* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:20] WELCOME TO THIS EDITION OF CITY PULSE. I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, YOUR HOST. I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A HAPPY FOURTH AND ACTED RESPONSIBLY. AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL MY DIGITS ARE INTACT. SAFETY IS A MAJOR CONCERN WITH KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE SUMMER. DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF LIFEGUARDS, MAYOR TURNER HAS LAUNCHED A NEW CAMPAIGN. AIM TO KEEP FAMILIES SAFE WHEN VISITING NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS. SUMMERTIME IS A TIME FOR FAMILY, UH, BONDING, CREATING MEMORIES, UH, ENJOYING YOURSELF, WORKING. YOU NAME IT. FOR THIS REASON, THE CITY HAS LAUNCHED THE ONE SAFE SUMMER CAMPAIGN FOCUSING ON KEEPING HOUSTONIANS UH, SAFE DURING THE BUSY SUMMER. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A ONE SAFE HOUSTON, WE HAVE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, AND NOW WE HAVE THE ONE SAFE SUMMER, UH, CAMPAIGN. PARENTS RELY HEAVILY ON QUALITY YOUTH SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME, AND WE WANT THEM TO KNOW SAFETY IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WE WANT TO KIND, KIND OF GET AHEAD OF THINGS AND WE NEED EVERYONE'S PARTICIPATION IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. OUR GOAL IS TO OFFER A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH AND TEEN POPULATIONS TO KEEP THEM BUSY. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE SAFE PLACES FOR OUR KIDS TO COME, AND I CAN'T THINK OF A SAFER PLACE IN OUR PARKS, IN THE POOLS. UM, HAVING FUN. YO, I AM SO HAPPY BECAUSE I'M FROM THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND SURROUNDING AREA. SO MAYOR, YOU OFTEN SAY THE FOFO, I'M GONNA SAY HAR CLARK. . SO THE, THE SUMMERTIME QUICKLY APPROACHES AND THE KIDS ARE OUT AND ENJOYING THEIR SUMMER BREAK. I WANNA THANK MAYOR TURNER, DIRECTOR ALLEN CHIEF FINNER FOR HAVING THIS ANNUAL REMINDER ON NOT ONLY HOW TO LET KIDS BE KIDS, BUT ALSO HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFE AT THE SAME TIME. YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR'S ONE SAFE SUMMER CAMPAIGN IS AIMED AT KEEPING EVERYONE OUT OF HARM'S WAY, YOU KNOW, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH AND TEAMS AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE IDLE DURING THE, UH, DURING THE SUMMER. SO WE HAVE PLENTY FOR YOU GUYS TO DO. THIS SUMMER, MAYOR TURNER, LOCAL OFFICIALS IN THE ACRES HOMES COMMUNITY GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE REVITALIZATION OF THE FORMER BETHUNE ACADEMY CAMPUS, NOW KNOWN AS THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER. HERE'S HTV SHAVON HERNDON WITH MORE UP AND SMILE. IT WAS A TRUE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION FOR THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER. MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER JOINED LOCAL LEADERS FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING OF PHASE TWO AND THE GRAND OPENING OF PHASE ONE ON THE COUNT OF 3, 1, 2, AND THREE, THE GOOD ONE. UH, THEY CAN COME TO THIS PLACE, UH, THIS EMPOWERMENT CENTER AND CAN HELP GET THOSE IDEAS DEVELOPED. THEY CAN WALK TO THIS PLACE, DRIVE TO BIKE, TO RIGHT HERE AND IN THE HEART OF THEIR DISTRICT. THE CITY IS CONTRIBUTING MORE THAN 5.5 MILLION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS TO RENOVATE THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER, WHICH WAS ONCE KNOWN AS BETHUNE ACADEMY, BUT IT'S LOCATED IN AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE INVESTING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THE PEOPLE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LIKE LONE STAR, LIKE ALL DEAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THEN THE VARIOUS COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALREADY JOINED US WITH US ALREADY. ALL DEAN, ISD, LONE STAR COLLEGE, AT AND T CENTER POINT AND RELIANT ARE ALL HELPING MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. THE AMBITIOUS CONCEPT FOR THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER ORIGINATED THROUGH MAYOR TURNER'S AKER HOME COMPLETE COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN WHERE THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSED A STRONG NEED TO REPURPOSE AND REVITALIZE BETHUNE ACADEMY. HERE IS SHANNON BUGS, DIRECTOR FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT IS GOING TO HELP US TO MOVE OUR ECONOMY INTO THE NEXT CENTURY. AND ALL OF THAT WORK IS ALSO BEING DONE IN OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE IS NO REASON FOR OUR UNDERSERVED AND UNDER FORCE NEIGHBORHOODS TO REMAIN UNDERSERVED AND UNDER RESOURCE. PHASE TWO IS NOW UNDERWAY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE RENOVATION OF FOUR ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING CENTERS WITH ELECTRIC [00:05:01] VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AND MORE. CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE PRESENTED A $3 MILLION CHECK WITH $2 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR BETHUNE AND AN ADDITIONAL 1 MILLION FOR ANOTHER CULTURAL COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE EAST END. LEADERSHIP IS NOT BASED ON WHAT YOU DO WHILE YOU ARE THERE. IT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER YOU ARE GONE. FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, I'M SHAHAN. WELCOME HOME BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THESE WORDS CAN BE FOUND ON THE NEW HOUSTON VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL. LOCATED AT CLUB CREEK PARK IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. THE MEMORIAL WAS SPEARHEADED BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD TO HONOR HIS FATHER, A MARINE AND VIETNAM VET, AND OTHERS IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY. WHO SERVED WHAT SO PROUD. WELCOME HOME, WELCOME HOME. AND ON THIS DAY, WE HONOR A 543 SERVICE MEMBERS FROM THE HOUSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS WHO WERE KILLED IN ACTION DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT. WE PLEDGE TO NEVER FORGET THE ETERNAL SACRIFICE OF YOUR LOVED ONES AND WHAT YOU HAVE SACRIFICED FOR OUR NATION. IT SPEAKS ON MINORITIES, IT SPEAKS ON WOMEN, UH, THE PRISONERS OF WAR. IT GIVES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY ALSO LIST THE NAMES OF ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE FALLING FROM THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. BUT THE BIGGEST THING IT DOES IS IT GIVES A PROPER WELCOME HOME. SEEING THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS OF ALL THE VIETNAM VETERANS AND SEEING A PICTURE OF THE WOMEN'S VIETNAM MEMORIAL ON THAT MEMORIAL HERE IN HOUSTON, OH, IT JUST MADE MY HEART STOP. IT'S A LOVELY MEMORIAL TO THOSE, UH, UH, FROM HOUSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS. WHO, WHO DIED IN VIETNAM AND I WAS IN VIETNAM DURING THE TED OFFENSIVE. SO VETERANS ALWAYS HAVE A WARM SPOT IN MY HEART FOR THEIR SACRIFICES THAT THEY'VE MADE. AND SO WHEN I WAS OFFERED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS SCULPTURE, OF COURSE I JUMPED AT IT BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS A LOT OF THINGS I'D HEARD FROM VETERANS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. AND TODAY IN THIS CITY, WE LIFT UP EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT SACRIFICED WAS IN VIETNAM, WHETHER THEY CAME BACK OR NOT. WE LIFT THEM UP AND WE SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERYONE. THANK YOU. YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. LET'S THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PRIDE AND PUPS. IN AN INTRO TO AND QUERO, WHEN CITY PULSE CONTINUES, STAY WITH US. THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON. GREASE AND WIPES CLOG PIPES. IN FACT, CLOGS FROM THESE ITEMS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF SEWER OVERFLOWS IN HOUSTON. OUR PIPES ARE DESIGNED TO TRANSPORT WATER, PEE POO, TOILET PAPER, AND SOAP. HERE ARE A FEW ITEMS TO KEEP OUT OF TOILETS AND DRINKS IN THE KITCHEN. PUT GREASE IN ITS PLACE THE TRASH. SIMPLY POUR IT INTO A HEAT RESISTANT CONTAINER. COOL IT, THEN TOSS IT IN THE TRASH. THIS INCLUDES FOOD ITEMS SUCH AS MEAT, FATS, BUTTER, AND CREAM OILS, AND EVEN DOUGH AND BATTER. ALL FOOD SCRAPS SHOULD BE TOSSED IN THE TRASH IN THE RESTROOM. ONLY FLUSH THE THREE PEAS, PEE POO AND TOILET PAPER. TOGETHER WE CAN PROTECT OUR PIPES FROM CLOGS AND OVERFLOWS. LEARN MORE@PROTECTOURPIPES.ORG. SAM HOUSTON PARK IS PICTURESQUE WITH WADDLING DUCKS AND NINE FROZEN IN TIME HISTORIC BUILDINGS. WE COULD START BY TELLING YOU HOW SLEEK IT IS, HOW IT'S AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION IN ITS INDUSTRY, THAT IT MAKES CONNECTIONS FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT. WE COULD PROMOTE THE FACT THAT EVEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS GIVE IT THE GREEN LIGHT AND THAT IT MOVES SO QUICKLY. WE HAD TO GIVE IT ITS OWN LANE. OR YOU COULD JUST RIDE, DISCOVER WHERE THIS RAIL LIKE RIDE IS GOING NEXT. VISIT RIDE METRO.ORG/METRO. NEXT