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k5jri radio

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  1. k5jri radio
    My previous posting about Mall of the Mainland stated (incorrectly) that it was not visible from I-45. As was pointed out by editor, based on his 1999 observations, [1] there was a "big sign facing I-45" that advertised the Mall of the Mainland and [2] Although the mall itself was visible from I-45, "it was set far back from the freeway with no obvious exit for access, especially at 70MPH" (posted speed limit). As noted previously, Mall of the Mainland opened in 1991.
  2. k5jri radio
    Mall of the Mainland addendum: Previous comments about this shopping mall located in Texas City TX were mostly from the point of view of Galveston County and Harris County residents who were familiar with where this mall was located and how to get there. From what I've read on various postings, The Mall of the Mainland was not visible to motorists driving on I-45 (Gulf Freeway) between Houston and Galveston. Most tourists (myself included) who traveled on I-45 between Houston and Galveston would have been unaware of its existence unless they had prior knowledge of the mall's location, what exit to take to get there, and how to get back to I-45. Keep in mind this was during a time before the era of smart-phones and other electronic aids.
  3. k5jri radio

    In an earlier message, I mentioned what I believed to be the advantages of taking the Bolivar Ferry to and from Galveston TX. These were: [1] avoiding the heavy traffic of Houston and its surrounding suburbs, and [2] fewer total road miles to travel. However, I did not consider the average wait time for the ferry (currently stated online as 45 minutes either way) even when traffic is moderate. During tourist season, there are likely to be be more cars and trucks in the queue than one ferry can handle, requiring additional wait time for the next ferry. Due to the hot and humid weather during tourist season, many people will opt to keep their vehicle's engine running to power the air conditioning system.

    As stated previously, people on foot or with a bicycle are the first to get on and off the ferry. 

       

  4. k5jri radio

    In an earlier posting pertaining to my August 1976 day trip (Shreveport LA to Galveston TX and return to Shreveport, approximately 285 miles each way) I mentioned buying a Sherlock Holmes book at B. Dalton Book Store at the Galvez Mall. The following bibliographic information describes this book: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATED SHERLOCK HOLMES; 37 short stories plus a complete novel comprising THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES and THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES; by Arthur Conan Doyle; reproduced from the original publication in The Strand Magazine with the classic illustrations by Sidney Paget. Castle Books 1976, Distributed by Book Sales, Inc, 110 Enterprise Avenue, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094, Manufactured in the United States of America

    1. k5jri radio

      k5jri radio

      Correction: The correct name for the St. Augustine park discussed in my earlier HAIF posting is MARINELAND Sea World (aka MARINELAND Dolphin Adventure). This park is located in southern St. Johns County FL, approximately 18 miles south of downtown St. Augustine FL.

  5. k5jri radio
    Sea-Arama Marineworld Park was one of the Galveston attractions I wanted to visit, but never "got around" to visiting before it closed. Years later, I made several visits to Sea-Arama Marineworld Park, near St. Augustine FL, while working as a public school teacher. This was one of several attractions in the St. Augustine area that met my employers' requirement that all student field trip destinations must have legitimate educational content.
  6. k5jri radio

    During my visits to B. Dalton Bookstore during the late summer/early fall of 1976, then presidential candidate Jimmy Carter's book, Why Not the Best?, was prominently displayed near the check out counter where customers paid for their purchases. According to most reviewers, the success of this book contributed to Carter's election victory in 1976 over the incumbent president, Gerald R. Ford. As a counterpoint, former president Ford attributed his 1976 election loss to his pardon of former president Richard M. Nixon (for any crimes Nixon may have committed while in office as President of the United States).

    1. k5jri radio

      k5jri radio

      Persistent, high economic inflation during the latter part of President Ford's administration was a significant problem that likely contributed to his election loss. President Ford and his advisors developed a slogan: WIN (Whip Inflation Now) in an attempt to show his administration was hard at work trying to reduce inflation while maintaining high economic activity. His opponent, Jimmy Carter, touted the success of the "zero-based budgeting" strategy he implemented as Governor of Georgia and argued that if enacted on a nationwide scale, it would be an effective strategy to control nationwide inflation that he would use if elected President. Unfortunately for President Carter, his administration had the unenviable task of dealing with simultaneous inflation and economic recession (low economic activity).   

  7. k5jri radio

    "Bi-Sun-Tennial" Advertising. During my trips from Shreveport LA to Galveston TX during the bicentennial year of 1976, there were numerous billboard advertisements themed with a play on words combining the bicentennial year theme with the abundant sunshine of a vacation to Galveston. Typical of places located at or near the Gulf (of Mexico) coast, short rains were common during the summer, but usually cleared up and transitioned back to sunshine. Stated another way, there was a low risk of getting rained out during a day trip to Galveston. The weather was very similar to what I experienced while living (or visiting friends and relatives) in cities near the Louisiana Gulf (of Mexico) coast (Lafayette, Lake Charles, New Iberia, New Orleans, Thibodaux, etc.). To clarify,

    The weather in Shreveport LA, however, was similar to that of northeast Texas cities (Dallas, Fort Worth, Longview, etc.) located near the southern extent of the interior plains. Due in part to the lower specific heat of the dry air, summer temperatures at or above 100 degrees were fairly common.         

