Rice Native Garden Plantings at The WOW Roundabout

by Phyllis Thomason the installation of the light sculptures

created by local artist Tim Glover. His

Military On a clear, cool, and bright

Saturday morning in April, a group of
works grace some of Houstons finest
public venues, including his Healing
Rice Military neighborhood volunteers Nature at University of Houstons

Newsletter met to plant the initial offering of our Recreation and Wellness Center. Glover
teaches at the High School for the
Performing and Visual Arts and is a
board member of Buffalo Bayou
June 2010 ArtPark.
Glovers Light Garden
consists of three light towers organic
and tree-like with intertwined, up-
reaching brushed steel arms capped by
glowing LED orbs. With this dramatic
native garden species as we enter the up-lighting, the structures at night will
second phase of plantings at The WOW create a tiara of light above the
Roundabout! While The WOW roundabout, visible from all
Roundabout furnished the plants, each
your source for neighborhood surrounding the
roundabout was responsible for planting

neighborhood news and will be responsible for watering the

new plants by hand until they are
established. By using plants native to
our area, hand watering will only be
necessary during extensive dry periods.
With gloves and shovels in
hand, Paul Hesson, Joe McKee, B. J. approaches. With this artwork in place
Smith, and Patrick McIlvain (he says his and the continued addition to the four
roots are still in Rice Military!) joined native gardens, The WOW Roundabout
me for a couple of hours as we designed will be one of Houstons most
Quarterly Meeting and installed the first phase of the Rice
Military Native Garden at The WOW
recognized landmarks.
Funding for this project comes
from charitable organizations,
Presentation on corporations, community businesses,
Super Neighborhood 22 and individuals like you and me. The
Transportation Master Plan WOW Roundabout is seeking a
generous arts benefactor for the
along the
sculpture as well as small and large
Washington Avenue Corridor donations for paving bricks, boulders,
landscaping, and perpetual care. If you
Wednesday, July 14 or someone you know might be
Roundabout. A big thanks goes to these interested in contributing to the
7 pm ladies and gentlemen who gave their completion of this beautification project,
time and energy to the neighborhood! please email info@wowroundabout.org.
I invite you to take some time, If you wish to receive further
St. Luke Baptist Church
walk over to the roundabout, and enjoy information on our Naming Rights
714 Detering St. P r o g r a m , e m a i l
the changes that have taken place.
The WOW Roundabout board is pt@wowroundabout.org.
now moving forward with a capital
campaign to complete the project with
 w w w . R i c e M i l i t a r y . o r g

Ground-Level Ozone Safety Awareness

by Christopher McCarty
We often hear on the news
ground-level ozone warning and
seldom pay attention. What is
ground-level ozone? Where is it
found? What causes it? How does it
Here are some things you can
affect us? What can we do to help
reduce it?
Ozone is a colorless gas that is
a variety of oxygen. Oxygen consists
of two oxygen atoms while ozone
consists of three. Ground-level ozone
is one of the main components of
smog, which is formed by the
interaction of hydrocarbons
(unburned or evaporated gasoline)
and nitrogen oxides in the presence of
sunlight.
Stratospheric ozone (in the
upper atmosphere) is known as the
ozone layer and protects our health by
shielding us from the sun's damaging
ultraviolet rays. However, ground-
level ozone (tropospheric ozone) is a
pollutant with highly toxic effects. It is
a health hazard causing damage to
human health, the environment,
Ozone that is close to the
crops, and a wide range of natural
Understanding ground-level
and artificial materials.
Ground-level ozone comes
from the breakdown (oxidation) of
volatile organic compounds found in
solvents. It is also a product of
reactions between chemicals that are
produced by burning coal, gasoline,
other fuels, and the chemicals found
in paints and hair sprays. Oxidation
occurs readily in the presence of
sunlight. Motor vehicles and
industries are major sources of
pollutants that cause ground-level
ozone.
ground can cause eye irritation,
headaches, coughing, impaired lung
function, and eye, nose, and throat
irritation. Asthmatics and children are
most at risk. The chance of
experiencing adverse health effects
from elevated ozone levels increases
during heavy exercise or outdoor
activity. Ground-level ozone can also
damage trees, plants, and reduce
visibility.
do daily to help reduce ozone levels.
Try to incorporate them into your
daily life, especially on ozone warning
days which are most often days with
temperatures above 90 degrees:
avoid idling your motor vehicle
excessively;
conserve energy and recycle;
do not refuel your vehicle or lawn
mower on ozone warning days. If
you must refuel, do so after dark
remember that sunlight assists
ozone-forming reactions;
keep your vehicle well tuned;
limit driving: carpool, walk, ride a
bicycle, and combine trips;
start charcoal with an electric
lighter or a newspaper-fueled
"chimney" instead of lighter fluid;
use public transportation.
ozone and incorporating small
changes to our daily lives can not only
help us protect ourselves but help
reduce unhealthy levels of ozone in
our environment.

