Original Timmy Chan's

I am looking to confirm whether roads in an undeveloped subdivision belong to the county or are still private property held by the builder. Where do I go to find this info? I've been checking out every county agency website I can find, but I'm lost.

Typically, when are the roads deeded over to the county? What agency keeps track of this?

If the road right-of-way is dedicated to the public, that's a good indication that it's public. I don't think it's a guarantee that the roads are accepted by the County for maintenance, but it would be an indication. You could find that on the recorded plat of the subdivision...if the subdivision was legally subdivided.

In Harris County, for roads to be accepted for County maintenance, the roads have to be designed and built in accordance with County standards, pass an initial post-construction inspection, and then pass a one-year inspection before they are eligible to be accepted for maintenance (through action by the County Commissioners Court).

If you're talking about a subdivision in Harris County where roads are still under construction, then they cannot have been accepted for maintenance by the County.

This Harris County Road Log might be a good start, but this warns that roads listed here are not necessarily accepted for maintenance: http://hcedweb2.eng.hctx.net/rl_web/stats/RL_search.jsp

I see you drove through Marfa...I take it you went through Presidio/Ojinaga. That's my favorite part of the world right there...La Junta de los Rios.

I've been into OJ a handful of times for grocery shopping and eating, but never any further into the interior from there. Of all the border towns I've been to, Ojinaga is by far the crown jewel of them all. I've never been to a cleaner and nicer border town. The scenery's not bad either.

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip and didn't buy into all the hype.

My wife and I are going to Mexico in a couple months...we're renting a car and driving across the Yucatan. I *think* my Spanish is just good enough to buy gas every so often. My parents are terrified, but I feel like we have nothing to fear. I've always been of the opinion that those who run into trouble were usually looking for it. We're not there to buy or sell drugs or weapons so not too worried (of course, if someone offers, it's bad etiquette to turn it down, right? )

Chihuahua looks beautiful, I'll have to check it out someday. I've actually got an archaeologist friend that just pulled in there this morning on the first leg of his drive into the interior. Numerous friends of mine have driven into and across Mexico over the last 15 years...very Anglo friends of mine. In fact, one of them an actual Englishman. Based on their experiences I've never had any more fear of driving in Mexico than I have driving down Harwin...my biggest obstacle is my poor Spanish.

DAMMIT!!! As usual, I was smoking a joint in the girl's bathroom by the Auto Mechanics classroom when they were picking teams...

Screw this, I'm cutting school the rest of the day.

If you start a list of irregular posters, you can put me down.

And just to clarify, I don't mean you can insult me. Also, just to be crystal clear, I do go every morning - right after coffee and right before my shower. What I should have said was...eh, never mind.

I know it's a little after the fact, since the Gosling Oaks is apparently no longer a threat, but I'll add my two cents on the "tax credit" apartments, since there are 4 that I can think of within 1/2 mile of my house.

In our experience, the "tax credit" apartments have not been a problem, crime-wise.

When the most recent tax credit apartment was built, about 2 blocks from our house, my wife and I went to check it out. We were curious what the rents were, and what kind of clientele would reside there. We were pleasantly surprised...The Niche is correct about the background checks and income level requirements. These are not exactly "low income" apartments...if I recall, the minimum family income required was somewhere around $30k, and the maximum income allowed was somewhere around $50k. (I could be off on those #'s, this was several years ago.) That's much higher than poverty level.

In addition to the income requirements, the rents were not exactly "budget" rates. In fact, they were higher per square foot than what my wife and I were paying just a few years earlier for a Galleria-area apartment. That said, the apartments were spacious, well-made, and still appear to be well-kept, years later.

I just wanted to corroborate what The Niche was saying about the type of person residing in these apartments. In my particular situation, which is assuredly different from most here, we actually welcomed the "tax credit" apartments for INCREASING the average income and education level in our neighborhood. That's not a knock against our current neighbors in single-family homes...we're in a great place, full of good, hard-working but low-wage families and many long-retired people who've owned these homes since the 1940's.

Momma, the way I see it, if anyone has their hand out in this situation, it's the developers, not the apartment-dwellers.

Anyhow, I'm not saying that the "tax credit" apartments are a panacea that will improve your neighborhood...but at the same time I don't foresee them as some doomsday development that will destroy the social and economic fabric of your neighborhood...at least not any worse than any other apartment development.

Poor dog, you aren't a Michael Vick fan are you?

HELL NAW!!!

Vick did it for money; I do it purely for the sport.

Why does your dog have a bandage on its head?

Let's just say I'm hoping you learn from my mistakes (on using a shotgun from several hundred feet away on intruders who are petting a dog.)

Actually, it was a result of a dog fight. Only lost part of an ear. It makes him look almost as crazy as he actually is.

Metro should also extend its service area to the entire Houston Metro, not only Harris County, but all counties surrounding Harris. A lot of people commute into the actual Houston central areas and Metro is not helping. The new rails only go out to the 610 loop!! What help does that give?? They should extend to the beltway and beyond.

Jrnavid, not picking on you in particular, but I get tired of hearing about the light rail only being built inside the loop.

Don't forget, it's only taken about 60 years to get multi-lane limited access freeways out to the current suburbs. Don't expect rail to get there much faster...especially considering the number (and political ranking) of enemies of rail.

Also...given METRO's track record, do you REALLY want to give them any more power?

I'd be happy to give the job of building rail to HCTRA...they seem to know how to actually build things.

I have a 12 gauge in a gunrack on my wall, cocked and loaded. I am just afraid my dogs will be at their feet and I don't want to shoot my dogs.

Aim for the chest and your dogs will be fine...unless the intruder is kneeling down to pet your dogs...that's also assuming you're firing from across the living room, not firing from 4 houses down (a la Joe Horn).

Maybe it's just me but the perception today of people driving big behemoths is kind of like smokers. And that's not good. But of course many people could care less what others think.

I saw an International CXT on the road for the first time last week...in Bellaire, not anywhere near "offroad" and not hauling anything but its driver. Not that he cared what I thought, but my first thought was, "jackass."

At 8 mpg, I wonder how long it took for the buyer's remorse to set in?

Pretty straight up architecture question. Why did they chose Pyramids for Moody Gardens Aquarium, Discovery and Rainforest as opposed to regular buildings or something else? Curious question.

The pyramid shape was chosen for its strength against hurricane-force winds.

Apparently Ike was a good test. I don't think they had any structural damage to the Moody Gardens pyramids, but I understand the Rainforest pyramid did suffer flood damage. I assume the flood damage is unrelated to the shape of the structure.

I don't remember the public voting for a 290 expansion.

I sure hope our representatives will specifically exclude Houston from any more highway funding until we have a chance to vote on whether or not we want to expand 290.

I also hope our representatives make us vote TWICE just to be sure we really want it...and they better be specific about the EXACT alignment of 290!!!

Sorry, Culberson remains a jackass in my book. I still steam when I think about his campaign signs saying "John Culberson Keeps His Word."

Personally, I was surprised to find out that the required fuel efficiency standards haven't increased since 1985. Did we truly reach our technological limits for gasoline powered engines 25 years ago?

I know the '86 Chevy Cavalier I drove for the longest time got well over 30 mpg. Same with my old '96 Honda Civic. Now, in the late 2000's, it seems you have to buy a hybrid to get those kind of MPG's out of a 4-cylinder engine.

Is it that the car manufacturers can't get better fuel efficiency, or that they won't?

What are they going to do with the landfill gas collection system? Have all of the gas wells go to a piping system, then cover THAT with grass, then burn the gas 1/2 mile away?

I'm aware of a company that's collecting the landfill gas and piping it to the vicinity of Texas City to provide additional power to refineries. I believe the gas being collected is from the landfills next to Shadow Creek Ranch.

Pretty good use of this "resource" if you ask me.

Blue Ridge?? That's insulting to NC. I like Houston and everything, but can't they come up with an original name rather than copping a name from one of the most beautiful ranges in the country?

Amen...I propose we name it "L.A.", in honor of the Lakers.

That section of Genoa Red Bluff is a great shortcut into Seabrook, but putting much more traffic on it will negate that.

SHHHHH!!!!! That's been my secret route for the last 20 years...

I believe Genoa-Red Bluff was supposed to be widened as part of the Bayport project, but I don't know the status. I would have thought it could be under construction by now...but I know that there were lots of jurisdictional wetlands issues (among other issues) that delayed Space Center Blvd south of Genoa-Red Bluff adjacent to Ellington AFB.

I assume the same wetlands issues exist along Genoa-Red Bluff.

Nine months of "community supervision" for Wayne Dolcefino after pleading no contest to trespassing in Austin County. According to the story he "messed with" the electronic keypad on the gate to Leroy Hermes' ranch until the gate opened...then entered the property and videotaped.

What's that saying about those in glass houses?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6421071.html

It's been gone for several months and since then the land work has been pretty active but no signs of any type have gone up. Does anyone know what is coming?

My dad says it's going to be apartments. I didn't ask where that info came from.

I haven't been out that way for a month now, but last time I drove by, it looked like they were grading some pretty attractive drainage features: curvilinear detention basins or drainage ditches.

