Firebird65

That's what gave me the idea to write my city councilmembers requesting that Houston try to file a sort of municipal divorce from the Houston Heights if there is a legal mechanism to do so. It strikes me as though this would be in the mutual interests of the constituents, voters, and property owners of the City of Houston and the Houston Heights. Let me know what you guys think.

Nah. To be honest, their constant whining about the proposed (and soon-to-be-built) Wal-Mart is amusing. That thread is the best one I've ever seen on here. Constant chuckles.

If the Heights were to go, all we'd be left with is the teeth-gnashing from the two dozen or so overwrought listeners of soon-to-be-off-the-air KTRU.

They're are wasting their money - and just what America needs, yet another lawsuit - but at least it keeps them off the streets.

Those were quite possibly the longest posts I've ever seen on HAIF. LOL! But much appreciated. As I've said, I've lived in the Westchase area for 20 years (since 1990) after growing up in the Aldine area. I really enjoyed the History of Aldine thread on HAIF and am glad to see now there's one for my not-so-new home. I've seen a lot of changes to the Westchase area since I moved over here straight out of college but always wanted to learn more about what it was like before. Thanks for sharing!

Well, unfortunately, looks like this thread has wound down now that the anti-Wal-Marters have realized the store is going to be built and there's nothing they can do about it. I sure enjoyed following some of their twisted logic. I eagerly look forward to shopping there when it opens (although not on the grand opening day - it'll be packed, probably with some of the same folks who used so many words to oppose it). It would be nice if people would post updates on this site of the progress the store is making in construction and when the planned opening will be.

If this is true, then why are y'all so worried about the f'kn traffic impact?

That's hilarious!

My family used to go to the Souper Salad (or Lettuce Surprise You) in the early 90s.

It was called Lettuce Surprise You. It opened in 1990. I had just moved to Westchase into my first apartment, which was on Meadowglen. I remember when it opened they sent out "buy one, get one free" coupons. Everyone in my apartment complex (Sunset Shadows) just threw them out. Well, having a girlfriend (now wife) who loved salad and being on a tight budget, I must have grabbed about 100 of the things and took her there once a week for nearly a year on the coupon. I was probably their most consistent customer, although they never made a dime off me thanks to the free food. LOL!

It annoys me more when snobs attempt to mask their snobbery behind civic responsibility than when they're forthright with their snobbery. At least with the latter, you know what you're dealing with. For a couple months now, I've waded through eighteen pages of bilge foisted on us from one side of this argument - all of them lies, all of them designed to hide their true intentions and all designed to stir our emotions and not our sense of reason. When one filthy justification falls flat, they trot out another lie. When that one doesn't stick, they bring out another. Very little gets me worked up, but discrimination and intentional ignorance are chief among the things that do. This misguided opposition to the Walmart have clearly demonstrated both of those qualities, and I've finally lost my patience with it. They're snobs, and if karma was real, the next inner-loop Walmart to get built directly next door to their HAHC-approved houses.

Bravo, sir. Take a bow. You most certainly deserve it.

When did they Briar Forest all the way thru to Beltway 8 or the "West Belt"?

I stand to be corrected on this, but when I was doing research for my Aldine history thread by reading old Chronicles and Posts, I came across a story about that happening in 1978 or 1979, if memory serves.

A minor correction to your info. Andrau Airpark wasn't owned by the Hobby family. It was built, owned and managed by Mr and Mrs H.B. Andrau. The airport was closed on December 23, 1998 when a Houston real estate firm paid Mrs Andrau 53 million dollars for the land. The airport was quickly demolished and the Royal Oaks Country Club subdivision and a golf course replaced the field.

I'd be very interested in learning of the history of the Westchase area, which is near the old Andrau Airport. Grew up on the northside in the Aldine area and had a blast learning the history of that part of town (had a great thread on it here at HAIF). Have lived in Westchase and West Houston for 20 years now and have really seen it grow. When I first moved this way in 1990 and worked at Wilcrest and Richmond, there was next to nothing out here. Boy has that changed. Any info would be appreciated.

The Okabayashi farm grew almost all your common vegatables which they sold at the Farmers Market downtown. My older brother worked for them when he was about 16-17. Mrs. Okabayashi would fix them egg foo yung for breakfast. The first time he got it he came home and made it for everyone. My dad never ate anything that wasn't separate on his plate and refused to eat it. I thought it was great and ate his and mine.

Great story, James. Thanks for sharing it. Thought this thread had died out long ago. Nice to see some new material.

I think that if you hit that area with several B-52 strikes it would improve property values.

LOL!

But, do not insult the community with the elitist crap.

Sounds as if someone is a little touchy. I merely called it as I saw it, from an outsider's perspective. Maybe it hit a little too close to home for you?

I've said the Heights anti-Wal-Marters have every right to protest the Wal-Mart being built in their neighborhood (although technically, it doesn't appear to be in their neighborhood, from the information in one writer's earlier post). I'm not asking them to sit back and take it (and am in no position to do so anyway).

But what I am saying is, that from the viewpoint of someone who knows next to nothing about this debate and only saw it for the first time today, it sure appears the anti-Wal-Marters have some other agenda besides those you mentioned. Those seem more like a smokescreen. Sorry... I'm not trying to be insulting to you or anyone else. Maybe I'm wrong, but I read 75% of the posts on here (it was that slow a day here at work) and that's the impression I got.

And I get the feeling you're not even going to try to change my impression. That's your choice, of course.

Wal-Mart did not and has yet to even reveal what it is actually planning to do on the site.

I believe this has been mentioned in a similar thread about an HEB in Montrose, but it bears repeating here: Wal-Mart doesn't owe you or anyone else a explanation of what they are doing on the site. Not trying to be a smart###, but that's a simple fact.

