debmartin

"Perhaps things have changed a bit in the past 8 years, but it sure doesn't look like they have. About 8 years ago, I lived near Gessner and Richmond, in a townhouse that seemed really nice, with well-manicured landscaping, in the heart of Westchase. On a couple of occasions I hit the floor in my own apartment, because of rapid-fire gunshots that sounded too close for comfort. I assumed they were automatic, as they were fired faster than anyone could possibly squeeze the trigger." (quote, dalparadise) it's a shame about that part of westchase, the area around gessner/richmond. i have a good friend who owns a condo at tanglewilde south II, just around the corner from emerson elementary. despite the landscaping, immaculate pool and well maintained units her property values just keep going down. it's mostly lease units because every time someone wants to buy one, unless it's cash it's not well enough owner-occupied to get financing. back in '96 when she bought in, there was a 24hr armed guard - the association decided to save money and cancel the security and now it's pretty much a free-for-all with people walking through and cars stolen and getting broken into. my friend's had enough and is planning on moving in may and leasing the place out. when we started talking about the area and comparing now to then, one of the biggest culprits we agreed upon is the apartments and nightclubs which have grown in much larger proportion than any other respectable development. the one across the street from her condo, "the gables" is the worst - gunfire all the time, cops busting down doors and nearly impossible to walk around the corner to the stop & go anymore, even in broad daylight. these apartments are listed online as section 8 hud housing, which no disrespect meant to anyone on public housing but often times it's where a lot of criminal activity takes place. funny to see the gables advertising all their high class properties, when we've always associated that name with the slums. the stop & go (richmond/ocee) was recently on tv for a hold-up and the perp was shooting it out with police. technically my friend's area is not "westchase" because that area starts after gessner, but it's right on the border. the big difference is the westchase business district and homeowner associations are pro-active and have worked hard to improve the quality of the westchase district. briarmeadow has an active association closer to hilcroft, but on richmond from dunvale to gessner very little if anything is being done about eyesore apartments and crime infested clubs. until this changes i could not recommend the area to anyone, local or newcomer. debmartin

i sometimes get so frustrated at the various chron reporters that i email them - i also email those who put a story together well. i have nearly a hundred replies from these reporters, everything from "thanks for the feedback" to "mind your own business" - i'm thinking of making a book out of them. yesterday i emailed a reporter covering the senseless shooting of a toddler whose father was a drug dealer - i asked why, if the family was hiding out at the grandparent's home in new caney from a mexican gang did the reporter quote the grandmother by name and disclose where they live. new caney is so small, i'm sure it would be no trouble at all for a gang to discover the whereabouts of this family and finish the job. it would be comical if not for the fact people's lives are at risk. deb martin

"All I know is that if the feds aren't going to do something about them, I most definately will. ("quote, LTAWACS") by "doing something about them" i hope you mean to say you are prepared to circulate a petition in your community or write your congressman, state rep etc. you could check into the requirements to volunteer with the minutemen, or look them up on the web and send in a donation to assist in their efforts. but please do not leave statements like this hanging in mid-air on an open message board. in these post 911 days of restricted individual rights and big brother style "homeland security" government antics, even an innocent statement born out of frustration can be taken out of context. personally, i hope the minutemen do come to texas, so that bush will be forced to deal with the issue head on. so far i have not seen anything to lead me to believe they are not law abiding citizens engaged in community service. deb martin

"The only new info I got, was that "they" (whoever "they" are) were commisioning a $400K feasability study to see how they can combine bus, light rail, and commuter rail into one facility. ("quote, midtown4.2) what a crock! "they" should write in to our forum and could probably get a free feasibility study. i am constantly amazed at the frivilous spending of bureacracy, how they have to spend money to figure out how to spend money. aren't there already people on the payroll to do this? deb martin

i had a very interesting conversation with greyhound corporate today - a flat denial of any plans to relocate the midtown location. btw they still refer to it as "downtown", and my source tells me that they are pleased with the location being on the rail line. i mentioned the redevelopment of midtown and the obstacle the current location presents, but "that's my story and i'm sticking to it" was the offical reply. i cannot imagine a radio station pulling that out of thin air, but i also cannot think of any reason greyhound would keep it under wraps. i was told that one of the sub-stations was being closed or relocated, so maybe it had something to do with that. sorry to dash the hopes of all who, like myself, would really like to see a greyhound station for houston that at least rivals the ones in other major cities. deb martin

