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TRAVIS LEMONS BACK WITH ANOTHER FANTASTIC EDITION OF CITY POLLS.
THE SHOW WHERE HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND CITY DEPARTMENTS COMING UP.
WE PLAY SOME TENNIS WITH HOUSTON PARKS AND OUR SUMMER INTERNS SPEND TIME WITH THE WOMEN WHO LEAD COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND AT LARGE POSITIONS.
BUT WE FIRST HEAD TO THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK AS HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS PREP FOR THIS YEAR'S MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR.
THE ANNUAL EVENT SPONSORED BY SHELL PROVIDED 20,000 BACKPACKS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR FREE.
THE MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR REPRESENTED BY SHELL.
I AM SO EXCITED TODAY AND I KNOW ALL OF HOUSTON WOULD BE AS WELL.
WE SERVICE UP TO 20,000 STUDENTS TODAY.
WE'RE, UH, PREPARING STUFF IN THE BACKPACKS, UH, OF ALL THE, UH, YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, NOTEBOOKS, PENCILS, ALL THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR NEXT SATURDAY'S BACK TO SCHOOL HEALTH FAIR, UH, AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER.
ANY SUPPORT THAT WE GIVE THESE KIDS, PARTICULARLY IN THEIR SCHOOL WORK, CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND I JUST THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR, FOR GETTING BEHIND THIS.
WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO A LOT OF HAPPY FACES WHEN THESE ARE DISTRIBUTED.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT IN ORDER TO BUILD THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A PIPELINE OF STRONG TECHNICAL TALENT AND FUTURE LEADERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE ARE EXCITED TO PARTNER IN THIS INITIATIVE TODAY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND HELP GROW THE FUTURE TALENT OF HOUSTON.
THE GREAT COLLABORATION AND SHOWS THE POWER OF COMING TOGETHER FOR ONE CAUSE AND THAT CAUSES TO ENSURE THAT ALL OUR STUDENTS FEEL APPRECIATED AND SUPPORTED AND LOVED WHILE SHELL IS HELPING KIDS START THE SCHOOL YEAR.
RELIANT ENERGY IS HELPING VULNERABLE HOUSTONIANS STAY.
ITS BEAT THE HEAT CAMPAIGN AS IT PROMOTES AREA COMMUNITY CENTERS AS COOLING STATIONS THAT PROVIDE RELIEF AS THE HEAT INDEX CREEPS ABOVE 100 DEGREES.
WELCOME TO OUR BEAT THE HEAT PRESS CONFERENCE.
THE PERSON I GET TO INTRODUCE TODAY IS MY BOSS AND YOUR MAYOR.
HE'S HERE BECAUSE SINCE HE WAS ELECTED EVERY SINGLE DAY, HE HAS PLACED YOUR WELLBEING AT THE CENTER OF HIS CONCERNS AND HIS DAILY EFFORTS.
IT WOULD NOT BE THE WONDERFUL SUMMER THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH RELIANT ENERGY GONNA FURNISH US AT LEAST 150 AIR CONDITIONERS FOR OUR SENIORS.
THEY'RE GONNA JOIN US AT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS WITH RESOURCES SUCH AS WATER.
WE STARTED BEAT THE HEAT CENTERS, UH, 20 YEARS AGO, SO THIS IS A KEY MILESTONE FOR US AS WELL.
20 YEARS CELEBRATION IN TERMS OF PROVIDING BEAT THE HEAT CENTERS, UH, TO HOUSTONIANS.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN A FUN JOURNEY.
THE HEAT, IT IMPACTS OUR SENIORS, IT IMPACTS OUR YOUTH.
IT IMPACTS FOLKS WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND SO YOU'VE GOTTA TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND THESE CENTERS ARE HERE TO HELP.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS.
IT DEMONSTRATES THAT HOUSTON CARES.
WE WILL HAVE COOLING CENTERS THAT ALL OF OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THIS SUMMER, OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
YES, CITY HALL, WHEREVER YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HEAT AND THE CITY CAN PROVIDE A SERVICE.
HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION GENERATED A LOT OF RACKET RECENTLY AS HOUSTON YOUTH ATTENDED MEMORIAL PARKS TENNIS CENTER FOR KIDS' DAY.
SO LET US GRAB A RECORD OF OUR OWN AND TAKE TO THE COURT.
ALRIGHT, Y'ALL GO AROUND THE CORNER.
THIS IS MATT MUSEL AND WE'VE COME TO MEMORIAL PARKS TENNIS CENTER FOR FORMER WIMBLEDON FINALIST.
ZENA GARRISON IS HOSTING KIDS DAY.
