28 February 2007
HPD kicks off "March on Crime"
KTRK-13 reports that Chief Harold Hurtt kicked off HPD's "March on Crime" effort today:
Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt kicked off the department's annual March on Crime initiative.
During the month of March, HPD sends patrol officers to community centers, shopping malls, neighborhoods and other areas to speak with citizens about crime prevention. HPD joined the nationwide effort 23 years ago to heighten public awareness of crime in the community and to encourage citizens to join the fight against crime.
It's a good thing Feb. 28 didn't fall on the weekend this year, because that's when Chief Hurtt marches to Arizona.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/28/07 09:18 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Chron reports record ridership for the Danger Train
The Chronicle reports that the Danger Train saw record ridership on Tuesday:
Metro set a weekday record Tuesday with 56,388 passenger boardings on MetroRail.
Many of the passengers were attending opening night of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Tuesday was the highest, single-day weekday total in MetroRail's history, surpassing last Friday's single-day weekday total of 54,193 passenger boardings, according to Metro.
Tuesday's record was exceeded only by Super Bowl XXXVIII on Sunday, Feb.1, 2004, when MetroRail saw 61,005 passenger boardings.
It will be interesting to see if February year-on-year ticket vending machine revenues for METRO rail show any sort of increase, or continue the declines. It would be nice (it might even be considered a public service!) if the area's newspaper of record printed those figures regularly, since they are an important indicator of the health of METRO's services. Oh well, at least the Chronicle has D.C. and Middle East bureaus!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/28/07 09:10 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
Will the downtown Pavilions overshadow the moats of urine?
Some local bloggers have either heavily blockquoted news copy or rewritten press copy on the big groundbreaking of the Houston pavilions, but Jennifer Ringwald (of Houston's finest cover band) has a more unique take on the big project. Here are some fun excerpts:
AND THERE'S STILL NO GROCERY STORE or market or really anywhere to get a jug of milk and a banana (I don't count the stores where you have to cross a moat of urine just to get in the door).
and
I'll check out the shops when they're done, if they are open after work hours, which most downtown places are not, and if I don't have to walk over any sleeping bodies to get inside. I doubt I'll really use any of those stores, but I am kind of excited about the bowling lanes.
Too fun! The entire post is here.
Cory Crow posts a reaction to the groundbreaking here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/28/07 08:42 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (6)
Breaking news you CAN get elsewhere (02-28-2007 edition)
The Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau checked in early this morning with copy written from TWO local TV stations!
Firefighters battled two blazes in the Houston area early this morning, according to televised reports from KTRK (Channel 13) and KHOU (Channel 11).
The first fire broke out at a paint booth at the Goodman Air Conditioning plant at 6800 Overmeyer in northwest Houston. HazMat crews were called to the plant as a precaution.
There was no serious threat to the facility and employees were allowed to return to work.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
A second blaze engulfed a warehouse at the 9000 block of Boone at Alief on the city's southwest side. Firefighters reported to the scene around 4:30 a.m., and witnesses told authorities that they heard several explosions from the area.
The inferno was extinguished, and authorities are still investigating what caused the fire and what was housed in the building. No injures were reported and the building was a total lost.
The other TV stations must feel so left out!
Strangely, the story of the two fires written from TV news reports has now been replaced with the Chronicle's own story about only one fire.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/28/07 07:33 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
27 February 2007
KHOU: HPD cracks down on handicapped parking abuse
KHOU-11's Rucks Russell reports that HPD cracked down today on people caught abusing handicapped parking placards:
“They’re trying to save a few dollars by not having to pay for parking,” HPD Sgt. Mike Lundholm said.
And it’s not just pocket change they’re saving. Officials say violators are costing the city close to $2 million a year, not to mention the hardship they cause for the people who really are disabled.
In fact, most of the drivers confronted by police checked out – the numbers on their placards matching their drivers licenses.
But police had a warning for those who choose to ignore the law.
“We’re gonna be out here, looking and watching,” Lundholm said.
Good!
Cracking down on people truly abusing the handicapped parking permits makes a lot more sense than an earlier scheme concocted by parking busybody Lilianna Rambo.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/27/07 10:45 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (20)
City of Houston Agenda 2-27-07
Events have conspired to keep me from doing a full post on the agenda for the second week in a row, but I managed the time for a brief post. Thanks to Matt Stiles of the Chronicle for his work in making the agenda backup available online to all citizens! The devil is in the details, and this is where the details are to be found.
In his weekly agenda post, he mentions that the file wasn't complete, and some items were missing from the copy he had. When access was finally opened up today, those items had been added. Since he didn't have a chance to cover them, and I'm short on time, I'm just going to cover those three this week.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 02/27/07 08:37 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Former talk radio host sentenced to jail
KPRC-2 reports that former local talk radio host Jon Matthews was sentenced to jail today:
A former Houston radio talk show host will spend three years in prison after he violated his probation for an indecency with a child conviction, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Jon Matthews pleaded guilty in August 2004 to indecency with a child by exposure after he exposed himself to a neighbor's 11-year-old daughter. He received a seven-year probated sentence.The Fort Bend County district attorney's office said Matthews violated his probation in several ways -- excessive drinking, not completing a counseling program, using the Internet in a manner inconsistent with conditions of his probation and getting within 1,000 feet of a school.
Matthews did not dispute the claims in court.
The man obviously needs help, and here's hoping he finds it. But at a minimum, he needed to be off the streets.
RELATED COVERAGE: Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/27/07 12:39 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (2)
26 February 2007
METRO still hopes to collect from Siemens for stray current expenses
The Chronicle's Rad Sallee today reports METRO's response to a letter from Siemens (noted in this post from last week) rejecting METRO's insistence that the contractor reimburse METRO work related to the ongoing stray-current problem:
Despite receiving a refusal letter, Metro says it still intends to collect from the prime contractor on its MetroRail Red Line for the cost of efforts to prevent electrical current from leaking into the ground from the tracks.
In August, the Metropolitan Transit Authority billed Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. $917,400 for monitoring by Metro staff, pay to consultants and various tests related to the stray current problem from May 2005 to June 2006.
[snip]
As for who pays, Siemens spokeswoman Xanthi Pinkerton said, "Basically we are still in negotiations with Metro," and Metro spokeswoman Raequel Roberts said the talks "aren't even close to being final."
"To say they are not paying based on one letter is like calling a baseball game in the middle of the fifth inning," Roberts said.
Perhaps, but that letter from Siemens suggests that METRO is about as likely to receive full payment of $900,000 from the "bill" it sent Siemens as Wayne Graham's Rice Owls giving up a nine-run lead in the ninth inning to Sam Houston State! It's probably not going to happen (but if it does, we'll admit we were wrong).
Still, it's nice that the transit organization's PR pro could respond so rapidly to press/blog questions about that letter. It would be great if they could respond to public information requests so enthusiastically!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/26/07 10:24 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
Someone set up Councilmember Johnson a Google Calendar reminder
Apparently, Councilmember Jarvis Johnson likes to use Chronicle reporter Matt Stiles as his own reminder service.
As the reporter notes on the Newswatch: City Hall blog, he's twice reported that Johnson has been late filing his campaign spending reports (doing so only after inquiries from the Chronicle). The councilmember has also declined to discuss the matter with reporters.
As Stiles notes, it's even stranger behavior since Councilmember Johnson has spent a trivial amount of money compared to his colleagues. But it's apparently something Johnson doesn't want to discuss.
Oh well -- at least Stiles serves up the councilmember regular reminders of the legal requirement to file the campaign finance reports.
UPDATE (02-27-2007): Matt Stiles' report appears in the Chronicle today.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/26/07 09:19 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Breaking news you CAN get elsewhere (02-26-2007 edition)
The Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau checks in with this rewrite of a report from KTRK-13 this morning:
A man was stabbed after getting into a fight with another man overnight in east Houston, according to a report by KTRK (Channel 13).