The old golf course backed up to Armand Bayou...I've paddled almost up to the golf course from Bay Area Park, but never quite made it that far. I hope they're preserving a nice buffer along the bayou. I'd hate to paddle up that scenic bayou just to end up looking at some apartments...but then again it ain't my land.

My question is, is this out of line with the compensation packages of the leaders of other Texas public schools?

Of course, don't expect Wayne Dolcefino to dig that deep...it would require more effort and would undermine the drama.

UT System's Chancellor: $750k plus a residence

UT-Austin's President: $600k

That's $1.35 Million between Chancellor & President

A&M System's Chancellor: $504k salary, $150k annual deferred compensation, plus a residence provided

A&M's President: $525k plus a residence provided

That's almost $1.3 Million between Chancellor & President

Texas Tech Chancellor: $412k salary, $230k annual deferred compensation, $24k annual car allowance, residence provided

Texas Tech President: $350k salary, $18k annual car allowance, $42k annual housing allowance

Total annual compensation, over $1.07 million between Chancellor & President

There, that took me all of 10 minutes with Google. Apparently that's too sophisticated for Wayne Dolcefino.

Since Renu Khator serves as both President AND Chancellor of the UH System, it sure as hell sounds to me like the story should have been what a GREAT JOB UH IS DOING OF SAVING MONEY COMPARED TO OTHER LARGE TEXAS SCHOOL SYSTEMS!!!

ALWAYS take what Wayne Dolcefino says with a grain of salt. He's not here to give you the full story, just get his face on TV and make a lot of noise.

Why are you walking around so much, Brewster? Did your car break down? Can't afford METRO? I'm sorry that you're reduced to walking around...it must be embarrassing!!!

"People who bought this item, also bought..." Joe The Plumber's book.

Classic. This cannot be real!

"Customers who viewed this item also viewed..." ZUBAZ PANTS!!!

GREAT find, crunch!!!

Would this also be considered a 1-1/2 story?

I remember going to the Parkview Twin Theatre on Spencer Hwy. (at Burke) in Pasadena as a kid. It was a "Dollar Movie" up until (at least) the late 1990's, and I always remember it being as such. It was kind of gross and dirty with mildly greasy floors. It's now a Hancock Fabric store. Sadly, they gutted the place out and leveled the floor; all remnants of it ever being a theatre are gone. I also remember an old bank being on the opposite corner, as well as an old Wyatt's Cafeteria. They were both torn down in the mid 90's to make way for a Walgreen's and Eckard's (now a PetCo).

Anyways, does anyone ever remember going there? Did they ever show first run movies, or was it always a dollar movie theatre? Does anyone have any pictures of the theatre, Wyatt's, or the Bank?

No photos of the place, but I do remember going there as a kid (late 70's, early 80's.) I believe I saw more than one Zorro move there, and possibly the Jungle Book.

I definitely remember the Wyatt's. My grandpa was a cafeteria connosieur, so I had many meals there. I also remember a place there across Spencer Hwy back in the late 80's that he was in love with, called Smorgasbord. It was an all-you-can-eat, and they had the self-serve, soft-serve ice cream. I had never seen such a thing in my life!

Wasn't there also a Texas Tumbleweeds back in there?

Nothing unusual growing at our house, and our bills are nothing special. I just find the idea that a utility bill is proof of residency laughable and the requirement to show one annoying. Bureaucrats tend to come up with annoying rules - HISD needs to come up with one that says proof of home ownership meets the residency requirement, especailly if there is a homestead exemption.

I am rather surprised at the discussion this raised.

There are a lot of things in this world that don't make sense. You gotta pick your battles.

It doesn't make sense that hot dogs are sold in packages of 10, and hot dog buns in packages of 12, but it's been that way for thousands of years...I'm not going to spend my time fighting the meat processors and the bakeries to correct this, and I'm certainly not going to stop eating hot dogs over it.

Sometimes it just is.

I can. I know a guy who commutes to the East End from Bellaire and takes 610 to MLK, and then Spur 5 to Lockwood. He says it saves him a lot of time over trying to take the freeways through downtown.

The appropriate option all depends on where you're trying to go, though.

Back when I had time to work out, it typically took me about 5 minutes to get from the South Loop to UH via MLK. This was in the evenings on the way home from work, around 8pm.

By the way, Niche's friend's route down MLK to Lockwood is about a mile shorter than taking 288 to 45 to Lockwood, and about 2.5 miles shorter than taking the South Loop to 45 to Lockwood. Shorter distance, and much less frustrating drive at rush hour. You're probably moving as fast, or faster, on MLK than on the Gulf Freeway during rush hour.