ISSUE 33 · SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2026 · LIFE BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK This Week |
Photo: City of Deer Park
Deer Park’s sales-tax board meets Monday. The Community Development Corporation takes up its fourth-quarter report, and the packet shows where the money went: a Dow Park rehabilitation that’s nearly done, pickleball restrooms estimated for mid-November and new sidewalks at eight parks. Bids on the Center Street signals open Wednesday, and Halloween weekend brings a carnival to the Jimmy Burke Activity Center.
This week: the CDC’s own numbers on where the sales tax goes, the signal bids, a sushi taco worth knowing about, and a local beekeeper.
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Liberty Watch |
Photo: City of Deer Park
Mon 5:00 CDC board meets | Oct 28 signal bids opened 1:30 p.m. | Nov 2 carport variance hearing 6:20 p.m. | Nov 3 rezoning hearing 7:30 p.m. |
Minutes from the Oct 20 meeting usually come with the next agenda (Nov 3).
Monday, Oct 26, 5 p.m. The Community Development Corporation board meets in Council Chambers. The agenda: election of officers for a one-year term, approval of the July 27 minutes, the annual review and adoption of the CDC investment policy, the quarterly report for July 1 to Sept 30 (to be approved and sent to City Council), a discussion of project status, and moving the next regular meeting to 6 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2027.
Signal bids, Wednesday, Oct 28, 1:30 p.m. The city’s bid page for Bid 4053-25 (traffic signals at Center & 4th and Center & 8th) still shows the status Open, the same closing date and time, and no addendum. Bids are submitted electronically and read aloud in an open Microsoft Teams meeting. The page doesn’t say what happened at the Oct 20 pre-bid meeting.
Still ahead: a Board of Adjustment hearing Monday, Nov 2, at 6:20 p.m. on a 6-foot carport variance at 226 East Oak Street, and the Nov 3 joint hearing at 7:30 p.m. on rezoning 8.778 acres at 4811 Red Bluff Road from Highway Services to Industrial Park (M-1). The notice says council can change any part of it — or not rezone at all.
Also posted: the city’s notice of its 2026 adopted tax rate (posted Sept 17) says the rate will effectively be raised 3.46 percent and raise maintenance-and-operations taxes on a $100,000 home by about $22.98. And an Oct 21 city reminder: every level of mobile food service unit, including food trucks booked for events, must hold a permit from the City Secretary’s office under Ordinance No. 4731, passed Sept 1 (call 281-478-7242).
| Your move: Monday’s CDC agenda includes Comments from Audience. Read the quarterly report and the project update first, then tell the board what the sales tax should fund next. |
Sources: CDC agenda, Oct 26 · Oct 20 council agenda · Legistar meeting calendar · Bid 4053-25 · Public notices · Notice of 2026 adopted tax rate · City news · Licenses (mobile food permits)
✦ Rooms This Week |
| Deer Park Chamber of Commerce · Coffee and Connections with DPC Monday, 8:30 AM · Just Love Coffee Cafe, 7219 Fairmont Pkwy Suite 145, Pasadena, TX 77505 · Ask before you go | ||
| Deer Park Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Tuesday, 11:00 AM · City Hall, 710 E. San Augustine, Deer Park, TX 77536 (Lobby Conference Room) · Open to the public | ||
| Rotary Club of Deer Park (Deer Park Rotary) Wednesday, 12:00 PM · Republic Grill at Battleground Golf Course, 1600 Georgia Avenue, Deer Park, TX 77536-6711 · Guests by invitation How to get in: the room’s site |
Who sits in these rooms and the public money that goes in: the record.
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Mapping Our Community: Where the Sales Tax Goes |
Source: Deer Park CDC quarterly report, July 1 - Sept 30, 2026 (preliminary and unaudited). Rounded to the dollar.
Monday’s CDC agenda carries a quarterly report that answers a plain question: where does the city’s dedicated park and recreation sales tax go? The report says voters approved a dedicated 0.50% sales and use tax in 2015 and continued it in 2021 for sports, athletic, entertainment and park purposes.
$4,344,593 sales & use tax, fiscal 2026 | $3,916,886 expenditures, fiscal 2026 | End of Oct Dow Park project est. completion |
The report puts fiscal 2026 sales and use tax at $4,344,593 and total revenue at $4,504,567; expenditures were $3,916,886. Both are labeled preliminary and unaudited. The expenditure lines include $2,597,604 in operating transfers, $819,395 for improvements other than buildings and $213,657 for parking lots.
The companion project update lists what is under way: the Dow Park pipeline and P-Street parking lot rehabilitation (estimated within a $1.5 million budget; construction began July 6, the final concrete pour was mid-October, estimated completion end of October); pickleball restrooms at San Jacinto Park (lights are on; estimated completion mid-November); adult softball field parking and restrooms (design at 50%); and 5-foot concrete trails at eight parks (approved at the July 21 council meeting; the city is reviewing plans before setting a notice to proceed). The DAC, the new community and recreation center, is listed as completed Jan. 6, 2026.
The lens worth keeping: these are staff estimates in a draft packet, not results. The report doesn’t explain why the first quarter’s revenue is so much lower than the other three, so we won’t guess. A fair question for the board Monday: when the pickleball restrooms and the trails finish, what do they cost against the figures in this report?
| GO DEEPER The Deer Park record: budgets, tax rates, votes and who governs, every figure sourced — councilonlocalrelations.org/tx/deer-park/ Start here — the Primers: 01 The Long Flat Line (how the family changed) · 02 The Documents We Live Under (the written rules that limit power) · 03 The Household (what a household buys, priced in years of work) · all primers → From the Council: This week: Formation Comes Before Function (The Shepherd); If It's Not Written, It Doesn't Exist (The Advocate); Empty Rooms Are Not Consent (The Sentinel); Culture Moves Faster Than Argument (The Maestro); On Time. In Budget. No Bullshit. (The Builder). Get them by email → |
| KNOW YOUR TOWN THIS WEEK One question about Deer Park every day, and every answer links to the public record it comes from. Play today’s question → |
Sources: CDC quarterly report · CDC project update · CDC agenda, Oct 26 · CDC meeting page
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK From the Council This Week |
 | MONDAY, OCT 26 · THE ELDER Before We Build Anything New, Someone Should Ask What Was Here |
 | TUESDAY, OCT 27 · THE COUNSELOR The Mortar Is the Part Nobody Sees |
 | WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 · THE PHYSICIAN Health Is a Project, Not a Prayer |
 | THURSDAY, OCT 29 · THE PATRON Wisdom That Does Not Transfer Dies |
 | FRIDAY, OCT 30 · THE CLIENT Teach Me: Notes From the Seat That Sits Down to Learn |
Every piece, every figure linked to its source: councilonlocalrelations.org
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Around the Block |
Photo: City of Deer Park
| Spooky Night Hike — 6–9 p.m., Deer Park Nature Preserve, 2500 E. 13th St. Free. Treat stations along the trail and Mad Libs–style prompts to finish a story; costumes welcome. | ||
| CreativiTeen: Magic Potion Necklaces — 4:30–6 p.m., Deer Park Public Library, 3009 Center St. Free; make a color-changing potion necklace. No registration; supplies may be limited. | ||
| Inclusive Bingo Bash — 6–7:30 p.m., Maxwell Adult Center, 1201 Center St. Free; snacks and juice. | ||
| Holiday Storytime — 10:15–10:45 a.m., Deer Park Public Library. Free; songs, stories and a craft. Costumes encouraged, goodie bags for the little ones. | ||
| Season Bingo Bash — 8:15–9 a.m., Maxwell Adult Center. $3 resident / $6 non-resident per event. | ||
| Halloween Carnival — 2–5 p.m., Jimmy Burke Activity Center, 500 W. 13th St. Games, costume contest, concessions, rides and a haunted maze. Wristbands $12 (ages 1 and up) online through Oct 30, by phone at 281-542-2650 or at the Dow Active Complex; $15 at the door. |
Your move: the Halloween Carnival inspired by Hocus Pocus sells wristbands ahead — pre-bought ones can be picked up Oct 29–30, 4–8 p.m., at the Jimmy Burke Activity Center. Run a Deer Park event? Send it by Thursday.
