Editor's Note - August 2025

The unimaginable tragedy on July 4th hit painfully close for everyone in our communities. Eight-year-old Blakely McCrory, a camper who died in the flood, was our neighbor. We didn’t know the McCrorys well but often saw Blakely playing at the park. Recently, Michael and I ran into her with her aunt Alex. Without thinking, Michael said to Alex, “You must be the Easter Bunny!” as he had spotted Blakely with a giant Easter Bunny a few years earlier. “I knew it!” ever-so-sharp Blakely said, pointing at her aunt. (We all know the real Easter Bunny doesn’t need a costume.) It was a small, funny moment, the kind you have with neighbors. Since the flood, it’s been moving to see neighbors come together in grief, to see green ribbons on trees and doors, to see the ways in which community members are honoring those whose lives were lost, and comforting devastated family members and friends. We hope this issue helps you find some healing and connectedness with neighbors. [email protected]

PATRONS for Bellaire Parks, the City of Bellaire, and neighbors are working together to create a butterfly-themed play feature at Joe Gaither Park in memory of Blakely McCrory and others lost in the Texas Hill Country floods. Find details here.