Can neighborhoods be revitalized without gentrifying them?-The Nation Article

Can Neighborhoods Be Revitalized Without Gentrifying Them? 

Baltimore’s new housing plan could provide a form of neighborhood uplift that benefits communities, not developers.

By: Michelle Chen

Last year, the death of Freddie Gray in police custody placed his neighborhood in a tragic spotlight, highlighting an all-too common urban misery: epidemic poverty, blighted lots, and shattered homes. Gray’s Baltimore has become notorious as the site of failed “urban renewal” projects, rife with liberal talking points but showing precious little progress in alleviating poverty and joblessness. There’s now a plan to generate change from the inside out, creating community housing as a source of collective healing...

To see more go to:

http://www.thenation.com/article/trusting-baltimore-communities/

RGV on America's Poorest Cities List-Texas Monthly Article

Rio Grande Valley Tops List of “America’s Poorest Cities” 

By Jason Cohen

Last month, Harlingen topped a Cost of Living survey, earning it the title of “America’s Least Expensive City. And neighboring McAllen came in third.

Now, the inevitable flip side to such data. The two Rio Grande Valley metropolitan areas have finished no. 1(McAllen-Edinburg-Mission) and 2 (Brownsville-Harlingen) on a list of “America’s Poorest Cities” (or, if you prefer, 365th and 366th on a list of “America’s Richest Cities”) by the website 24-7 Wall Street.

- See more at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/rio-grande-valley-tops-list-of-americas-poorest-cities/

Texas Monthly article What Are The Most Walkable Neighborhoods In Texas?

What Are The Most Walkable Neighborhoods In 
Texas?

By Dan Solomon

Texas cities don’t have a great rep for walkability. Like, you technically can walk around most cities in Texas, but doing so isn’t always super pleasant. Blame it on the relentless sunshine, the lack of sidewalks, the fact that everything is spread out because it was mostly built with cars in mind, or a population that would rather drive—but the fact is that, when you compare any city in Texas to, say, New York, San Francisco, Miami, or Chicago, you’re going to wish you had your car. 

See more at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/walkable-neighborhoods-texas/

LNG Article from The Brownsville Herald

Lease option fees generated $4.4 million last year

By STEVE CLARK Staff Writer of The Herald

From the perspective of Port of Brownsville officials, liquefied natural gas is a win even if the port never sees a single LNG facility get built.

Plans by three companies that want to build LNG liquefaction/export terminals at the port are under review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Environmentalists have been highly critical of the plans, which have also caused nervousness among some local officials.

A global glut of natural gas makes bringing new export capacity online unfeasible at present, though the companies eyeing the port — Annova, NextDecade and Texas LNG — are planning far ahead and wouldn’t be operational until around 2020.

In the meantime, the port is collecting lease option payments from those companies. Port commission chairman Ralph Cowen said that through December, the three LNG companies paid more than $4.4 million in nonrefundable lease option fees on 2,280 acres. In 2016, the port expects to collect $1.3 million, he said.

Before the LNG companies came along, the land was only generating grazing fees — $2 an acre, Cowen said.

“We would get probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $3,500 a year,” he said...

To see the full article follow go to the below link:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/premium/article_db39be78-f6ee-11e5-8825-cb6b8741c8d2.html

Article from San Jose Mercury News BUSINESS section

Recycling tech gadgets to reduce environmental pollution

By George Avalos, gavalos@bayareanewsgroup.com

The Silicon Valley innovation miracle that has ushered in dizzying new ways for people to live, work and play also has intensified the pressure to find environmentally responsible ways to dispose of gadgets rendered obsolete.

"This is more complex than cans and bottles," said Jeff Hunts, manager of the CalRecycle electronic waste recycling program. "The b ottle or can you drank from will soon become another bottle or can. E-waste is much more complicated."

Responsible disposal of electronic devices may require solutions that can match the innovation that went into the creation of those phones, TVs, games and drones...

To see the full article go to:

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_29633387/recycling-tech-gadgets-reduce-environmental-pollution

Change in hunting program at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Laguna Atascosa
Picture taken from U.S. FWS website

This upcoming hunting season, a new system is being offered through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Those that become a part of this new system won't have to re-register every year; all that is need is a onetime online registration. For more information follow the link below.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_5bcfffb8-dc3a-11e5-89cf-97642d2d8be5.html

Next Step for a Second SPI Causeway: Getting Developers Educated

A public meeting  will be held March 1 at 9 a.m. at the 

Hilton Garden Inn on SPI.

Environmental clearance for the project is expected in fall 

2016.

See the Brownsville-Herald link below:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/premium/article_f2fc9a44-ca2a-11e5-bb23-b771f301490c.html