"Sorry but not everyone coming here is here to work. Some of the deadliest gangs from South and Central America are setting up shop in Houston these days." (quote, pineda) today's paper ran an article about the gang responsible for the shooting death of a toddler - the gang was started by salvadorians who did not enter the country legally. the article quoted police as stating that some of the 20 or so gang members worked here in houston, and i wonder if the person who employed these criminals knew or even cared that they were illegals. the fact that so many can come to america and disappear into society should be a wake-up call to anyone concerned about personal & neighborhood safety AND homeland security, and this particular gang preys upon hispanics! last week the chron reported on a man who was robbed after spanish radio broadcast his name and phone number - the station does this to help illegals look for work! this victim is just one of a million potential victims, particularly vulnerable as they are usually afraid to come forward since they are breaking the law just being here. if you have broken the laws of this country, you SHOULD fear reprisal, and i bet you'd think twice about calling the police out unless your life was at stake. my brother is just this dummy - had $$$ of unpaid parking tickets and igored the letters. then he and his wife got their expensive 10speed bikes stolen off the porch and he filed a police report to claim the insurance. a week later, the cops call, say they found the bikes and have him come in and arrest him on the parking:) they have time to run these stings, while immigration is a joke and the president himself orders authorities to look the other way. if the government wishes to continue to flood our states with immigrants, they should at least create a million new jobs or so to screen them for any security risks and to assist with their relocation. then maybe the commerce and trade they are so famous for cranking out would be on the up and up, instead of the under the table illegal's hired at below minimum wage, encouraged by an immoral radio station. i challenge anyone here to say illegal immigrants are not exploited, that they can live wherever they choose, can lead productive lives their children can be proud of. for the most part they are expected to live in deplorable rentals and be grateful to get them, and when the spanish newspaper spreads rumors of INS sweeps they keep their children home from school and shake in fear until some bureaucrat gets on the 5 o'clock news to reassure them and calms their fears. i'm sure whatever they're running away from in their own country could be worse, but by american standards they are relegated to a marginal existence. deb martin

i heard today that the baby elephant's broken leg was not mending and they had to put her to sleep, and i had just read yesterday how well she was doing after surgery. i know a few people who work at the zoo and they are devastated - they even have grief counselors coming in to work with them. i only saw this elephant a time or two but she sure was cute. i do not understand how she could have fallen and broken her leg, it's just not something you normally think about. i am also puzzled that in this day and age of modern medical advances a creature as exquisite as an elephant could perish from something as simple as a broken leg, but i guess due to their size and weight the complications are numerous, especially taking into consideration how hard it would be to immobilze them for rehab. deb martin

i thought dbigtex's answer was so rightous the topic could be closed - i also thought the reply about his being insincere was just a dry display of sarcastic humor, like, "go on, tell us how you REALLY feel". now i'm confused. deb martin

i think you may be right about greenspoint turning around when (if) the light rail is expanded, and that is what residents of the northline area are hoping for as well. i grew up in that area and my parents still live in the same house my grandparents bought back in the early 50's. when i was a kid northline mall was exciting, and when i was a teenager greenspoint mall was even more exciting. but the few restaurants or retail shopping places that were built afterward were substandard and a complete disappointment. pawn shops, dollar stores, auto parts, beer joints, nails and occasionally a liquor store or washateria. never a starbucks, jason's deli, michael's, best buy, lowes, target, petco - i think you get the picture. not that living by any particular retail can make or break your experiences, but after awhile it gets old having to go far away just to get a good cup of coffee. people in the northline area deserve good neighborhood-oriented retail shopping and eateries, i'm just not sure developers believe the area will make a solid comeback. if the rail extension ever becomes a reality, it just might happen. deb martin