Now, whether they ought to include the community in an effort to show themselves as a good neighbor, well, that's a different discussion. But the simple fact is they don't owe you anything. They paid their money, it's their property, they can do what they want with it as long as they follow the law. From here, it looks like they have.

I'm just an outsider who wandered into this thread on an otherwise boring day. Thisd looked like an interesting and topical discussion and it hasn't disappointed. I've got no dog in this hunt, but from an outsider's perspective, the people who are anti-Wal-Mart on this thread come across as people tap dancing and people trying to hide another agenda. If I'm wrong, well... I can only go with and draw my conclusions based on the information and arguments presented here. And from this outsider's perspective, the pro-Wal-Marters have presented a much more compelling and honest argument than the anti-Wal-Marters.

Again, this is my opinion only and it's worth what you paid for it. I thought someone might enjoy an outsider's opinion on this discussion from someone who has nothing to gain or lose from it. If you didn't, that's OK.

There will be no fresh arguments, there will be no fresh discussion. This topic has been beaten into the dirt.

Indeed. I am totally bored today at work, so I've spent the day going through about 75% of this thread. What a laugh riot.

Wal-Mart has the absolute right to build this store there. Even the Mayor says so. Of course, he anti-Wal-Marters have every right to protest it. This is America. I don't blame them for doing so. But having read their comments, they sure seem to dance around the real issue of why they don't want a Wal-Mart in their neighborhood. It isn't about traffic... it isn't about drainage... it isn't about light pollution. If it was, they'd have protested that Target that went up. I sure don't remember any ruckus about that store being built. And it's not about people working at Wal-Mart only getting 30 hours a week so they don't get health insurance. I once worked for a Target and trust me, Target does the same exact thing. All retailers do.

Nope... these people are clearly just a bunch of snooty, elitist NIMBY's who don't don't like the kind of people Wal-Mart would attract. Not trying to be insulting, but c'mon. The more "issues" they bring up to deflect that notion, the more obvious it becomes.

Actually, if they'd just flat out admit that they don't want Wal-Mart's clientele in their neighborhood rather than dancing around trying to be PC, they'd probably catch a lot less flack, and might actually garner more support from people who would appreciate someone being honest for a change.

Just my humble opinions... worth exactly what you paid for 'em. Thank you for allowing me to post them.

Got a new piece of information from former Aldine High English teacher Mr. Wesbrook the other day. Mr. Wesbrook gave me a story from a May 1935 Houston Post. According to the story, the original Marrs School (now the Lane Center) opened in 1933 and housed grades 1-11 (there was no 12th grade at the time). That means the Marrs School was the first high school and elementary school simultaneously. The first graduating class of Marrs High was in May 1935. This means the start date for Marrs (Aldine) High School is now 1933, not 1936. As far as I and Mr. Wesbrook know, Marrs High opened its own building in 1936, as the Marrs School was getting very overcrowded after only 3 years.

I lived in Northline Terrace on Terrydale...

Really? Me too!

Funny story: I came across your post earlier this afternoon but couldn't reply. I was wondering who you were, figuring you must have lived on the other end of Terrydale from me (I lived by Beaver Bend). FIVE MINUTES LATER I'm on Facebook, and the first thing I see is one of my friends who also grew up on Terrydale adding you as a friend. LOL! What are the odds?

Gold and Brown

You mean like the 1970s San Diego Padres? Yeech!

Thanks a bunch.

Does any one know what were the school colors for San Jacinto? I've seen them sometimes refenreced in old newspapers as the Golden Bears, so I take it their colors were Gold and White? or at least Gold and something else. Does anyone know?

Thanks.

Nice pics. Any more?

Thanks.

Ask and ye shall receive:

Here's two of my favorites from earlier festivals:

It was not Celebration Station. I went to this "Peppermint Park"-like place once when I was a kid and yep, there were batting cages. I am 99% sure it was on the 45S feeder road in between 1960 and Richey Rd. You can't even tell it existed now...there are no signs of anything left.

That's a different place. I used to go there too for the batting cages. Celebration Station came later and was at Rankin and I-45. I don't know the name of the place you are referring to at Richey and I-45... hopefully someone else who had been there will remember it.

That may have been Celebration Station, but I seem to remember it being at Rankin & 45. I'm not exactly sure when that opened or when it closed though.

The other park on 45 was Malibu~Watercoaster, which was the same general area, but about twenty years earlier. I have some great memories from both the Watercoaster and the Games People Play on 1960.

Regards,

Rhino

It was Celebration Station.

The Malibu and Watercoaster were further south at North Freeway at North Shepherd. Both opened in 1979. The Malibu lasted longer than the Watercoaster. Wasted plenty of lawn mowing money there as a 14 and 15 year old.

Here's a few photos I took at the 38th annual Texas Folklife Festival.

Does anyone know if these two Brown Sugars BBQ locations are the same owner? They seem to have the same menu and same decorating style, but the website only mentions the Almeda location.

The Greenspoint location was at I-45 and Greens Rd, across from the mall in a separate strip center. Pretty good barbecue, and I usually like my 'cue tangy, not sweet.

I remember taking the family dog to a vet that ran his clinic out of his home at the intersection of Gulf Bank and Sweetwater. The home is still there, but the vet sign has been down for at least 10+ years. And, this is random, but there was a huge house off Airline near Gulf Bank that had a huge Statue of Liberty in the front yard.

I think that vet was the Cahill Veterinary Clinic.

I never heard of that statue of liberty. Might have been interesting to see. I generally stayed away from that area. I once went through those apartments on Airway and the ones behind the Ukranian church on Meadowshire... scary. Like entering another world.

Why does that keep happening?

Here's the photo that was deleted.

Here's my photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34337689@N06/...57617912598243/