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WELCOME TO 2025 EVERYONE NEW YEAR, SAME OLD HOST.
YOU ARE WATCHING CITY PULSE ON HOUSTON TELEVISION.
IT'S JANUARY AND I'M ALREADY LOOKING AT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, TRYING TO SEE IF I CAN GET A REFUND ON HOW THE YEAR HAS STARTED.
IT'S 2020 DEJA VU WITH OUR BIPOLAR TEMPERATURES AND ARCTIC FRONTS, BUT THIS COLD IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE WEST COAST WITH THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES.
WE ARE TALKING APOCALYPTIC SIZE DEVASTATION WITH MORE THAN 40,000 ACRES BURNED AND MORE THAN 5,000 STRUCTURES DESTROYED.
FIREFIGHTERS FROM AROUND THE US ARE HELPING IN RELIEF EFFORTS, INCLUDING A DEPLOYMENT TEAM FROM HOUSTON AND NEIGHBORING CITIES.
YEAH, IT'S CALLED A STRIKE TEAM.
SO THERE'S UH, FIVE ENGINES, WE CALL IT PIPE THREE ENGINES.
UH, THERE'S MULTIPLE ACROSS TEXAS FOR OUR STRIKE TEAM.
THERE'S NEEDHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUR, FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, BAYTOWN, BAYTOWN, AND CONROE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE GOT WILDLAND, UH, HOSE, ALL OF OUR TOOLS.
SO THIS IS ALL OF OUR SAW EQUIPMENT.
THIS IS WHAT WE'LL DO TO CUT TREES, GET TREES OUTTA THE ROAD, WHATEVER HAPPENS.
'CAUSE WHEN A FIRE HAPPENS, TREES CAN, UH, THE ROOT SYSTEM CAN BURN OUT AND WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS IF THE TREE WILL FALL OVER IN THE ROAD, OUT THE ROAD.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE HAZARDS AND EVERYTHING, A WHOLE BUNCH OF EXTRA HOSE THAT WE'LL NEED OUT THERE, UM, BECAUSE WE'LL TAKE SOME OF THIS SMALLER LINE, HOOK IT UP, AND THEN DRAPE IT OVER SO IT'S EASIER FOR US TO DEPLOY AND ALL THAT.
SO YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT HUNDREDS OF FEET OF HOSE ON THIS TRUCK.
I MEAN, EACH, EACH ONE OF THESE IS A HUNDRED FOOT OF HOSE, MAJORITY OF 'EM.
SO PROBABLY A THOUSAND FEET OR MORE.
THIS IS JUST NOT ABOUT PUTTING WATER ON THE GROUND.
THESE ARE CALLED GRIP TORCHES.
THIS IS, WE'LL ACTUALLY PUT FIRE ON THE GROUND.
SO ESSENTIALLY WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY THE FOOD FROM THE FIRE, SO IT HAS NOTHING ELSE TO EAT.
SO WE'RE PREVENTING MORE FIRE BY, UH, BY TAKING AWAY THE FOOD FROM THEM.
THEY'RE PRESENT WILL BE THERE 14 TO 21 DAYS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF MUNOZ AND OUR RANK AND FILE AND, UM, ASK EVERYONE TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS AND CERTAINLY THE RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO THE WILDFIRES RELIEF EFFORT, WE WILL SHARE A LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS BEFORE THE BREAK AND AT THE CLOSE OF CITY PULSE.
SPEAKING OF GIVING, AS WE CLOSED OUT 2024, WE SHARED A STORY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE BLUE SANTA TOY DRIVE.
NOW WE GET TO SEE BLUES SANTA IN ACTION AS HE HOPS ONTO A BMX BIKE AND HELPS THE HOUSTON POLICE GET TOYS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS.
I'M A 30 YEAR VETERAN OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I AM THE LEAD COORDINATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S BLUE SANTA PROGRAM.
I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS IS OUR 40TH YEAR, OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLUE SANTA PROGRAM, AND IT HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY SINCE THEN.
OH, HO YOU KNOW WHY I LIKE SANTA BLUE, LIKE BLUE SANTA HO.
WE ALSO INCORPORATED A SHOPPING EVENT WHERE WE HA WE, WE SPONSORED TWO SCHOOLS WITH 12 KIDS AND ANSWER A ONE, UH, UH, THEY DO A ONE PAGE ESSAY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING QUESTION, HOW CAN TODAY'S YOUTH AND HPD OFFICERS BUILD TRUST AND RESPECT WITH ONE ANOTHER WITH THAT ESSAY? THEY RECEIVE $150 SHOPPING SPREE TO COME INTO WALMART STORE TO SHOP AS THEY PLEASE BY ANYTHING AS THEY PLEASE.
WE FEEL THAT THIS IS BUILDING TRUST AND RESPECT WITH THE, WITH THE YOUTH, TODAY'S YOUTH, SO WE CAN LET THEM KNOW THERE'S A NI ANOTHER SIDE OF HPD AND THAT WE DO CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE A STAKE IN IT AS WELL.