it's still on. there are some vendors who have been coming since it started back in feb who have not made anything and are dropping out, but there are new vendors each week. last week a few came by just to check it out and signed up so there should be plenty to buy at the market - it's customers we're a little short on. i am very encouraged by the swift and positive response to my complaints about the dogs and hobo's, and remain optimistic about market square market. of course i'm just doing it for fun to spend time with my dad - if i was trying to make a living out there i might also think of packing it in. i'm planning on talking to the vendors on saturday to let them know the city is taking the problems seriously, which should help business pick up. to prove to them that our concerns have not fallen on deaf ears, i'll distribute copies of the email i got this morning from the main street market square redevelopment authority: deb martin Ms. Martin, My name is Ralph De Leon and I work for the Main Street Market Square Redevelopment Authority. Your email regarding a recent experience at the Market Square Market reached me earlier this week and I in turn forwarded it to the Operations Division of the Houston Downtown Management District (HDMD). From there it was forwarded to HPD Assistant Chief Mary Lentschke, her email reply to Mr. Chuck Jackson of HDMD is attached. Collectively, we thank you for initiating the correspondence. Your comments helped everyone. Please feel free to contact me directly in the future if we can be of additional assistance to you. Regards. Ralph Ralph De Leon - Assistant Director Main Street Market Square Redevelopment Authority Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 3 - City of Houston 909 Fannin, Suite 1650 Houston, Texas 77010 Telephone: 713-650-3830 Fax: 713-650-1484 Email: ralph@mainstreettirz.com -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Jackson [mailto:chuck@downtowndistrict.org] Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 8:19 AM To: Ralph De Leon Cc: Barry Mandel (E-mail); Scott Finke Subject: Fw: Fw: need help with park Fast response. Please let me know if this continues to be a problem. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lentschke, Mary - HPD" <Mary.Lentschke@CityofHouston.net> To: <chuck@downtowndistrict.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 2:23 PM Subject: Re: Fw: need help with park > Chuck, > > I have already instructed Lt. Reuterman to assign 2 officers each Saturday > to > monitor the location. I also instructed him to ensure that the officers > assigned to the area are familiar with animal related ordinances. I will > update you each week on any actions taken at the location. > > Mary > > >>> Chuck Jackson 4/12/2005 2:16:51 PM >>> > Just when you thought you'd seen everything.... > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ralph De Leon > To: Barry Mandel ; Chuck Jackson > Cc: Guy Hagstette > Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 1:55 PM > Subject: FW: need help with park > > Barry and Chuck, > - FYI - > > Ralph De Leon - Assistant Director > Main Street Market Square Redevelopment Authority > Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 3 - City of Houston > 909 Fannin, Suite 1650 > Houston, Texas 77010 > Telephone: 713-650-3830 > Fax: 713-650-1484 > Email: ralph@mainstreettirz.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vicki Rivers [mailto:vicki@mainstreettirz.com] > Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 11:40 AM > To: ralph@mainstreettirz.com > Subject: Fw: need help with park > > See what you can do, if anything to help this person.

driving past vargo's you can often see peacocks milling around outside of the gate, by the street. every time this happens i give them a quick call and almost always they tell me someone has already alerted them. i have a friend who lives next door to the restaurant and when i've been over we've seen peacocks in the parking lot, by the garages. i had no idea there were so many of them all over the city. deb martin

AN UPDATE ON MY COMPLAINT TO CITY COUNCIL RE: MARKET SQUARE i don't wish to bore anyone with this, so i'll just post again with the final outcome. this was the most promising response i have received. (deb martin) to: Allen.Baquet@CityofHouston.net Allen, it sounds like there is a lack of police presence in downtown on the weekend to enforce ordinances. CM Ellis is requesting that HPD investigate this complaint and provide a response to our office and Ms. Martin. Her contact info is listed below. Thanks for your assistance. Sincerely, Anna Sedillo Office of Council Member Mark Ellis cc: deborahmartin3@aol.com

oops.... i've done this a time or two and did not even realize i was breaking the rules. i for one am flattered that the chron reads our forum - no wonder there's been such a dramatic improvement lately in the content of their stories! from now on i promise to quote'm right. deb martin

