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Home My WebLink AboutJanuaryWEN L Volume 24, No.1 How would you like to bag that yard waste -paper or plastic? By Adrienne Bullard Notice some strange looking bags on the curb over the summer? These bags were part of an experi- ment run by the Recycling Committee to help determine which type of degrad- able bag is preferred by our citizens. The experiment was conducted be- cause the fee charged to dispose of yard waste has nearly tripled and this fee can be lowered considerably if yard waste is disposed in bags that will decompose instead of regular plastic trash bags. About 70 households participated in the experiments with half the volunteers being supplied with paper bags and the other half with clear plastic bags made from a starch-based polymer. The experiment ran from July through mid-October, at which time the participants completed a questionnaire about use of the bags. Responses were positive for both types of bags. The plastic bags received high marks for being durable, compact and easy to store. On the negative side, us- ers reported that the bags needed to be kept indoors (they really do decom- pose), that they were too small, and that branches poked through the plastic. Of the 27 participants who used the plastic bags and returned the question- naire, all but one would continue to use these bags. Reports from the paper users were similar-only three people out of 28 users said they didn't like the bag. To some participants, the bags were too big, hard to close, took up too much storage space and the bottoms fell apart after sitting in water too long. The bags were popular with other volunteers who thought they held a lot of yard waste, the flat bottom made them easy to fill, branches didn't poke through and they held damp leaves without falling apart. Commercial composting facilities where the City takes the yard waste pre- fer paper bags because they decompose quickly after shredding. At least one firm indicated that they would accept yard waste in paper sacks at no cost to the City. The goal of the Recycling Commit- tee is to assist residents in disposing of yard waste in an earth-friendly and eco- nomical manner. This experiment was the first step in achieving this goal. Thanks to the volunteers who tested the bags. An abstract view of history In 1831, the Mexican Government granted colonist Allen C. Reynolds title to a league of land (the equivalent of 4,428 acres), part of which encompassed present day West University Place. The land was bounded on the north by the meandering Buffalo Bayou, on the east and west by two pine trees, one of which was marked with an "R", and on the south by earth mounds at the east and west corners. A small portion of the league was arable land, and the rest was pasture. These and other fascinating facts are found in the Abstracts of Title which have already been donated to the West University Place Historical Society. If you have an original Abstract of Title you are willing to donate, please call June Begeman at 666-5721. January 1997 Cl~ L 7, ~_D Lf Cardboard recycling drop-off oc- curs the last Saturday of every month and is staffed by citizen volunteers. If you would like to spend an hour help- ing our recycling effort, please call Su- san Kasper @ 666.2205. You can help keep West U environmentally respon- sible. The Colonial Park Pool will have extended hours on Monday, January 2011 opening at 1:00 PM. This is the M. L. King holiday and schools will be closed. The Parks and Recreation Depart- ment has scheduled a wide variety of classes this winter/spring. We offer something for all ages, from seniors to infants. For more information call 662.5892. The annual Park Lover's Ball pre- sented by the Friends of West Univer- sity Place Parks Fund is set for Satur- day February 8. The ball will feature a silent auction and seated dinner and dancing to the the music of New Or- leans' Pilot. To reserve your tickets, see the special insert. If you want to recycle your Christ- mas tree for mulch, leave the tree on the curb on your regular solid waste collection day during the week of Janu- ary 13. • City Life.' 3 • Community Bulletin Board.. 8 • Employee Spotlight 2 • Inside' Council' Chambers 2 Park & Rec Programs........... 