WHAT MAKES HOUSTON UNIQUE?

SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE PHOTO FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS INC. PHOTO CONTEST

Neighborhood Centers Inc. wants to know, “What makes Houston unique?” Houstonians of all ages are encouraged to submit their favorite photos that reflect the culture, beauty, diversity or whatever makes our great city unique. Submitted photos could be taken in 2009 and in 2010 and even taken from your camera phone. There is no limit on the number of entries per person. First, second and third place winners will receive gift cards to Houston Camera Exchange.

WHEN: Now through Friday, February 26
All submissions are due by noon.

WHERE: Visit http://contest.neighborhood-centers.org to enter!

WHAT ELSE:

Winners, including Honorable Mention, may also be included in Neighborhood Centers Inc. publications and unveiled at the opening ceremonies of the newly-constructed Baker-Ripley Center.

•Judges include KHOU-TV’s Alex Sanz and Houston City Council Member Sue Lovell.

The Houston Bar Association (HBA) will hold a free legal advice clinic for all Greater Houston area veterans on Saturday, February 20, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, at American Legion Post 490, located at 11702 Old Galveston Rd., Houston, TX 77034, across from the main entrance to Ellington Field Air Force Base. No appointment is necessary.
Volunteer attorneys will provide legal advice on issues including family law, wills and probate, consumer issues, landlord/tenant law, worker’s compensation, tax issues, bankruptcy, and veterans’ benefits and disability claims. Any veteran or spouse of a deceased veteran can receive legal advice and counsel. Veterans who need further legal representation and meet the eligibility requirements for the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program will be assigned to a pro bono attorney. The guidelines have been adjusted for veterans so that they may have income up to 300 percent above the poverty level and still qualify for services.
The February 20 legal advice clinic is part of the Houston Bar Association’s Veterans’ Legal Initiative. The HBA sponsors weekly legal advice clinics at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, monthly legal advice clinics at the US VETS at Midtown Terrace residential facility, and quarterly legal advice clinics at DeGeorge at Union Station residential facility, as well as at stand-downs and other gatherings of veterans. For more information on services to veterans, call the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program at 713-228-0732.

The Houston CPA Society, a chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, is again offering free tax preparation assistance to nonresident students and scholars from any college or university as well as its free referral service enabling taxpayers to find qualified CPAs based on zip codes and types of services needed.
International students may receive free tax help between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on February 27, March 20, March 27, April 3 and April 10 at the University of Houston’s University Center, Bayou Room (second floor) on campus at 4800 Calhoun.
Led by E. Rhett Buck, attorney-CPA and site coordinator for the Houston CPA Society, Buck will be assisted by both volunteer CPAs and accounting students. Students must come to the site to make appointments. Last year, the Houston CPA Society helped 236 students complete their returns at this location. This is the 12th year the Society has operated this tax preparation site and Buck has been involved since its inception.
Taxpayers who do not qualify for free help may wish to seek paid professional assistance from CPAs who are members of the Society’s Referral Service by logging on to the new Web site www.houstoncpa.org and completing the registration form or by calling the Society at 713-622-7733. Each inquiry to the referral service will receive the names of three CPAs. Referrals are made based on zip codes, client needs and the ability of a firm to meet those needs. All CPA firms joining the referral service must be registered practice units that perform public accounting duties on a full-time basis. The referral is free.
Among the expectations this year, more taxpayers than ever are expected to be affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax since exemption amounts have been reduced. Investors who lost money in the stock market during 2008 may still be able to carry forward some of those losses into their 2009 returns. Taxpayers who itemize may be able to take a deduction for gifts to relieve the Haitian disaster if those gifts were made between Jan. 11 and March 1, so many people may delay their filing this year to capture that benefit.
The Houston CPA Society is the largest chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs and the third largest CPA Chapter in the United States with more than 8,600 CPA members in Houston and 13 surrounding counties. In addition to providing continuing professional education to its members, the 81-year-old Houston CPA Society has donated millions of dollars to charities and scholarships through its extravaganzas and golf tournaments. The Society delivers toys and books to 6,600 children each year through Santa CPAs and supports education with scholarships for students, grants for schools and a variety of recognition programs and contests. They provide ongoing help to other nonprofit organizations by lending skills to charity auctions and providing accounting advice to other nonprofit organizations. For more information about the Houston CPA Society, log on to the web site at www.HoustonCPA.org

(Houston – February 2, 2010) The Houston Bar Association (HBA), the Hispanic Bar Association, and the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston have joined forces to sponsor a poster-making workshop for Hispanic youth to encourage participation in the Houston Bar Association’s annual Law Day Poster Contest.
School-age children in Houston’s East End will have the opportunity to attend the three-hour workshop, which runs from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at the Community Family Centers, 7524 Avenue E, Houston, TX 77012. Local judges, as well as lawyers from the sponsoring organizations, will be on hand to answer questions about the contest and to explain this year’s Law Day theme, which focuses on changes and challenges in law in the 21st Century. Students will create entries for the HBA’s competition and have the opportunity to learn about careers in the law.
Justice Eva Guzman, the newest member of the Supreme Court of Texas will be a special guest for the event. “Having grown up in Houston’s East End, I am looking forward to sharing my story with these students from my old neighborhood,” said Justice Guzman. “With big dreams and hard work, they, too, can achieve their goals.”
The three local bar associations co-hosting the event hope the workshop will inspire students to develop an early interest in a legal career.
The Law Day Workshop is open to children in kindergarten through eighth grade. All poster-making materials necessary to create a contest entry will be provided and all participants will be treated to lunch. For more information about this event, please contact Elizabeth Parker at the Houston Bar Association, 713-759-1133 or elizabethp@hba.org.

