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AND I'M REBECCA WILLIAMS. AND YOU ARE WATCHING THE CITY POLLS HCV HIGHLIGHT FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AT WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
COMING UP IN THE PROGRAM, WE BEGIN A NEW SERIES THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR FIFA WORLD CUP TUESDAY, MARCH 3RD.
MARCH 100 DAYS UNTIL THE FIRST OF SEVEN GAMES IS PLAYED AT ENERGY STADIUM TO MARK THE OCCASION THE LIGHTS OF CITY HALL, HOUSTON AIRPORTS, AND SEVERAL DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS WERE TURNED.
BLUE MAYOR WHITMEYER SAYS THE CITY IS READY FOR THE GLOBAL STAGE AND TO WELCOME FANS TO ENJOY THE GAMES AND THE FAN FEST IN DOWNTOWN'S EAST END.
THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY WELCOMED 92 FIREFIGHTERS AFTER TRAINING AND GRADUATION, THE MEN AND WOMEN ARE STEPPING UP TO SERVE.
THIS IS PART OF THE MAYOR'S STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROTECT OUR CITY.
HFD HAS NOW ADDED 480 NEW FIREFIGHTERS, CONTINUING THE COMMITMENT TO GROW THE RANKS AND KEEP HOUSTONIAN SAFE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
H TOWN RODEO SEASON IS HERE TO GET THINGS STARTED.
MAYOR WHITMEYER PUT ON SOME WESTERN WEAR ON GO TEXAN DAY.
AS HUNDRED SHOWED UP TO HERMAN SQUARE FOR SOME FUN AND GAMES GO TEXAN DAY.
IT RECOGNIZES THE HISTORY OF THIS SUCCESS PART OF OUR CULTURE, THE CULTURE WE ARE NOT GONNA LOSE BECAUSE OF YOU AND HOUSTONIANS ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY, WHAT WE'RE DOING, CELEBRATING OUR SUCCESS, BUT WE'RE ALSO INTRODUCING NEW HOUSTONIANS PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
WE'RE GONNA GET BIGGER AND BETTER AND WE WELCOME OUR IMMIGRANTS.
LET'S MAKE THIS AN EVEN GREATER CITY.
SO THEREFORE, I JOHN WHITMER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 27TH, 2026 IS GO TEXAN DAY ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY.
THANK YOU FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.
TREES FOR HOUSTON HAS ROOTED ITSELF IN CREATING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE CITY BY PLANTING ONE TREE AT A TIME.
NOW THE ORGANIZATION HAS REACHED AN INCREDIBLE MILESTONE, THANKS TO THE HELP OF THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS AND DECADES OF HARD WORK.
THE MILLIONTH TREE OF IS OF COURSE A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE.
WHAT THAT MILLIONTH TREE, UM, IS NOT, IS IT'S NOT AN END POINT.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A DATA POINT, IT'S NOT JUST A STATISTIC.
IF YOU PLANTED A SINGLE TREE EVERY DAY, IT WOULD TAKE NEARLY 3000 YEARS TO REACH A MILLION.
YET HERE WE ARE TODAY BECAUSE THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS CAME TOGETHER YEAR AFTER YEAR TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL PARTNERSHIP.
I'M GONNA BE SHORT BECAUSE TODAY BELONGS TO THE TREES, BUT THE TREES COULD NOT DO IT ALONE.
ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY SITTING HERE CELEBRATING SUCCESS AND REALLY JUST THE BEGINNING, THE MILLIONTH TREE IS A DEPARTURE POINT FOR THE NEXT MILLION AND THE MILLION.
IF AFTER THAT WE KICKED OFF THE SHOW WITH A COUNTDOWN TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP.
BUT ONCE THE BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD HAS LEFT HOUSTON, WHAT'S NEXT FOR SOCCER IN THE BAYOU CITY? PLANS ARE ALREADY IN MOTION TO HELP GROW THE GAME FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
WELCOME TO NORTH SIDE HOUSTON.
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE HERE IN MOODY PARK WE ARE ALL GONNA WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT SOCCER CAN BRING WILL REACH ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF OUR GREAT COUNTY AND CITY.
AND THAT'S WHY GROWING THE GAME IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR, UH, FOR THE THE HOUSTONIANS.
THIS IS HISTORIC MOMENT THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING THAT THE WORLD CUP IS BEING PLAYED RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
WAS IT A LIFETIME BEING PART OF PEOPLE WORKER WHILE IT'S BEEN SEVEN YEARS IN THE MAKING? TODAY WE CAN OFFICIALLY SAY THAT FREE KICK SOCCER IS READY FOR TAKEOFF.