"Most suburbanites don't want to be pioneers going into old neighborhoods to revitalize them."(quote, kjb434) and the ones that would like to are largely priced out of doing so. i recently read a post where someone remarked that with "only $150,000 to spend, they were priced out of the city and would be forced to become a suburbanite. i guess they could remain in the city, renting an apartment but when home ownership is the goal people are forced to settle where their wallet sets the limit. that said, i wonder where billy burge and the other development experts reside, probably inside the loop because they keep getting richer selling us projects like the GP instead of working to get existing roadways updated, expanded and improved. i live in the city by choice, know many who live outside the beltway by choice and feel fortunate to chose where i live. but in my "dream" world people would have more options available, instead of being sorted out by subdivsion and feeling lucky to join in the american dream. as for the GP, for me the verdict is still out as i can understand the potential but cannot ignore more of the obvious drawbacks. and i had to laugh reading about it being detoured around sharpstown, since i can't imagine why they would do that. deb martin

(i would like to share a very encouraging development to the downtown dilemma of market square. this morning i faxed a letter to mayor white and all members of city council, detailing the problems of market square market, and already have rec'd several phone calls along with this email. as soon as i learn what measures will be taken i will post an update, and i appreciate the input, suggestions and ideas of all who replied. deb martin) Thank you for contacting the office of Houston City Council Member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs regarding the enforcement of ordinances. I will make sure that the Council Member reviews your e-mail. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions at all. My number is: 713-247-2005. Again, thank you for taking the time to e-mail our office regarding this issue. Sincerely, Jose Pulido Agenda Director City of Houston Council Member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M.D. At-Large, Position 3 Direct: 713-247-2956 Main: 713-247-2005 Fax: 713-247-2648

"Personally, I especially recall the "seediness" and "danger" around Club SOME on Albany (anyone else remember that place? it rocked!)." (quote, txdave) funny i hadn't thought about emos/club some forever, it's probably been 10 yrs since my friends and i used to go there. we used to park a ways off and walk, and i don't remember being afraid of anyone there, but there sure were a lot of freaks:) deb martin

i helped my dad with a booth for a few weeks but he does not want to return. i am so frustrated with this, as i can see so much potential for market square. dave is doing a great job of organizing and i can't say enough good things about his efforts. i ranted in another post yesterday (houston - dog friendly?) about dave asking a man to pick up after his big dog in the park area and how the well dressed man casually refused. each week the vendors arrive around 7am and find it necessary to wake the bums up and coax them in to moving along. some do and some just keep sleeping away. they sleep on the concrete benches that are inset with old time photos of houston, which means anyone wishing to study the pictures may or may not be able to see them. yesterday the bum sleeping by the mosiac bench where my dad was setting up woke up ill and vomited - i covered it up with paper towels but ended up going home for cleaning supplies because i knew around 12noon the smell would drive away customers and make us all sick. i am going to contact hpd tomorrow and ask about an officer or two making a walk through - in the weeks i have been there i have never once seen a cop set foot in the park. i'll also call the mayors office and inquire about the enforcement of the ordinance designed to stop the bums from sleeping in the park since it presents a public health hazard. i visited with merchants, many who are becoming discouraged and thinking of dropping out and told them i was going to look into getting these problems addressed. i asked them to try and hang in there, because right now there is a good variety of things being sold and i really think this market idea could catch on. a bigger problem is getting some foot traffic down there. yesterday there was an education forum at the convention center and an outdoor concert by the theater district, but market square traffic was slow all day. many people are angry that the city wants $1.50 per hour for meter parking, but there is $2 all day parking in the lot across the street. people on this board have so many creative, good ideas that i would be interested in getting more perspective on whether you think market square can survive. one idea i had was extending it to include friday afternoon, when so many people are downtown. there is already a wide variety of good food, great live music and everything from a massage therapist to a carpenter who makes custom cabinets, along with the art and jewelry. the bums have got to go, the grass has got to be maintained doggy free but what else can be done? deb martin