3 • Park Lover's Ball Info 4 Police Blotter 6 Inside Council Chambers Page 2 'd V Thanks to each of you who have re- sponded to my request for opinions as to speed bumps, the library, leaf blow- ers and proposed garbage regulations. I will try to respond personally to most of the written comments, but, as I am sure you know, West University pro- vides neither an office nor a secretary for the mayor. Another of our economy measures that, for the most part, works fairly well. At a recent meeting, I heard of a variation of the speed bump matter. In- stead of placing bumps or humps in the street at problem areas, grooves were made in the street that simply caused a vibration similar to the sound resulting from straying to the shoulders of inter- state highways. It is more a reminder that a driver should be cautious than a trap for the unwary. We will look into this. This next topic has no immediate application to our city, but may be of interest to anyone with children or grandchildren and the resulting worry about future college tuition. The Texas Legislature has established the Texas Tomorrow Fund which allows Texas families to lock in today the cost of fu- ture college tuition and required fees (not room, board, books, transportation or optional fees). The Fund is flexible; offering a variety of plans and payment options that can be changed if circum- stances so require. Benefits can be transferred to another person, out-of- state or refunded. I am going to order some printed materials on this Fund and they should be available at City hall by the time this appears in print. The cur- rent sign-up time runs from November 18, 1996, through February 17, 1997. ?aLLE ~0~ EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT This month's employee in the spot- light is the recipient of the City's annual Employee of the Year award. James Novak, an employee with the City's Fire Department since March, 1996 was selected by his fellow employ- ees for recognition of his work ethic. According to Fire Chief Terry Stevenson, it wasn't a surprise that Novak was selected as Employee of the Year, even though by any standard James is a short-tirmer. "James is just an outstanding em- ployee," said Stevenson. "Since day one he has been prompt, courteous and en- ergetic. He continually exceeds the ex- pectations of the job. " Novaks pleasure at working for the City is immediately evident. He has a constant smile and real enthusiasm for the job. James was born in the Bellaire area and attended local schools. He has at- tended the Texas A&M Fire School and the Victoria College for paramedic cer- tification. Previously he worked for the Yokum Fire Department. He enjoys hunting, fishing and sports. "I enjoy helping people," said Novak. "This is a very gratifying job. Coming off a call and seeing a person smile is payment enough." At the December 16 City Council meeting, James was recognized and pre- sented with a $500 U.S. Savings Bond by Mayor Bill Watson. Mike Anders of the Parks & Rec Department and Thelma Lenz, the City's administrative secretary were runners- up in the balloting for Employee of the Year. be; conducttend A survey to sample West U resi- dents' opinions on a variety of issues is in the mail. According to City Manager Sherman Yehl, the eight-page survey was mailed to a random sample of 700 West U residents. The survey contains about 100 questions relating to City services, gar- bage & recycling, library, traffic, zon- ing & land use and the quality of infor- mation provided by the City to residents. Surveys are to be returned by Janu- ary 24. Results will be published in an upcoming City Currents and used to help assess "How we're doing. " City Currents is published monthly by the City of N3r'est University Place, Texas Mayor Bill IX,'atson (665.3969) Mayor- Pro Tem Tom Rushing (666.0434) City Council Members Teresa XV. Fogler (664.6433), Linda LeiAs (662.5812), Stan McCandless (669.1830) City Currents welcomes your contributions. Forward material to 3814 University Boulevard, Houston. TX 77005. c/o Chief Griffith by the 10th of the month preceding publication. General Information: 668.4441 ° City Manager Sherman Yehl: 662.5810; e-mail: syehl@e~irthlink.net Elrefighter Jwnes Novak, the City's 1996 Employee of the Year City Life Page 3 Senior activities t in shape or have Did you make a New Year's resolu- tion to get in shape? Senior Services can help you out. We offer two kinds of exercise. Sit and Get Fit is an in-chair style that gently stretches the major muscle groups and helps most participants with balance and equilibrium. Our Early Risers class is more strenuous. Exercises are per- formed while standing and some mat work is involved. Please check the daily schedule for the days and times of these two classes. These other programs are planned for January- - Wednesday, January 8 Beading Class starts another year of cre- ating jewelry. Bring your beads and imagination and enjoy the company. 1:00-3:00 PM. - Thursday, January 9 View the remains of the unsinkable Ti- tanic on the IMAX screen.The movie Titanica creates an unforgettable film experience on the giant screen. Van transportation provided to the Museum of Natural History. 