UH, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT NEVER FALLS SHORT OF EXCELLENCE.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY GIVE OF THEMSELVES 24 HOURS A DAY.
THEY ARE, UH, TRUE SERVANTS, THE DEFINITION OF A SERVANT.
THEY'RE GIVING OF THEIR TIME TO KIDS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, WE BE SEEN AS PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE.
THIS IS A PEOPLE BUSINESS PRIMARILY.
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WE ARE AS FIRST HUMANS.UH, WE WORSHIP, WE WORSHIP ALL THAT STUFF, RIGHT? SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US THAT WE EXPRESS OURSELVES IN THESE KIND SETTINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY, UH, SEES US AS PEOPLE AND FOR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THE BLUE SANTA STORY WAS SHOT ON LOCATION BY JORDAN VENISON, WHO IS WORKING WITH HOUSTON TELEVISION CURRENTLY.
WE WANTED TO GET TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT JORDAN.
SO OUR INTERN, JOSHUA BELTRAN FOLLOWED HIM AROUND.
MY NAME IS JORDAN VENISON AND I AM A, UH, PRODUCTION SPECIALIST HERE AT HTV.
I MEAN, I APPLIED, I DID TO NORMAL THINGS AND THEN HAD AN INTERVIEW IN A REALLY SHORT TALK, KIND OF LIKE ALIGNED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE JOB ENTAILS.
AND SO, UM, AND IT WAS ALSO SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO GET INTO, UM, SINCE I WAS IN COLLEGE.
SO IT WAS A PRETTY SMOOTH PROCESS FOR ME, ME GROWING UP.
AND WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, UH, I WANTED TO BE A JOURNALIST.
UM, I REALLY WANTED TO BE A SPORTS JOURNALIST.
GOING TO COLLEGE MADE ME REALIZE THAT THAT PLAN, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NOT BE AS EASY AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO.
AND THEN I ALSO WAS AN AV TECHNICIAN, SO I HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, UM, SETTING UP LIVE EVENTS, UH, RUNNING CAMERA, RUNNING SOUND, RUNNING LIGHTING.
AND SO THIS JOB KIND OF WAS LIKE A PERFECT FUSION OF BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
I STARTED LAST MONDAY, I BELIEVE.
LAST WEEK WAS A LOT OF LEARNING AND I'M STILL KIND OF LIKE ONBOARDING RIGHT NOW.
IT'S KIND OF NICE TO WORK DOWNTOWN.
UH, I GET TO WALK AROUND A LOT, SO IT'S PRETTY CHILL.
AS WE HEAD TO BREAK, HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES.
DOWNTOWN IS AN ART LOVER'S DREAM.
WITH MORE THAN 65 PIECES OF PUBLIC ART MOMENTS.
SHARED WITH LOVED ONES ARE PRECIOUS JOY ENCHANTMENT CONNECTION.
IT'S WHY WE TRAVEL AT HOUSTON AIRPORTS.
WE KNOW THE MAGICAL FLIGHT BEGINS THE MOMENT YOU SECURE YOUR PARKING SPOT AND EMBARK ON YOUR JOURNEY.
THAT'S WHY WE WORK SO HARD TO BRING YOU THE MOST CONVENIENT PARKING SOLUTIONS THAT ARE THE BEST FIT FOR YOUR TRIP.
IF YOU'RE TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS OR LEISURE, WHETHER YOU VOYAGE STARTS FROM BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL OR WILLIAM P.
HOBBY AIRPORT, OUR PARKING TEAM AT VALET PARKING ECO PARK, ECO PARK TWO OR TERMINAL PARKING IS HERE TO GIVE YOU A FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE WITH A BIG TEXAS SMILE.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU TO ENSURE THIS MOMENT AND EVERY MOMENT IN BETWEEN WILL BE FILLED WITH GREAT MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME.
SO TRAVEL SMARTER, PARK SMARTER, AND GET MORE OF THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER.
ARNOLD TEXAS'S OLDEST CRAFT BREWERY SHIPPED THEIR FIRST KEG OF BEER IN 1994.
IN HOUSTON, WE MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER.
BUT FIRST WE MAKE DINNER TOGETHER.
WE MIX INGREDIENTS AND CULTURES.
YOU CAN TASTE AND EXPERIENCES TO SAVOR.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS COMING TOGETHER FOR A GREATER GOAL, REPRESENTS HOUSTON AS A WHOLE AND EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF HOW DIFFERENT WE ARE.
THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON.
WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE.
TOGETHER, WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE.
COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE.
WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS COMING TOGETHER FOR A GREATER GOAL.
KIND OF REPRESENTS HOUSTON AS A WHOLE AND EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE.
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OF OUR THING.THESE DIFFERENT PATCHES OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES, THEY BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE THAT INFLUENCE US A LOT OF WHAT WE DO.
WE EMBRACE THE FUTURE, WE LEARN, WE GROW, WE EVOLVE.