SO WHAT IS FREE KICK SOCCER? IT'S AN INITIATIVE
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CREATED BY THE HOST COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE MORE ACCESS TO THE GAME FOR THE UNDERSERVED YOUTH OF HARRIS COUNTY.FREE KICK SOCCER WILL LEAD TO THE REFURBISHMENT OR CONSTRUCTION OF 23 FULL-SIZE SOCCER PITCHES ACROSS SIX HARRIS COUNTY PARKS.
THESE FIELDS ARE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT PARTNERSHIPS.
COALITION BUILDING INCLUSIVENESS ON BEHALF OF 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS AND THE 700,000 THAT DRIVE TO HOUSTON EACH AND EVERY DAY TO WORK PROJECTS LIKE THIS, THE SUCCESS OF THE WORLD CUP IS GONNA GET THAT 700,000 TO REALIZE THEY NEED TO LIVE IN HOUSTON.
NOT JUST WORK IN HOUSTON, BUT TO LIVE IN HOUSTON.
YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE THE BATON AND RUN WITH IT.
IT'S ALL BUT MAKING THE KIDS HAVE FUN.
I WANNA LEAVE ON THIS NOTE AND SAY IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT TODAY.
WHAT WE DOING IS FOR DEAD TOMORROW.
SO ACE TIME, LET'S KEEP SHOWING UP AND WE GONNA GROW THE GAME ON THE COUNT OF THREE.
CAN I GET EVERYBODY TO SAY GROW THE GAME? 1, 2, 3, THE GAME.
AS WE HEAD TO BREAK, WE WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THIS APRIL'S TOUR TO HOUSTON BIKE RIDE.
VISIT RUN SIGNUP.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.
UP NEXT CITY, POST HEADS TO THE LIBRARY.
HOUSTON'S POWER OF TOGETHER TAKES YOUR EVENT FURTHER.
COME ON INTO THE RESTAURANTS THAT WOWED NATIONAL COOKING SHOWS THE VIBE THAT MAKES US A TOP PLACE TO VISIT IN 2023 AND THE SPORTS THAT MADE US WORLD CHAMPIONS.
MEETING IN HOUSTON IS A RICHER EXPERIENCE.
IN HOUSTON, A TACO IS NEVER JUST A TACO.
IT'S AN INSPIRATION FROM CONVERSATION.
A REFLECTION OF EXPERIMENTATION, A PRODUCT OF OUR STREETS, OUR LANGUAGES, OUR ART, OUR DREAMS TAKEN FROM HERE AND THERE, A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT.
IT'S WHERE HERITAGE AND AMBITION COME TOGETHER.
THAT'S JUST HOW IT WORKS AROUND HERE BECAUSE WE KNOW TOGETHER MAKES IT AMAZING IN HOUSTON.
THE WORLD DOESN'T JUST VISIT, IT BELONGS FLAVORS FROM EVERY CONTINENT.
CULTURES COLLIDING BEAUTIFULLY BOLDLY HERE.
SOCCER ISN'T JUST A GAME, IT'S A LANGUAGE SPOKEN ON EVERY BLOCK IN EVERY PARK WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT.
THIS IS WHERE THE WORLD COMES TOGETHER FOR EVERY FLAVOR, EVERY GOAL, EVERY MOMENT COME READY TO PLAY.
COME READY TO CELEBRATE AS HOUSTON WELCOMES THE WORLD IN 2026.
OKAY, NOW IT IS TIME FOR THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF OUR SPECIAL HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY SERIES.
AND CHECK OUT THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES FOR THE COMMUNITY UP FIRST DIRECTOR SANDY GALL REFLECTS ON OUR LOVE OF GOING TO THE LIBRARY AS A KID AND HOW IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT BOOKS.
HI, I AM SANDY GA HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
THE LIBRARY IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S JUST LIKE A BEACON FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE PEOPLE GET TOGETHER THERE AND THEY, NOT ONLY ARE THEY ABLE TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS THERE, BUT IT'S ALSO A PLACE FOR LEARNING.
GETTING A LIBRARY CARD IS VERY EASY.
YOU CAN EITHER GO INTO THE LOCATION OR YOU WOULD HAVE TO BRING A BALLOT, TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE AND HAVE A CURRENT ADDRESS.
OR YOU CAN GO ONLINE@HOUSTONLIBRARY.ORG TO REGISTER AND YOU, NOT ONLY THAT, YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THE FREE MATERIALS RIGHT AWAY.
AS A KID, WHEN MY PARENTS USED TO TAKE ME TO LIBRARY, IT WAS A PLACE FOR ME TO ESCAPE.
SO, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY BOOKS THAT I COULD GO EXPLORE, THAT WAS A PLACE FOR ME THAT IF I EVER WANTED TO GO SOMEWHERE OR TRANSPORT MYSELF
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INTO ANOTHER PLACE, THERE WERE BOOKS, WHETHER ON DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OR BOOKS ON WHETHER I COULD LEARN HOW TO COOK.THINGS THAT WOULD JUST DEEPEN NOT ONLY WHAT I KNEW, BUT ALSO IT'S A PLACE FOR ME TO DREAM.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF LIBRARIES, THEY JUST THINK IT'S A PLACE FOR BOOKS.
