Park Hates Pokémon Go

Discovery Green wants to exit the Pokémon Go craze, citing disregard for park rules

Discovery Green has asked to be removed from Pokémon GO.

By any measure, this summer has belonged to Pokémon GO. Millions of people all over the world are playing the location-based, augmented reality game that invites users to "catch 'em all" by searching for their magical creatures with their smartphones.

While the game has a number of positive benefits by exposing users to places they might have never visited otherwise, one of Houston's most popular Pokéstops has decided that benefits of more visitors no longer outweigh the problems of increased trash and a general disregard by some users for its posted hours.

The Discovery Green Conservancy announced on its Facebook page on Thursday that it has asked game creator Niantic to remove the park from the game. The statement reads in part:

Discovery Green has submitted a request to the creator of the Pokémon GO app to remove all stops, lures and creatures from the park. Our staff does not know how or when these will be removed and is not in direct contact with Niantic to be able to answer these questions.

We hope visitors who have been introduced to Discovery Green through Pokémon GO will return to the park and experience our events and grounds as they were intended: an enriching space in the heart of Houston that serves as a village green, a source of health and happiness and a window into the arts and traditions that enrich life in Houston.

Reaction on social media to the announcement has been highly critical of the park's decision. In a one-star review, Facebook user Andy Allen criticizes the Conservancy for not seeing Pokémon GO players as potential donors. Users on the Pokémon GO Houston Community Facebook group are calling for a boycott of the park.

Other Houston attractions are still welcoming Pokémon GO players. For example, the Astros recently hosted a Pokémon GO-themed night, and the Children's Museum of Houston will host a Pokémon Day on Saturday. The Houston Zoo also remains a popular place for players to gather.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School