINDED OF WHAT HOPE CAN LOOK LIKE AND A PUBLIC LIBRARY REBUILT TO LAST THAT HOUSES BOOKS, THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY FOR YOU TO GO INSIDE AND SEE THE BEAUTIFUL RENOVATED LIBRARIAN COMMUNITY CENTER AND TO MEET THE STAFF WHO HAVE WORKED SO DILIGENTLY FOR YOU TO ENJOY.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON INSIDE OF THIS COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE HAVE ARTS AND CRAFTS, TODDLER PROGRAMS, TEEN PROGRAMS, WELLBEING, PHYSICAL FITNESS.
IT IS SAID THAT A LIBRARIES AND COLLECTION OF SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND RESOURCES AND A LIBRARY IS A PLACE THAT FUELS IMAGINATION AND A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME TO LEARN, EXPLORE AND DREAM REOPENING THIS LIBRARY, IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME FOR THE COMMUNITIES.
OKAY, SO READING IS VERY FUNDAMENTAL TO THE CHILDREN.
AND NOW YOU CAN FIND MORE THAN BOOKS.
THERE ARE ALSO COMPUTERS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE A PART OF THIS RENOVATION.
WE WORK WITH CHILDREN SO, YOU KNOW, WE ASPIRE TO BE GOOD MENTORS FOR THE CHILDREN.
WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD NOT SIMPLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE OLD BUILDING.
INSTEAD WE WOULD MAKE FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS, UH, THAT IMPROVED THE FACILITY FOR EVERYONE TO COME AND USE.
SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING TO CUT THE RIBBON, TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING AND ALL THE WORK WE DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT REALLY DOES TAKE A HUGE TEAM TO, TO GET US TO THIS POINT, TO MAKE EVERYTHING HAPPEN.
AND IT TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING TO FINALLY SEE THIS LIBRARY COME TO LIFE.
WE SPEND MORE THAN $4.7 MILLION TO PROVIDE THE BEST SPACE POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO STUDY, LEARN, AND EXPLORE THE WORLD.
THROUGH THE PAGES OF BOOKS THEY SAY, I COMES BEFORE E EXCEPT AFTER C, BUT WITH C TO SUCCEED, SHERRY PRESLEY HEARS WHY KIDS AND MAYOR TURNER LOVE THIS PROGRAM.
HOW ABOUT DIAMOND NUMBER SIX? EXCELLENT.
COULD YOU READ THOSE LETTERS FOR ME? TOTALLY.
I WANTED TO PERSONALLY BE HERE.
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ARAMCO AND ALL OF THE OTHERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROGRAM.THAT CONTRIBUTION GOES DIRECTLY TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE KIDS.
ALL RIGHT, LOOK AT THAT GREEN LIGHT FOR ME.
WE OFTEN SAY THAT CHILDREN ARE MESSAGES TO A WORLD THAT WE MAY NEVER SEE AND WHAT SORT OF MESSAGE THAT WE SEND THEM, BUT WHEN WE EQUIP THEM WITH THESE EYEWEAR DEVICES, UH, THEN THE WORLD BECOMES MUCH CLEARER, MUCH BRIGHTER, AND MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE.
AND IF THEY ARE FEELING BETTER, LET ME TELL YOU, THEY WILL DO BETTER.
AND IF THEY DO BETTER, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US WINS IS A WIN-WIN.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE SO I CAN LEARN, UM, DO MY HOMEWORK, READ NEW BOOKS, AND WATCH TV.
IT'LL MAKE MY EYES BETTER BECAUSE I NEED THEM FOR READING.
THE BEST PART OF TODAY IS PROBABLY RIGHT NOW, UH, PICKING THE COLOR GLASSES I'M GONNA GET, UH, WITH THE ASTROS AND MILLION PLUS PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT THERE.
BUT LEMME TELL YOU TODAY, SEEING THESE KIDS AND WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THESE KIDS FOR ME IS EVEN BETTER.
