Plans for painting the bridge

Step 1: Clean the bridge (remove the old paint and the brushes and leaves around the bridge)
Step 2: Pick a design to paint the bridge
Step 3: Pass out flyers to the community to inform they when the bridge will be painted
Step 4: Have the bridge painted before Thanksgiving.

Adopt a Creek Event

Pecan Springs Community Meeting

In attending The Pecan Springs Community Meeting (which includes the Marlo Heights Community) with Tanea and Lucille. We saw that into today's community meetings there weren't a lot of Marlo Height Community Members attending the meetings (there were only five for Marlo). In the meeting I learn that the residents in those community were very interested in their property taxes and how

Community tour

In driving through Holly Street Neighborhood, Marlo Heights Community and Mueller Development I saw that majority of the new houses in those community stood out for the rest because of their modern looking of the house (they looked like art projects then a house to living in) expect in the Marlo Heights with the community architecture choose to make his house the way he want but also by not trying to stand out from the other houses around him. In the Holly Street Community I saw that they had a lot of open lots that the community could use to bring the community members closer together. And as we were driving through the Mueller Development I felt a little uncomfortable in see that it was just down the street from Marlo Heights Community it seemed to me that it should have been a gate community due to the fact the it is all new and the prices of the houses are not that affordable for the low or moderate income members in the community around it.
I believe that the Longhorn Center of Civic Engagement wants to continue to help out Holly Street Community that they should help they deal with the open lots that they have in their community and transform them into community playgrounds or family parks. The biggest thing would be to come up with an idea to transform empty space once the power plant is out of their community.

Gentrification Readings

In the three articles I have readied this week, the gentrification in the articles had three main points:
1) new business and housing entering into a low-income community try to improve it by the try to attacked wealthier future resident.
2) because the wealthier people and business are in the community it causes the property taxes and prices to go up which in turn hurts the old low-income residents because they can not pay those kinds of prices." A neighborhood that is gentrified can become a "victim of its own success."
3) the low-income residents are force to move out of there house. "When prices go up, tenants are push out, whether through natural turnover, rent hikes or evictions. When buildings are sold, buyers often evict existing tenants to move in themselves, combine several units, or bring in new tenants at a higher rate.

Marlo Height vs. Colony Park

Marlo Height
In Marlo Heights Community, the residents feel that their issues is due to the crime in the neighborhood because they don't know their neighbors and because of the poor lighting around their  house which causes the residents to fear what they don't see.
Colony Park
In Colony Parks, the only thing that the community wants is to have a better living environment. In the Colony Parks community their biggest issue is that they are fighting for better living arrangements they have with the City of Austin. (the rat infestation, and poor housing structures) The City of Austin categories Colony Parks as a poor-living community and does nothing to change that.
MH and CP
I believe that in Marlo Heights and Colony Parks Communities both need for there resident to get to know each resident better and to have beautification within their community.
Gentrification
Is a shift in an urban community to attacked a wealthier residents to increase the property values, but that also cause the old/poor residents to move out because they are unable to live in a high cost living environment. ex. Colony Parks
Food Desert
Is when affordable healthy food is difficult to obtain. Ex. Colony Parks

National Night Out Marlo Heights

For Marlo Heights first National Night Out there were about 30 to 35 neighbors that come out and got to know each other. About two were new to the neighborhood, about half live there for 2-5 year and a few have lived in that community for about 11-30years. We had a little table there with some food some of the residents brought out to share. While I was talk and getting to know some of the residents they told me that they were happy that we (UT students) helped out setting up the event. Even though all we did was making flyers (Spanish and English) and help pass them out. They were glad that we did that and sure need more excited about finally going to get to know their neighbors. I was able to talk to two woman for the neighbor who said " I can't wait for the next National Night Out. Is it going to be next month?" Those to two woman really joined visiting with their neighbors that they want us to have another one which was great to hear. To be honest I didn't know what to say them. But I think when me and my classmate members in the Marlo Height Project Team have to go to our first community meeting that would be are first question/suggest to the community leaders (having a block party/event at least once a month) so that that resident's bond can grow stronger together. :)