111486 Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 Nov. 12, 2004, 10:54PM Bush monument is almost done Plaza to honor former president with ties to city By THOM MARSHALL Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle A George Bush Presidential Monument near Franklin and Bagby in Sesquicentennial Park is nearing completion, with an unveiling ceremony planned for early December, an organizer of the effort said Friday. ADVERTISEMENT "All great cities are known for their monuments and public art and Houston lacks that," said local immigration lawyer Charles Foster, who with David B. Jones led the monument drive. "It was also incongruous that the City of Houston, with which former President Bush's career has been so intricately linked, would not have an appropriate site or location to record his remarkable civic career, much of which has been directly tied to our city." The $1.7 million project, which will remain fenced off until the unveiling, is a nonpartisan and privately funded gift to the city by civic leaders and private foundations, Foster said. The monument's features include a plaza with a wall featuring four bas reliefs by Willy Wang that depict key moments in the 41st president's career, an 8-foot sculpture by Chas Fagan, timelines, quotations from Bush speeches and benches for visitors. "Now future generations of Houstonians and visitors will have a major point of destination to educate them about one of our great presidents of the United States," Foster said. The city's municipal art coordinator, Pam Ingersoll, said a project such as this is "a huge collaboration. You've got departments, you've got commissions, you've got donors, you've got artists. ... But this piece was so well done that it was approved without any changes or anything." Foster said the Bush monument was approved by The Municipal Arts Council and Houston City Council and the site was selected after consultation with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Central Houston Inc., "as well as the original architects who designed Sesquicentennial Park." C.K. Pang and David Calkins of Gensler Architects headed the architect team, Foster said. Eugene Lee and John Go are overseeing the Linbeck Construction team. To pay for maintaining donated art, Ingersoll said, the city requires any such gift to come with an endowment fund equal to 10 percent of the value of the work. Foster said the $1.7 million price tag includes the endowment fund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 eh, not really a monument I would visit. But to each their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 "Now future generations of Houstonians and visitors will have a major point of destination to educate them about one of our great presidents of the United States," Foster said.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Puhleeze... that's highly debatable...I thought naming Intercontinental Airport after him was more than enough. I believe he also had that huge park out west past Highway 6 named after him as well didn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
111486 Posted November 13, 2004 Author Share Posted November 13, 2004 Â I believe he also had that huge park out west past Highway 6 named after him as well didn't he?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yes they do. They also have that new high school in Fort Bend. They are starting to put this man before Sam Houston in this city. Here is another reason for everyone to talk about how conservative this city is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Intercontinental is a horribly designed airport anyway. I still prefer that all major regional airports bear the names of the major cities that anchor the regions. DFW will probably be renamed after GWB. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
111486 Posted November 14, 2004 Author Share Posted November 14, 2004 Intercontinental is a horribly designed airport anyway. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I wouldn't say all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 My favorite local tribute to the former president is the statue at IAH. It is called "Winds of Change" and it shows Bush with his jacket jauntily tossed back over his shoulder, and the jacket appears to be blown back by those winds. It's one of those things that is so bad it is good in a way. It just always cracks me up. It's behind the security area in Terminal C. "George Bush Intercontinental Airport" is about a clunky an airport name as you could come up with. If I had my druthers they would have stuck with the name originally intended: Jetero Airport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 I refuse to refer to it as "Bush Intercontinental." I still say just "Intercontinental." Same thing with Reagan National in Virigina, which will always be Washington National Airport when I speak of it.As for IAH being horribly designed, I don't think it's that bad. It's certainly better than many other hub airports in the country I've connected through. It does suffer from having terminals built in four different decades, which has led to a mix of different design concepts. But overall I find it pretty easy to navigate and efficient to get in and out of for an airport of its size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Its just theres so much construction, its a nightmare (sometimes), but Houston is progressing. I like "Intercontinental" it sounds so sophisticated... instead of the typical "International"... IAH is a good name, although the Bush is in there, I would like it out. Only because IAH is greater sounding then BushIA... and not because he's bush... The only Airport I can think of that has a good "name" i it is JFK...I would hope there would have been a Sam H. monument, instead... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Well, I think that they should have named it after a local hero that is more deserving. Maybe Sam Houston, Hoffienz, The First NASA director, astronaught. Nolan Ryan. Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Design-wise, I'd put IAH in the middle of the pack. I've heard people from other cities say that the layout is confusing. Atlanta, for example, has a simple layout and is easy to navigate. On the other hand, Intercontinental is relatively compact and easy to get around compared to some mega-airports like Minneapolis or DFW. If you go by amenities, such as food and retail, IAH imo has to rank towards the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 If you go by amenities, such as food and retail, IAH imo has to rank towards the bottom.That is very true, with the exception of Terminal E, and the only reason there are good food and shopping choices there is that Continental managed to convince the city to let them manage the concessions in that terminal since Continental was paying for the building. Choices in the other termainls aren't so great, although they are somewhat better than they used to be. But when compared to the food and retail options in airports like Denver, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis, we pale in comparison.Probably my favorite airport in the US is Denver's. The terminals are well designed, attractive, and easy to navigate, there is a good selection of concessions, and they have the coolest interterminal trains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 I refuse to refer to it as "Bush Intercontinental." I still say just "Intercontinental." <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Same here... I always refer to it as just "Intercontinental Airport"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 As far as Airports go, period, big or little... Savannah has the greatest airport in the entire world, design, layout, navigation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Well, if you want to go to the littletowns... the best airport I ever had the (dis)pleasure to land in, is the International airport in Kalamazoo, MI. It's one building and easy to navigate. Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
713 To 214 Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Why don't we just change the name from Houston to Bush, TX! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 I'd shoot myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanLandscape Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 They are starting to put this man before Sam Houston in this city.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>The people and city of Houston put a lot of things before Sam Houston, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Well, if you want to go to the littletowns... the best airport I ever had the (dis)pleasure to land in, is the International airport in Kalamazoo, MI. It's one building and easy to navigate. Ricco Even better are the airports in places like Laramie and Worland, WY. They are smaller than the house I grew up in (which wasn't all that big) and are basically two or three rooms. Once on a flight that was way behind schedule into Worland we arrived well after midnight and had to wait for someone who was on his way from home to get there to unlock the airport door so we could go insisde. Got to love those essential air service cities in the west that are sometimes way under 10,000 people in population but still get scheduled airline service because they're so remote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 LOL. Truly, Sullivan. I was flying in a (what *I* considered) crop duster and my flight experience there (I have a fear of flying) and nearly went into a panic when I saw the small landing strip. I wasn't a happy camper. As far as the remote places, I looked into flying into a small town in New Mexico, with layovers and cost...it would have been cheaper AND just as fast to drive there. Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20sGirl Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 At least there are no statues of "Dubya" planned. (not yet anyway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 My favorite local tribute to the former president is the statue at IAH. It is called "Winds of Change" and it shows Bush with his jacket jauntily tossed back over his shoulder, and the jacket appears to be blown back by those winds. It's one of those things that is so bad it is good in a way. It just always cracks me up. It's behind the security area in Terminal C. "George Bush Intercontinental Airport" is about a clunky an airport name as you could come up with. If I had my druthers they would have stuck with the name originally intended: Jetero Airport.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sorry. But no thanks. "Jetero" is just a banjo-lick away from "Jethro", and quite frankly, we need to get as far away from Hillbillies as possible, in my opinion. It just isnt good for our image.But that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestGrayGuy Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Although Houston is very Bush friendly, College Station is Bush-town USA. The presidential library is a Bush monument. There is even speculation that the W library will go here but I personally think Dallas will get it.1.7 million for a plaza and statue?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt16 Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 I'm confused. Why is JFK such a great name, but Bush is not? This all sounds like sour grapes. Every city tries to link themselves with presidents from the area. This isn't unique to Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Sorry. But no thanks. "Jetero" is just a banjo-lick away from "Jethro", and quite frankly, we need to get as far away from Hillbillies as possible, in my opinion. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanLandscape Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 I'm confused. Why is JFK such a great name, but Bush is not? This all sounds like sour grapes. Every city tries to link themselves with presidents from the area. This isn't unique to Houston.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I wholeheartedly agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 I like New York International Airport - as it was first called - but it was renamed shortly after his death. We should at least wait until the person's life is over before we name something in their honor. What if Bush Sr. decided to reveal that he is, in fact, Osama bin Laden? Boy would we have egg on our face.Besides, wasn't it Lanier who changed the name just before he departed?(Also, I realize that Sam Houston was still alive when this city was founded. I wonder how the people here felt when he opposed secession.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I'm confused. Why is JFK such a great name, but Bush is not? This all sounds like sour grapes. Every city tries to link themselves with presidents from the area. This isn't unique to Houston.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I don't know, JFK kind of has a jingle to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20sGirl Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What I meant is that I'd rather have a monument to Bush the elder in Houston rather than to his son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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