stan the man

Thanks for the replies, everybody. The mature trees at First Colony do appeal to me a lot. Living now in the museum district, we've grown used to having some shade.

Good thing you said that, noodlemonger, because I have been in SL for 17 years and have seen a wide array of what it's like around here. There are also a lot of recreational opportunities around here (parks, sports teams, pools, etc., etc.) and good schools around here, too (the three high schools in the First Colony area are Clements, Dulles and Elkins btw).

just saw the expansion:

- A lot of stores renovated, moved around, etc., etc. (e.g. PacSun, Zales)

- Several vacant spots still (such as the one where Ann Taylor was)

- Some stores still not finished (Things Remembered, for example)

- For some reason, the old Mervyn's looks like it's still vacant...no Dillard's sign like there was supposed to be (isn't it supposed to be a second store?)

- The outside signs have changed to a more upscale, formal sign in copper and silver with a colonial font that has light accentuating the letters.

This just in...

CHANNEL 2 FINALLY HAS A NEW SET...

Finally, after years of begging to have their archaic, outdated newsroom set replaced...we finally have succeeded in begging them to do so.

Not sure about the presentation, though...the graphics (and maybe the set, even though it looks like an authentic, somewhat stereotypical, Texas news set with the brushed chrome and stone walls) looks more like a newscast in Waco/BCS than a Houston newscast...

Fox 26 needs to refine there weather segments. Standing in front of the screen is unacceptable! I can't see the radar tut's. Get out of the way. Jesus...... Happy Birthday ''Stan the Man''.

Thanks, Marty, and I should mention the old Fox 26 set went to TSU, according to the blog of Isiah Carey.Here's more about what Isiah mentioned.

At least this old set had a better fate than the old one at Fox 4 up in Dallas...which they threw in the dumpster.

KTRK just released their brand new graphics package tonight...it's a lot of red, blue, and 3D. Also, the graphics, especially the lower-third, are done professionally.

You know how the media types from New York Consider Houston as some small hick town. I was just trying to think like they do.

The New York Times is the most liberal news source in the country. Most Americans associate NYT with liberals than any other media source in America.

The other night, on September 16th (my 20th birthday), I was watching Fox 26 News after AMW and what I saw tonight was that Ford Atkinson was doing the news from the newsroom. That's because they're tearing down their old set and bringing in a new one coming soon. This will likely be similar to the ones we see in New York, LA, and vice versa. Wonder if a 10pm news and possibly a 5pm news is next.

First Colony Mall will soon open these new stores this fall:

ALDO

Apple

Barnes & Noble

Black Walnut Cafe

Coach

Cold WaterCreek

Famous Wok

Forever 21

Grimaldi's Pizzaria

Kay Jewelrs

Levi

Shiekh Shoes

SOMA

Starbucks

Swarovski Crystal

Toni & Guy

White House/Black Market

I have to wonder if the Grimaldi's is the same chain as the one they have all the way up in Brooklyn.

Despite the fact it has a new building, WHS is a rough school with little community support. I would stay away from Westbury High School.

Yeah, it sure is. When I was at Dulles, our game at Westbury was my very first as the team's cameraman (because the head manager then was out of town at a Catholic retreat), and I would earn that spot for the remainder of my Dulles days.

Just going back to Westbury gives you the impression of an academic trash dump, despite the refurbished look. My uncle went there. He does not want to go back. And Westbury should now be considered "Worstbury". There is a lot of crime and gangs, and my mother was surely glad to get the hell out of there.

As for Missouri City in general, crime compared to Sugar Land is rather split. Missouri City has more violent crime than Sugar Land because of the neighborhoods in the northern and eastern portions of the city as compared to the greener pastures of the western and southern portions of the city. However, Sugar Land has more property crime than Mo City, but largely because of Town Square and First Colony Mall; the northern portions of Sugar Land where all the robberies have taken place have been in unincorporated areas north of New Territory and the Sugar Land Regional Airport.

And compared to Sugar Land, Missouri City's FBISD schools are lower rated. The only recognized high school (and there are no exemplary ones), Clements, is in Sugar Land. By contrast, the only academically unacceptable school (Marshall High School) is located in northeast Missouri City.

And virtually all of FBISD's exemplary schools are in Sugar Land and Richmond.

I actually remember watching the MDA telethon as early as the 1990s on KPRC. Back then, there were a lot of numbers to call from, and now there's only a handful of numbers, given the fact that you can now donate online. Of course, I am familiar with the closing song Jerry performs. I even tried to apply to join the call center team while I was at Dulles (as a freshman, even though I looked like a high school senior and even had girls that were seniors at the time taking note of me) in 2001; they were already booked when I tried to apply.

And I am pretty glad KPRC decided to continue on; they almost never did this year, because there was a story where KPRC decided to do away with the MDA Telethon until people complained about this move by KPRC. It should also be noted KPRC was also the only major-market NBC affiliate not to air the Winter Olympics preview show, instead choosing to go on with ET. The Chronicle stated "it would do better with Brad and Angelina baby updates."

And the MDA Telethon is probably one of the last things synonymous with the KPRC we're all familiar with still on there, the Washington Post has really trashed KPRC in recent years; their graphics are nothing like a major market station at all and the news set is really outdated. Even the weather team changes on and off. Jerome Gray's addition to the Local 2 News team is definitely a welcome sign of change.

Does Girls Gone Wild count as a cure.

GGW is just as prevalent on late night TV as ITV. They can be seen on all kinds of channels, almost all of the time on cable channels; I am assuming the FCC is keeping GGW off of the broadcast stations here.

Also, I forgot to mention there's even one ITV infomercial where the host states that he had to cut out portions of the infomercial to avoid getting busted by authorities.

BTW, I was watching that infomercial on channel 19...from Sugar Land...you wouldn't get infomercials on channel 19 if you're in the actual city of Houston.

Some other notable infomercials:

* Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer

* The Magic Bullet

* DirectBuy

* WizeTrade

* Promos for seminars at Town Square Marriott

* Proactiv

BTW, this survey also forgot Northwest Mall.

according the the clerk the one in the tunnels is not long for this world either (curse of the commerce towers)

Yeah, my uncle had a ticket business operating out of the Commerce Tower downtown near the old Woolworth. The parades in Houston often took a route past the Commerce Tower. Didn't last there very long. He eventually moved the business over to the Richmond strip near Magnolia Bar & Grill at first, and later near Dave & Buster's. We often got Rockets tickets, Astros tickets (including the tickets to the very last regular season game in the Astrodome), and to that terrible Oilers season in '94 (including a Monday Night game).

Reportedly, Highway 6 around Addicks Satsuma has been experiencing some sort of a restaurant boom around the edges of the Addicks Reservoir. I know Joe's Crab Shack has a location on this stretch of the 6.

Humble Mall is actually Deerbrook. Also, you left First Colony and West Oaks Mall off your list.

FCM is undergoing a lot of construction at this moment. When it finishes up in October, it's going to be so busy that the already jampacked Southwest Freeway is going to be even more so. Same thing for Highway 6.

BTW, it's not "Willbowbrook", it's "Willowbrook Mall". Remember, there are several shopping centers @ that intersection called Willowbrook (e.g. "The Commons at Willowbrook").

Yeah, we've all seen them. Those infomercials that try to get you to buy something. But just recently, I have noticed a number of infomercials from a company called ITV Direct. These have aired on channels 20 and 49, on cable networks like WGN, Court TV and Comedy Central, and on Time Warner channel 19.

Most of the ITV informercials talk about subjects like natural cures for debilitating diseases and arthritis supplements made with wheat soybeans. Is it any wonder we experience these often?

Dillard's actually did this in several malls across the state when Montgomery Wards stores went out of business in the 90's. Therefore, this is a proven technique that should work out well.

Aside from that, the Foley's parking garage seems to be going up very quick. Do we still think they're building a third garage outside the food court area? 3 garages seems like a lot.

Baybrook Mall has 2 Dillard's stores, one at the north end and the other at the south end. The one at the south end was acquired in the Joske's takeover, and the one at the north was a Macy's before they sold all but the Galleria location in '95 or '96.

I guarantee you if David Wallace's write-in campaign results in a triumph over Nick Lampson, the number one issue of Sugar Landers when it comes time to select a new mayor will be how to handle crime.

As a matter of fact, Sugar Land reportedly got a police academy...that ought to recruit officers they need to stop these crooks...and yes i'm talking about both robbers and corrupt lobbyists.

The fact that DeLay resigned from office has NOTHING to do with the crime rate in Sugar Land...

In fact, if you look at Katy, supposedly they have a higher crime rate...and so does Rosenberg and Richmond...And about Missouri City...their property crime rate is lower than SL's, but Mo City has more violent crime than SL...Mo City should even be startled by the fact that they have an academically unacceptable high school which has no effect on Dulles, Willowridge and Elkins other than that those three high schools, while given just an "acceptable" rating, are glad to not have the evils of Marshall HS that just turned up...there was even a murder at that school.

I used to enjoy going to Macaroni Grill but went downhill over the years, which probably happened to the Meadows Place location. I hope Gringeaux's can compete with Pappadeaux, Razzoo's (a small feat, since service is bad and the food overpriced for what it is) and Sam's Boat (not really a restaurant, I know).

No, what really happened is that the kitchen @ Macaroni Grill burned down, and so Brinker decide to close the Macaroni Grill rather than make repairs to it...our Student Council outgoing seniors' dinner was to be held at Macaroni Grill...but then the fire occurred and, well you get the story...we ended up moving the dinner to Pappasito's off of Sugar Creek Blvd...which is Dairy Ashford north of US 90A.

Btw...

Pappadeaux will never fall out of first place among seafood joints in Stafford...the place is busy, busy, busy, busy, busy every night...but I'm sure Razzoo's will be in for a challenge (it proclaims to be a Cajun Cafe...last time I went was just a few months after 9/11)...and Sam's Boat is a toss up between a seafood shack and a sports bar...i heard Sam's Boat even has Buzztime...that thing you see in every Buffalo Wild Wings...

What was the first independent station in Houston? Did they have a flip in the early 90's when CBS was ailing and Fox started buying up as many stations as they could? In Dallas Channel 11 was independent, and we nearly lost CBS because Fox bought Channel 4. I don't think there are any independents left in that market.

DFW has not one...but two independent stations. After KDFW (Channel 4) became Fox 4, all that was left as far as independents went was KDFI (Channel 27)...

Over the next few years, there would be independent KXTX (Channel 39)...which is now Telemundo...KFWD (Channel 52) became independent after Telemundo moved to KXTX...and KSTR (Channel 49) became one of the few indies that Barry Diller ran...he also owned Channel 67 in Alvin...it is now Telefutura...

In 2006, KDFI is going to become My Network TV...and the new independent in town will be KTXA...the former UPN affiliate...it's now called TXA-21...joining KFWD 52 as the only independents.

BTW, I remember that when I stayed over in Arlington for a state Student Council convention (Dulles HS class of 2005), KFWD re-broadcast WFAA's 10pm late news at 11...

I think there are reports of wepons of mass destruction in Sugar Land. That's enough to invade.

I remember a couple of months after 9/11 (probably March 2002) that there was a fire somewhere in the Venetian Estates area between 59 and 90A on the news...firefighters probably had to deal with something explosive b/c there were all kinds of noise popping out of the house.

I should also mention the plot at Dulles High School by two freshman students to blow up the school.

BTW, Matt McCombs' myspace got shut down.

Hi everyone,

I have been trying to view houses in First Colony on HAR, but haven't had any luck. Can someone please list some of the individual neighborhood names within the First Colony area?

Thanks!!!

Danny

Danny,

Here are the neighborhoods in First Colony:

Alcorn Bend

Austin Meadow

Austin Park

Briarwood

Chimneystone

Colony Bend

Colony Cove

Colony Creek

Colony Grant

Colony Meadows

Colony Oaks

Colony Park

Colony Village

Colony Woods

Commonwealth

Cove at Crescent Lakes

Creekshire

Crescents on the Green

Cypress Glen

Cypress on the Green

Edgewater Bay

Edgewater Gardens

The Enclave

Enclave at Grants Lake

Englewood Place Estates

Hall Lake

Heritage Colony

The Highlands

Lake Colony

Lakefield

The Lakes

Lakes of Austin Park

Lakes of Edgewater

Landing at Crescent Lakes

Landing at Grants Lake

Lexington Colony

Magnolia Plantation

Meadow at Crescent Lakes

Meadow Lakes

Oaks of Alcorn

Old Mill Park

Oyster Creek Plantation

Oyster Point

Park at Crescent Lakes

Plantation Bend

Plantation Colony

Plantation Creek

Plantation Park

Plantation Trails

Riverbend North

Riverbend South

Settlers Grove

Settlers Park

Stephens Grant

Sugar Crossing

Sugarwood

Sweetbriar

Sweetwater

Sweetwater Estates

Travis Park

Williams Crossing

Williams Glen

Williams Grant

Williams Park

Woodstream

Remember Chuck George (weather guy)? Who was the AM anchor when he was there? As I recall they had a great chemistry between the newsdesk, weather, and traffic at that time.

I do remember Bob Nicholas and Olga Velaverde, whatever her name was, were the main anchors of the morning news at the time. Don Armstrong, of course, was the traffic reporter, and there were even sports reports in the morning.

BTW, KPRC is going down the drain. I predict the following:

• A major shakeup where at least one of its anchors gets bumped...it's already expected to happen b/c of Jerome Gray.
  
• Once KRIV gets into the early evening game...KPRC will fall to fifth in Houston (KHOU and KTRK, KXLN, and KRIV ahead)
  
• New theme music.
  
• A lot of reporters will be told to either act more professional or get out.
  
• New set...the current one is the most outdated news set in America...AND HOUSTON IS A TOP 10 MARKET...GROW UP YOU FOOLS BROADCASTING LIVE OUT OF SHARPSTOWN!
  

I do miss the old KPRC when it was advertised as "Houston Proud" and advertised itself as a champion of native Houstonians who mostly resided in the western portions of the city as opposed to the working class nature of KTRK. My guarantee is that a lot of the KPRC audience has gone to KHOU and KRIV; the former is the assumed choice of the white-collar suburbs, the latter is fixing to undergo a radical makeover of its own.

Given those facts - the big three in Houston are advertised as the following:

KPRC - young viewers who crave tabloid journalism

KHOU - well-educated viewers, lots of viewers from the suburbs

KTRK - working-class, minorities

KRIV & KHCW - no way to distinguish b/c KRIV will undergo a radical makeover and KHCW only has one newscast (there will also be a makeover there as well b/c of the CW)

KXLN & KTMD - Hispanic neighborhoods...but KXLN has much more clout in ratings...bigger facilities too

Now, on the regions:

The southern portions of the city of Houston are referred to as "Houston's Southside"...they probably coined this term from their reporters' trips to Chicago during the World Series...the White Sox play in Chicago's Southside.

Now about the regions of Houston:

Houston's Southside: areas south of Reliant Park and the Medical Center (and the universities as well).

Southeast Houston: east of Hobby Airport, centered around the Gulf Freeway until you get to the Beltway.

Southwest Houston: Sharpstown, Alief, Braeswood areas...maybe Meyerland.

Northwest Houston: The Heights, and areas of Houston until you get to about a mile or two away from the Beltway.

North Houston: Northline Mall area, Greenspoint

Northeast Houston: areas about a mile east of I-45 geographically, all the way to about a few miles shy of the Beltway.

West Houston: West of the Galleria, all the way to Highway 6.

East Houston: anywhere along the proposed Harrisburg line.

Any areas outside the Beltway in Harris County that I have not mentioned are unincorporated areas. (e.g. Champions area referred to as "Northwest Harris County" in news circles)

BTW, Darren Lyn is now working for ESPN. He's now the Houston-based reporter for the network.

There was some wrangling with the Univision investors last year, and I think the headquarters is moving from Miami to Los Angeles.

But, still -- why are there no cable nets in Houston? After New York, do you know where most of the cable networks are headquartered? How about New Jersey, Knoxville, and Cincinnati! What's up with that?

New Jersey is home to CNBC, Knoxville is home to Jewelry Television, and Cincinnati is where all the Scripps networks (HGTV, Food Network) are based.

Atlanta also has a major cable presence, and it's not just Ted Turner's empire (CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim)...but also The Weather Channel.

Today, KHOU (Channel 11/CBS) launched its brand new look. The signs were evident as early as this morning. During 11 News This Morning, the old KHOU logo was carved out of the glass separating the anchor desk area from the monitors in the background, and also from other parts of the set, such as over the CBS eye and on the desk itself.

Then, I turned to the 6 p.m. news, and KHOU's new look was already in full force, complete with a new theme music that is the same or similar as what parent company Belo has over in Dallas at WFAA. This new package most likely may have debuted at 5 p.m.