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S A PLACE WHERE THERE'S A LIMITLESS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.
PEOPLE CAN ATTEND PROGRAMS THERE.
KIDS CAN GO TO STORY TIME AND ALSO THEIR, THEIR CLUBS FOR TEENS OR THEY CAN ALSO INTERACT WITH OTHERS LIKE GAMING.
AND ALSO, IT'S NOT ONLY LIMITED TO YOUTH AND FOR TEENS, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR ADULTS.
THEY ATTEND PROGRAMS FOR CROCHETING.
THEY CAN ALSO ATTEND PROGRAMS TO HAVE, UH, THEIR RESUMES, UH, FINANCIAL LITERACY.
SO THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF RESOURCES THAT PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE IN IN THE LIBRARY AND ALSO THEY CAN RESERVE ROOMS. SO IN THE ROOM, THE ROOM RESERVATIONS ARE COMPLETELY FREE.
IT'S A MAKER SPACE AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA REINFORCE THAT IT'S ALSO FREE.
REBECCA, DO YOU HAVE ANY BIRTHDAY PARTIES OR SPECIAL EVENTS SAVED ON VHS? MY PARENTS DEFINITELY DO.
WELL IF YOU WANT TO GET THEM CONVERTED FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL TECH LINK AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY MIGHT BE THE ANSWER.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE CITY OFFERED THIS.
UM, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN A PART OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AND STICKING WITH THE LIBRARY, OUR LAST STORY IS A SPECTRUM FUSION REPORT.
BACK IN FEBRUARY, THE TEAM VISITED FIFTH WARDS CARNEGIE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
HERE THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE LIBRARY'S SECOND READ IN EVENT CELEBRATING BLACK AUTHORS AND LITERATURE.
THAT ALARM IS PROOF THAT OUR STORY HAS TRAVELED ACROSS OCEAN, ACROSS GENERATION, ACROSS STRUGGLES.
WE ARE STILL HERE AND WE ARE THRIVING.
I BROUGHT MY NEPHEW TO THE LIBRARY TODAY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK HE'S EVER BEEN BEFORE AND I WANTED TO INTRODUCE HIM TO IT.
AND WHEN I GOT HERE, I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE EVENT AND I GOT INTERESTED.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT WE'VE DONE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN READING.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE DONE IT.
NO ONE IS MAKING THEIR BEST WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO DIE.
I DON'T MEAN SADNESS AS MUCH AS I MEAN THE OBSESSION WITH IT ONCE ON THE WRONG EDGE OF THE BRIDGE, A BOY I KNEW WHO PLAYED SONGS LET HIS FLEET FEET SLIP OFF.
IT WAS A PROGRAMMING SUGGESTED BY LA TRICIA MELTON, OUR YOUTH SERVICES MANAGER.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
THERE WAS A POEM READ TODAY BY MAYA ANGELO THAT I AM FAMILIAR WITH.
WE UNACCUSTOMED TO COURAGE EXILES FROM DELIGHT, LIVE COILED IN SHELLS OF LONELINESS UNTIL LUCK LEAVES ITS HIGH HOLY TEMPLE AND COMES INTO OUR SIGHT.
WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO BE ENGAGED IN THE NORTH SIDE OF HOUSTON.
OUR COMMUNITY HERE IS PREDOMINANTLY BLACK AND BROWN.
WE HAD THE TEENS ENGAGE AND GET THEM TO HELP US TO LIKE PAINT THE HEART OR PAINT FLOWERS.
AND SO IT REALLY IS A LABOR OF LOVE.
IT WAS NICE THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN THE LIBRARY AND PEOPLE THAT CAME, ESPECIALLY FOR THE EVENT.
I WAS REALLY NICE TO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER.
CASTILLO COME IN TRAVELING, LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER.
THE SAME SUN THAT MELTS THE WAX, HARDENS THE CLAY.
IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF DIFFICULT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHEN PEOPLE WILL BE AVAILABLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT COMPETING WITH OUR EVENT.
WE'D ALWAYS LOVE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE, OF COURSE.
I THINK PEOPLE ENJOYED THEMSELVES.
ALL RIGHT, REBECCA, I THINK WE COVERED EVERYTHING THAT STARTED RODEO SEASON.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT 1 MILLION TREES PLANTED BY TREES FOR HOUSTON.
I'M REBECCA WILLIAMS AND THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EPISODE OF THE CITY POLL FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION.
OUR PARTNERS WITH SPECTRUM FUSION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE'RE REMINDING YOU WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE.