Welcome to Shepherd Park Plaza

Welcome to the Shepherd Park Plaza website. Please look around and enjoy. The site is updated frequently with new content and links that should be helpful for everyone who lives in the neighborhood.

2012 Fundraising Status Update 12th

Back in September the civic club kicked off its 2012 fundraising campaign. Response has been good with approximately 50% of residents responding so far. Enclosed in this edition of the Pulse is 2012 Membership & Constable status as of Jan 15th. Thanks to all residents who responded last fall. Another mailing to residents who have not yet fulfilled Membership Dues and/or Constable donation was mailed out in January. As you know, the benefits of maintaining your membership and participating in the Constable program are countless. Our membership and Constable participation has had a healthy increase over the last few years. If you are pending, please take steps today to join the civic club and participate in the Constable program. If unable to donate the suggested amount of $200 for the Constable Program please donate a lesser amount or consider making smaller donations monthly.

New Deputy Patrolling the Neighborhood

On June 6, 2011, Deputy James Moulden became the SPP deputy constable, following the reassignment of Deputy Ebdon.

Moulden is a proud native Texan, who was born and raised in Houston. After marrying his high school sweetheart, he became the father of three children, now 19, 14, and 11. Heritage means something to him, “I am a fourth generation Texan—my kids are fifth generation Texans,” he said. Moulden, whose ancestors came to Texas in the early 1800’s, has logged 20 years in law enforcement. His experience includes 14 years in patrol, during which he began one of the first contracts in the Near Northwest Area of Houston. He has also worked in the Marine Division, as well as the Juvenile Justice area, K-9 Unit, and the Bomb Squad.

With such a varied background in active police work, Moulden brings a needed skill set to SPP. He will be visible in the neighborhood, enforcing laws for everyone.

Please remember that laws are made for safety, and apply to everyone, not just a few. If a law is broken, even if the offender is a resident of SPP, a ticket may be given. Speeding, running stop signs, improper parking of vehicles, loud parties, disorderly behavior are all violations and citations can be given, whether you live in the neighborhood or not. Calls to the Constable Dispatch, members of the Civic Club Board, or Constable Liaison will not fix the citation.

Support Your Constable Patrol for Less Than $4 a Week

Later this month, SPP residents will receive a mailing with information about the Shepherd Park Plaza Civic Club (SPPCC) 2011 Deputy Constable Patrol fundraising campaign. In the mailing, you will find a contract application and return envelope for your convenience. The suggested contribution for 2011 is $200 or just $3.84 a week—a lot less than a cup of Starbuck’s coffee!

What do you get for $200? A full-time armed and uniformed deputy patrolling our neighborhood in a marked vehicle 40 hours per week. Additionally, officers from the Constable’s patrol division make numerous sweeps of SPP when our deputy is not on duty. Many of you have met our new deputy, James Ebdon, and I can tell you that there is not a more dedicated officer on the force. James has been a breath of fresh air as he has gotten very involved in helping us keep our neighborhood safe. His work hours are set by the SPPCC board and are based on crime statistics for our neighborhood and the patrol hours of our Citizens Patrol. A great part of the time, our deputy is patrolling while we are all fast asleep.

Why support our Deputy Constable Patrol? With the Houston Police Department stretched to the limit, supporting additional security patrols for SPP is a tangible and visible way to help deter crime in our area. HPD crime statistics for 2010* report 501 crimes in our police beat 3B30 which includes SPP, Garden Oaks, and Oak Forest. HPD reported 43 violent crimes and 299 non-violent crimes. Very few these crimes occurred in SPP, and having an officer only a minute away can contribute to keeping criminals out of our neighborhood.

Please send your contribution today! The sooner we receive your $200 contribution, the better able we are to budget for the coming year. If you can’t immediately afford the $200, please send what you can—contributions in any amount are welcome. In fact, we are now able to accept recurring contributions through PayPal at www.shepherdparkplaza.com. We realize that budgets may be tighter than normal, and that a lump sum payment may not be feasible. For those in that boat, we encourage you to set up a recurring payment through PayPal of any amount to help cover the cost of this great service. No donation is too small…even just $5 a month will make a difference!

Based on current patterns of support, we need better participation from everyone in order to continue to afford the Constable Program moving forward. We all benefit through a safer neighborhood, lower crime, and higher property values., so let’s all get on board so that we can continue to keep SPP a wonderful and safe place to live!

*Crimes reported for January-April & June 2010.

Be Captain of Your Block

To involve more SPP residents and to assist our section reps, the SPPCC Board is actively recruiting 30 block captains. Block captains will:

• Be the most local connection between SPP Civic Club and residents,

• Notify others of news and happenings on your block,

• Welcome new neighbors and encourage more resident interaction.

• Assist their section rep in distributing information and communicating to residents.

If you’d like to get involved as a block captain, contact Mike Clark at 713-906-4148 or by email at mike@hartmanassociates.com.

Register Your Recycle Bin With RecycleBank.com

RecycleBank partners with cities and haulers to reward households for recycling. Households earn RecycleBank Points that can be used to shop at over 1,500 local and national businesses.

If you want to sign up with the RecycleBank CLICK HERE

Plaza Pulse Going Green!

SPP residents may now choose to receive an email link to the full-color electronic version of the Plaza Pulse each month. Residents can also opt out receiving a printed copy of the Plaza Pulse in the mail. By going paperless, you can help us lower costs and reduce waste.

If you’re interested receiving the electronic version of the Pulse each month, simply CLICK HERE to sign-up.