Authorities gave a reporter this account: Police say the two men began arguing nightclub on Maxey near Fleming when one of them pulled out a knife and stabbed the other in the stomach.
The victim was rushed to the hospital in serious condition.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/26/07 07:51 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
25 February 2007
Short yellow light times stop Lubbock's red light cameras
The Newspaper.com points to a news story about Lubbock postponing installation of red light cameras after a local news outlet discovered yellow light times at intersections scheduled to receive cameras were a tad on the short side.
Back when cameras were up for debate (I use that term loosely) in Houston, concern about yellow light times was brought up by a couple of city councilmembers. Mayor White made soothing noises about looking into the issue, but then said he wasn't too eager to lengthen yellow light times because it would reduce mobility.
Perhaps one of our fine local TV news investigative teams could check out yellow light times at Houston intersections with red light cameras.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/25/07 04:44 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Houston's water meters continue to malfunction
The ongoing saga of the city's unreliable water meters continues as KHOU-11 reported last week:
“When you open up the bill and it’s nearly $3,000, it’s quite a shock,” Dwight Cook said.
Cook’s January bill was, in fact, $3,000. The month before it was $34.
Naturally, he called the city. They said he had been underpaying since 2005, and this was his backpayment.
“They essentially told me they had not taken a meter reading in the past two and a half years,” Cook said.
The city had been averaging his bills.
[snip]
In fact, 11 News learned this is all part of a much bigger problem – public works tells us it has impacted nearly one in every four water meters.
In 1999, the city began adding radio encoders to all meters so they could be read remotely and quickly. They should last eight years, but starting failing after just two years.
The city contracted Itron, the vendor, which replaced 20-25,000 of the encoders at no charge.
And since so many transmitter are failing so early, the city had to call back its old meter readers.
The story goes on to note that many of the city's water meters need to be replaced but that will take another 18 months. Of course, since that's a government estimate, we know it's probably wildly optimistic, just like the entire automated water meter system has turned out to be.
Here's an excerpt of Ubu Roi's fine post from January where he took an in-depth look at how bad the malfunctioning water meter problem really is:
It doesn't help that the transmitters' failure rate is often "enhanced" accidentally or otherwise, by severed wires, metal objects on top of the meter box, or being run over by vehicles. Of course, this isn't a problem for the city, as it authorizes itself to estimate the meter readings indefinitely--without telling the customer.
As they say, read the whole thing, if you haven't already.
(Ubu notes: I've added more information below the fold, for those who want to dig a bit deeper, but I warn you, there's math involved!)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/25/07 03:33 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
24 February 2007
Who's been misleading whom?
Last week Rep. John Culberson held a town hall-type meeting on Metro's proposed Richmond Rail line. Also in attendance was the pro-rail group RichmondRail.org (headed by an architect with a firm that hopes to capitalize on light rail development), and by the Chronicle's account, things got wild:
RichmondRail.org, a group of civic associations, neighborhood groups and business owners, which supports light rail on Richmond, met in the same auditorium just prior to Culberson's meeting.
Culberson repeatedly had to ask the crowd to settle down and speak politely.
"One at a time!" Culberson cautioned. "I am not going to recognize anyone who does not speak politely."
Culberson was red-faced when the crowd gave a standing ovation to Robin Holzer, chairwoman of the Citizens' Transportation Coalition, who told Culberson that he was "misleading" the audience.
"I feel pandered to, I feel marketed to, I feel misled," Holzer said. "You never told us you oppose rail. And, I'm a bit suspicious about hearing you say local government makes the best decisions, then you come here and tell them how to do it."
Culberson responded, "I'm sorry you don't recognize reality."
Ahhh, Robin Holzer.
How can she possibly say that Rep. Culberson has misled or pandered to anyone? Hasn't he been consistently skeptical of light rail? And, if I recall correctly, he "supported" Mayor White's new and improved Metro Solutions only IF Metro could convince the feds of the project's worthiness. He was not involved with Metro's redesigned Solutions plan, and only promised to make sure that "Metro competes with other cities on a level playing field," when it came to federal funding. But, he added, "In the end, it is entirely up to Metro to prove to the FTA that this new transit plan meets federal guidelines that require sufficient ridership to justify the costs of design, construction and operation of these transit lines."
The misleading and pandering are wholly on the part of Metro, as it put Westpark on the ballot, then decided Richmond was the preferred route; and as it promised the minority and poorer parts of town that they would see a 50% increase in bus service, along with new light rail lines, then slashed bus routes more than 20% and changed some light rail lines to bus rapid transit.
And Rep. Culberson is a locally-elected congressman representing his district on a federal funding issue. It makes a nice soundbite for Holzer to complain about Rep. Culberson getting involved, but this is an instance where he should be involved!
Metro has not completed environmental studies for the line nor finalized its route, but it says that one along Richmond, Cummins and Westpark would attract the most riders at the least cost and be most likely to win federal funding approval.
Culberson says he prefers a route along Montrose, the Southwest Freeway and Westpark, which Metro says would cost more and attract fewer riders.
Again, why did Metro put Westpark on the ballot? Probably because officials knew Richmond would be voted down, as it had before. The reality is that Metro still has the deal with the fact that it created the 2003 ballot's language, and it now wants to pretend the ballot said something different.
It's hard to top what Kevin Whited wrote last year on this topic:
In the end, it remains unclear why the preferences of Christof Spieler, Robin Holzer, architects who hope to benefit from Richmond rail development, Galleria/Greenway realtors, and bloggers from the Heights should trump the preferences of 2003 voters and Richmond homeowners and businessowners who oppose METRO's Westpark/Richmond bait and switch.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/24/07 06:17 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (19)
Pappas Restaurants needs to pay for immune globulin shots
KTRH-740 reports that Harris County is footing the bill to provide immune globulin shots for customers who may have been exposed to Hepatitis A at the Pappasitos restaurant on North I-45:
Right now, Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services says the cost of giving out immune globulin shots is at least $88,500.
The county says Pappas Restaurants has made no offer to help pay the costs.
A Pappas employee at the Interstate 45 and Airtex location who tested positive for Hep A may have exposed as many as 4,000 people.
Pappa's has not returned calls for comment.
A visit to the Pappas website reveals the company's philosophy:
The Pappas philosophy hasn’t changed much over the years.
Throughout Texas and as we expand to other markets, our restaurants are known for outstanding food, service and atmosphere where people go to be treated like guests, to be entertained, and to enjoy great food with the Pappas trademark of quality.
And when an employee exposes patrons to a disease, let taxpayers clean up the mess. Or something like that.
Pappas officials ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/24/07 01:58 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (10)
Pavilions groundbreaking scheduled
The downtown Pavilions project will finally break ground next week, and with the announcement comes news that the development will no longer include condominiums (via the Houston Business Journal):
Two new anchor tenants for the Houston Pavilions will be announced on Feb. 27, the day the project officially breaks ground.
The mixed-use project from developers William Denton and Geoffrey Jones will finally begin construction almost a year behind schedule.
The development also has changed in scope from the original vision, with 140 planned condominiums no longer part of the mix, a change that reduced the total value of Houston Pavilions to $170 million from $200 million.
You'll recall that the developers lobbied hard for some financial help from the city and county, at least $14 million worth of help.
Which reminds me: Have we heard anything recently about Metro's big mixed-use transit center development?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/24/07 01:28 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Hug-a-Bear drive helps children in crisis situations
This is the sixth year local Christian radio station KSBJ-89.3 has collected stuffed animals for a very worthwhile cause. The Hug-a-Bear drive provides cuddly stuffed animals for HPD officers to give to children faced with a frightening situation, whether it be a car accident, domestic violence, whatever.
Several HPD officers have been on-air to explain how invaluable a stuffed animal can be to comfort a child. It's a small gesture, but one that can make a big difference in a child's life in a moment of crisis.
Donations of huggable stuffed animals can be made at any Greater Houston-area YMCA through March 3rd.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/24/07 11:44 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Is Chron's DC bureau the "most useless" one ever?