YEAH, THIS IS ACTUALLY AMAZING JUST TO SEE ALL THESE KIDS COME OUT AND, UM, WE HAD THEIR LITTLE TENNIS SHIRTS ON AND THANKS TO H-T-A-N-J-T-L HELPING US OUT, BEING A PARTNERSHIP FOR SO MANY YEARS, ALLOWING US TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF KIDS COME OUT HERE TODAY AND JUST END OF THE SUMMER CELEBRATION.
KIDS' DAY IS THE END OF SUMMER CELEBRATION FOR THE CITY'S YOUTH PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY THE HOUSTON TENNIS ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL JUNIOR TENNIS LEAGUE.
I WORKED FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR 22 YEARS AND THEN WHEN ZENA WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER MY OLD ROLE AND THEN SHE'S EXPANDED IT IN MANY WAYS.
I MEAN, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE THING FOR A CITY TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE ZENA LEADING
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A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.WE'RE READY, POSITION MOVE OUR FEET CUT.
I, I THINK IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT OUR CITY THAT, UH, THAT SHE'S WILLING TO DO IT AND THAT ALSO WE HAVE THE REACH THAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE AS HOUSTON TENNIS ASSOCIATION, WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT READY UP SWING UP DOWN FOR ZENA IS ALWAYS SPECIAL TO SEE HOUSTON KIDS ENJOYING THE GAME WHERE SHE HONED HER SKILLS ON OUR CITY'S PUBLIC COURTS.
SEEING THE COMMUNITY CENTERS AND YOU KNOW, ALSO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND EVERYBODY COME TOGETHER AND TO SEE THESE KIDS COME OUT AND ALL WE WANNA DO IS SEE THEM SMILE.
GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THEY'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.
ZENA GARRISON'S KIDS DAY AT MEMORIAL PARK.
JUST ONE MORE REASON WHY WE LIKE TO SAY HOUSTON PARKS AND REC, WHERE YOU BELONG.
OUR SUMMER INTERNS GET SOME FACE TIME WITH MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER AND THE WOMEN WHO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL.
HOUSTON'S POWER OF TOGETHER TAKES YOUR EVENT FURTHER.
MEETING IN HOUSTON IS A RICHER EXPERIENCE.
THE FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER AT THE CLAYTON LIBRARY CAMPUS IS ONE OF THE PREMIER GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS IN THE NATION.
IN ADDITION TO OUR COLLECTION OF OVER 100,000 BOOKS, WE OFFER RECORDS FOR ALL 50 STATES, INTERNATIONAL RECORDS, FAMILY CHARTS AND NOTES, AND OVER 29 ONLINE DATABASES.
WE ASSIST RESEARCHERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD OF ALL LEVELS OF EXPERTISE.
COME UNCOVER YOUR PAST, UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESENT, AND PRESERVE YOUR LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE AT THE CLAYTON LIBRARY.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM MIGHT BE OVER, BUT BEFORE THEY LEFT, THEY MADE TWO STORIES FOR CITY PULSE UP.
FIRST THE WOMEN OF CITY COUNCIL WHO SERVED THEIR DISTRICTS AND AT LARGE POSITIONS EACH AND EVERY DAY.
I REALIZE HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVES DEPEND ON ME MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
WOMEN HAVE TO BE ASKED EIGHT TIMES BEFORE THEY CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
I'M PRETTY, UM, PERSISTENT ABOUT ASKING WOMEN, UH, TO CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
POLICIES ARE MADE BY THE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP.
YEAH, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR DEGREE IS.
IF YOU'RE AN ENGINEER, A GOV, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT, A MAJOR SOCIAL WORKER, ENGLISH MAJOR, ALL OF IT'S APPLICABLE.
ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DIFFERENT SKILL SETS FROM REAL ESTATE TO EDUCATION TO LAW, AND THEY BRING THE VERY BEST OF THEIR EXPERIENCE ON, UH, TO THAT TABLE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVER BE ON A BALLOT OR BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT.
SO FIND WHAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND JUST GO DO IT.
YOU HAVE FIVE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SO YOU HAVE SIX PEOPLE REPRESENTING WHATEVER YOU CAN DO TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, TALK TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE ISSUES AFFECTING YOU AND YOU GET THE SEAT AT THE TABLE.
ITS GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE.
JUST A QUICK FLASHBACK FOR THIS NEXT STORY.
VOLUNTEERS CAME OUT AND PLANTED TREES AT THE TREES NOT TRASH EVENT AT BREWSTER PARK IN HOUSTON'S FIFTH WARD.
TREES NOT TRASH HELPED KICK OFF A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE THAT COINCIDED WITH THE CITY RECEIVING A GRANT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE AMOUNT OF $20 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION BEING OUT HERE TODAY OUGHT TO FIRE US UP.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE IF YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHO GETS CREDIT FOR IT.
FOR THE LAST 38 YEARS, OUR WORK HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.
SEE, OFTENTIMES COMMUNITIES AS SUCH AS THIS, WILL LOOK FOR SERVICES.
THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT CRIPPLES THE COMMUNITY AND COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE DON'T NEED SERVICES, WE NEED OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WITH THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, THROUGH THE GRANT, WE'LL BE TRAINING YOUNG PEOPLE
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TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES BY BECOMING SOLAR AND ELECTRICAL INSTALLERS.ALSO IN, IN THAT GRANT WE LOOKED AT FREE SOLAR JOB TRAINING AND PAID INTERNSHIPS, WHICH WILL EMPOWER RESIDENTS, UH, WITH WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SIGNS AROUND, YOU'LL SEE THAT ALTHOUGH WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE THE RESULTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS, SOME REAL PRACTICAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TREES NOT TRASH, THEY THINK THAT WE DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO, BUT IT'S A LOT THAT ALL OF US CAN DO.
TREES BARRICADE, THE WIND, THE SUN, UH, STORMS, ET CETERA.
THEY COOL OUR HOUSES DOWN, NOT TO MENTION THAT THEY ATE IN OUR AIR, IN AIR POLLUTION.
WE HAVE GOT TO GO TO WORK AND LEMME TELL YOU, WE CAN'T GO TO WORK SOMETIME.
WE GOTTA GO TO WORK ALL THE TIME.
WE ARE ALL IN THE POSITION TO DO IT AND WE GOTTA DO IT.
BUT I LEAVE HERE AND I'VE SAID TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON ON MANY TIMES, WE TALK BACK AND FORTH.
I'M THERE TO SUPPORT EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AND THAT'S WHAT I DO AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
BUT IT TAKES THE EFFORT OF EVERYBODY TO PUT OUR HAND INVOLVE IN IT.
LET'S PLANT THE TREES, LET'S GET IT DONE.
AND LIKE I MAY OFTEN SAY, LET'S GO TO WORK.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, AND TOGETHER WE ARE GONNA MAKE SOME CLEAN, SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE TREES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES OUT HERE BECAUSE OF THIS PARTNERSHIP.
AND NOW IT IS TIME FOR SOME REAL TALK DISTRICT, A COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASICK.
TATUM DEBUNK SOME OF THE MYTHS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY COUNCIL AND A QUICK Q AND A WITH INTERN CASEY.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, CLOCKING SOME MISCONCEPTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.
OKAY, ARE YOU READY FOR IT? I'M READY.
IS MY VOTE DOESN'T MATTER IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.
HOW CAN YOU CLOCK THAT FOR US TODAY? WELL, I THINK WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT, UM, THEIR VOTE DOESN'T MATTER ON THE LOCAL LEVEL MM-HMM
I FIND THAT TO BE A REAL BIG MISCONCEPTION BECAUSE IT'S, IN MY OPINION, EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IMPACTS YOUR DAY TO DAY QUALITY OF LIFE.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN FIX EVERYTHING.
IF SOMETHING'S WRONG IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S THEIR FAULT.
SO I'M DEFINITELY GONNA SAY THAT'S A MISCONCEPTION.
UH, AND I LOVE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT ENGAGEMENT IS A TWO-WAY STREET.
THEY SHOULD SEE THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AS PARTNERS.
WE ARE PARTNERS IN THIS WORK TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROTECTING NEIGHBORHOODS, PROTECTING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR CITY, AND WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE HOUSTON CAN BE THE VERY BEST THAT IT CAN BE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LAW OR POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE TO GET INTO GOVERNMENT.
I THINK IT DOES NOT HURT TO HAVE A LAW OR POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE, HOWEVER, IT IS NOT NECESSARY.
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IN MY OPINION IS THAT YOU CARE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEART FOR THE WORK.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEART FOR PEOPLE.
AND I THINK IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN GOING INTO PUBLIC SERVICE, YOU CAN SERVE IN ANY CAPACITY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ELECTED TO SERVE OR SO MANY AREAS THAT AS YOU LIVE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, THAT YOU CAN GAIN THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT YOU NEED TO POTENTIALLY RUN FOR OFFICE.
AND THEN YOU, YOU HAVE LIKE, UM, A BOOK OF SERVICE.
SOME THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR PAST THAT YOU CAN BRING THOSE SKILL SETS, THOSE, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES INTO YOUR SERVICE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME TODAY.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY ADDED? YES.
I REALLY WANT TO JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS INTERVIEW TODAY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICE IS MM-HMM
AND THAT YOU SHARE THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR PEERS SO WE CAN ENCOURAGE MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND INTO LEADERSHIP IN OUR GREAT CITY.
THAT WILL DO IT FOR CITY PULSE, FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION, OUR SUMMER INTERNS AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, REMEMBER TO STAY COOL AND DRIVE SAFELY AS A NEW SCHOOL YEAR APPROACHES.
AND AS ALWAYS, REMEMBER THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE.