Residents and community leaders are taking steps to help preserve the affordability and character of Houston’s Third Ward and neighborhoods surrounding it as new development threatens to change the area in a way that concerns some of the longtime residents. Joy Sewing, the Houston Chronicle’s fashion and beauty editor, lives in the area and is president of the Riverside Civic Association. One of the things that worries her is the number of letters and postcards she gets from investors wanting to buy her home. She spoke with Nancy and Allyn about her efforts to strengthen the community and keep it from becoming overrun with speculators and townhomes.