Last night Kevin alluded to yesterday's lame Julie Mason column about how the Washington DC press corps doesn't care for White House spokesman Tony Snow -- a topic of dubious news-value.
The lameness started right off the bat:
White House spokesman Tony Snow made a startling claim earlier this month, one that shed some light on changing perceptions about the job he's doing.
During a briefing, Snow responded to a question about climate change by noting that, "We're talking about nuclear development, which is now championed by, among others, Greenpeace."
Beg your pardon?
"I think there's some Greenpeace people who are certainly advocates of nuclear power," Snow said.
As whoppers go, that was a good one. Certainly, it was news to Greenpeace.
"Golly, you know, I can't believe the White House would get that wrong," said Jim Riccio, Greenpeace nuclear policy analyst. "Greenpeace was founded as an anti-nuclear organization, and we have been fighting nuclear weapons and their evil offspring, nuclear power, ever since."
White House reporters don't expect much from Snow, which goes part of the way toward explaining why his claim about Greenpeace went largely unremarked.
Perhaps it went largely unremarked because many folks knew immediately what Snow was referencing, albeit rather inarticulately if Mason's quote is accurate -- the pro-nuclear energy stance of Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore who is no longer a member of the activist group:
In the early 1970s when I helped found Greenpeace, I believed that nuclear energy was synonymous with nuclear holocaust, as did most of my compatriots. That's the conviction that inspired Greenpeace's first voyage up the spectacular rocky northwest coast to protest the testing of U.S. hydrogen bombs in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Thirty years on, my views have changed, and the rest of the environmental movement needs to update its views, too, because nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change.
It seemed incredibly strange that an inside-the-beltway journalist like Mason was clueless about what Snow meant, but a quick jog over to Mason's Chron.com blog shows that apparently she wasn't so clueless after all:
The White House column in the paper today looked at changing attitudes -- mostly among the press corps -- about Tony Snow. People ask all the time, "What do you guys think of him?" The column was a status report.
The piece described a recent claim by Snow that Greenpeace supports nuclear power. It was a sloppy mistake on Snow's part -- he was probably thinking of Patrick Moore, a former Greenpeace leader who left in 1986 and now works for the nuclear power industry, among others.
Aha. So in her blog she gets it, but in her column she plays completely dumb. Why?
Then at the end of her blog post she wants us to know that reporters don't write headlines, which means she must have gotten some grief for her column's headline, "Is White House spokesman the 'most useless' one ever?" She may not have written the headline, but her column provided the fodder for it:
At a forum this week at the National Press Club featuring Snow and a group of White House correspondents, a New York Times reporter half-jokingly called Snow "the most useless press secretary ever."
We've long made our own case that the Chron's DC bureau is the "most useless" DC bureau ever. We haven't changed our minds.
RELATED BLOGVERSATION: For Whom The Bell Tolls? It Tolls For Thee, Washington Bureau Chiefs. (Hugh Hewitt)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/24/07 11:26 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
23 February 2007
Chronicle's Mack reviews Council candidates
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack runs down the candidates for the May 12 special election to fill the seat once held by Doctor-Councilwoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs.
Clearly, Melissa Noriega is the favorite, as she enjoys the support of the Democratic establishment.
Former HPD officer Tom Nixon could possibly add some spice to the mix.
Ivan Mayers is of interest only because of his description of himself as a "Nelson Rockefeller progressive."
Too bad there is no candidate who describes himself as a Teddy Roosevelt big-game-shootin' populist. THAT might be enough to attract some interest!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/07 11:03 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
Mayor trumpets SAFEclear program
The Chronicle's Matt Stiles reports that Mayor White is trumpeting his SAFEclear program:
Crashes on Houston freeways have declined almost 20 percent since 2004, according to newly released statistics — an improvement Mayor Bill White attributes to his Safe Clear mandatory towing program.
The figures, released under the Texas Public Information Act, show there were 2,500 fewer crashes on 13 freeway segments in Houston from 2004 to 2006.
White said Thursday that the $3 million towing program, launched in January 2005, has reduced crashes by quickly removing disabled vehicles that can lead to secondary wrecks. He said the figures vindicate the program, which has drawn political heat in the past and is still being attacked in federal court.
It's hard to disagree with the premise that getting stalled cars off of congested freeways would help congestion and reduce accidents. However, people did legitimately criticize Bicyclist Bob Stein's notion that the program should be paid for in part by tow companies confiscating and selling the cars of poor people, the draconian aspects of the program, and the deficiencies of the screening process for SAFEclear drivers.
While it's good that accidents are down, it's not unreasonable for councilmembers, citizens, and even journalists to be interested in both the cost and the performance of wrecker drivers (in terms of response times) involved in the SAFEclear program. It may indeed be money well spent, as the Mayor insists, but it's okay for people to decide for themselves.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: NewsWatch: City Hall.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/07 10:08 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
Shutter the D.C. bureau (cont'd)
The Chronicle posted an unusual story from D.C. columnist Cragg Hines earlier in the week.
Interestingly, Matt Bramanti discovered that Washington Post Moscow reporter Peter Finn wrote a lengthy story on that very topic just a few days earlier. Indeed, a careful read of both stories suggests that Hines took a fair amount of inspiration from Finn's well-crafted story, without acknowledging it.
It's not really plagiarism -- unlike his colleague Rick Casey who once did plagiarize from the Washington Post, Hines didn't actually lift whole phrases. However, it is a lazy effort that never should have made it past a good editor or bureau chief.
If the Chronicle D.C. bureau can't do better than that -- or this score-settling attack piece on Tony Snow -- the newspaper really needs to consider shuttering the operation and redeploying the resources locally.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/07 09:42 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (13)
Chron reader rep: STAR section "storytelling" not journalism
Some days, we can feel the pain of Chronicle reader representative James Campbell. It's particularly acute when the reader representative seemingly discovers that grownups are in short supply at his newspaper, like today:
For two weeks running, I riffed about Anna Nicole Smith in my Sunday About Chron column politely urging our editors and staff to resist the urge to overplay stories about this famous, but unimportant-in-the-big scheme miscreant.
[snip]
Apparently, no one heeded the RR's words because we invited incredulity with today's story about ANS. Not only was it old news and tawdry, it had no news value. Moreover, Smith's lesbian lover Sandi Powledge divulged the details of their love affair in a December 1999 story published in the Houston Press. It also appeared in other New Times publications.
A simple Google search easily would have unearthed the seven-year-old story, but apparently we did not bother to run Powledge's name through Google or Nexis/Lexis before deciding to devote almost an entire Star section page to old gossip.
So, let's do the accounting: Essentially, we overplayed an old story that is based on the word of one woman -- a self-admitted recovering drug addict who is homeless and jobless. On top of that, we did not credit the Press for breaking the "news" seven years ago.
Publishing this story today, created a new low for sloppy and embarrassing storytelling in our paper. (I purposely did not call it journalism because there is nothing in the story deserving of that characterization.)
That's the Chronicle's STAR section in action.
Interestingly, the reader representative had pledged just over a month ago that he was taking a break from the STAR section:
I'm also declaring a six-month moratorium on commenting about anything in the STAR section or its related associates, like the TMi page.
We had a feeling that was going to be a tough promise to keep for the reader representative.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/07 09:17 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
A new, but different, Chron eye!
We've frequently pointed out the Chron Eye for the Death Row Killer Guy, the anti-death-penalty Houston Chronicle's ongoing effort to focus sympathy on criminals who have been sentenced to die in the state of Texas.
Today, Matt Bramanti found and forwarded us an unusual variant on the theme: The Chron Eye for the Anti-War Army Deserter Guy!
Several of the familiar Chron Eye rhetorical devices are present. There's the effort to portray the "victim" as a good guy:
Wilkerson hoped to avoid a prison term after fellow soldiers testified he had an outstanding service record during a yearlong stint as a military policeman in Iraq in 2004.
