MAMA Launches 2014 Membership Drive

In 2014, MAMA hopes to at least double its membership. Despite the small size of our neighborhood, MAMA accomplishes a tremendous amount. With more members, we will be even stronger.

If you haven’t yet joined MAMA, please take a look at a few reasons why we hope you will, whether to attend our quarterly meetings to get information on the issues of the day or to take a more active role through donations of time and funds.

MAMA has been active for nearly 35 years in the area bounded north-south between Bissonet and 59 and east-west between Main St. and Graustark. We keep area residents informed on developments and issues that affect them – and take positive steps to improve and protect the neighborhood.

So what have we accomplished over the years? It’s a long list:

• Supporting Bell Park: in 2013, MAMA completed a $30,000 project to install new irrigation and plantings to restore and beautify the park. And in prior years, MAMA has raised funds to install the lights in the park and to complete the paving of the park when city funds were depleted. Bell Park sits nearly in the center of the MAMA area and we watch out for it!

• Influencing the redesign of US 59 along our northern boundary: Working with other neighborhoods and civic associations, MAMA prevented an elevated flyover envisioned by the highway department and lobbied successfully for the current below-grade lanes of today. In cooperation with the highway department, ensured the installation of sound barriers and landscaping in the section near the detention pond on Rosedale.

• Planting trees on streets and esplanades – 130 crepe myrtles planted between 1983 and 1993

• Organizing a walking tour of the neighborhood

• Sponsoring numerous gatherings over the years on National Night Out to help neighbors get acquainted and to link with law enforcement in improving neighborhood security

• Blocking unwanted non-residential construction, despite lack of deed restrictions, solving parking problems, and working with commercial enterprises to solve problems that arise

• Supporting formation of the Montrose Management District

• Lobbying the City of Houston for resurfacing of area streets

At MAMA’s first meeting in 1980, the 80 attendees included original owners of homes, young couples with modest incomes, apartment dwellers and even students. Today, that list also includes residents of more recently developed town homes and high-rises.

All are welcome regardless of home ownership or residence – in fact, some of our best supporters are area businesses.

We don’t win all our battles, but the more of us who care, the better we can do to ensure our neighborhood is the best it can be for all who live and work here. Please join us visiting www.mamahouston.org/membership