Community

A great empanada starts with hands. Hands to make it and eat it. Wherever you’ve had an empanada in the world – South America, Mexico, Europe or Asia – you can appreciate that what you’re about to eat is a masterfully-crafted creation. The pastry’s dough is cut into 6-inch diameter circles. Next comes the filling: pork, chicken, beef, cheese, veggies or a combination thereof. Once loaded, it’s folded and the dough’s edge is pressed into…..Read More

If you’re a regular METRO bus customer riding transit throughout Houston, you probably pay a lot of attention to the bus shelters. Very soon, even non-transit riders will notice the shelters in Westchase District. A contemporary, newly designed shelter – both functional and attractive – will soon be coming to Westchase District. As part of its Walnut Bend reconstruction, Westheimer streetscapes and Elmside/Woodchase Side Path projects, Westchase District is completely re-designing and upgrading the current…..Read More

Our first-ever Corporate Challenge was held in the spring of 1998. Approximately 100 athletes participated in the event representing a dozen Westchase District businesses. Back then, there were eight different events, including one that required participants to swim in the Quillian pools wearing a coat & tie and then take off the workplace attire and pass it to their co-worker who would continue the relay. The event generated nearly $1,500 for Texas Special Olympics. The…..Read More

Anticipating an active year ahead for storms in the Atlantic, Houston TranStar reminds residents to prepare for the 2020 Hurricane Season by downloading its mobile app, a tool that shows real-time traffic data and estimates areas of roadway flooding risk during heavy rainfall. Developed in partnership with the Harris County Flood Control District and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute after Hurricane Harvey, TranStar’s Roadway Flood Warning System displays real-time data from 283 weather sensors, an…..Read More

Like all member-based organizations that serve businesses and the community around the nation, the Houston West Chamber of Commerce (HWCOC) had to adapt. HWCOC is a professional organization that serves West Houston with engaging live events that connect members to economic opportunities. In addition, the HWCOC connects members to important community issues and helps build stronger communities, encouraging its members to stay involved in business, civic and social priorities. Events are held weekly throughout the…..Read More

You could say Ana Bertens was worlds away before joining the Houston Police Department. Her unlikely path to law enforcement came while she traveled back and forth to live between two continents: North America and South America. Born in Santiago, Chile, Bertens’ parents brought her and her siblings to the United States in the 1990s where she spent half of her life between Florida and Houston. After turning 20, she moved back to Chile where…..Read More

Long before the sun rises in the morning, area residents are lining up their cars on Rogerdale Road and Meadowglen Lane. They have come to West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) to have their vehicle trunks filled with food and supplies to get them through another week. WHAM’s Executive Director Mark Brown can recite the daily statistics on how many families were served and how long they were able to work before supplies ran out. He…..Read More

“We need to stay in business. My employees need their jobs.” Tina MacInnes’ words echo the paramount sense of urgency facing hundreds of thousands of businesses across the nation. A leading Salata franchise owner, MacInnes joined local elected officials and economic development professionals at an event hosted at her restaurant. MacInnes’ message found a receptive audience as they all celebrated the launch of Bounce Back Westchase. The campaign was created by Minuteman Press Westchase and…..Read More

Tina MacInnes was operating two of the highest volume restaurants in Salata’s growing restaurant chain system. Then, out of nowhere, COVID-19 strikes. Between the excitement of seeing her customers relish build-your-own salads and a dynamic transformation of her restaurant, a pandemic crashed the economy, putting her business in survival mode. New Year, new look, new challenge MacInnes unveiled a new look for her 10898 Westheimer Road location in January after using the Christmas holiday to…..Read More

Stressing fun, John Boriack brings leadership skills to HAA and Westchase District John Boriack punched his ticket to commercial real estate success in a very unusual way when, after graduating from high school, he accepted his parents’ offer to take the money they’d saved for college and launch a business instead. “I set out to find an industry where no one in my family had any experience and I found it in commercial real estate,”…..Read More