[snip]
"I think he's brave," said Iraq Veterans Against the War Executive Director Kelly Dougherty. "Everyone has to make their own decision, of course."
And there's the obligatory reference to a troubled childhood:
Wilkerson traced his woes to childhood, when, he said, he witnessed his stepfather killing his mother's male companion and attempting to kill his mother.
When the stepfather committed suicide about two years later, Wilkerson said he internalized the trauma, which thrust him into the role of peacemaker in his troubled family. Later he said he grew interested in the anti-violence movement after the massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.
There's no reference to the HPD Crime Lab for obvious reasons, but otherwise the story follows the Chron Eye formula pretty faithfully.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/07 11:30 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Breaking news you CAN get elsewhere (02-23-2007 edition)
The Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau has been busy (badly) rewriting the television news this morning, after a relatively quiet couple of days.
First, there's this:
Four teens were arrested after assaulting several people overnight, according to reports this morning from KTRK (Channel 13) and KHOU (Channel 11).
Authorities gave reporters this account: Five men were attacked by the group in southwest Houston over the course of an hour. One victim was assaulted with a baseball bat while the other was stabbed.
Police caught the teens after a foot chase around Hillcroft. One teen was found with keys from a stolen vehicle. They were also identified by eyewitnesses.
And this:
A Fort Bend medical facility was forced to decontaminate an emergency center after a poison scare Thursday night, according to KTRK (Channel 13).
Authorities gave a reporter this account: Police responded to a to a home in the Pecan Grove subdivision after a man apparently tried to commit suicide. The man was rushed to the Oak Bend Medical Center.
That's where authorities learned the man had tried to use potassium cyanide to kill himself.
The emergency center was shutdown [sic] and the man's family was called to the center to be decontaminated.
KTRK must LOVE that they are the unofficial "partner" of the Chron.com Froot Loop bureau!
UPDATE: The stories have mysteriously been "updated" with actual reporting by Kevin Moran.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/07 07:58 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (5)
22 February 2007
Siemens: Stray current costs aren't our problem
Local METRO watchdog Tom Bazan's latest public information requests of the transit agency have yielded some interesting information regarding the ongoing stray-current problem.
Recall that back in November, KTRH-740 and KHOU-11 reported that nearly $1 million had been spent trying to solve the problem. A Chronicle story in December also covered the issue. All three stories gave the impression that METRO fully expects the contractor (Siemens) to reimburse it for these costs.
A letter from Siemens to METRO dated 21 November 2006 suggests that the contractor isn't nearly as amenable to reimbursing the agency for stray current costs as METRO may have suggested to local media. Here is an excerpt from the document forwarded by Bazan:
In response to METRO letter MSG-10708 dated 8/17/06, STS provides the following:
It is Siemens position that the costs delineated by METRO that may be related to stray current investigations, i.e., testing, repairs, management and any other costs that may have been incurred by METRO during the stray current investigations are considered consequential in nature. Consequential damages are expressely excluded from the Siemens/Metro Contract as stated in Article 87 .... "The contractor shall, to the extent permissible by law, be exempt from incurring consequential damages from METRO when such consequential damages relate to the performance of this contract."
In conclusion, STS is not liable for Metro's claim related to the costs incurred by METRO which may be related to stray current efforts."
It doesn't really sound as though Siemens is very receptive to METRO's suggestions that it pay back the transit organization for the growing costs of a stray-current problem that neither the contractor nor METRO seems able to fix.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/22/07 10:49 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
Did Mayor White really rule out Gus Wortham redevelopment?
The Chronicle's Mike Snyder reports that Mayor White seemingly has backed away from plans to redevelop the Gus Wortham golf complex into a playpen for the Houston Dynamo:
Mayor Bill White on Tuesday all but ruled out use of the Gus Wortham Golf Course on Houston's East End as the site for a new soccer complex.
"I'm not going to support something over the strong objection of the council member from that district, period," White said after Councilwoman Carol Alvarado, who represents the East End, said the golf course is not the right place for the soccer facility.
[snip]
Asked by Alvarado whether the Wortham golf course was "off the table" as a site for the soccer fields, White repeated his earlier statement that he would not support it over strong opposition from the community and the district council member.
Mayor White is usually more determined than this to have his way. Don't be surprised if he finds some way to bring Councilmember Alvarado on board with his plans.
RELATED COVERAGE: KTRK-13.
BLOGVERSATION: Newswatch: City Hall.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/22/07 10:19 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Eckels: Where did the love go?
Most politicians want to be loved. It's the nature of their craft.
And politicians who have mostly been loved while in office really get used to it.
Sometimes they don't take criticism very well.
Today, we're treated to an example of that, as the Chronicle's Bill Murphy reports that Judge Robert Eckels -- who has been criticized on blogs (including this one) and in the MSM for his bad timing in stepping aside from an elected term that he just won, which will result in a replacement being appointed for nearly two years -- is trying to rehabilitate his image and recapture the love:
Resigning County Judge Robert Eckels said Wednesday that he weighed not seeking re-election last year but worried that lame-duck status would hamper his efforts to help the area recover from the 2005 hurricane crises.
The hurricane emergency convinced him he should run, Eckels said in a meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board.
The judge, who is taking a job with the Fulbright & Jaworski law firm, has drawn criticism from stepping down so soon after being elected to a fourth term in November.
The area has recovered. And seriously -- lame-duck status? Leaders lead, whether they are lame ducks or not. (See Giuliani, Rudy, re: 11 September 2001).
This seems like obvious political spin concocted by Eckels and handlers to deflect what is legitimate criticism of the timing of his decision to leave public office to become a member of the lucrative pull-peddling industry. Eckels would probably be better served if he simply stopped digging what is becoming a deeper hole, but politicians who have been loved sometimes don't understand that.
The story goes on to make the following points:
Under federal ethics law, high-ranking administrators in federal government, members of Congress and their top staff are banned from lobbying their former departments or agencies for one year after leaving government.
The county has no similar revolving-door policy.
It may be time to consider one.
The county paid Fulbright $255,000 last year for work on bond transactions. Eckels said he wasn't hired to increase that business.
He declined to pledge that he would not be involved in Fulbright's county business in the next year, though he has no plans to do so.
Check that earlier uncertainty -- it definitely is time to consider a revolving-door policy.
BLOGVERSATION: Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/22/07 07:49 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (7)
21 February 2007
Chron.com launches Cancer Diva blog
Today, Chron.com launched a slightly different kind of blog from its usual fare: Cancer Diva.
It's written by a Chronicle staffer, Terry Hayes, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Hayes seems determined to spend what time she has left joyfully -- and to write about it. Here's a blurb from her first post:
On the medical end, I've had... two major surgeries; countless CT scans, ultrasounds and blood tests; two colonoscopies and an EGD; installation of a "port" for chemo infusion; three MRIs, a bone marrow extraction, and a PET scan; malignant ascites (my personal favorite!); shingles on my neck and shoulders; bright red rashes on my face; hair thinning at an alarming rate; oily, zit splattered skin (like being a teen again!); and skin so dry and tight that I couldn't turn my neck; and more!
But even through all the badness (and the weirdness), LOTS of awesome stuff has happened, too.
I traveled to New York City, San Francisco, London and Paris. I bought a tiny dream car. I threw a Halloween/Dia de los Muertos party. Most importantly, I realized I have a remarkable family, friends who would do anything for me, and co-workers with hearts of gold.
There's a lot to like about this lady's outlook (and a lot not to like about her terminal illness). I've added Cancer Diva to my feedreader. Maybe some readers here will find it compelling also.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/21/07 04:32 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (2)
Pesky walls and roofs may perpetuate "the digital divide"
On the Chron.com City Hall blog today, Alexis Grants links to a New York Times story that discusses one of the big problems with the type of citywide wifi network that Mayor White hopes will be built by Earthlink:
The impulse behind these projects is noble. It’s a shame, however, that lots of street lamps and lots of dollars — a typical deployment in an urban setting will run $75,000 to $125,000 a square mile, just to install the equipment — do not really solve the last-mile problem.
If you’re sitting with your laptop at an outside cafe, you’ll be happy with the service. But if you happen to be at home, you realize that service to the doorstep is not enough: you still need to buy equipment to bolster the signal and solve the “last mile plus 10 more yards” problem — that is, getting coverage indoors.
Wi-Fi signals do not bend, and you usually can’t get much of a useful bounce from them, either. Because Wi-Fi uses unlicensed bands of the radio spectrum, by law it must rely on low-power transmitters, which reduce its ability to penetrate walls. Travel-round-the-world shortwave, this ain’t.
Trying to cover a broad area with Wi-Fi radio transmitters set atop street lights brings to mind a fad of the 1880s: attempts to light an entire town with a handful of arc lights on high towers. But overeager city boosters around the country soon discovered that shadows obscured large portions of their cities, and the lighting was not as useful as had been expected. Municipal Wi-Fi on streetlamps, another experiment with top-down delivery, may run a similarly short-lived — and needlessly expensive — course.
Unfortunately, the story is behind the Times Select firewall, but here is a reprint from another newspaper.
The Chronicle's own Dwight Silverman experienced the problem when he tried to use the municipal wifi network in Corpus Christi. The signal didn't penetrate his parents' home, and he had to stand outside to connect.
Grant's story in the Chronicle today indicates that Earthlink is downplaying the problem:
A wireless modem or a device called a repeater, which enhances the indoor signal, usually will solve the problem at a cost of about $100.
About one-third of users need one of these to prevent spotty service, Berryman said, so EarthLink provides one free to subscribers who sign a one-year contract. The modem EarthLink provides now can be used only for one computer, but the device the company expects to distribute to Houston users will repeat the signal for several computers.
Ultimately, that's a clumsy, unsatisfying workaround that adds expense to the provider and inconvenience to the end user. Requiring a one-year service commitment for the needed repeater also makes the terms of service much like those for the cheapest tiers of DSL service (if slightly more expensive). The one-year commitment may also hinder efforts to "bridge the digital divide." But maybe the city can lean on Earthlink to provide the repeaters free of charge to poor people.
Thank goodness the city is contracting out with a third party to handle this effort, since it is Earthlink's capital at risk if the boondoggle fails miserably because most people who would pay for broadband (customers!) actually don't want to stand outside holding their laptops. But who knows -- by 2009 (when the buildout is scheduled to be complete), maybe better technology will make the notion of ubiquitous municipal broadband a little less farfetched.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/21/07 12:12 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
20 February 2007
Air continues to go out of Ruben Cantu story
The Chronicle's hopes of winning that elusive first Pulitzer via the Victor Cantu story continue to dwindle.
Here's the latest from Lise Olsen (and Maro Robbins) on what was once thought to be the Pulitzer beat:
Once the star witness in a capital murder case, Juan Moreno is convinced that his testimony sent the wrong man to the execution chamber, but he's having trouble convincing others.
Memory lapses and apparent contradictions emerged as Moreno, a San Antonio construction worker, told Bexar County prosecutors this month that he buckled to police pressure and falsely accused a San Antonio teenager named Ruben Cantu of murder in 1985.
The Feb. 8 interview is among the final tasks in the district attorney's yearlong examination of claims that Cantu was wrongly executed in 1993 for the robbery murder of Moreno's friend, Pedro Gomez. More than four hours of questioning left prosecutors more skeptical than ever.
When asked later by reporters if he still believed Cantu was innocent, Moreno hesitated at first. A few minutes later, he insisted: "I've always known he was innocent."
Moreno had not spoken publicly since November 2005 because he had been threatened with prosecution for potentially perjuring himself at Cantu's original trial.
Moreno's own lawyer doubted the eyewitness account would be enough to conclusively establish Cantu's case as the nation's first undisputed example of an innocent man's execution. Later, Cliff Herberg, a supervisor in the district attorney's office, said it appears Moreno doesn't remember much of what happened.
"At this point, he is just spouting back the misinformation (and) lies that have been fed to him by the anti-death-penalty people," Herberg said.
Credit goes to the Chronicle for reporting the facts in this latest story, even though they cast further doubts on Moreno's reliability as a witness (and the Chronicle's efforts to win a Pulitzer by "proving" an innocent man was executed in Texas). While it is possible mistakes were made in this case, activists are going to have to produce more substantive evidence than they have so far in the Cantu affair.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/20/07 11:26 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Eckels to announce his contribution to cynicism about politics
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack reports that Harris County Judge Robert Eckels has found his lucrative landing spot:
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels plans to put his decades-long experience in public service to work as a lobbyist with the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski, he told the Chronicle on Monday.
Eckels will publicly announce his plans after this morning's Commissioners Court meeting, which may be among his last.
"This is a new stage for me to play on. It's an international firm, and it has a broad range of expertise," Eckels said, citing the firm's energy and public finance practice. "I could have jumped last year if I was ready to go. But I wasn't. Now, mentally, I'm ready, and operationally, the county is ready."
We have already addressed Eckels' poor timing, so a link will suffice.
Most reporting has described Eckels' upcoming move to the "private" sector. We would suggest it's more of a lateral move within the political pull-peddling industry than a true move to a private sector that builds and sells things and contributes to the economy, but that's just one view.
In any case, Eckels -- whom we always thought of as a pol of some integrity -- will officially announce his personal contribution to cynicism about American politics and pols following this morning's meeting of Commissioner's Court.
BLOGVERSATION: Off the Kuff, HouStoned.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/20/07 07:47 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (13)
19 February 2007
METRO's transparency in action
Last week you'll recall METRO CEO Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson stated that the government agency operates "in a completely transparent manner."
So, let's check in on that transparency. Rad Sallee writes this in today's Chronicle, regarding Northside property owners who fear METRO is ready to gobble up their property:
Metro Vice President George Smalley declined to release an up-to-date list of properties targeted for acquisition, noting that certain information about pending real estate purchases is exempt from Texas open records law.
The Chronicle has filed an open records request for the information.
Yep, completely transparent.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/19/07 07:13 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
Breaking news you CAN get elsewhere (02-19-2007 edition)
The Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau apparently takes weekends off, but not federal holidays (like Presidents' Day):
Multiple fires kept firefighters extremely busy overnight all over the Houston area, according to KHOU (Channel 11) and KTRK (Channel 13)....
That's some gig, watching the TV news with breakfast down at 801 Texas Avenue and then writing it up!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/19/07 01:24 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
18 February 2007
Pappasito's employee tests positive for Hepatitis A
If you recently ate at the Pappasito's on 15280 I-45 North, then you may want to pay close attention to this bit of news from KPRC-2:
Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES) has been notified that a member of the wait staff at Pappasito's Cantina has tested positive for Hepatitis A.
The employee was reported to have worked at the restaurant while he was infectious.
Any one working or eating at the restaurant between Jan. 23-27; Jan. 30-31; Feb. 1, 3 and 7-8; may have been exposed to the liver disease.
[snip]
HCPHES said they highly recommended that anyone who worked or ate at Pappasito's Cantina, located at 15280 I-45 North, receive an immune globulin (IG) shot which will help prevent developing disease.
RELATED COVERAGE: KTRK-13.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/18/07 08:49 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (13)
Chron runs a very smart quote
Thanks to the Chronicle's Kristen Mack for a nod to our own Kevin Whited:
County Judge Robert Eckels, drawing some heat for his decision to leave office just months after voters gave him a fourth term, offered no apologies Friday, and he noted that he had to file for re-election more than a year ago.
New opportunities since then, and introspection as he approached age 50, convinced him — as he said in announcing his departure Thursday — that "the time is now."
Generally conservative Web site BlogHouston.net's response to that quote was typical of critical sentiment. "Actually, no. The time would have been right before the last election, so voters could have picked your replacement," wrote BlogHouston's Kevin Whited. "Thanks for your years of service and solid conservative governance, but jeers for the way you decided to quit."
