Dog Days Ahead

First look: Hotly anticipated Buffalo Bayou dog park offers lots of pooch-friendly amenities

Animal lovers rejoice: Houston's newest dog park, located in Buffalo Bayou Park, is opening this weekend and it's going to blow you away.

The Johnny Steele Dog Park features a number pooch-friendly amenities you certainly won't find at your local park. The two-acre space at the corner of Montrose and Allen Parkway features dog washing stations, fenced-off ponds — one for small dogs and another for larger ones — and even shaded structures for owners to keep cool while watching their four-legged friends play.

Nearly 20 new parking spaces have been added along the Allen Parkway frontage road, and since the park is open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. (following the Jan. 17 opening), the area features new lighting as well.

The park's grand opening celebration — free and open to the public — will take place on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

The park's grand opening celebration — free and open to the public — will take place on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Family — and animal — friendly activities like a dog "kissing booth," a pup and owner look-alike contest, pet food samples, a dog lounge area, on-site pet adoptions and prize giveaways.

Named in honor of Johnny Steele, a well-known Houston landscape architect, by a group of thoughtful donors, the $1.5 million park is just one of four major destinations to be completed by Buffalo Bayou Partnership as part of the $58 million renovation to the 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park.

Under renovation since July 2013, improvements will include new trails, pedestrian bridges, additions to Eleanor Tinsley Park, improved lighting, amenities such as kayak and bike rentals, as well as general improvements to the landscape and new destinations like The Water Works, Lost Lake and the Nature Play Area.

"The completion of the dog park is a major milestone in the improvements to Buffalo Bayou Park and an indicator that we are in the homestretch of overall park completion by the summer," said Anne Olson, president of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, in a press release.

"It has been exciting to see the transformation of the park and also the spur in residential and commercial development in the area which we believe is a reflection of the desire for, and interest in, quality of life amenities."

Watch the video above to get a close-up view of the new dog park.

no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Texas Original medical cannabis

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana

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