DOWNTOWN IS AN ART LOVER'S DREAM WITH MORE THAN 65 PIECES OF PUBLIC ART. WELCOME BACK. [00:10:01] RECENTLY, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS CO-SPONSORED THE FOOD PROJECT IN QUERO. CHEFS FROM AROUND THE COMMUNITY TOOK PART IN THIS FIRST EVER CELEBRATION OF TEXAS MEXICAN INDIGENOUS FOOD. THEY DISCUSSED THE DISHES AND TRADITIONS OF COMIDA RA, THE HOMESTYLE COOKING OF MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES. IT'S A QUI MA MOSQUITO. SOMETHING THAT I STARTED LEARNING MORE ABOUT. I WANT RA TO GO TO ONE GENERATION, TO THE NEXT GENERATION. AND THE TEXAS INDIGENOUS FOOD PROJECT IS HEADQUARTERED HERE IN HOUSTON. AND THE MISSION OF THE, OF THE NONPROFIT IS TO CELEBRATE THE FOODS OF TEXAS MEXICAN CUISINES AND THE AMERICAS. PAPAS, UH, MY FAVORITE WHEN SHE WOULD ADD NOES. SO THE ENTRO IS THE FIRST ATTEMPT FOR THE TEXAS INDIGENOUS FOOD PROJECT TO HAVE A SHOWCASE OF FOOD THAT IS CALLED COM RA OR HOME COOKING. AND THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, IS, IS VERY WELL RECOGNIZED. PEOPLE KNOW MEXICAN FOOD, WHEN THEY SEE IT, WHEN THEY SMELL IT, WHEN THEY EAT IT, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS REALLY CALLED. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FLAVORS TRULY ARE, BUT WHEN WE TASTE IT, WE KNOW WHAT IT IS. SO COM RA, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING WITH THE ENC ENTRO, TONIGHT'S BASICALLY A CELEBRATION OF THE FOOD. AND IT'S ALSO CELEBRATING THE INNOVATION OF THE FOOD THAT HAS BEEN HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. IT'S THE NUMBER ONE CUISINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND YET IT DOESN'T REALLY GET A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE FLAVOR PROFILES. SO TODAY WE'RE DOING ADA, WHICH WAS A, UH, STAPLE IN MY, IN MY PARENTS' HOME. TOMATOES ARE STRICTLY NATIVE AMERICAN SQUASH BEANS, ALL OF THESE FOODS. AND SO TONIGHT WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH FOUR SCHOLARS ABOUT FOOD, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH 10 CHEFS WHO WERE INNOVATING, WHO WERE SHARING THEIR FOOD. AND WE INVITED ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ACROSS HOUSTON AND ACTUALLY FROM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO JOIN US IN ORDER TO SAMPLE THE FOOD AND THEN TO ALSO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE ABOUT THE FOOD. FINALLY, PRIDE MONTH MAY BE OVER, BUT WE WANT TO TURN BACK THE CALENDAR AND TAKE YOU TO THE SECOND ANNUAL FAMILIES WITH PRIDE EVENT AT LEVY PARK. TAKE IT AWAY. CJ. IT IS, UH, MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME SO MANY OF OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS TO OUR SECOND ANNUAL FAMILIES WITH PRIDE CELEBRATION NEWS. LET ME THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE FAMILIES, UH, THAT ARE OUT HERE AND THE KIDS, AND THEN THE PUPPIES THAT WE'LL BE FOLLOWING. IT IS A TRIBUTE TO FAMILIES ALL ACROSS OUR CITY. UH, WE'RE HERE CELEBRATING PRIDE AND HAVING SOME FUN. IT'S REALLY NICE TO BE IN A FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'RE JUST, WE'RE COMING OUT AND JUST HAVING SOME FUN. I THINK IT'S JUST EXCITING TO GET TOGETHER WITH OTHER FAMILIES THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST LIKE SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE A GOOD TIME. UH, IN HOUSTON, THE DOG PARADE, IT WAS, UH, RIDICULOUSLY FUNNY. YAY. WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC, FOOD, TRUCKS, GAMES. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS OUT HERE. HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES IS OUT HERE STOCKING THE ALREADY AMAZING COLLECTION THAT LEVY PARK HAS WITH PRIDE BOOKS, JUST, UH, THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING. TODAY'S ABOUT CELEBRATING TODAY'S ABOUT JOY. TODAY'S ABOUT PRIDE, BUT WE DO IT KNOWING THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO BE HERE. TO COME TOGETHER AS A NON-BINARY PERSON. LIKE THIS GIVES ME REPRESENTATION. IT GIVES LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE CHANCE TO JUST BE MYSELF OUT IN PUBLIC AND NOT HAVE JUDGMENT OR LIKE HERE, IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE THAT SORT OF COMFORTABILITY. WHEN WE SAY Y'ALL, IT MEANS ALL. WE ARE JUST RECOGNIZING THE DIVERSITY AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE INCLUSIVE AND WHAT HURTS ONE, HURTS ALL WHAT LIFTS UP, ONE LIFTS ALL. AND WE SHOULD ALL BE STANDING TOGETHER AS ONE. THAT WILL DO IT. FOR CITY PULSE THIS WEEK, I'M TRAVIS LEMONS. UNTIL NEXT TIME, DO BETTER AND BE KIND. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.