Rice Military Civic Club 2010 Membership Form

$20 Household Membership $5 Senior Membership

$30 Business Membership I would like to donate $____ extra for community outreach!
Name ____________________________________ Address _____________________________________
Telephone _________________________________ Email _______________________________________

Contact me about local volunteer opportunities Send me the newsletter by email only

Mail this form to PO Box 130311, Houston TX 77219 or pay online at www.RiceMilitary.org

RMCC Newsletter 2
 w w w . R i c e M i l i t a r y . o r g

RMCC Newsletter 3
 w w w . R i c e M i l i t a r y . o r g

The Built Expression of Our Modern History: The Doris Miller Center

by Monica Savino

Houstons rapidly changing

built environment is something we
all are reminded of each time we
leave town for a week or so. We
return and sometimes dont
recognize our own neighborhood
because a new building suddenly
appeared or disappeared while we
were gone. It does seem that re-
development occurs very quickly,
and while we acquire something in
the newness, we have also lost a
tremendous amount of history in
the neighborhoods along
Washington Avenue. The latest the time, the structural system is designed for no more than 350
potential victim to rapid re- made of poured in place concrete students because they were to
development is the Doris Miller frame, with natural and glazed serve only the African-American
Center at 5216 Feagan Street, brick infill walls and an articulated students in the neighborhood.
formerly Doris Miller Elementary roof edge. The style was common The Doris Miller Centers
School. Seemingly contemporary, during the 1950s as construction complex of classrooms, entry, and
the school is historic on many in the state boomed and Texas cafetorium are a neat composition of
levels. school districts built many new asymmetric yet balanced volumes.
Designed by architect schools for black students during The entry is open and welcoming
Robert Talley and built in 1957 by the finals years of segregation after as nature almost enters the building
HISD, the school is a wonderful Brown vs. Board of Education. with a planting wall and extended
and compact example of late 1950s These schools were small, this one
continued on page 3
International Style. Innovative at

Share Your News

We welcome your news, photos,
and editorials. We reserve the
right to edit for clarity, style, and
length. Send questions and
contributions to
News@RiceMilitary.org. Articles
and ads do not necessarily reflect
the views of the Rice Military
Civic Club, nor does the Civic
Club take responsibility for
errors of fact that may be
expressed by the writers and
advertisers.
Wendy Wilkinson,
editor

RMCC Newsletter 4
 w w w . R i c e M i l i t a r y . o r g

continued from page 4 could have easy access to the way if the building escapes
healthful outdoors. The demolition. Its currently
roof frame. Modern schools are classrooms were filled with endangered, as HISD wants to sell
highly legible meaning that the natural light as this was it.
exterior gives us clues to the considered desirable for optimal Houstons role in modern
program within. For example, learning 20 century race relations is an
th
one readily identifies the The elementary schools interesting series of events that is
classroom wing, the namesake, Doris Miller, was an on-going. From the 1917 Camp
administration areas, as one can African American from Waco, Logan riots to this modern
identify the assembly wing at the Texas, who served in the U.S. incarnation of institutional
elementary school. Navy during World War II. His segregation, the far west
Many schools built during brave and quick responses during neighborhoods along Washington
this time were expressions of our the attack on Pearl Harbor Avenue have played a critical part
modern, post-war ideals as they distinguished him, and Miller was of the American story. In our
provided greatly improved awarded the Navy Cross for his exuberance to re-develop at every
educational opportunities for heroic actions. turn, it would be a great shame to
African-American children. On a local level, the Doris lose the Doris Miller Center,
Standardized modernization in Miller Center has served as Houstons recognition of a Texas
schools provided a safe building assembly space for neighborhood World War II hero and our
that protected children from the gatherings including RMCC acknowledgement of the powerful
elements. They were designed meetings and annual National time period it represents.
with modern plumbing Night Out events. The school
conveniences including hallway campus has given decades of Monica Savino is a Woodcrest
water fountains and were often community service and could resident and Advisory Board member
only one story tall so that children possibility continue to serve in this for Houston Mod.

RMCC Newsletter 5
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Queen of Green:
Save the Environment
Inside and Outside
Your Home!
by Laury Adams tested: Phillips Energy Saver
and GE Energy Saver.
Refrigerators and TO DO: Remember to
freezers use more electricity turn off lights in areas not
than any other single being used.
household appliance. They
account for about a sixth of all Easy Effective Weapon
electricity use in a typical of Choice for War on Fire
American home. Over or Ants: Amazing how those tiny
under crowding makes a creatures can build large homes
refrigerator work harder to and launch such painful
maintain its optimal
temperature of 37 degrees.
TO DO: Fill empty
milk containers with water,
leaving room for expansion
during freezing, and use these
to fill spaces in your freezer.
attacks on humans. Forget the
When necessary, these can be
costly toxic chemicals! Keep
used as ice packs in coolers for
handy weapons at your
picnics or during hurricanes.
fingertipsjust 2 tablespoons
each of Molasses and Orange
Shop Smart Magazine,
Oil (Wabash Feed Store) in a
June 2010, found the following
gallon of water can launch a
floodlights to be cheaper and
deadly counterattack in
brighter than others they
seconds!

Electronic Newsletter Available

If youd like to receive this newsletter by email on PDF in lieu of a hard copy,
then email news@ricemilitary.org with PDF Newsletter in the subject line
along with your name and home address in the email.

RMCC Newsletter 6
 w w w . R i c e M i l i t a r y . o r g

Save the Date for

National Night Out
Tuesday, October 5
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in Nelli Keyes Park

Feng Shui Tip: Summer Heat and Energy

by Pamela OBrien
The fire element of Feng Shui
provides dynamic enthusiasm,
desire and passion as well as joy,
laughter and love. Summer is a
GREAT time of year to take action
on all of those dreams and goals. At
work, you can focus on sales,
marketing, advertising and public
relations. At home, you might be
tempted by travel and romance! A
person with a healthy fire element
will feel happy, compassionate,
light and playful.
Find your fire area, which is the
back center area of your home,
office, or desk. By adding Feng Shui
friendly elements, you can become
more visible to others, enhance your
reputation, improve marketing,
make more sales and enjoy
improved public relations.
Here are a few easy ways to light up
the fire in your home or office:
Paint the room red or perhaps just
an accent wall.
Use red, gold or wooden decorative
items, including items that
represent animals (art, animal print
fabric, leather).
Add fire by using candles, lights,
and electronic media.
Select decorative items or art that
are oriented upwards and contain
motifs like arrows, mountain peak
and pyramids.

Civic Club Officers

Elected Offices
President Doug Jones
pres@ricemilitary.org

Vice-President Cindy McCauley

vp@ricemilitary.org

Secretary Will Wilkinson

notes@ricemilitary.org

Treasurer Kathleen Zimmerman

money@ricemilitary.org

Non-Elected Offices
Social Coordinator Peggy Moore
social@ricemilitary.org

Newsletter Editor Wendy Wilkinson

news@ricemilitary.org

All officers are volunteers. Please contact them with

any questions, issues, or compliments! We would like
to thank our officers and all of our volunteers for their
work to make Rice Military one of the best
neighborhoods in Houston!
RMCC Newsletter 7
 PRESORTED
Rice Military Civic Club STANDARD
US POSTAGE
PO Box 130311 PAID
HEARST DIRECT
Houston TX 77219-0311

Rice
Military
Newsletter
June 2010

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