i travel a great deal and every city (and country) i've visited that has a wax museum seems to be the same. not to say they're not interesting but once you've seen one it's like you've seen them all. funny thing, my kids always seek out a wax museum as soon as we hit ANY hotel and when i give up and drag myself to yet another one, it is filled with grownups, who are usually quite amused! we spent last christmas in niagra falls, ontario and visited their ripley's believe it or not. as customary we got wax hands made and now that we've got quite a collection i think it's cool to compare the new ones to old ones. they hold up very well. houston could for sure use a ripley's, as every city that has one seems to do well with tourists. deb martin

anyone know how long this show has been around? i think maybe since the 70's but maybe it's not that old. anyway, tonight modest mouse is on and their music is something i've enjoyed for years. i seem to remember kinky friedman on here as well, and he's trying to be the next gov of texas, so the show must have star launching quality. deb martin

my dog is named boudreaux, and i am so crazy about him that i posted his photo on the blog info. he travels with me often and is so high maintenance that he requires a sitter when i travel and can't take him along. my kids adopted him 8 yrs ago and i sort of inherited him when they lost interest as kids often do. i take him on long walks once or twice a day and we live right by transco park- i always pick up after him and not just because it's "the law", but because it is what civil people do. of course my dog weighs about 12lbs and i could not imagine picking up after a huge dog, but that is what dog owners should do, regardless. as far as houston being "dog friendly" in my experience i find people are more dog friendly than dog owners are people friendly. this morning at the market square market, i was talking to dave (the guy who runs it) while the vendors were setting up around 8am. a casually dressed guy was walking a HUGE dog across the grass and the dog casually took a HUGE dump - dave asked the man politely, "excuse me, are you going to pick up after your dog" and the man replied, "no i am not" and walked away, leaving the mess! dave told me the grass was unfit to walk in and he was right! later in the day i saw people walking around like they were in a field of land mines, practically walking into each other because they would not take their eyes off the ground. unfortunately one of the belly dancers looked up just long enough to avoid a collision with the other one and ruined the shoes of her costume. obviously it was not only the guy i overheard being rude to dave, but the downtown lofts are full of people that own dogs of all sizes that see nothing wrong with leaving waste all over the parks and sidewalks. it would be great if people would just do the right thing, but what downtown houston really needs is for the poop police to come out in full force, before poor dave loses what little business he has or gets his food permit revoked. sorry for the rant, but the scene was about as far removed from "houston proud" as you can get. being from houston i was embarassed at the comments from the out of town visitors i met, and the majority of people i met were not only from other towns but from other countries. deb martin

anyone been to kaveh kanes coffee place on prarie for breakfast/brunch? i stopped in last saturday while checking out the market square market and it looked promising. unfortunately i had already been to breakfast on the way downtown since i wasn't sure if anything was open that early, but the counter guy told me they were open until 1am so they must be doing something right. we bought lunch from the food vendor at the market because i wanted to support the venue, and met dave the guy who runs the show. hopefully more people will start checking it out because it was a ghost town and the place could really use some foot traffic. great weather, great live music and the food was much better than i expected. i would be interested to hear from anyone who frequents keveh kanes coffee because i was thinking of having breakfast there the next time i go to the market square thing. deb martin

please give har.com a try. this site is especially helpful if you want to narrow down your area and most important to avoid certain areas. example, in the greensheet condo's called "galleria" can be as far away as richmond/gessner or across 59 on gulfton! some med center listings end up being next to the astrodome, i think you get the point. also, you can browse before even speaking to anyone on the phone which saves time and energy especially when you call on one and it's already taken. the har listings show up as "available or option pending" which means someone beat you to it. most places listed also have photo's which help give you a real feel for the place. if you're planning to rent you will not have to be concerned with maint. fees and special assessments, although many of the better rentals are handled through real estate agents and you will have to make contact with them. most list their cell phones and e-mails, as well as office numbers which makes them very accessible. it also helps to have a key map to navigate your preferred areas. i have not had to move in a long time, but a couple of years ago had friends relocate here for medical treatment and found har to be quite helpful. i wish you well on your move! deb martin