AARP TAX-AIDE is the nation’s largest, free volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service. Volunteers have been IRS trained and certified. AARP Tax-Aide is designed to provide service for low-to-middle income taxpayers and gives special attention to those ages 60 and older.

Tax Aide counselors help individual taxpayers determine their eligibility for tax credits such as Earned Income Tax Credit, child tax credit, education credits, calculate taxpayers income, and prepare their tax returns. Electronic filing of taxpayer's returns is provided for no cost at all Tax-Aide sites.

Mission Milby, 2220 Broadway
Mon 9:30-1:30 & Tue 9:30-5
Spanish spoken

On Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the First Saturday Arts Market in The Heights is the place to be for a total holiday experience. There will be live music, holiday treats and surprises and affordable art from dozens of artisans, jewelers, craftsmen and musicians from all over the region on view at this festive event.

Founded in March 2004, the First Saturday Arts Market has proven there is room among the thriving art galleries in Houston for a monthly arts market. Patrons strolling among 40 canopied tents will find everything from gigantic abstract paintings to hand cut stainless steel flowers, original hand-cast silversmith pendants and hand carved mesquite statues. Virtually every art medium and style is represented monthly from artists living in Houston, Austin, Brenham and occasionally from Louisiana.

The featured entertainment for December is Kenneth Scott.

Scott, Houston's soul-rocker, considers himself as much of a spiritual activist as a songwriter & performer.

Market manager Mitch Cohen describes Scott's performance, "I first heard Kenneth performing at a wine bar, and I literally rushed through the crowd to the stage to see if he was real. The passion in his singing is awesome, I knew he'd fit right in at the market. His songs are full of themes that are common to all and link the human condition to a higher purpose. He performs with the punch of a modern day prophet, displaying a fury in his live shows that will make even the cynical believe. We had Kenneth at our market in October and I immediately booked him for the Heights Mistletoe Madness event this Saturday."

Scott is scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. with John Hatfield, David Fahl opens with his band, Fahl & Folk at noon.

Located on the Wind Water Gallery parking lot at 548 West 19th Street, the First Saturday Arts Market is open from 11 a.m - 6 p.m. on December 5. The First Saturday Arts Market is Houston's only monthly outdoor fine arts event. For more information about the First Saturday Arts Market, visit the website www.FirstSaturdayArtsMarket.com or call the market hotline at 713-802-1213.

H-E-B’S FEAST OF SHARING DINNER IN HOUSTON TO SERVE 8,000 MEALS AT THE 4th ANNUAL GATHERING
Community dinner will feature a nutritious, hot meal and live entertainment

HOUSTON, TX – To celebrate the season, H-E-B will host the 4th annual Houston Feast of Sharing dinner, an H-E-B holiday tradition for community residents to enjoy a delicious, free meal and festive entertainment. Set for Sunday, December 13 2009, from 1 - 4 p.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Hall E, H-E-B's Feast of Sharing will be located at 1001 Avenida de las Americas in Houston.

“H-E-B looks forward to gathering with the community to enjoy a holiday meal and the spirit of friendship,” said Winell Herron, group vice president of public affairs and diversity. “As we celebrate the 4th annual Feast of Sharing dinner in Houston, we once again appreciate the chance to express our gratitude to the community we serve.”

Hundreds of H-E-B and community volunteers in Houston will work together to prepare and serve more than 8,000 meals to the community. All together, 2,000 lbs of glazed ham; 250 gallons of mashed potatoes; 145 gallons of vegetable medley; 90 gallons of brown gravy; 600 apple pies; 8,000 dinner rolls; and soft drinks and milk will be served.

Attendees are sure to enjoy live entertainment with performances by the Milby High School Color Guard, Harbour Lights Choir, MECA Mariachi and the Gary Michael Dahl band.

Returning to the Feast this year will be the H-E-B Eddie Garcia Mobile Kitchen – a state-of-the-art vehicle equipped to handle the preparation of more than 2,500 meals per hour. The 45-foot trailer is powered by a 45 KDA generator and contains two commercial ovens, two convection ovens, two braising pans, a 30-quart commercial food mixer and a complete serving staff. Eddie Garcia, the kitchen’s namesake, was a 47-year Partner with H-E-B and the pioneer of the Feast of Sharing program and the company’s other hunger relief efforts.

Social service organizations will also be on-hand to provide attendees with helpful information.

H-E-B’s commitment and involvement in the community has been recognized as an important part of the way the company does business. The twenty-one-year tradition started in Laredo in 1988, and H-E-B’s holiday dinner program has now grown to 30 locations that serve more than 250,000 meals to people throughout Texas and Mexico.

About H-E-B
H-E-B was founded in Kerrville, Texas in 1905 with a single grocery store. For more than 100 years, H-E-B has been an innovative retailer known for low prices, fresh food, quality products and convenient services. The company has grown to more than 315 stores in Texas and Northern Mexico with 72,000 employees. It conducts a wide range of efforts geared toward helping the community and the environment. H-E-B is one of the largest food chains in the United States, with annual sales more than $15 billion, and is the largest privately held company in Texas.

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