AND WORK IS ONE TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE HERE IN HOUSTON, BACK WITH MORE CITY POLES AND IT'S TIME TO TAKE DOWN THE HOLIDAY DECORATIONS.
BUT WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE FESTIVE FS AND SPRUCE TREES? DON'T TOSS THEM.
HERE IS MATT MUSEL WITH HOUSTON'S PARKS AND RECREATION WITH A STORY ON THE CITY'S CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING PROGRAM.
THIS IS MATT MUSEL REPORTING JUST OUTSIDE CITY HALL.
THIS IS THE SIDE OF THE 34TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSTON PARKS AND REC.
THIS EVENT IS PUT ON ANNUALLY BY THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
THE CITY'S OFFICIAL HOLIDAY TREE AT THE REFLECTION POOL WITH FELL TO JUNK STARTS WITH RECYCLING EFFORT, WHICH WILL RUN THROUGH JANUARY 24.
TODAY WE HAVE TO BE VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT THE SHRINKING CAPACITY IN OUR LANDFILLS.
SO ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE GET TO DIVERT WASTE FROM OUR LANDFILL IS ALWAYS GONNA BE A WIN-WIN.
THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND, AND THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE 22 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
TWO, MAINLY BEING WITH HOUSTON PARKS.
WE JUST ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO TAKE THEIR TREES HERE SO WE CAN MOOCH 'EM AND GIVE BACK TO THE EARTH IN THE ECOSYSTEM.
YOU COULD BE PART OF THIS RECYCLING EFFORT BY DROPPING UP YOUR TREE AT ONE OF THE MANY LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY, INCLUDING TWO OF OUR PARKS, MEMORIAL PARK AND TC CHESTER PARK.
IT'S JUST ONE MORE REASON WHY WE LIKE TO STAY AT HOUSTON PARKS AND REC WHERE YOU BELONG.
DID YOU KNOW THE OLDEST HOUSE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS A BLOCK AWAY FROM CITY HALL? THE KELLUM NOBLE HOUSE IN SAM HOUSTON PARK WAS BUILT IN 1847 AND STILL STANDS ON ITS ORIGINAL FOUNDATION, HTV INTERN.
VANESSA WILCOX VISITS THE HOUSTON HERITAGE SOCIETY TO FIND OUT MORE.
THE HERITAGE SOCIETY IS SOMETHING OF A HIDDEN GEM IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, SURROUNDED BY SKYSCRAPERS AND AFTERNOON TRAFFIC.
THEY MAINTAIN THE STRUCTURES OF BEAUTIFUL HISTORICAL HOMES.
MY NAME IS GARY HOLDEN AND I'M A VOLUNTEER HERE.
AND I, UH, DO DOCENT TOURS OF THE HOUSES BEFORE DOWNTOWN, TRAFFIC AND NOISE POLLUTION.
THERE WAS THE KLUM NOBLE HOUSE.
IT WAS BUILT IN 1847 BY A MAN NAMED NATHANIEL KELLUM.
HE COMES FROM MISSISSIPPI AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS BUILDING IS SIGNIFICANT, AS IT'S CALLED LOUISIANA PLANTATION STYLE.
THE KLUM NOBLE HOUSE WENT THROUGH VARIOUS OWNERS, ONE OF WHICH BEING IAN NOBLE MOVES IN AND SHE'S FROM CONNECTICUT.
SHE COMES DOWN HERE AND MARRIES, MEETS AND MARRIES A WOM MAN NAMED GEORGE KELLY.
AND THEY BUY THIS HOUSE FROM A BANKER WHO, WHO KLUM SELLS IT TO.
AND, UH, HIS NAME WAS BEN SHEPHERD.
HE WAS SHEPHERD DRIVE OF IN HERE IN HOUSTON.
THE ZERIAH NOBLE WAS A WOMAN AHEAD OF HER TIME.
SO SHE COMES INTO THE HOUSE AND THE FIRST THING SHE WANTS TO DO IS START A SCHOOL.
SO RIGHT HERE IN THE ROOM THAT WE'RE STANDING IN RIGHT NOW IS ONE OF THE FIRST SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THE KELLUM NOBLE HOUSE IS NOT ONLY A HIN GEM, BUT A PART OF HOUSTONIAN HISTORY.
COME DOWN AND SUPPORT THE HERITAGE SOCIETY.
THE PARK IS OPEN FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM WE HAVE CERTAIN TIMES FOR OUR TOURS.
THEY START AT 10, THEN WE HAVE AT 1130, THEN WE HAVE ONE AT ONE, AND THEN TWO 30.
SO FOUR TOUR TOURS A DAY, TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FOR CITY PULSE AND HTV.
THAT WILL DO IT FOR CITY PULSE THIS WEEK FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I LIKE TO END EACH EPISODE REMINDING EVERYONE THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER, AND KINDNESS IS FREE TODAY.
BE GENEROUS AND FIND WAYS TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES.