OccupyWallStreet has grown, and it’s coming to a city or town near you. If you live in or near Houston, Texas, the organizational web site is: http://occupyhouston.org/
As of 2:30 AM on Monday the 10th, it appears that OccupyHouston will remain at Tinsley Park until new permits can be obtained which will allow them to move back into Houston Downtown.
It rained all day in Houston, and I imagine that put a damper (no pun intended) on their more ambitious plans.
Below is the most recent post (2:30 AM) from OccupyHouston.
At the bottom are a repeat of my suggested directions and map to Eleanor Tinsley Park for those who would like to join the protest on Monday. And remember: Even showing up for just an hour or two makes a statement and a difference.
Energy Day is coming up next weekend at Hermann Square Plaza. With Houston’s place in the energy industry it makes sense for the city to host such a festival. After all, the city’s got to do it’s part to keep energy companies happy, don’t we?
Maybe we should cheer some of these companies on. The Energy Festival is sponsored by a few environmentally friendly technology companies that provide wind, solar, and other kinds of clean electricity.
On the other hand, companies building and supporting the Keystone XL pipeline are out as well. This pipeline, if built, will carry tar sands crude from Alberta, Canada through the middle of the United States to our fair city Houston, Texas. This is the dirtiest type of oil you can transport, and an environmental disaster waiting to happen right in our backyard. Not to mention that Koch Brothers Industries stands to make a pretty penny from all this.
So, should you come to Energy Day? Sure! Support the good companies and express your thoughts to the big oil representatives present. We only get one planet Earth. Let’s try to keep it clean.
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From Mike: I found access to Tinsley Park to be challenging, due to my lack of familiarity with the area. Thus, as a public service, I’m providing what I think may be a better map than is currently on the OccupyHouston site, with red markings to indicate what looks to me like the easiest access and auxiliary parking.
If you attend the (very laid back) protest, consider a donation of money or goods for ‘The Cause’. All these folks are there for us; the 99%.
I’m sure your local OCCUPY group has similar needs. You may start searching here: (www.occupytogether.org), whether they’ve articulated them or not.I went by Saturday afternoon and dropped some stuff off. I donated 10 bucks toward pizzas on Thursday, but the Needed Items link gave me more ideas.
My driving suggestions (for what they’re worth): Heading east on Memorial Drive from Sawyer, make the 1st possible right turn (Sabine Street). (If you get to Houston Avenue, you’ve gone too far! Turn around!) On Sabine, cross the bayou and make a right turn on Allen Parkway. Now heading west, this will take you almost immediately to the limited parking area for Tinsley Park. I’ve marked this route on the map in red.
From the site: Eleanor Tinsley Park is located between Allen Parkway and Memorial Way, just west of I-45. There is sparse parking along Allen Parkway and the park. However, the Houston Police Department has told us that you can park along the frontage road on the other side of Allen Parkway. (I don’t recommend this. I saw some ticketing. – Mike) There’s a crosswalk on Allen and Taft, a bit west of the park. There’s also parking on the other side of the park along Memorial Way.
See my map for Memorial Way, which I’ve marked in red. I also found some parking on Crosby Street, south off the Allen Pkwy service road.
If there’s no parking at Tinsley, keep going to Montrose. Make a right and a right (back onto Memorial Drive), and go east to Sawyer. Make a left on Sawyer and a quick right onto Memorial Way.
If you are heading east on Allen Pkwy and see the park on your left, you’re out of luck. Allen Pkwy is a divided road, and there’s no way to turn around. If you’re as ignorant of this part of town as I am, you’ll be headed to Downtown or I-45 for a lengthy detour.
ELEANOR TINSLEY PARK, Access and parking.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig 