* 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. [City Pulse] [00:00:30] WELCOME TO CITY PULSE. I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, YOUR HOST. WE BEGIN TODAY'S SHOW WITH A RECAP OF THE TORRENTIAL RAINS THAT POUNDED HARRIS AND NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. WATER RELEASE FROM LAKE CONROE INTO THE SANTANO RIVER CAUSED SEVERE FLOODING IN PARTS OF THE KINGWOOD AREA. JUST THE WORST FLOODING THAT I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER. AND, UH, AND I AM A, A NATIVE OF THE AREA. SO, UH, I JUST, I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN WE'VE HAD THE, UH, THE RIVER QUITE THIS HIGH. I KNOW YESTERDAY WE HAD WELL OVER A HUNDRED FOLKS THAT WERE, UH, THAT WERE RESCUED BY TEXAS GAME WARDENS, UM, AND MANY, MANY MORE THAT WERE RESCUED BY OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, UH, AND OTHER STATE RESOURCES HERE IN LIBERTY COUNTY. WE HAVE OVER A DOZEN RIVER COMMUNITIES THAT FLOOD ALMOST EVERY YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS FLOODING EVENT IS MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT THEY'RE USED TO, AND SO MANY OF 'EM HAVE WAITED A LITTLE TOO LATE TO REALIZE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD HAVE MAYBE HEATED THE, THE WARNINGS EVEN WITH THE RAIN, EVEN WHEN IT RAINED REALLY HARD, IT NEVER GOT THAT BAD, BUT BECAUSE OF THE DAM RELEASING WATER AND IT'S GONNA KEEP RISING THIS WAY, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE, BUT WE JUST PREPARING FOR THE WORST. AND WE KIND OF SAW THE FLOODING FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN WE LET IT BUILD, AND THEN WE CAME BACK TODAY AGAIN AND IT STARTED GETTING, GETTING WORSE. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE IS GONNA GET, SO WE'D RATHER JUST LEAVE, PICK OUR STUFF BEFORE IT GET TO EVEN WORK. SPECTRUM FUSION, A NONPROFIT MEDIA COMPANY COMMITTED TO ENHANCING AND REALIZING THE HIDDEN TALENTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAS JOINED FORCES WITH HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION TO MAKE VIDEO CONTENT COVERING A VARIETY OF TOPICS. EVERYTHING STARTED TO SOUND A BIT MORE CLEAR. IMAGINATIVE CONTENT CREATORS SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCE DURING A RECENT VISIT. TODAY AT HTV, THE REST OF THE MEDIA TEAM AND I ARE GETTING SOME ADVICE FROM PEOPLE LIKE TED IRVING ABOUT OUR AUDIO EQUIPMENT. WE'VE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE EVENTS COVERED BY SPECTRUM FUSION WITH HTV HAVE VARIED IN REGARDS TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HTV. WE HAVE DONE VIDEOS FOR THEIR CITY PULSE, LIKE WITH YOUTH COUNCIL AND THEIR MAYOR'S HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR. ONE HIGHLIGHT OF THE VISIT WAS A STATE OF THE ART PIECE OF HARDWARE THE TEAM CONFERRED WITH MR. IRVING ABOUT. SO THIS DEVICE IS KNOWN AS A ZOOM RECORDER. UM, WE USE THIS FOR, UM, RECORDING, UH, SOUNDS THAT WE, UM, USE AND WE, UH, ATTACH THEM TO THESE, UH, LAVALIER MICS, WHICH, WHERE WE USE TO GIVE TO PEOPLE, WHOEVER WE'RE INTERVIEWING OR WE'RE FILMING. MORE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE SURE TO PRODUCE SOME EXCITING AND VISUALLY APPEALING CONTENT. FOR HTV CITY PULSE, I'M DREW ALKIRE. MORE THAN 300 VOLUNTEERS CAME OUT TO TONGA PARK AND PLANTED 2,500 TREES THIS EARTH DAY. THE EVENT WAS PART OF THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS INITIATIVE TO RESTORE AREAS ALONG HOUSTON'S WATERWAYS. AN EVENT LIKE THIS DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN. THE HARD WORK, THE ORGANIZATION, THE COLLABORATION, THE ENERGY WE NEED DAYS LIKE THIS. HAPPY EARTH DAY, AND WELCOME TO TONGA PARK. WE STAND HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL 30 ACRE GREENWAY AND WE PLANT 2,500 TREES HERE TODAY. IT'S REALLY A MOMENTOUS DAY, AND THIS IS PART OF A LARGER EFFORT WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, TO PLANT 4.6 MILLION NEW NATIVE TREES IN OUR CITY BY 2030. IT'S IT'S GREAT DAY IN HOUSTON. WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY. BUT JUST THINK HOW WE'RE COMING TOGETHER IN UNITY TODAY. WE ARE PLANTING TREES IN A REFORESTATION STYLE, WHICH MEANS A BUNCH OF TREES CLOSE TOGETHER THAT ARE MEANT TO BECOME A FOREST ONE DAY ALONG THE, ALONG. THIS BY YOU HERE, I FEEL THAT I'M ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. I FEEL VERY PRODUCTIVE, , VERY PRODUCTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, FOR THE DAY STUFF LIKE THIS THAT WE DON'T DO OUT OF THE ORDINARY. SO IT IS NICE TO SOMETIMES STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY TREES WE PLANTED IN SUCH A LITTLE AMOUNT OF TIME. YEAH, LIKEWISE, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, YOU KNOW, HELP OUT THE PLANET, HELP OUT OUR COMMUNITY. THIS [00:05:01] CALL HAS BROUGHT OVER 350 VOLUNTEERS HERE, AND IT'S ALL TO SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF EARTH DAY AND TAKING CARE OF OUR EARTH. THIS CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL THINGS THAT WE DO AS A CITY GOING TO BE WATCHING THESE TREES GROW AND ACTUALLY BECOME A FOREST. WE'RE CREATING A, UH, AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM AND HABITAT HERE TODAY. UH, IT BRINGS US TOGETHER. IT'S JUST LIKE IT'S A GOOD TEAM BUILDING, UM, ACTIVITY AND, UM, AND, AND WE'RE GIVING BACK AT THE SAME TIME. I'M JUST SO POSITIVE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. EVERY DAY OUGHT TO BE EARTH DAY IN OUR LIVES. WHEN CITY POST RETURNS, MAYOR WHITMEYER CELEBRATES SINK OF DE MAYO AND WE'LL SHOW YOU WHY THE FORCE WAS STRONG IN FEEDING THE HUNGRY. SEE YOU AFTER THE BREAK. HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION INTRODUCES LYNN WYATT SQUARE IN THE HOUSTON THEATER DISTRICT WITH OAK TREES, WATER FEATURES AND PROGRAMMING. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC LYNN WYATT SQUARE.COM. GREASE AND WIPES CLOG PIPES. IN FACT, CLOGS FROM THESE ITEMS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF SEWER OVERFLOWS IN HOUSTON. LEARN MORE@PROTECTOURPIPES.ORG. THE URBAN FABRIC OF HOUSTON IS WOVEN FROM THE AMBITIONS AND TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE AND IDEAS. COME ON. WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE. COME ON. TOGETHER. WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKES SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE. COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE. COME ON TOGETHER. WE ARE RESHAPING THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE. COME ON, COME ON. CULTURES COMBINED TO CREATE A POWERFUL, FLAVORFUL TASTE OF THINGS TO COME. LOUISIANA. CRAWFISH BECOME THE OCCASION CRAWFISH IN NOODLES, ASIAN FLAVORS IN THE TEXAS STYLE BARBECUE, JAPANESE TAPAS, KOREA MIX, AND NIGERIAN JAMBALAYA SET THE TABLE FOR A CREATIVE, INVENTIVE, COOPERATIVE SCENE. MINE. THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS CREATING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE SHAPING AN ECOSYSTEM OF BUSINESSES IN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH. TAKING US TO THE MOON AND BEYOND. COME ON, OUR TOGETHER IS ROCKET FUEL. COME ON. THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS THE POWER TO HEAL. COME ON. WE ARE DEVELOPING THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED RESEARCH CAMPUS AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST MEDICAL CITY. THE GREATEST MINDS IN MEDICINE, SCIENCE, ACADEMIA, AND COMMERCE COLLIDE HERE. SPEEDING. RESEARCH AND BREAKTHROUGHS COME ON TOGETHER. WE ARE POWER IN THE FUTURE, EVOLVING THE ENERGY, SUPPLY AND SCIENCE LEADING THE GLOBAL TRANSITION TO A MORE EFFICIENT, SUSTAINABLE, LOW CARBON FUTURE. COME ON, HOUSTON WELCOMES YOU TO SAY HELLO TO THE INCREDIBLE POWER AND INFINITE POSSIBILITY OF TOGETHER. WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER. COME ON IN HOUSTON, WE MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER. BUT FIRST WE MAKE DINNER TOGETHER. WE MIX INGREDIENTS AND CULTURES. WE CREATE EXCITEMENT YOU CAN TASTE AND EXPERIENCES TO SAVOR. JOIN US IN HOUSTON. LET'S MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER. ST. ARNOLD TEXAS'S OLDEST CRAFT BREWERY SHIPPED THEIR FIRST KEG OF BEER IN 1994. LISTEN, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ISN'T JUST A PLACE FOR BOOKS. IT'S A HUB OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES. OPERATING SERVICES THAT YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW EXIST. DID YOU KNOW AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY THEY HAVE FREE WIFI ACCESS AND FOR THE LITTLE ONES IN YOUR LIFE, THEY OFFER STORY TIME, INTERACTIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE TO NURTURE THEIR GROWING MINDS. HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR KNOWLEDGE MEET OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT US IN PERSON OR EXPLORE OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY ON OUR WEBSITE OR MOBILE APP. TRAVIS LEMONS BACK WITH MORE CITY PULSE. [00:10:01] TWO SPECIAL THINGS HAPPENED THE FIRST WEEKEND IN MAY. HERE'S A HINT FOR THE FIRST ONE, MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU. AND IT WAS AS THE REGAL EDWARDS MARQUES HELD ITS FEED THE FORCE EVENT TO BENEFIT THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK. STAR WARS ENTHUSIAST AND COMIC BOOK FANS DONATED CANNED GOODS POSED WITH LIGHTSABERS AND PICKED UP FREE POSTERS, COMIC BOOKS AND PROMO ITEMS AT THE SPECIAL EVENT. CREATED 17 YEARS AGO BY THE CINEMA'S LATE MARKETING DIRECTOR MICHAEL E MANNY. AS FOR THAT OTHER WEEKEND EVENT, IT WAS VIVA MEXICO, THE VIBRANT CINCO DE MAYO PARADE, STROLLED DOWNTOWN WITH COLORFUL FLOATS AND CULTURAL DANCERS. CINCO DE MAYO COMMEMORATES MEXICO'S WIN OVER THE FRENCH TROOPS AT THE BATTLE OF PUEBLA IN 1862. IT'S EXCITING TO BE HERE FOR THE SINGLE DE MARIO PARADE. SO I'M HERE TO CELEBRATE THE CULTURE, THE HISTORY, AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW THE BEST IS YET TO COME. IF WE UNITE IN HOUSTON FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS, WORK WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, WALK IN THEIR PARADES, OUR CITY WILL BE EVEN GREATER THAN IT IS NOW. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF OUR PEOPLE, OUR, OUR GREAT INSTITUTIONS. WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT WE'RE ONLY GONNA DO IT IF WE UNITE, CELEBRATE AND RESPECT EACH OTHER'S CULTURE. AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. I'M GONNA WALK THIS PARADE, SHAKE HANDS, AND TELL PEOPLE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE HOUSTON A GREAT CITY. WE'VE ALL HEARD THE PHRASE GOING GREEN, BUT HOW DOES SOMEONE START THE PROCESS TO BECOME GREEN AWARE? STEVE STELZER, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GREEN GURU, OFFERS STEPS AND ADVICE ON THE HEALTHY SIDE OF GREEN BUILDING. OKAY, SO IF WE'RE GONNA START WITH GREEN, THE BIGGEST COMPONENT OF GREEN IS USING LESS ENERGY AT YOUR HOUSE. SO WHAT I'M GONNA RECOMMEND IS GETTING ON CODE GREEN HOUSTON.ORG AND DOWN DOWNLOADING THE, UH, DIY HOME ENERGY AUDIT. OKAY? SO OF COURSE, UH, WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD IT, IT'S NOT ON PAPER, BUT BASICALLY 1, 2, 3, 4 PAGES AND THEN YOU HAVE IT AT YOUR HOUSE. AND THIS EXPLAINS HOW YOU CAN GO ABOUT AND CONSERVE ENERGY BY NOT WASTING IT SO MUCH AT YOUR HOUSE. ENERGY IS THE FIRST STEP. IT'S THE BUILDING BLOCK OF GREEN BUILDING. ALL RIGHT? THEN WE HAVE HEALTHY BUILT INTO YOUR HOUSE. UM, A LOT OF PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE, BASICALLY OFF GAS, CHEMICALS THAT AREN'T ALL GOOD FOR YOU. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN ISSUE. YOU ALSO WITH COOKING IN YOUR KITCHEN, YOU, UH, YOUR STOVE IS A SOURCE OF CHEMICALS AND POLLUTANTS THAT YOU OUGHT TO EVACUATE FROM YOUR HOUSE. SO, UH, EXHAUST FANS ARE A GOOD IDEA. UM, YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR HOME IS NOT WET AND MOIST AND BECOMING A, A HOME FOR MOLD. OKAY? SO THERE'S A LOT OF THE HEALTHY SIDE THAT GOES INTO GREEN BUILDING. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT MATERIALS THAT ARE MAYBE NOT FROM VIRGIN SOURCES OR NOT TRUCKED IN AND SHIPPED IN AND SENT IN FROM SOME OTHER CORNER OF THE PLANET, AND MAYBE WE COULD GET SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE LOCAL. SO THAT FALLS INTO GREEN BUILDING AND THEN THERE'S THE ENTIRE SITE OR LAND AREA AROUND YOUR BUILDING THAT THERE'S MUCH MORE INTELLIGENT WAYS TO DEAL WITH THAT THAN, UM, NORMAL, CONVENTIONAL, NOT SO GOOD SITE DESIGN. SO, UM, IT GETS TO BE PRETTY DEEP. BUT THE BUILDING BLOCK, OF COURSE, IS USING LESS ENERGY, WHICH YOU CAN DO FROM THE BEGINNING OF A GROUND UP DESIGN FOR A NEW STRUCTURE. AND YOU CAN ALSO DO, UM, REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS OF EXISTING BUILDINGS TO MAKE THEM PERFORM BETTER. YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING CITY PULSE FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 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.