Houston Mayor Helps 8-Year-Old Girl Repair Sidewalk: UPDATE

Updated April 22: On Friday afternoon, Mayor Sylvester Turner met with Sophie Blitz, the 8-year-old Harvard Elementary student who was tired of navigating a defective sidewalk on her bicycle, and the pair oversaw the repair of the stretch of walk near Sophie's house. Afterward, they talked about their work while enjoying gelato at a local gelateria.

Houston, TX — Walk around Houston long enough, and you'll become accustomed to sidewalks full of bumps, cracks, and buckles. Walking on them is an adventure by day, and can be outright dangerous at night. Just ask 8-year-old Sophie Blitz, who lives in the Heights and decided to take matters to the top. She recently wrote Houston's mayor, Sylvester Turner, complaining about a sidewalk in her neighborhood, and got quick results.

"I am in the 2nd grade at Harvard Elementary. There is an unfinished sidewalk on 5th and Cortlandt. I ride my bike to school so that is a problem. I have to ride in the street now. My mom says it is not safe to ride my bike on the street. Can you either build a bridge or finish the sidewalk? I will show you the bumpy sidewalk," Sophie's letter reads. "I can also show you where it is so maybe you could come to my house. It will be better if you fix it so I can ride on the sidewalk and you can help rebuild the sidewalk because it is bumpy. And there is a ditch where the bump is that is hard to ride over because I don't want to fall in the ditch."

Sophie also, as reported by KTRK, invited Mayor Turner to inspect the sidewalk and share some food:

"If you come visit my house to see the problem sidewalk my mom says she will give me money to take you to get gelato. We walk or ride bikes there from our house. If you want to ride your bike, bring your bike. Do you have a bike? Or my mom can drive us there. Or we can walk," Sophie wrote. "What day would be best for you? I get out of school at 3:00 PM. I have swimming Tuesdays and Thursdays but I could skip if that is the day you are comfortable with. My sister has piano lessons on Wednesdays so no Wednesdays. Thank you, Sophie Blitz

P.S. My sister's name is Annie and she is 5 and she also rides her bike to school. She is in Kindergarten at Harvard Elementary. She needs a safe way to get to school too."

All politics is local, as they say, and the mayor's office announced that Turner was to meet with his young (non-voting) constituent on Friday afternoon. The pair will view the sidewalk in question and walk to get some gelato.

— Image:Mayor Sylvester Turner and Sophie Blitz/Twitter