WHEN WE RETURN, THE BAYOU ARTS FESTIVAL CELEBRATES A MILESTONE.
HOUSTON AIRPORTS TAKES FLIGHT WITH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND WE TRY TO KEEP UP WITH MAYOR TURNER'S SCHEDULE.
DO MORE THAN GO BACK TO NORMAL, GO DOWNTOWN, SOAK UP THE SUN AND SOME TUNES, OR STAY CHILL IN THE SHADE WITH A COCKTAIL.
AND IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR A SIGN TO DO MORE THAN THE SAME OLD, THIS IS IT.
WITHIN THIS EVENT'S ENTERTAINMENT AND EASE YOU ARE IN FOR A SUMMER YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.
WHAT DO HOUSTON'S BEST COFFEE EXPERTS, SUSHI CHEFS, BAKERS AND BREWERS HAVE IN COMMON? YOU CAN FIND THEM ALL IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO TASTE WHEN YOU JOIN US DOWNTOWN.
VISIT DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.ORG TO FIND YOUR NEXT DELICIOUS ADVENTURE.
HURRICANES, FLOODS, PANDEMICS.
WHAT'S NEXT? ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE NEXT HOUSTON EMERGENCY? ARE YOU STOCKED UP ON TOILET AND PAPER? THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT.
WHAT YOU NEED IS TO PREPARE A WELLNESS GO-BAG.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A CHRONIC DISEASE LIKE DIABETES OR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
THESE CONDITIONS CAN BE A SPECIAL HEALTH CHALLENGE.
IF YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR HOME WITHOUT ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES ON A SHORT NOTICE, LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT GO BAG FOR YOU@GOHEALTHYHOUSTON.ORG.
THAT'S GO HEALTHY HOUSTON.ORG.
INVASIVE SPECIES LIKE GIANT SALVINIA AND ZEBRA MUSSELS CAN TRAVEL FROM LAKE TO LAKE ON YOUR BOAT.
SO CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN IN THE WATER AND I MEAN EVERYTHING.
THANKS FOR HELPING TO PROTECT THE LAKES YOU LOVE.
WHILE JANUARY IS RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH, THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM AND VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS COLLABORATED ON A VISUAL EXHIBIT TO FURTHER EDUCATE AND BRING AWARENESS.
THERE ARE OVER 55 MILLION PEOPLE WHO PASSED THROUGH OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM ANNUALLY.
THAT MAKES OUR AIRPORTS A CRITICAL PART IN RAISING AWARENESS.
YOU KNOW, I AM PLEASED WITH YOU ALL TODAY AS WE COMMEMORATE THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN LEVERAGING THEIR POSITION AND INFLUENCE THE END HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM JOINS 10 CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK TO ADDRESS HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGH TAILORED STRATEGIES AS PART OF OUR OVERALL APPROACH TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THE CITY'S ANTI-TRAFFICKING RESPONSE ACROSS THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
THIS IS A INITIATIVE OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT THEY'VE BROUGHT TOGETHER TODAY.
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT IS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO PEOPLE THAT WE CARE ABOUT.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE
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ISSUE.WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS KIND OF ENTHUSIASM, RIGHT? SO TO SEE IT BALLOON SOMETHING WHERE PEOPLE OR CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE TAKING THEIR OWNERSHIP INITIATIVE, WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL LAST WELL BEYOND THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND IT'LL BE A GREAT PART OF HIS LEGACY.
WHAT WE DO TODAY AND PAST TODAY CAN CERTAINLY PREVENT ONE CHILD, ONE WOMAN, FROM BEING TRAFFICKED IN OUR CITY AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN FACT AROUND THE WORLD.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL AND FOCUSED IN OUR EFFORTS.
THE BAYOU ARTS FESTIVAL TURNS 50 AND THE DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS EXPLAINS HOW ARTISTIC EXPRESSION BOOST HOUSTON'S ECONOMY.