  8. k5jri radio
    The opposite (antonym) for "precious" is worthless, useless, or valueless. Although the people living in any given city are capable of "indifference", blunt or otherwise, the city itself is an inanimate political entity, not capable of anthropomorphic behavior.
  9. k5jri radio
    Several former Houston residents I've talked to stated they liked Houston because of its [1] diverse population and culture and [2] many quality restaurants and night clubs. According to a long-time and current Houston resident, the severe economic recession in Houston during the 1980s caused many people to move away from Houston and find employment elsewhere. When the recession subsided and the economy recovered, things were subjectively different. According to this resident, the traditional uniqueness of Houston's culture was replaced to some extent with what he termed a "generic big city" culture. Either example could be a starting point for a more disciplined study with adequate sample sizes
  10. k5jri radio
    Another Houston first: With a total area of approximately 665 square miles, Houston TX is the largest city in the United States by total area that is not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough government.
  11. k5jri radio
    According to what I've read, back in the 1950s and 1960s, many Texans came to southern Louisiana to work for various petroleum (exploration, drilling, production) companies. Fortunately for them, the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Dallas TX provided "Built in Texas by Texans" decals and stickers for those who wanted to show off their "Texas pride." Due to depressed nationwide economic conditions, Ford closed the Dallas assembly plant in 1970.
  12. k5jri radio
    The interesting posting of Houston "firsts" is correct, provided there are certain qualifications: The world's first heart transplant (human) took place on 12/03/1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital, Capetown, South Africa. The USA's first successful (survival time measured in months and/or years) heart transplant (human) took place on 05/02/1968 at St. Luke's Hospital, Houston TX. Mission Control for the first manned landing on the Moon (07/20/1969) was at Johnson Space Center, Houston TX; however the actual launching took place at Kennedy Space Center, located on the northern portion of Merritt Island, a peninsula in Brevard County, FL.
  13. k5jri radio
    The Houston Texans, having lost again (12/18/2022), this time to the Kansas City Chiefs, maintain and probably improve the likelihood of their (the Houston Texans) ending the current season in a favorable draft position compared to other NFL professional football teams. Update: The Texans' week 18 (32 to 31) victory over the Indianapolis Colts puts them #2 in draft position behind the Chicago Bears who are #1 in draft position. As things stand at the end of regular season games, Lovie Smith is the second consecutive Texans Head Coach to be fired after one season.
  14. k5jri radio
    Regarding the recent posting (11/20/2022 by sir_racha), the positive opinions he expressed about the Galveston novel and its author, Nic Pizzolatto, are similar to my own. As an aside: Nic Pizzolatto lived with his parents in Lake Charles LA from age 5 (circa 1980) until he left home to attend college at Louisiana State University (circa 1993). Lake Charles LA to Galveston TX is roughly a 2.75 hour drive, convenient for tourists from Louisiana to visit Galveston's beaches and other attractions. Conversely, its similarly convenient for tourists from Texas to visit and gamble at the various legal gambling casinos in the Lake Charles LA area. As most people probably know, casino gambling is illegal in Texas with the exception of some Native American (American Indian) reservations and tribal lands where the the principle of Tribal Sovereignty, as codified by federal (United States) law as the Indian Gaming Act of 1988, limits the ability of states (including Texas) to forbid gambling on Indian reservations and other tribal lands owned by Native American tribes.
  15. k5jri radio

    Looked online and learned that Circle K started out in El Paso TX circa 1951; its current headquarters are in Tempe AZ.

    Of possible interest to those who travel to Florida and other southeastern states for business or recreation purposes:

    There are lots of Circle K convenience store/gas stations located in Nassau, Duval, and St. Johns counties (FL). Some of them sell Exxon/Mobil fuel brands, the others sell Circle K fuel brand. Presumably, there are more Circle K stations located in other Florida counties.

    WaWa is a Pennsylvania-based company that has opened a bunch of convenience store/gas station locations in Florida, many of them along Interstate 95 from Nassau County FL to Miami-Dade County FL.

    Gate is a Jacksonville FL-based company with convenience store/gas station locations in Duval County FL and a few other locations in St. Johns county FL.

    RaceTrac is an Atlanta GA-based company that operates many convenience store/gas stations mostly in the southeastern states, but also has locations in the Dallas/Ft. Worth TX area. Company owned stores are branded RaceTrac and franchise stores are branded RaceWay. 

        

  16. k5jri radio
    Dan H; On Saturdays when I have free time, one of my favorite activities is playing pinball and console games at Anastasia Island's Arcade Museum located in St. Augustine Beach, FL, about 33 miles from my house. Usually, I pack food and drinks in a cooler, but when I don't, there's a modern, well maintained 7-11 store across the street from the pinball museum with a good selection of packaged sandwiches, drinks, etc., along with self-service gasoline pumps. Similar convenience store brands commonly seen around this part of FL are: Circle K, Gate, and WaWa. Likely you are more familiar with Circle K than with Gate or WaWa.
  17. k5jri radio
    Having a diner within walking distance must have been really convenient for the Ball High students who preferred not to eat at the school cafeteria and could afford to pay somewhat more for their lunch.
  18. k5jri radio
    For those of you who lived in, worked in, or visited Galveston during the 1970s, you might like to check out the recently-posted (by HAIF member Dan H) You Tube video: Galveston in the 70s.
  19. k5jri radio
    As far a I know, none of the postings pertaining to Mall of the Mainland, state that Baybrook Mall was the main causal factor for the decline of the Mall of the Mainland. The language in my own posting, "due in part to competition from the Baybrook Mall," clearly allows for the existence of other causal factors for the decline of the Mall of the Mainland. The statement about the Mall of the Mainland being "a place to be seen and to shop" is the opinion of one Galveston resident at the time explaining why he and others he knew (at the time) went there. Likewise, the contrasting statement about the Mall of the Mainland as "never the 'place to be be'" is the opinion of another Galveston resident at the time explaining why he and others he knew (at the time) went elsewhere. Causal relationships allow for reasonable inferences to be made, but the only way to establish actual cause and effect is a controlled experimental model. For example, if it were possible to create an alternate reality in which Baybrook Mall was never built, but all other variables were identified and left unchanged, then what happened to the Mall of the Mainland in this alternate reality would be likely to prove or disprove a causal relationship between the two malls (but only within this alternate reality).
  20. k5jri radio
    The topic of advertising (discussed in the Galveston SE Bike postings) led me to reflect on what gave me the idea of making a weekend, mid-September vacation trip to Galveston. Of course it was advertising. All the Shreveport (Louisiana) area TV stations, including the one I worked for, ran commercials advertising the advantages of off season (post Labor Day) travel to Galveston including: lower rates for motels with better choices of affordable rooms; and less crowding at the beaches, restaurants, museums, and other attractions. When I visited Galveston in mid-September, some of the smaller shops were closed, but the ones that were open tended to have price mark downs for casual clothing and related souvenir items. Great trip.
  21. k5jri radio
    National advertising, corporate sponsorship, inducements to attract pro riders, not to mention proximity to a very large community of amateur riders explain the success of the 2022 SE Bikes event. Looks like the promoters of this event "did their homework" with regard to making the 2022 SE Bike event a success.
  22. k5jri radio
    The first few times I visited Galveston Island, I made the incorrect assumption that the junction of Seawall Blvd and Ferry Road was no more than a half mile from the eastern end of Galveston Island. In fact, Seawall Blvd. and the Seawall itself continue another two miles past the junction of Seawall Blvd. and Ferry Road to the San Jacinto lookout point adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel.
  23. k5jri radio
    Regret not being there for the SE Bicycle events in Galveston during the Labor Day Weekend 2022. The proximity of Galveston to greater Houston (estimated population over 7 million) and its many suburbs makes it very convenient for Houston area residents. As I understand from what I read in related postings: [1] this event was the first, nationally promoted bicycle event of its kind to be held in Galveston, and [2] a previous bicycle event held in Galveston was similar, but did not have nationwide promotion. To some extent, the Galveston events may have been inspired by earlier bicycle events held in what were then partially developed suburban areas of Houston. Hope the 2022 SE Bicycle events become an annual, nationally promoted event in Galveston!
  24. k5jri radio
    Based on information posted by plumber2 on April 23, the hotel I stayed at during my first trip to Galveston in 1975 was probably the former Jack Tar Hotel, then known as the Islander Beach (Hotel). I remember its appearance (at the time I stayed there) being that of a once high quality hotel/motel that had seen better days. After all this time, I finally have a probable name for the hotel/motel I stayed at during my first trip to Galveston in 1975. Although I did not stay at what I now know to be the Islander Beach during subsequent trips to Galveston, it appeared to be still in business at least through the late 1970s tourist seasons. I never stayed there, but remember passing by several times a hotel building resembling the description of the Sea Horse motel. The most prominent Moody property I remember seeing was not a hotel, but an office building, One Moody Plaza, at that time, the tallest building in Galveston. Had I known the building had (at that time) an observation deck on the 20th floor, open to the public, it's likely I would have visited it on at least one of my trips. Due to liability and security concerns, the observation deck has been closed to the public since the 1990s. According to his obituary information, William Moody III (1894-1992), who built the Jack Tar Hotel, is interred in San Antonio TX.
  25. k5jri radio
    According to another Galvez Mall posting, prior to the opening of the Eibands department store in one of the anchor locations at the Galvez Mall, there was a Globe department store in the same location. Per online sources, Globe stores operated in Texas and other states in the southwest as a big box retail unit of Walgreens for much of its existence (1960-1999). The posting's author stated his recollection of shopping at the Globe store in Galvez Mall coincided with the time The Warriors movie was creating a lot of controversy. The Warriors was released on February 9, 1979 and grossed $22.5 million (approximately $91 million in 2022 dollars) against a $4 million production budget (approximately $16.5 million in 2022 dollars). The Warriors movie is currently available for streaming on ROKO, VUDU, and possibly other services. Also, The Warriors movie is available on DVD & Blu-Ray disc formats from Amazon.com.
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