when i said i "checked in" on it i meant i tuned in while it was in progress. i only watched about 20 minutes of it and yes, someone in the scene i was watching referred to the "hurricane". my fourteen year old son said it did not "look real" because they sent three skinny nurses down to the basement to fight waist high water to retrieve blood (he thought a few burly men would have been in order). when the bldg. maint. man called his supervisor at home to report the water coming in around the generators, he was told to "turn 'em off" which of course happened to be in the middle of open heart surgery. a lot of this really happened, since herman has surgery going on 24/7 and they were without generator power for some length of time. they kept showing a building that was supposed to be the hospital blacking out - a friend of mine said it was filmed in canada so i do not know if anything of houston was shown. they did mention distinct sections of the hospital, like cullen, robertson pavillion etc. it was a tragedy in real life but to me the film had too much of the 70's natural disaster flick effect - the music, the over dramatic expressions/exclaimations and of course the one jokester who keeps asking the nurses to go in the closet to fool around. probably most enjoyed by people outside of houston, who have no horror stories of their own to compare. deb martin

i checked in on this and it was just too cheesy. btw, wasn't allison a tropical storm instead of a hurricane? i'm not even sure what the exact difference is, something about the strength of the winds, but when making the movie it would have been better if they had gotten that right. probably whoever made the movie felt tropical storm did not sound as serious and took the liberty of upgrading the storm to hurricane. also i read that a family is suing herman hospital because their child died - it seems some patients were evacuated and some were not - and the hospital did not include the child in the first wave of patients moved. very tragic, and no way i would want the responsibility of making the decision of who to move and in what order. i only hope those in charge of the med center facilities learned from this horrible event and a better emergency mgmt plan has been formulated should future flooding occur. deb martin

in my opinion this was more of a custody case than a right to life or right to die case. hopefully what will come of this besides the living will is grown, married adults making custody decisions about themselves in case of any future incapacitation! i was sickened to read that the husband banned the family from the room, was he afraid they would run over and pour some food down her throat? i was further sickened to read that the husband's attorney touched her cheek before she died and proclaimed her to be "not suffering" and "dying peacefully". he is not a doctor and besides any moron would know that without a morphine drip she would be feeling all the effects of slowly starving to death. even a stray dog or cat at the pound receives an injection for destruction, an injured animal is "put out of their misery" but this lady was starved to death, slowly and in AMERICA. adding insult to injury, her burial plans were made without including her family whatsoever, and i also read the husband refused to disclose the location of her buried ashes and the family will have no grave to visit. so to me this case was all about custody, or really denying custody to the rightful ones (her parents) as well about power and control desired by the husband in his quest for financial gain. after she died, i read the husband wanted to be alone to "cradle her" in his arms, despite the fact he apparently has had a girlfriend to cradle in his arms for many years now, along with children. all judges who turned a blind eye to this fact should be taken to task. if michael schiavo wanted to marry someone else, he should have divorced his wife like everyone else has to. seems to me he really had his eye on the money from the lawsuit, and pulled a fast one on the legal system by insisting he was acting on terry's behalf and in her best interest. i will not argue the fundamentals of whether this woman should have been kept alive as a vegatable, from a moral standpoint. the fact is, for whatever reason she was placed on that feeding tube and taking it away killed her, period. i also understand that florida law allowed this, and that in texas this would not have happened. yes, this is a hotly debated topic, but whether or not you agree with extreme measures to extend life, whatever position you embrace concerning what constitutes the quality of life, if you do not agree that this lady suffered a terrible death you are fooling yourself and must face that fact. deb martin