tmariar

I don't think my ladder is bigger than 20' - I got it home from Home Depot in my convertible with only minor havoc on Yale. I'll check with my Montrose friends tomorrow, but I doubt they have anything bigger. I'm not boarding my windows (inept and lazy), so I can at least offer you moral support.

Sorry - just checking back in. I may have a tall ladder in my garage, which I have a hard time opening. I did a few months ago, and I assume it's still there. I think it's about 20'. One of those metal ones in two parts that slides. I'm in the same Heights area as RedScare, so can be a back-up option.

So glad to hear it, Susan. Be safe. Musicman has my number, if y'all need to head north.

He's not in an evacuation zone, and so the city is recommending he stay put and let those to the south evacuate.

PapillionWyngs - I sent you a PM with a second number at which you can reach another HAIF member in your mother's general area - possibly two, from the sound of it. Hope that helps.

PapillionWyngs now has the phone number of a member in her mother's general area, though not in Park Place, so at least that's something.

My question isn't whether it would be better for PapillionWyngs' mother to evacuate, but what her family in Houston should do if she's (1) unwilling to leave or (2) unable to leave. If it's (1), is the location so dangerous that she should be forced to leave? If it's (2), how much jeopardy would the family be in by staying there with her? BTW - I am not speaking for PapillionWyngs, these are just the questions I'm imagining she's dealing with as she's readying for evacuation.

Susan - Glad y'all are evacuating. I'm going to PM you about your mother. I think we have some people in her general area who might be willing to check on her if you don't end up staying with her. Anyone who knows the area better have any thoughts on the flooding threat to a home in Park Place, on Sims Bayou?

EVERYONE - 7AM announcements: Mayor Employers recommended to not require non-essential employees to go to work on Friday, and to take into account recommended and mandatory evacuations (which the County Judge will speak to). Non-essential city employees will be off on Friday. All school districts recommended to close Friday. County Judge Special needs evacuations beginning this morning. If you are in an evacuation zone, have special needs, but have not registered, call 3-1-1. Mandatory evacuations of Zones A&B (zip codes ending in 058, 059, 062, 520, 546, 571, 586, 598) starting at noon today. Please wait until noon to evacuate and let Galveston get out. Others - Unless you're in an unsafe structure (e.g., a mobile home), hunker down. If the power goes out later, you can leave then. Let those who need to get out now for their safety evacuate now. Contraflow lanes not being opened now - it sounds like they are going to reevaluate the need for the contraflow lanes later today (sounded like during or after evening rush hour is the earliest they'd reevaluate).

PARK PLACE - PapillionWyngs, has anyone contacted you yet who can be an emergency contact for your mother in Park Place? If not, or if y'all are evacuating to her house, will you let us know?

Vertigo - Absolutely. Here's mine: HEIGHTS - It's very unlikely I'll evacuate (I didn't for Rita). I'm S of 11th, W of Studewood, N of White Oak, E of Heights. I don't know if I'd be much help with boarding windows, but PM me if you want a Heights text-message or email contact who's staying. May also be able to check on houses.

Post here if you are offering or looking for HAIF-member help in connection with Hurricane Ike beyond just advice. (For general discussion of the hurricane, and for helpful preparation/monitoring links, see the other threads in the "Breaking News" forum.) To keep things focused, here are the types of posts to make on this thread: *** MONTROSE - I live in Montrose but am out of town through Monday. I live N of Alabama, W of Montrose, S of Westheimer, E of Dunlavy. If anyone in or near that area might be willing to exchange contact information and possibly check on my house while I'm gone, please PM me. *** HIGHWAY 146 - I'll be evacuating north on Hwy 146 from Clear Lake Shores. If anyone along that route would be willing to exchange contact information in case of an emergency along the way, please PM me. *** HEIGHTS/FRIENDSWOOD - I'm going to be riding out the storm alone in the Heights. My parents will be staying in their home in Friendswood. If anyone in either location might be willing to give me their phone number just in case of an emergency, please PM me. Thanks, Housuperstar. *** HEIGHTS/FRIENDSWOOD - Housuperstar, I sent you a PM re help in Friendswood. *** WOODLAND HEIGHTS - I'm not evacuating. Neighbors, PM me if you need help with anything. If you need someone to check on your house, I may be able to do that, or may know a HAIFer close to you. I may also have a little time on Friday morning if someone close by needs help boarding their windows. *** Please do not post your or another member's precise address. Members offering help will likely suggest that you PM them (send them a private message using the HAIF message utility). Members looking for help should do the same. Even in a PM, exercise good judgment in giving anyone your address. I'm posting this thread now despite the current uncertainty in the storm track because now is a good time to be making your plan and looking for help, just in case - if the threat continues to grow, others will be increasingly focused on their own preparations.

Glad to hear someone had some photos. If y'all would like them posted on this thread for others, but have trouble because of the file sizes, feel free to pm me and I'll help. I too think it's a good idea to have information concentrated in one place, and maybe the moderators will see fit to merge the few Camp Logan/1917 Riot threads we have now - in addition to the one I mentioned above, there is also a Camp Logan Cemetery (referring to a possible camp cemetery) thread.

All - For anyone interested in helping to gather signatures for the online petition using a hard-copy version, I've prepared one. If you PM me, I will send it to you. Vertigo - I sent you an email. FilioScotia - You mentioned that the mansion hasn't been used as a residence in decades. Supposedly, in his will, Jim West stipulated that the house could not be used as a private residence again - I'm sure there's a story there, though it may be something as simple as his wanting it to be used for public purposes. It hasn't been sitting empty all this time, though - it has been used by Rice University, by NASA, and for charity events. It still has many useful purposes, though no doubt is in need of some restoration. The reason I think that saving the mansion may not be a lost cause is that it is owned by Hakeen Olajuwon, who has cooperated to some extent with local preservationist with regard to at least one other building. Also, while the mansion is technically held by a company owned by Olajuwon, I think it's a private company. In the case of the River Oaks Theatre, Weingarten has the argument that it is obligated to act in the interest of its shareholders in determining the future of the property. Olajuwon wouldn't have the same argument. Plus, I think he could sell to a buyer willing to preserve the mansion without taking much if any loss on the property - there has been at least one deal already that almost went through that called for the preservation of the mansion. To the extent a non-profit organization like Preserved in Time is interested in buying the house, I believe the thinking is that it might be possible to fund a large chunk of the cost via grants (though they would also have to raise a significant amount of money).

In doing internet searches on this topic, I suggest you try the term "1917 riot" alone, and in combination with "Houston", and in combination with "Logan". You'll find there is actually a lot of information available on the internet. This page links to a few of the better sources (including the first chapter of the Haines book and a website for a documentary regarding the riot), as does this page. I especially like this hand-drawn map and the site's related information - there are photos incorporated if you go through it. I've also found a lot of information in newspapers from the time period. For additional photos, you can start with the HAIF Camp Logan Pictures thread. There are also a lot of Camp Logan photos on the Houston History site if you dig around. I think I might have seen a photo of one of the hangings once, but can't recall where. Someone else may be able to give you a link. I believe the hangings were at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, and so you might use those terms in your searches. Good luck with your research - it is a fascinating topic.

1975 - "Sophia gives Rev. Anthony Goosens five ruby rings to be auctioned off in order to help in building a new church near Llano, TX. Sophia and Rev. had been writing each other for nearly ten years, after Sophia helped financially a French woman named Mme L

Can't help wanting to say "thank you, thank you!" each time someone signs... but I'll try to keep it to PM's from now on.

Thanks to y'all both!

So I know this should really be posted in the Jim West Mansion thread, but maybe our kind-hearted moderators will let it go as a separate topic for a day or two... I talked recently to a family friend in Clear Lake who is heavily involved in the fight to save the Jim West Mansion. She said that the potential sale of the mansion to a commercial developer planning to build a retirement community on the grounds and use the mansion as a main building - a deal that was reported in a few places in 2007 when it looked to be about to go through - did not go through. (I know I'd been thinking for the last several months that it was a done deal.) And that the mansion's future is that much more uncertain as time passes and the deed restriction prohibiting anyone from tearing the mansion down until 2012 (less than four years from now) becomes less of an obstacle to commercial developers. I'll try to post later information about donating to the non-profit organization trying to buy the mansion - I think they're working on a new donation program that would offer incentives at different levels, and there should be more information soon. In the meantime, I helped start a Save the Jim West Mansion! ipetition (in the tradition of the River Oaks Theatre ipetition) that just went up today.... it would be great if we could get a number of HAIFers on there! Don't know if we can get 26,000+(!) signatures like the other petition, but a petition might really be helpful in this situation given that, as far as I know, Olajuwon can do what he wants with the property and presumably wants to help Houston. Anyhow - y'all can be among the first to sign if it's something you support. Here is the ipetition link again. Thanks in advance to anyone who does sign - and, please, spread the word! I would so like to see this structure saved!

Luna Park has always fascinated me - partly because I live in the Heights, but also because it seems so hard to find information and photos. (One small obstacle in researching the topic is that "Luna Park" seems to have been a very popular name for amusement parks for a while.) The Houstorian write-up covers what I'd seen elsewhere and what I was able to find in old Texas (but not Houston) newspapers available on an online subscription service. But I don't think I found any images I hadn't already seen. I'm so glad that the panoramic that Kevin Jackson posted for us above exists, and that he posted it. I'm hoping to get to the restaurant myself to see if I can get some detail shots from it. Still don't know what to make of the fact that it is dated 1923 and titled "Venice Park" - it's almost certainly Luna Park or a precursor. But there is sure to be more historical record available in old Houston newspapers and other places not easily searched online. I've tried to get a copy of the PBS special that talked about the park, but it never seems to be available. What would be really neat is if someone had a grandparent or great-grandparent in their 90's or late 80's who had actually been and could remember a detail or two. There just has to be a few long-time Houstonians out there who remember the place.

The text of the short piece to which lockmat linked above (thanks): HHA Board Opposes Hi-Rise on White Oak The following position statement was adopted by unanimous vote of the HHA Board of Directors at its July 21, 2008 meeting: In furtherance of its mission to preserve and enhance the historic character of Houston Heights, the Houston Heights Association cannot support the construction of a high-rise commercial building (9-13 stories with three lower floors of parking garage) currently proposed for the corner of White Oak (6th street) and Oxford. The scale and form of the proposed building is not in character with adjacent commercial and residential architecture or with the neighborhood as a whole, which is largely composed of one and two story buildings. Such an intensive use of the site would result in a building that would tower over and impose itself on the views of historic residences and their gardens. It would also create a significant increase in vehicular traffic at the intersection of 6th and Oxford. The HHA understands that change is inevitable, and actively encourages the construction of new buildings (on non-historic sites) that are compatible with the form, scale and character of the Houston Heights. The construction of this office tower would create a precedent for the future development of large scale multi-story commercial and residential buildings that would be in direct conflict with the unique small- town character of one of Houston's special neighborhoods.

If you go to the Houston Metropolitan Research Center at the downtown library, there are city directories for many years giving reverse listings - i.e., resident listings by address. Though it sounds like you already have the name of a former resident, and so I don't know how much help that would be. But you might also be able to use the directories and HCAD's site to find out if there is anyone living close by who has lived in the same house for a long time and might remember the structure that used to be at the address you have.

Those included in the statute and discussed in the article. I don't want to attempt to summarize the regulations in one or two sentences - especially given that I haven't read them all - but my take is that the city may not have unrestricted use of city-owned property if the property encompasses or is part of an archaeological site, and is required to follow certain procedures before construction can commence. If there's a known cemetery on city-owned property, I think that the majority of the public would expect at least some effort be made to locate and then relocate remains prior to any construction (which hasn't always happened). Just thought someone might know how the regulations would play out in the circumstance of city-owned property sold to private developers. If there would be obligations pre-sale or post-sale. It may have come up with APV.

I'd agree with that to some extent, but I'd say it seems anecdotally (thinking in particular of the history of the construction of Jeff Davis Hospital #1 on what was once Houston's "city cemetery", and then of the handling other city projects on the land through the years) that we've come around more slowly to the proper procedures for cemetery tracking and reclamation. I think that the statute that HISD might have to contend with here is the Antiquities Code (links here). Here's a 2004 Houston Press article regarding what HISD had to go through after acquiring land in the Fourth Ward through eminent domain (part of its purpose in doing so was to build a new building for HSPVA). What I haven't had time to look at is whether HISD or a purchaser of the land would have obligations in connection with or after a sale of the land. The statute may apply just to government-owned property.

So much for my searching skills - missed that. Maybe this can be consolidated? I'm guessing it happens elsewhere to some extent, but Houston does seem to have an especially bad track record. I'm wondering if the stirs involving Jeff Davis Hospital #1 and Allen Parkway Village have created a new precedent, though. When I get time, I'm going to check to see if those archaelogical assessments were based on city or state regs of some kind.