1:30-3:30 PM. $3.50. - Tuesday, January 14 The Tuesday Musical Club hosts a mu- sical performance at the Museum of Fine Arts every other Tuesday. If you are interested in a van ride to the mu- seum, please call for reservations. Leave at 10:00 AM for the 10:30 perfor- mance. Other spring dates: 1/28, 2/11, 2/23, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8. Free. - Wednesday, January 15 Join West University Librarian Keddy Outlaw for a poetry discussion group featuring the large print book, Speak Out for Age by Grace Goldin. The group will meet in the library from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. Books will be distributed at A new number t call for information A new service to pro- vide West U residents with information 24- hours a day, seven days a week went into effect De- cember 16. The service, provided by Harry Levesque, a realtor® with the Pruden- tial Texas Properties contains 15 special announcements that residents access with their telephone. Residents will hear a 48 second message about City services and pro- grams, community center rentals, gar- bage collection, youth sports, upcom- ing events and meetings, and informa- tion on good neighbor laws. The access number is 644.7253, code 7800. A complete directory listing can be found on page 7. the first meeting. Other dates: 1/22, 1/ 29, 2/5. Free. - Wednesday, January 22 Galleria area chiropractors, Bruce and Kelsie King, will present a seminar on headaches of all types, including mi- graine and cluster. They will tell us how they develop and how to get relief. There will be handouts to share with friends. 2:00-3:00 PM. Donations ac- cepted for the speakers. - Friday, January 24 MFA Senior Program: Beck Collection of Impressionist and Post-Impression- ist Art with David Braver. 9:30 AM- NOON. $1.00 members/$2.00 non-mem- bers. - Friday, January 31 St. George's Orthodox Church has in- vited us to attend a free spaghetti lun- cheon. There will be musical entertain- ment in addition to the great spaghetti, salad and dessert served by the Altar Society . Call 662.5895 to make your reservations. The address is 5311 Mer- cer at Bissonnet. NOON-1:00 pm. Free. t~ . I;Z" Join us for the first teen party of the New Year at Colonial Park on Sat- urday, January 25"' from 6:30 - 9:30 PM. This event is open to anyone in the 6`h to 9`1 grades, so come enjoy your- self at Colonial Park with games, pizza and swimming. Admission is free, but please make reservations by calling 668.7642. West U's 4" Annual Biathlon Se- ries is coming up on March 111, April 12' and May 3111. All race dates are Saturdays with a 8:00 AM start. Each race will consist of a 350-yard swim and a 5K run. Registration forms are available at Colonial Park and the Community Building. For more information con- tact Dave Pippin 668-7642. The Brotherhood of Temple Emanu El is holding the fourth annual Chicken Soup Cook-off to benefit the Houston Food Bank and help battle hunger on Sunday, January 19. Celebrity judges will award trophies in individual categories as well as the coveted Peoples' Choice Award. Admission is $5.00 for adults/$3.00 for children 12 and under. The cook-off is from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Temple Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Boule- vard. If you make a great pot of soup and want to participate call Rich Tomlinson at 223.5816. Over 4,000 people are expected to enter the Museum of Fine Arts' 12th annual 5K Run and Walk on Satur- day, January 25. Advanced registration is $15 and all early registration entries must be re- ceived by January 18. Registration af- ter January 18 is $20. Race-day regis- tration is $25. Corporate teams and in- dividuals may compete. For more information or to register, please call the Race Hotline at 639.7585. The Fine Arts 5K is one of the most popular races in Houston and is spon- sored by the Houston BMW group. EVENT ChAIRS KiM ANd REid WILSON HOST COMMITTEE JAN & JERE AITRENS TLIERESA & EVANS ATTwEII Judy & HARRY BRISTOL, Kim & DAN COOPER JONi & MARk FiCITTER JuliA & Bill FINdIEY CAROL, & Ross FRAZER LiNdA & Rod GRAY MARY HAYNES "s4 GAyIE & DANNY JACkSON Amy & NEiI LEibMAN JANET & DAmd LIONbERGER BEVERly & JAck Lolls OdETTE & Bob MACE SUZANNE & MARk MAilES ` JEANNE MAROSis ANN & RoGER MARTIN LARRY W. MASSEY,JR. BARBARA & STEVE PERlick DEb & JOhN PUTNAM CAROLYN RAPPAZZO __-P- Lou & Buddy RosENIEld LEbA & Rick S1 AIIENbERGER CiNdy & MikE SPARkMAN CONME & Rick SPENCER LIZ & MARk SPRAdIING PAT & Bill VAN SWERINGEN 71 ElisE VAUCIhN MARGARET & BO WAIIAcE LISA & CRAiC; WARd ~Y l~ n PRESENTEd by THE FRIENDS OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE PARKS FUND, INC. A 501(c)(3) NON-PROiiT ORGANiZATiON 14 PLEASE JOIN US WiTh YOUR RESERVATION " §44 BlAck TIE OPTIONAL CAsh BAR AVAiLAbIE. NINE INc[udEd WITh DINNER. TAblES SEAT TEN. SEATING is LiMiTEd. FOUR PAYMENT VIII hold YOUR RESERVATION. SPONSOR ANd PATRON TAblES [OR TEN t: $5000. Gold $3500. SiIVER $2500. BRONZE $1500. PATRON INdividUAl PATRONS $350. $250. $150. (PER TickET) ; INdividUA1 PARk LOVERS $75. (PER TickET) l DONOR NAME ADDRESS PHONE CHARGE MY MASTERCARD ACCT.