mrfredmor

Lots of good advice here, but I would offer an alternative solution: the Canon G11! It's basically a point-and-shoot on steroids!! It does all the great things that a P&S does but it also features all of the great options of a fully manual camera including manual focusing, shutter and aperture selection, aperture and shutter priority, etc. PLUS, it features image stabilization -- a feature typically only available in higher end lenses for the DLSR. Plus it captures video very nicely! I have shot several different models of Canon cameras over my career (AE-1, EOS 1-N, Rebel XT, etc.) and now find that this is the only camera I need. If I'm going to do work that requires using a specialized lens, I can always rent a DLSR body and lens. But the G11 gives me access to all ends of the photography spectrum.

Go to Camera Co-Op and they'll let you play with one for as long as you like (in the store, that is.) If buying local is important to you, I would defeinitely say that's the place to buy. If you want to save a few bucks, check out www.bhphotovideo.com - it's camera superstore in NYC and their prices are awesome, plus they carry EVERYTHING!

Good luck and enjoy your snaps!

Apparently, FM 1960 is getting a new name. Bucolic strip malls! Fairies tripping up and down the new medians! It will be fabulous!

From ABC 13 - KTRK

On an only slightly related topic, I believe TC Jester now connects all the way though from Cypress Creek Parkway (there - I used it!) to FM 2920 (soon to be known as "Willow Creek Turnpike"!) I can say for certain that it goes from Cypresswood all the way to FM 2920 and Google Maps says it goes all the way to FM 1960, but I did not have time to verify; can someone confirm this?

I agree with the principle of your idea, Attica. Didn't mean to sound so disparaging of your message. I have also had the same feeling that there should be a way to shepherd responsible development in these areas, but it's such a frustrating endeavour.

As far as the Cypress Creek Parkway designation, my understanding is that this will be something of a vanity name change; no maps, street names, postal routes or other such designators will be altered or revised. People/businesses are free to use the name at their discretion, which of course means NOBODY will use it. What's the benefit of creating even more confusion for people trying to find your business? And I agree that the term "parkway" is about the most ridiculous term they could come up with.

Now that I've got some skin in this game and live off this road, I've noticed the problem isn't simply boundaries and economics. The poor live alongside the affluent everywhere more successfully than what you're crediting to 1960. The problem here is all the derelict structures alongside the road. 1960 is a stripmall ghost town. I think a simple solution would be to eliminate a number of the empty buildings at owner's expense. I'd like the county to require a minimum of 25% occupied capacity based on square footage on a five year rolling cycle. If a property can't maintain that capacity, then the owner should be required by law to bulldoze the structure and plant some pines in its place. Leaving the number at 25% is fair to the owners, but forcing the bulldozing would make land owners and developers more cautious and certain of success (as much as is possible) prior to construction. Plus, this law would virtually require the proper cycling of old, worn-out structures with newer and better construction.

Then again, who cares?

Are you serious? In a metropolitan community that views zoning somewhere between illegal immigration and late-term abortion on the popularity meter?! While I agree that these empty boxes contribute to the degradation and social erosion of a community, what you propose is a far too onerous and draconian solution. How would this be enforced? How do you "force" private companies to maintain a minimum occupancy rate? By that token, how do you force small businesses - the magic cure to our country's economic woes, if you listen to any politicians over the last decade or so - to stay healthy and not fail, thereby triggering a vacancy? Would the county raze the structures of derelict owners, and if so, where's the money going to come from for that little chore? It's a nice fantasy but not practical at all.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Was going to do the Sabine st bridge but it was closed Sat/Sun.....shot a ton of photos at Discovery Green Instead. Will finishing up on Wed at Sabine....

For the record, the Hummer is one of those smaller ones.

Another newly created spot is the vacant lot on Jensen near the T-intersection of Clinton Dr. They recently demolished some industrial buildings there. You get a real nice shot with the Juice Box and the downtown skyline. You may even get a shot of the hummer being stolen! (Sorry - couldn't resist!)

Does anybody know what developer/builder is responsible for the new townhomes going up at Alvin A. Klein near Kuykendahl?

What's the latest with this space? I drove by today and the For Sale sign is still up, but the landscaping looks fairly unkempt. Given what's been posted on this board re: the history, it sounds like they've got a good chunk of capital invested in this structure and are being picky with offers. Anybody have any news? I'd love to open it myself; reminds me of a fantastic diner I visited in Westfield, NJ with the wonderful name of Excellent Diner.