Sources: Spooky Night Hike · CreativiTeen · Inclusive Bingo Bash · Holiday Storytime · Season Bingo Bash · Halloween Carnival
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Prosperity Spotlight |
Delgado Honey Bee’s
Deer Park’s Eric and Myra Delgado turned an interest in beekeeping into a family business. The city’s May 2026 economic development newsletter introduced it, and the label on its jars reads “Deer Park, Tx.”
The business bottles raw, unfiltered, small-batch honey from hives it manages in the Deer Park and Pasadena area. It also does bee removal and swarm rescue — its site says it relocates bees and doesn’t exterminate them — and hive relocation for homes, trees, sheds, fences, attics and commercial properties. The city newsletter adds beeswax, bee colonies and pollination services.
The site lists its service area as Deer Park, Pasadena, La Porte, South Houston, Channelview and Baytown. No hours or storefront address are posted, so reach out first for a quote.
| Delgado Honey Bee’s · Serves Deer Park, Pasadena, La Porte, South Houston, Channelview and Baytown · (281) 884-9488 Hours aren’t posted — call ahead. · delgadohoneybees.com |
Sources: Delgado Honey Bees · City economic development newsletter, May 2026
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Food Scene |
Deer Park Sushi
Deer Park Sushi calls its cooking “Japanese-Mexican fusion,” and the city’s economic development newsletter says the restaurant at 3811 Center Street is marking 10 years in Deer Park. The restaurant describes itself as 100% family owned and operated.
The specialty is the sushi taco: a crispy nori shell packed with sushi rice and fillings, in five flavors that include shrimp tempura with crab and avocado, spicy tuna with jalapeños, and carne asada with guacamole. The site lists them at $7.99 each, and a full-size sushi burrito at $15.50.
The family’s story is on its About page. Chef Evic G. Villanueva has more than 20 years of sushi experience in Houston, and the family says it opened its own restaurant after a fire destroyed the restaurant where his son worked as manager. Know the story behind a favorite roll? Reply and tell us.
| Deer Park Sushi · 3811 Center Street, Deer Park · 281-884-8460 Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–9 p.m. · Fri 11 a.m.–10 p.m. · Sat noon–10 p.m. · Closed Sunday · deerparksushi.com |
Sources: Deer Park Sushi · Our story · City economic development newsletter, October 2026
✦ Trivia Question |
Deer Park nearly vanished by 1922. Which company’s 1928 groundbreaking on a new refinery revived Simeon West’s vision for the town? (Answer at the bottom.)
✦ Quote of the Day |
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey, 1816 (Monticello)
✦ Secret Little Hack |
Want to know what a board is about to decide? Open its meeting on the city’s Legistar calendar and click the agenda items: the attachments — reports, policies, project updates — are posted before the vote. Monday’s CDC quarterly report and project update are both there (CDC meeting page).
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Real Estate Pulse |
Source: Redfin, Deer Park housing market page, nearby cities table. 100 = most competitive.
55 / 100 Redfin Compete Score, Deer Park | $162 median price per sq ft (-1.5%) | ~1% below typical sale vs. list price | 12 days hot homes to pending |
Redfin hasn’t updated since last Sunday — the page still reads “as of September” (median sale price $302,856, up 8.2% from a year ago) — so here’s a different cut of the same page. Redfin rates Deer Park “somewhat competitive” at 55 out of 100, ahead of Houston (47) and behind Pearland (65). Over the last three months the typical Deer Park home sold for about 1% below list price and went pending in about 46 days; the hottest homes sold near list in about 12 days. Median price per square foot is $162, down 1.5% from a year ago, even as the median price is up. Your move: if you’re buying, ask for how long similar homes took to go pending on your street, not the citywide average.
