Safety

While residents are no strangers to heavy rain events throughout the year, and particularly during hurricane season, which runs from June 1 – November 30, Transportation and Emergency Management personnel at Houston TranStar are stressing the importance of being prepared for severe weather. “Your ability to survive a hurricane depends on you having a plan, staying informed, and preparing wisely,” said Dinah Massie, Executive Director for Houston TranStar. This year, TranStar is sharing four helpful…..Read More

It is illegal for 18-wheel tractor/trailers to park for more than two hours on any residential street in Houston. It is also illegal for the smaller “box” trucks to park for more than 24 hours on a city street. But if you’ve driven Meadowglen Lane,  Elmside Drive or Seagler Road, you know that illegal parking is a chronic problem that interferes with vehicular traffic. Westchase District is actively working to curtail this illegal parking. The…..Read More

Riding an average of 25 miles a day, HPD bike officer Zhen Wang knows the Westchase District area. “It’s different than being in a patrol vehicle,” said Wang, a nine-year veteran of the Westchase District Patrol. “When you are on a bike you ride past people on the trail and on the streets. It makes my day when people say hello and wave. We love smiles too.” After Wang puts miles on the bike, he…..Read More

2020 was a year that was anything but ordinary. Apartment community managers and commercial real estate leasing agents found themselves coming up with new and inventive ways to show their empty apartment homes and available spaces in order to stay in business. Tina Hurd is a long-time apartment community manager with Camden, which owns and manages three apartment communities in Westchase District. When the pandemic struck closing apartment community offices to prospective residents, Hurd says…..Read More

This January marks Leonard Kubiak’s fourth month with Westchase District Patrol, making him the patrol’s newest officer. As a high school student, Kubiak had early sights on becoming a police officer. “Growing up I always wanted to be in a meaningful job where I could help people,” said Kubiak. “Becoming a police officer put me in line with where I saw myself in life. I see the job as a police officer as one that…..Read More

Larry Vaughn had never seen a snow-capped mountain before leaving Alexandria, La., in 1988. After high school graduation and marrying his high school sweetheart, Vaughn enlisted in the U.S. Army and deployed to high altitude places. Years later, as a civilian, the mountains drew him back for a new adventure. “The Army gave me more discipline than my parents instilled in me,” said Vaughn. He credits the Army with teaching him things that benefited his…..Read More

This fall, Westchase District celebrates its 25th anniversary. The District was created by an act of the 74th Texas legislature and signed into law by then-Governor George W. Bush on June 12, 1995. The law became effective on August 28, 1995 and the newly-formed board of directors met for the first time on August 29, 1995. But Westchase District’s history hardly begins there. Early days The Westchase Business Council – the District’s predecessor organization –…..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

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

Inspiration to become a police officer was always around a young Cody Thomas. “As soon as I could start making memories, I’ve always known I wanted to become a police officer,” said Thomas. That was at age four. His dream was boosted by many family role models. His father, who wasn’t a police officer, and two uncles at the Houston Police Department set an example by actions that he wanted to follow. Thomas recalls how…..Read More