Kevin does have a knack for putting a nice finishing touch on an issue, something I appreciate as a reader.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/18/07 01:01 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Congratulations to the Kuffner family
This is belated, but heartfelt nonetheless: Congratulations to Charles Kuffner and his wife Tiffany on the newest little Kuffner -- beautiful Audrey.
The picture of adorable Olivia holding her baby sister is just precious!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/18/07 11:22 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
17 February 2007
Quality Hill homes set to anchor regional tourism center
Two historic homes in downtown Houston would become the center of a new regional tourism center if all goes according to plan:
A multimillion-dollar initiative is under way in downtown Houston that will convert two historic houses into what will become a regional heritage tourism center, Mayor Bill White announced today.
Subject to approval by Houston City Council, the city and the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (GHPA) will enter into an agreement that will lead to the renovation of the historic William L. Foley House, built in 1904, and the Arthur B. Cohn House, built in 1905. Together, the two side-by-side structures, which front Avenida de las Americas between the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park, will form the nucleus of a tourism center that will serve the 18 counties of the Upper Texas Gulf Coast.
[snip]
Plans call for a lease agreement in which the GHPA would raise funds from the private sector to renovate the two houses and the rest of the property. The GHPA will also maintain permanent offices in one of the two structures, which are the last remaining homes of the once-fashionable Quality Hill neighborhood.
The City's Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department will partner with the GHPA in the design and construction of the property and then will ultimately be responsible for operating the regional tourism center.
Is one of those old houses currently decorated with numerous umbrellas? If so, will the umbrellas have to go?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/17/07 10:48 AM | Houston Arts/Culture | Technorati | Comments (4)
County judge successor already chosen?
Along with other local news outlets, KUHF-88.7 is reporting that the person who will replace Harris County Judge Robert Eckels may be former state Rep. Ed Emmett:
[I]t seems the decision for a successor may already be made. At least three members of the court appear to favor local consultant Ed Emmett, including Commissioner Steve Radack.
"He's very talented, very intelligent from Rice University, graduate of Rice University. A number of people have talked to me about him and I've yet to hear one negative word about Ed and I think he'll be a -- you know if Robert does go and Ed gets the vote of the Commissioners' Court -- I think he'll be an excellent county judge."
[snip]
University of Houston Political Science Professor Dick Murray says Ed Emmett has support from both political parties.
"To the average voter he's an unknown person, but he served with Robert Eckels and with El Franco Lee in the legislature so he's known to two of the five votes on the court pretty well and apparently is a well-liked person. And it looks like he may be an acceptable compromise to the members of the court that have to make the replacement."
This appears to be a bio of Emmett.
Back room deals that choose "elected" officials really stink.
BLOGVERSATION: Off the Kuff
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/17/07 08:25 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (13)
Press release journalism
The Chron's Lori Rodriguez decided to help out a newly formed local activist group by publicizing an upcoming protest event the group is trying to put together:
A coalition of community leaders, grass-roots groups and elected officials will march through downtown Houston on March 24 to protest Bush administration policies they say hurt the working poor.
The newly formed Coalition for Working Class Americans wants residents of all backgrounds to join them in the demonstration that will culminate with a City Hall rally aimed at showing concern for economically squeezed Americans.
"We have assembled to express our gross dissatisfaction with the country's growing insensitivity to the enormous burden that our nation's economic policies continues to place on those who can least afford it," said Bishop James Dixon II of Community of Faith Church on Pinemont, where the coalition announced its plans.
The march will take place against a backdrop of heated, partisan debate about the president's proposed budget, which contains cuts to social services including Head Start and workfare programs.
A proposed increase in minimum wage also is generating a political tug-of-war.
Organizers hope to draw as many as 1,000 marchers.
Among participants in the coalition are the Harris County AFL-CIO, the Houston Area Urban League and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Apparently that qualifies as a news story. One that required using local news-gathering resources.
Do you think if a right-of-center group sent a press release to the Chron announcing an upcoming protest, the same resources would be devoted to covering the announcement at all, let alone so uncritically? Of course, the answer is no.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/17/07 08:06 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
16 February 2007
Gus Wortham Park soccer development is for the children!
This week, the Chronicle's soccer columnist unsurprisingly came out strongly in favor of a plan being "quietly" discussed among city officials to turn the Gus Wortham Park golf course into a soccer playpen that would benefit the Houston Dynamo:
It is encouraging to see that city officials have been exploring the possibility of changing the Gus Wortham Park golf course in the east end into a youth facility that focuses on soccer. The field could positively affect local youth who live close to the facility and even those who live around the country if national events were put together.
Ah, we stand corrected. It's not just for the Dynamo. It's also For The Children!
Matt Stiles reports on Chron.com's City Hall blog that some leaders from the East End are not as enthusiastic as the Chronicle's soccer columnist:
City Council candidate James Rodriguez is siding with his former boss, District I Councilwoman Carol Alvarado, in opposing plans to build a youth soccer complex at historic Gus Wortham Park golf course.
[snip]
In an e-mailed campaign news release, Rodriguez criticized city officials for not discussing the plans with neighborhood leaders. His statement said civic associations around the park are siding against the idea.
Does that put Rodriguez on the wrong side of The Children?! Oh my!
Stiles also posts Mayor White's response to questions about the potential development, along with an mp3 of the mayor's press conference.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/16/07 11:04 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Some Hearst newspapers don't like plagiarism
The San Antonio Express-News recently had an incident of plagiarism on its commentary pages. In a blog post on the topic, public editor Bob Richter wrote the following:
For the record, lifting another writer's words is a cardinal sin of journalism. It's a cardinal sin even if you're not a full-time journalist, such as people who submit letters to the editor and other opinion pieces.
Express-News writers who plagiarize other writers' work typically are summarily fired. In an era when nearly anyone can publish nearly anything — on blogs, personal Web sites and the traditional ways — newspapers and media Web sites must be ever vigilant against plagiarism.
It's a good thing columnist Rick Casey moved from the Hearst-owned Express-News to the Chronicle several years ago. It doesn't sound like his former employer would have handled his plagiarism quite like the Chron.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/16/07 09:58 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Breaking news you CAN get elsewhere (02-16-2007 edition)
The Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau has been watching KTRK-13 again this morning:
Two fires broke out in the Houston area early this morning, destroying a family's home and gutting another one that was vacant, according to a report by KTRK (Channel 13).
Authorities gave a reporter this account: The first blaze occurred at a home at the 8100 block of Record near Denton in northeast Houston. Around 12:30 a.m., a family of six rushed out of the home after flames raged through the residence.
When firefighters arrived at the scene they found the father of the family trying to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters had to battle several hot spots that kept reigniting, but finally put on the flames.
Authorities believe the fire was accidental, but an arson investigator was called because of the size of the blaze.
No one was injured, but the home was a complete lost.
Nice copy errors.
Maybe Toucan Sam's strength as a bureau chief is fact checking, and not copy editing?
UPDATE: The errors are now corrected. Does the Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau read the little blog in addition to watching KTRK? Hmm.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/16/07 07:34 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
15 February 2007
Chron: Judge Robert Eckels resigns
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack reports [UPDATE: see this thread] that Judge Robert Eckels has today confirmed speculation that he'd be stepping down:
County Judge Robert Eckels announced his resignation this afternoon at the annual State of the County speech
"Today, the time is right,'' Eckels said. "I had a friend who told me, 'You never become what you want to be while remaining where you are.' Harris County is moving forward, and it's time for me to do the same.''
Actually, no. The time would have been right before the last election, so voters could have picked your replacement.
Thanks for your years of service and solid conservative governance, but jeers for the way you decided to quit.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Pundit, Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/15/07 01:57 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (15)
Panic Time: It's going to be cold!
KPRC-2 (and others, we're sure) reports that it's going to get cold tonight:
Cold air that has moved into southeast Texas is threatening to break record lows, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Chilly temperatures helped a few snow flurries fall near Lake Jackson on Thursday morning. [Maybe it was... Lake Effect Snow? Nah, probably not -klw]
"There were a couple of flurries that kind of moved up around the coastline," KPRC Local 2 meteorologist Anthony Yanez said.
Temperatures are expected to plummet late Thursday.
"Once the sun goes down, those temperatures are going to fall like a rock," Yanez said.
It's so tempting to put a bucket of water outside and set up a wireless webcam to broadcast here on the little blog, so reporters won't feel the need to repeat that sort of coverage.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/15/07 12:10 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Breaking news you CAN get elsewhere (02-15-2007 edition)
The Chron.com Froot Loop Bureau is back in action today:
Two suspects led police on a chase in northwest Houston overnight, according to a morning report from KTRK (Channel 13).
Authorities gave a reporter this account: An officer tried to pull over a sport utility vehicle that had been reported stolen but the driver refused and tried to flee.
During the pursuit, the SUV crashed at the intersection of Neuens and Witte.
The suspects jumped out of the vehicle and took off on foot but were caught a short time later. No one was hurt.
It's good to cover the breaking news important to Houstonians. Nice job KTRK!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/15/07 07:35 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
14 February 2007
Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson responds to Carroll Robinson
A few weeks ago, KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey posted a letter from Carroll Robinson to METRO. The letter was vague. While Robinson clearly seemed to be suggesting METRO was not behaving as it should be, the letter was lacking in specifics.
Today, Isiah Carey posts a response from METRO CEO Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson to Robinson.
Here are some choice excerpts:
We operate the METRO organization in a completely transparent manner.
The property impacts that may arise from our work on any of the METRO solutions corridors are clearly delineated in our environmental documents which are available for all to see.
Completely transparent manner? Right!
As far as "property impacts" -- we've already seen an example in the last week of Northside residents examining environmental documents closely and complaining, and then METRO PR representatives rushing out to assure the media that the impact won't be nearly as bad as the documents suggest. So, it's certainly understandable when people are suspicious of the conflicting messages that sometimes come from METRO.
That being said -- if Robinson has specific concerns about METRO's activities in the Third Ward (presumably as related to Robinson's role at TSU), then it would be helpful if he would share those concerns.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/14/07 11:02 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 February 2007
Northside residents hold METRO protest march
KTRK-13's Mark Garay reports that some north Houston residents marched in protest of METRO's North Main trolley plans:
A group of protestors walked from Northline Mall beginning at 9am Tuesday. They plan to continue walking to Moody Park and then to City Hall this afternoon in protest of this rail line.
The protestors say the route will hurt the north side neighborhoods and businesses. They also believe the rail line will endanger school kids. They say the ballot referendum specified Hardy Road as the rail route and they say that's what they voted for.
"They misled the community by having North Hardy on the ballot," said protestor Mario Umanzo. "Because people, when they read North Hardy, automatically comes to my mind, North Hardy not North Main."
"METRO was never really specific about what route they were going to use. They just wanted it to come north and north it's coming," said Richard Leal with ACORN.
Ambiguity and obfuscation? Surely not from METRO!
The Chronicle's Rad Sallee also reports on the protest.
UPDATE: KHOU-11's Dan Lauck also reports.
BLOGVERSATION: Lose an Eye, It's a Sport, Intermodality.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/07 10:55 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
Editorial LiveJournalists correct confusion over election dates
Over a week ago, we noted some errors in a Chronicle editorial about the possibility of Judge Eckels leaving office early.
Today, the Chronicle issued a correction:
An editorial in the Feb. 4 Chronicle misidentified election dates to replace officials who resign. The city of Houston will hold an election to replace former City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs on May 12. If County Judge Robert Eckels resigns in the coming months, voters will choose a candidate to fill his unexpired term in November 2008.
It's not clear why the correction took so long, but better late than never!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/07 08:07 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (6)
12 February 2007
City to take up pressing issue of cabbie exams
The Chronicle's Matt Stiles reports that Council will take up a proposal that would require an exam of taxi drivers:
One of many proposed changes to the city's "vehicles for hire" ordinance under consideration would resurrect a previously required exam for drivers. The test would quiz their knowledge of Houston's streets and the city rules that govern their trade.
"The cab industry has grown so much that many of the drivers are not familiar with Houston, and that's the majority of the complaints we get," said Tina Paez, a deputy director the city's Finance and Administration Department. "It's just to make sure that they are familiar with the streets and know where they are taking people."
When I first saw the headline, my only question was whether Yellow Cab was pushing this measure (since it would not pass if the company was opposed, but will almost certainly pass if the company is pushing it -- recall that Council just last year put a firm out of business at Yellow Cab's request). Stiles answered that question in his concluding sentence:
Rugg of Yellow Cab said that overall, the changes would benefit the city. "This will give the passenger, or the riding public, a better experience."
What Yellow Cab wants, Yellow Cab usually gets from the City of Houston. The measure may get delayed for a week so some councilmembers can preen and Yellow Cab can fine tune, but it will almost certainly move forward.
RELATED COVERAGE: KHOU-11.
BLOGVERSATION: Houstonist, Fireballs, Lightning Bolts, and Hell Storms.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/07 09:37 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (6)
City of Houston Agenda 2-13-07
As noted by Matt Stiles in the Chronicle's City Watch Blog, I review the council agendas each week for items of interest and post here. The reason he said I do this "occasionally" is because last September, I suspended these reviews owing to time pressure, and only resumed doing them last week. To save time, I no longer post the entire agenda, but cherry-pick the most interesting or potentially controversial items. Sometimes I'll select items that aren't necessarily controversial, but point out directions or trends in our government, as I do tonight with the first item. Certainly, I might miss the significance of some seemingly minor item this way; if you notice something, bring it to my attention in the comments and I'll endeavor to update the article prior to the meeting.
A big thanks to Matt for acknowledging my prior work, and kudos to the Chronicle (of which we are often critical, here at blogHOUSTON) both for creating the City Watch Blog and allowing him to do that.
Once again, readers are cautioned that I delete what I judge to be extraneous text, and often paraphrase in order to make the legalese a lot more readable. Such deletions may accidentally result in a key omission; if you wish to read the original text, please follow this link to the currently posted agenda. Here's hoping Matt's efforts will cause the full backup to the agendas to become available to everyone in the future. Until then, we'll just have to review it for you, so onward below the fold, fellow citizens!
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 02/12/07 09:27 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Comparing and contrasting two "official" blogs about Houston
Today, Chron.com launched its City Hall blog.
Three contributors have put up seven posts, and have been interacting with commenters.
There is no financial incentive for the Chron.com bloggers to post, as the blog is sort of an unpaid adjunct to their actual reporting jobs at the Chronicle (although it's undoubtedly a smart career move to jump on the online reporting bandwagon early).
So far, the bloggers have covered several local political issues.
Contrast that with METRO's Sit and Spin blog.
That blog recently celebrated its one-month anniversary with a statistical update (19 whopping posts -- roughly one per workday!) and complaints about commenters.
As noted previously, the Sit and Spin blogger is paid $76,622/year plus benefits for what so far has been a one-post-per-workday pace. Previously, I estimated that taxpayers were effectively paying $320/post. However, if you divide Ms. Sit's salary by 12 (the number of months in a year) and then divide by 19 (her posts for the first month), taxpayers paid roughly $336/post during Ms. Sit's first month.
Substantively, we've been treated to rehashed press releases, features-type stories on employees who are thrifty lunchers, admonitions to be kind, and the like.
The Chron.com crew seem to be delivering much more value (and substance). I say give 'em a raise!
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times, Greg's Opinion, Lose an Eye, It's a Sport, On Message, The Opinionated Marketers, TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/07 08:39 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (5)
Chron: Knife fight at Main Street Station!
Reader Vernon Guy passes along a Chronicle story about a slashing that took place on the Main Street Square Danger Train station earlier:
A man was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital after being slashed in a fight about 2 p.m. today at MetroRail's Main Street Square Station in downtown Houston.