Sources: Redfin — Deer Park housing market
Photo: HAR.com listing
For rent, listed by Nina Bright. 4713 E Meadow Dr, Deer Park 77536: $2,550 a month. Four bedrooms, two baths, 1,928 square feet on one story, built in 2010. Two-car attached garage, covered patio, wood floors, granite counters, a fireplace and fresh paint. Available now; pets case by case ($500 deposit per pet). See the listing on HAR.
Full disclosure: Nina is David’s wife.
| Looking to buy or sell? Nina Bright, Realtor — call or text 832-689-3170. Full disclosure: Nina is David’s wife. |
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Service Opportunities |
Photo: City of Deer Park
Park Patrol. The city’s Citizens on Park Patrol program asks volunteers to be extra eyes and ears in parks and on neighborhood streets, observing and reporting suspicious activity; call Sheila Plovanich at 281-930-2118. On stage or backstage? The city’s community theater, the Art Park Players, lists opportunities on stage and off. Both are on Volunteer Deer Park, along with the Adopt-a-Spot program and the Municipal Volunteer Program.
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Adopt a Friend |
Illustration
Every week we feature one Deer Park-area pet looking for a home. This week, meet them in person: the shelter’s adoptable animals are listed on its own page, and the staff will introduce you.
| Deer Park Animal Shelter and Adoption Center · 4221 Luella Ave, Deer Park · 281-478-7274 Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–2 p.m. · adoption page |
What we checked Saturday: the shelter’s Adoptapet page says it has no adoptable pets right now, and lists three recently adopted kittens. Its Facebook page is where the shelter posts its animals (we couldn’t read it from a script). Call 281-478-7274 to ask what’s available this week.
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Growth & Learning |
Illustration
Ask your kids: parks, trails and pickleball courts cost money — where does it come from? In Deer Park, part of the answer is a half-cent sales tax that voters approved for parks and recreation. Look at the CDC’s quarterly report together and find the line for sales tax revenue. Then try the harder one: how would you decide which project goes first? More in the CDC’s fourth-quarter report.
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Local Theory & Remnant Radio |
 | Now playing: Come Home — Local Theory (April 2, 2026 · 13 tracks). Listen. Remnant Radio streams the whole catalog 24/7 at radio.thinkandactlocally.com · Spotify. Thirteen releases. Sovereignty through sound. In the Studio now: Babel. Vote on the mixes. |
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Weather Forecast |
Sun  Mostly sunny 81° 63° | Mon  Mostly sunny 82° 67° | Tue  Partly sunny 81° 68° | Wed  Mostly sunny, slight chance of storms 82° 69° | Thu Mostly sunny 82° 68° | Fri  Chance of showers 81° 69° |
Mostly sunny today, with a high near 81 and a low near 63 tonight. Highs stay in the low 80s through Friday and nights warm from 63 to 69. The first rain chances arrive Wednesday afternoon (a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms), and Friday carries a 30% chance of showers, so Halloween planning is worth another look next Sunday.
Sources: National Weather Service (HGX), retrieved Oct 24, 5:46 p.m. CT
✦ CrowdHealth |
 | David and his family left traditional health insurance for CrowdHealth — a community that funds each other’s medical bills. Bills get negotiated down first; no claims department, no denial letters. See how it works. We earn a referral if you join. CrowdHealth is not insurance. David is a paying member. |
✦ Unrivaled Travels |
 | Planning a trip worth taking? Our own travel service books the expedition, cruise, or getaway you’ll remember — at no markup. info@unrivaledtravels.com · 281-241-1994 · unrivaledtravels.com One of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Candles |
 | Hand-poured jewelry candles — every one hides a piece of jewelry inside, valued from $10 to $10,000. Burn it down and find out what’s yours. Shop Unrivaled Candles. Full disclosure: one of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Marketing Solutions |
 | You built the business — now make sure your Deer Park neighbors can find it. Book a free 15-minute call with David: we’ll look at how your business shows up online and where customers may be slipping past. If you want us to fix it, that’s paid work, and David will go over the price on the call. Book a free 15-minute call. One of our own businesses. |
✦ Sponsor Spot |
This spot is open. Sponsor this spot — reach Deer Park neighbors every Sunday, in the one inbox they actually read. Reply to book it.
