little frau

The last Idylwood Civic Club meeting had something of a brouhaha between those for and those against this deal.  It's still fairly early to draw any swords but there are petitions being circulated already.

So if they get a long term lease from the COH, raise the money to make it a reality and no one wants to visit this side of town, what happens then? 

I agree, it does look very nice.  I especially like the yellow and blue glass.

Right, I don't think that anyone would respond with "It was much good!" if asked how they liked their steak.

Was that the logic for the "lauGh" sign?   Why not make it all caps?

I have a neighbor that sometimes leaves his vehicle on the street overnight.  He never leaves anything in it, valuable or not.  But, he always leaves the doors unlocked. 

So far, he's not been robbed or vandalized. 

Right, it's on Idylwood's web page too.  www.idylwood.org  

Now, however, Idylwood has other woes.  The Houston Parks Board wants to put a parking lot at the curve on N. Macgregor Way & Sylvan for the hike and bike trail.  Idylwood just found out about this when park folks were tagging trees to be cut down. 

"They" said that the parking lot has been in their plans all along but no renderings or maps can be found showing this.  With so many other locations around that could be used, it's a mystery why they want to put it in a neighborhood.  They'll have to destroy a green space and trees to put in asphalt.

My understanding is that their proposed location is in Cullinan Park, not Gus Wortham Park.    Perhaps there has been a change of plans.  I note that the Idylwood Civic Club's Facebook page says the speaker is slated for the September 17 meeting, not the meeting earlier this week, so maybe little frau can attend and update us.

Quite likely their plans have changed as the information in the link you provided seems to have been current in 2009.

Also it would appear that the Idylwood facebook page is incorrect.

In the August 2013 newsletter "Idylwood News", it is stated that:

"Jeff Ross--August Civic Club Guest Speaker will be discussing his proposal to turn Gus Wortham Golf Course into a Botanical Garden.  He would like input from the community."

The information in my previous post (the one you took exception to) was taken from an email blast sent out to the neighborhood on August 19, from the civic club president, regarding the meeting to take place on Tuesday August 20.

Why in the world would the Botanical Garden folks be wanting input from east end residents if the garden was to be placed in Cullinan?

There is a group committed to doing this. 

 

To donate to this effort, please make your check payable to

Houston Botanic Garden

And send to

Houston Botanic Garden

P. O. Box 27510

Houston, Texas 77227

This group's proposal is for a Botanical Garden at Gus Wortham Golf Course.  I didn't find that information on their web site but there was to be a speaker on the subject at the Idylwood Civic Club meeting last night.

I did not attend so have no more information.

In the very early 90s, perhaps '91 or '92, my 2 son's Boy Scout troops had their annual banquet in the old Tropicana location on Lawndale. Victor Trevino attended and even presented some of the awards. It was clearly not a bowling alley any longer but was interesting anyway.

I've not been in it since then but it does draw a crowd on weekends.

You may want to drop in some Saturday evening.

I just wish some would learn the difference between anti ordinance & anti preservation when posting here.

That and the difference between "then" and "than".

If your child is artistically inclined, please check out Pershing MS. It's a fine arts magnet and is right off Holcomb before it becomes Bellaire. It is an excellent school and when mine attended, it was a Pre-IB campus but I don't know if it still is.

Whatever your child is interested in may not be what they'll be interested in as a career. I have one that went to HSHP (Health Professions) for four years and made excellent grades only to decide that medicine was not in his/her future. But that turned out to be a good thing, and not so expensive as a delayed decision in mid medical school!

Here's what I don't get:

When I went to Houston (the Heights, actually) in December 2011, I noticed there was a "Restaurant Depot" on 18th and T.C. Jester on the White Oak Bayou. Further research showed this was a Kmart until 2002-2003. So, my question is, why are people making a huge deal of the Wal-Mart (a few blocks south of the Heights, plus a highway between it) but (to my knowledge, at least) never complained about the Kmart as much, a few blocks west of the Heights, without a highway separating it?

TS Allison and the demise of Kmart was quite a while ago.

Many of the folks fighting the (new) Walmart located south of their neighborhood did not even live in the Heights area when Kmart was alive and well. They are "newbies".......so to speak. And yet they know best what is good for the 'hood.....

Wow, I had forgotten about "the ginchiest" too!

It was kinda corny, the song I mean. But if memory serves, he was always combing his hair in the series.

Thanks again ;o))

I am sorry but looks like it was demolished. I tried to do a search of the "online permit" for demolitions but the city site would not come up. It normally is searchable for up to 3 years back.

Then I plugged the address of 2916 Golfcrest into Swamplot's search box and it popped up for December 14, 2010.

I'd love to see the old photo of it if you'd like to share.

Between '73 and '75 or 6, one of my sisters lived in 2 different small apartment complexes on Golfcrest. She worked at Frito Lay at the time.

I was not too observant back then and I don't remember your family house but when she moved over to Wayside several years later, I do remember that she lived next to an old plantation style home on Wayside. Turns out it was the Simms place. The apartments are still there at 1010 S. Wayside and have recently been renovated.

Thanks for posting that. I was working in downtown Houston in 1967 but I don't remember the circus parades. Perhaps they were on Saturdays.

I also took a peek at the Cops and Detectives piece you put together. Now, those were some old faces I've not seen in years! Remember "Cookie, Cookie, lend me your comb" ?

Thanks again.

Yes, there was a Sakowitz in Gulfgate.

Foley's was never there. Had to go to Almeda Mall for Foley's.

Great photos, thanks for posting. And, I think the reflection in that second shot is kinda neat.

There is a woman in HCCP who has done extensive research on the Simms family estate. I met her once at a superneighborhood meeting when they were held in the Villa de Matel. She has photos too. If someone was truly interested, they could probably contact the HCCP civic club for more information. She may no longer be alive but I believe she may have written an article about it for their newsletter. IIRC her name may have been Virginia or Veronica.

I initially thought that the OP was talking about the property directly across Wayside from the intersection with Polk. That would have been the country club.

Apparently he meant the area closer to Lawndale.

In the 70s, my sister lived in the apartments at 1010 S. Wayside. They were pretty nice then. I did not live in the area at that time but I do remember a frat house that sat back from the street, right next to the Royal Wayside Apartments. It was a very large plantation like house. It would have been between the apartments and what is now the elementary school. I often wondered about it but was not curious enough to do any research.

Are you remembering the country club? It's now the Gus Wortham Golf Course but there is a thread about the old country club around here on HAIF somewhere. Houston Country Club I believe it was named.

Using the public online records, I found that there was a young woman of 20 living at 415 Strey Ln who married 21 year old Raul Pedro Lamar (also of 415 Strey Ln) on June 27, 1968. Her name was/is Diana Jane Wolf. She was born in 1948 so she possibly was the young girl in the airline brochure.

Joseph A. Wolf apparently died in the 70s but I was unable to find a probate case for him. Mrs. J.A. Wolf died in 1989 (Florence Nolan Wolf) and Dale Thomas Wolf was executor of her estate. In 1994 he sold the Strey Ln. property to the current owners.

Sad to think that he lived alone in the home from about '89 until it was sold in '94. If in fact he was the one who was sleeping on the floor.

It would be interesting to explore the Wylie Vale connection.

Interesting......and thank you for sharing.

Now, wonder who the old woman was?

Yes, contact your councilperson, that is a very good start. But also document everything everytime you call it in. Take photos. Send emails to all you can think of that might be able to help. The civic association absolutely must get involved.

Still, the city has steps to follow. They will cover their tracks. And be glad that they do work slowly because it is also a matter of property rights, regardless of where the owner lives.

COH will not go out and knock down a home/building/apartments without thorough investigation.

All that said, I agree that it looks as if the home could be saved. Perhaps the owner owes more than the home is worth.

I sure wish there was a "laughing out loud" button on this thread.

Based on the experiences our neighborhood had with two different properties, the pictured home will have to be literally crumbling in on itself before Neighborhood Protection will really concentrate on getting the place demolished.

I'm talking roof caved in, walls with gaping holes or sections of walls completely missing. It will speed things up if there are reports of drug activity taking place in the building. Even better, photograph and document the drug happenings.

The owner will have to answer to the complaints, he will be urged to demolish the place himself or, if the city has to do it, he will be billed for the cost.

There will also be a public hearing where concerned neighbors and civic groups can speak and which the owner or his representative is expected to attend . It is a lengthy process.