"Two males got into an argument on the platform, and one pulled a box cutter," said Metro spokeswoman Raequel Roberts. "Then they took the fight across the tracks to the sidewalk."
[snip]
Northbound rail service was suspended and passengers were taken across the site by a "bus bridge" as Houston and Metro police investigated, Roberts said. Southbound service was not affected, she said.
I wonder if they were hobos? In any case, it doesn't seem very world class.
If only Chief Lambert had a few insecurity cameras deployed... then maybe we could have all watched!
RELATED COVERAGE: KTRK-13, KHOU-11.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/07 03:20 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
Chron.com launches city government blog
It's now official -- Chron.com has launched NewsWatch: City Hall, a blog about city government.
City Hall reporter Matt Stiles will be the main blogger, and he writes that Chronicle colleagues Alexis Grant and Kristen Mack will also be posting from time to time.
We've been clamoring for a blog from the Chronicle city desk for a long time now, so this is a nice Monday morning surprise!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/07 07:50 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (8)
11 February 2007
A brief walk
Last week, a citizen complained to me that it was difficult for him to get to a city office by using the bus. The recent changes in service had moved the only bus route serving the area over by one major street, resulting in a lengthy walk for an elderly man like himself, who had breathing problems. That bothered me, a lot. After all, bus service and other mass transit is most commonly used for social engineering, enhancing property values and developers' profits getting people from point A to point B, because they can't afford a car or can't drive, but still need to travel around the city. This means college students, the elderly, and the poor. If the service can't get these people to where they need to go, what good is it?
With that in mind, I started reviewing the distances from the nearest bus stop to various sites that might be visited by people without a car. The results were interesting. For those of us who have forgotten the details, a mile is 5,280 feet, so a tenth of a mile is 528 feet. It doesn't sound bad to say that a stop is a tenth of a mile away, since that's only a little over 500 feet. But it's a distance that may be walked by elderly or infirm people, in the case of the clinics and Multi-Service Centers listed below, and certain city offices. It seems odd that in many cases, the nearest stop is located some distance away from what would be the most logical stopping point for bus riders.
Head below the fold for the results of this entirely unscientific review of Metro's "convenience factor."
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 02/11/07 08:06 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
Light rail stray current raises concerns in San Francisco
Don Gallagher posts a San Francisco story of some local interest to the MET Yahoo Group. Here's a snippet from the reporting from San Francisco's CBS television affiliate:
Help is on the way for residents of a San Francisco neighborhood, as a CBS 5 investigation gets results. The question: Whether Muni's light rail lines could be the cause of damaged water pipes in the West Portal area. Muni now says the investigation has prompted them to take action.
Here’s what Muni spokeswoman Maggie Lynch had to say just days ago, talking about the phenomenon known as 'stray current': "We’ve had rail for 100 years and never heard of it," Lynch said.
Stray current that our experts said might be responsible for corroding water pipes. It’s something we wanted to ask her more questions about, but Lynch cut the interview short and walked out on us.
Now Muni is changing its tune: "Yes, Muni does know about stray current," engineer Bill Neilson told us.
Why the flip-flop? Neilsen said it was miscommunication. "To that I would say we're sorry that we came across as not being aware of stray current," he said.
This all sounds a little familiar. Recall that just a few months ago, METRO trotted out its (non-engineer) spokeswoman Raequel Roberts to respond to a story on stray current by KHOU-11 (Houston's CBS affiliate). She downplayed the problem, making reference to a nine-volt battery. Since then, METRO apparently has installed additional stray-current monitors, and apparently still does not have the problem under control.
Tom Bazan has kept the pressure on METRO for full disclosure of its stray current issues (and corrective action), although the organization has frequently stonewalled his efforts.
RELATED: SF muni blamed for leaking underground water pipes (KPIX-5), Stray current archives (bH).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/07 02:13 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (5)
Shocker: Northsiders complain METRO deceived them
Earlier this week, the Chronicle's Rad Sallee reported that northside business owners and residents are complaining that METRO has not been forthcoming about its plans for the North line:
Several business owners on North Main and Fulton said Thursday that the Metropolitan Transit Authority misled them about how much land it will condemn to build its North Bus Rapid Transit line.
[snip]
Several owners said they had not spoken with Metro recently about its plans but were concerned after seeing their properties listed in the thick environmental statement released Dec. 29 as among those to be acquired.
The statement was a hurdle Metro had to clear to qualify for 50 percent federal funding of the $275 million, 5.4-mile line. On Aug. 23 the Metro board approved the route, from the University of Houston-Downtown to Northline Mall.
Metro spokeswoman Sandra Salazar said the actual number of properties needed will probably be much smaller than the 114 entire parcels and 85 partial ones listed in the document.
Actual, probably -- who really knows? The METRO modus operandi all too often seems to be obfuscation and ambiguity in pursuit of the "world class" preferences of real-estate developers and other special interests. Why expect any specificity or accountability, ever, from the organization?
One of METRO's biggest blog boosters had an illuminating (if naive) bit about the Westpark Line in a recent post:
Here’s what you need to know about Gulfton and the University Line:
- Gulfton has the highest population density in the Houston region. East of Greenway Plaza, there are more people along Richmond than along Westpark. West of Greenway, there are more people along Westpark. A 1 mile circle around the corner of Westpark and Chimney Rock takes in 34,000 people. The same sized circle at Richmond and Chimney Rock takes in 24,000. Moreover, the population at Westpark is poorer — median income of 29,000 vs. median income of 40,000 at Richmond — so a larger percentage would use transit.
- All three options for the University Line west of Main run right alongside Gulfton, within walking distance of huge apartment complexes.
- METRO isn’t showing any stops in Gulfton.
The last point, obviously, makes little sense. But we can change it.
It makes perfect sense, if you view the Westpark Line from the perspective of real-estate developers, "world class" utopians, architects who hope to benefit from expensive development along the rail line, and other special interests who may not want "those Gulfton people" sharing the fancy, world-class rail line so easily with the really cool kids.
But no, if viewed from the perspective of the largely poor, transit-dependent masses of the Gulfton area -- whose votes certainly were critical in passing the 2003 referendum -- it doesn't make much sense at all. As far as the notion "we can change it" -- good luck! Maybe two bloggers who have regularly corresponded with METRO on how to sell its Richmond plans in light of significant opposition have more pull with the organization than normal people.
Interestingly, plans for the Uptown line are proceeding apace, with very little conversation about the impact along the anticipated route. Given the heavy traffic congestion already in the Galleria area, one suspects the Uptown district isn't too keen on more Main Street style transit that steals traffic lanes, causes accidents, and worsens congestion. Will large portions of that route be elevated in response? What will that do the expense? It's hard to find those answers on METRO's website, but surely the real-estate developers have it mostly figured out. After all, real-estate development is an important component of transit policy in the Houston area -- seemingly more important to some people than mobility.
UPDATE (02-12-2007): Rad Sallee posts additional information relevant to the Northside story in today's Move It column, writing that space concerns limited his earlier reporting. A Chron.com transit blog might be handy for those sorts of matters!
BLOGVERSATION: Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/07 01:37 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
10 February 2007
House/Senate, Illinois/Ohio, Boehner/Beoner, who can keep it straight?
Earlier this week, the Chronicle ran a "Washington Notebook" with this tidbit:
Senate foes swap barbs at Press Club
They come from worlds apart: Sen. Edward Kennedy, iconic liberal and a millionaire's son from Massachusetts, and Rep. John Boehner, crusty conservative and a tavern-owner's son from Ohio.
"The Kennedy family had Camelot," Boehner said over dinner in a ballroom the other night. "We had Camel cigarettes."
They also stand miles apart over the war in Iraq.
But they managed to come together for one glamorous night of mockery: the annual congressional dinner of the Washington Press Club Foundation.
The problem with the headline, as noted in this correction (not to mention the first sentence of the blurb), is that Boehner is not a member of the Senate.
What is the Chronicle's problem with this guy, anywa