✦ They Told Him He Was Crazy |
David sold his metals. Not trimmed — sold. He kept the receipts, every decision sourced, so you can decide for yourself: conviction, or crazy? Read the filing →
David’s own account; affiliate link. Support never touches coverage.
✦ Have a Question? Ask It Live |
Want to understand the framework David uses to put money to work without living in front of a screen? The team behind it runs free live calls — bring your questions, get them answered in real time. No cost to sit in and listen.
Register for a free live call →
Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link. But you know the rule — sponsors support the mission, never influence the message. David doesn't recommend anything he doesn't personally use.
We earn a referral if you join. Education, not financial advice. Options involve risk of loss.
✦ Tuttle Twins: For the kids at your table |
 | The Tuttle Twins Monster Sale runs through Halloween. Their graphic novels turn big ideas about money and freedom into adventures kids actually want to reread — and brand-new Season 4 just landed. All four seasons (44 hardcover books) are $349 this month. Get ready for questions at dinner. As a Tuttle Twins affiliate, TAAL may earn a commission if you buy through our link. |
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Community Voices |
The city’s sales-tax board (the Community Development Corporation) pays for park and recreation projects. What should it fund next in Deer Park? Hit reply — one or two sentences — and we’ll run the best next Sunday.
✦ Take Action |
- Monday, Oct 26, 5 p.m. — the Community Development Corporation board meets in Council Chambers, 710 E. San Augustine. Comments from Audience is on the agenda.
- Wednesday, Oct 28, 1:30 p.m. — bids on the Center Street signals are opened, read aloud in an open Microsoft Teams meeting.
- Saturday, Oct 31, 2–5 p.m. — Halloween Carnival at the Jimmy Burke Activity Center; pre-bought wristbands are $12 online through Oct 30.
- Monday, Nov 2, 6:20 p.m. — Board of Adjustment hearing on a carport variance at 226 East Oak Street.
- Tuesday, Nov 3, 7:30 p.m. — the joint public hearing on rezoning 4811 Red Bluff Rd.
Can you reach your neighbor when the towers go down?
When a hurricane takes out cell service, the people next door are your first help. Bitchat is an app that costs nothing to download and passes messages phone to phone over Bluetooth, with no internet or account. Install it now, pair up with the neighbors on either side, and send a test message on a normal day. Our Deer Park default channel is #deerpark.
| READ YOUR NO-SIGNAL PLAN → |
Need a weather radio, walkie-talkies or a power bank? Support us when you shop Amazon: click our link each time you shop. Weather radios · FRS/GMRS radios · Power banks · Shop Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
✦ Submit Your Content |
Events, business features, volunteer calls, letters from Deer Park: david@thinkandactlocally.com. Deadline: Thursday 5 PM for Sunday.
✦ Answer to Trivia |
Shell Oil Company. Simeon West’s vision for Deer Park was revitalized in 1928 when Shell broke ground on a refinery; by 1938 the town had 48 houses and a school district (City of Deer Park history).
THE HERALD ✦ DEER PARK Keep the Herald Free |
No advertiser sets our coverage — readers keep it alive. The best thing you can do costs nothing: forward this to one neighbor who’d want to know where the city’s sales-tax money is going.
| SUBSCRIBE TO THE DEER PARK HERALD → |
Follow the Deer Park Herald on Facebook · Deer Park on the record (CLR) · CLR Primers · Think and Act Locally · Unrivaled Marketing Solutions · All Deer Park Herald issues
The Herald is published by Think and Act Locally. Its facts come from the public record kept by the Council on Local Relations, which shares a founder with Think and Act Locally. Portions drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publication. Reply anytime: david@thinkandactlocally.com.