THE ARTS ARE A BIG PART OF WHO WE ARE AS A CITY.
THE BAYOU CITY ARTS FESTIVAL IS A PART OF THAT.
WE WERE SO EXCITED THIS YEAR TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS.
UH, THIS FESTIVAL BRINGS ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THOSE ARTISTS COME HERE TO SHOWCASE AND HIGHLIGHT THEIR WORKS.
THAT MEANS THEY'RE STAYING IN HOTELS, THEY'RE EATING AT OUR RESTAURANTS.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO THE CITY TO EXPERIENCE THE FESTIVAL.
SO THAT IS A HUGE ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR OUR CITY.
IT IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTONIANS TO EXPERIENCE ART FROM THE BAYOU CITY TO SIMS BAYOU VON SAMPLES FOLLOWS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME 150 GOATS.
WE ARE DOING A HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT, SO THIS FORESTED SECTION RIGHT HERE, WE ARE IMPROVING THE HABITAT BY REMOVING INVASIVE AND UNWANTED PLANTS AND WE'LL COME BACK IN AND PLANT NATIVE TREES.
THIS IS PART OF OUR RIPARIAN RESTORATION INITIATIVE WHERE WE'RE TARGETING EVERY PARK ADJACENT TO A WATERWAY TO INSTALL OR CREATE A HEALTHY FOREST.
SO WE'RE RIGHT ALONG SIMS BAYOU HERE.
THE GOATS ARE JUST EATING WHAT THEY WANT TO EAT, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING HERE.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF POISON IVY AND RAGWEED, WHICH ARE SOME OF THEIR PREFERRED PLANTS.
AND THEY EAT KIND OF WHAT I'VE SEEN IS AS FAR AS THEY CAN GET THEIR BODIES UP TALL.
SO THERE'S ALMOST A LINE WHERE IT'S TOO TALL FOR THEM TO REACH AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'VE STOPPED.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE IS REALLY CLEARING THAT DENSE UNDERSTORY VEGETATION THAT IS EITHER INVASIVE OR REALLY AGGRESSIVE, AND IT'S OPENING UP THE FOREST AND ALLOWING LIGHT IN.
AND THAT WAY OUR NATIVE CANOPY TREES CAN GROW AND THIS WILL BECOME MUCH HEALTHIER.
THE GOATS ARE CONTAINED BY THIS ELECTRIC FENCE BEHIND ME.
THEY KNOW THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED THAT THEY CAN'T GO OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE, AND THE FENCE ALSO HELPS FROM OTHER THINGS NOT COMING IN AND DISTURBING THE GOATS THAT DOES IT FOR CITY PULSE.
BUT BEFORE WE GO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO FIND MAYOR TURNER OUT AND ABOUT.
HERE HE IS IN REWIND, YL MAYOR.
THIS DAY, DECEMBER 3RD, 20, UH, WE ARE ANNOUNCING OUR RENEWED PARTNERSHIP WITH SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS AND A NEW AND ENHANCED GROUP BUY-IN PROGRAM TEXAS SOLAR SWITCH.
HOUSTON, TO PROVIDE AN EASIER WAY FOR HOUSTONIANS TO AGGREGATE THEIR PURCHASING POWER AND SAVE ON INSTALLATION COSTS, THE INVESTMENT OF 10 TO 65,000 INTO YOUR BUSINESS WILL HOPEFULLY PROVIDE YOU THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT YOU NEED TO GO EVEN HIGHER.
AND THE GREGORY SCHOOL IS ONE OF THOSE STRONG SEMINOLES, UH, IN THIS AREA AND THE CITY.
WE ARE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
THAT IS TRUE, BUT WE ARE ALSO THE ART CITY, AND THAT'S HAPPENING EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE FURTHER DEFINES WHO WE ARE, UH, AS A CITY.