# EXP. DATE CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE OR MAkE ChEcks PAyAbIE TO: FRIENDS OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE PVKS FUND, INC. MAil TO: GAylE JAcksON 6637 BEIMONT HOUSTON, TEXAS 77005. RESERVATIONS NEld AT THE dOOR. FAIR MARkET VALUE is $45 PER TickET. KA. SPONSOR & PATRON RESPONSES RECEivEd by JAN. 16, 1997 Will bE IiSTEd iN ThE PROGRAM. FOR iNIORMATION CAII 661-3824. IRON CANdEiAbRA ANd CANdIESTICk CENTERPIECES by ARTIST CAThy BOSWEli AVAiiAblE [OR PRE-SALE. CA 661-3824. 7 27 11 -ly 79 Je .w 1h You ARE CoRdiARY INViTEd To THE PARK LOVERS BALL SRENT AuCTioN ANd SEATEd INNER ANCiN To T E music of ICE ORLEANS' PILOT SATUR Ay FE RUARy 1997 , , 7:00 pm UNTil MidNiCAhT - ESTIN A S oTEI 14 SPECIAL VALENTINE - Gold SPONSOR THE VIL(ACE NEWS s SWEET HEART - SILVER SPONSOR COMPASS BANk t_Y t HEART TFIRObs - BRONZE SPONSORS LOUISIANA OIfShORE VENTURES TORN L. WORThAM & SONS, I.I.P. - HEARTS ON THE VINE - WINE MUSiCAI HEARTS - BANd WiIsON, CRibbs, GOREN & MUM, P.C. GiNNi & RiCNARd MiThoff CANdy HEARTS - PARTY FAVORS ART HEARTS - CENTERPIECE PARTY TORN DAUGNERTy REALTORS WEST U BANk HEART BREA Kids - GRANd PATRONS THE AL-)RENS & FRAZER FAMILIES AI's FORMAL WEAR BAkER'T.ACksON NISSAN OIds ` DR. & MRS. TAMES A. CAIN, III EAGLE ENVIRONMENTAL HEAITIi, INC TERESA & MURRAY FOGIER FRIENds IROM MCKINSE & COMPANY GARdERE W NE SEWER & RI S I.I. Y YN GG , P- MR. & MRS. RObERT H. GRAHAM ThE GRAY & LIONbERGER FAMILIES HOUSTON ChRONiCIE GREENWOOd-KING PROPERTIES STATE REPRESENTATIVE DR. KVIE TANEk TOL-1N DAUCIhERTY REALTORS salty & MARk LowEs MARTHA TURNER PROPERTIES F T MERRIII LYNCH & Tom RushiNG SOUTIiWESTERN BELL VASTAR RESOURCES ; QARliNGS - INdividUAl PATRONS RANdAIrs Food MARkETS MUSTANG TRACTOR & EgUIPMENT CO. MR. & MRS. MARk TOhNSON JANE & ALEX BRENNAN-MARAN BANk ONE DR. & MRS. DAVid CIAXTON NATAIIE & DON FAUST FROST BANk DR. & MRS. HAI MENTZ MONME & RAIph AAINSON \ ANNE & TIM DOUGNERTy DR. & MRS. SAMUEL BoustAy GENNY & TORN MCINTYRE (AS OF DECEMBER 10, 1996) I t S _ Police Blotter Page 6 November, 1996 ® Chiefs Corner L,, . Criminal Mischief 2600 Sunset- A resident reported that a rear window was broken out of their 1986 Honda. No items were taken. 2800 Tangle y- A rear window was broken out of a Chevrolet Surburban. 3000 Plumb-A pumpkin was used to break out the window of 1986 Honda that was parked in the street. It appears that the pumpkin was thrown from a moving vehicle. 6300 Buffalo-A resident was driving to visit a friend in the City, when she heard a crack and noticed a window on the driver's side of her vehicle was shat- tered. Upon closer inspection, it ap- peared the window was struck by a pel- let or BB. 3300 Albans-A resident discovered a rear window of their 1996 Ford shat- tered. A wine bottle was found inside the vehicle. 3800 Milton-In the late afternoon hours, a resident was at work when a co-worker advised of a broken window on their 1987 Nissan. A rock, the size of a golf ball, was found on the driver's side floorboard. 2900 Bissonnet-A Chevrolet pick-up was discovered with a broken window on this block. 4100 Bellaire-An office building win- dow was broken in the mid-afternoon hours. No entry was made into the building. 5500 Kirby-A window at a business was discovered broken in the morning hours by the store's employees. No sus- pects or witnesses. Theft 6700 Weslayan-A business owner wit- nessed three Hispanic males in a dark blue Chevy Stepside pick-up truck, tak- ing a potted plant off the front porch of his business. The witness advised that a partial license plate 263 was observed on the truck. The suspects were last seen going west on Bissonnet, and then turn- ing south back into the City on Westpoint. 3900 University-Unknown person(s) entered an unsecured residence in the early morning hours, and took a jacket that was hanging from a doorknob. In the jacket were car keys, credit cards, and a drivers license. 3800 Byron-An unsecured bi- cle was taken from the front yard I F, F! cy of a residence during the afternoon hours. 3900 Byron-A resident discovered that an unknown person(s) was able to get access to her credit card and made nu- merous large purchases on it. It is un- known how the suspect obtained the credit card or the information on the card. This case is still pending. 3700 Plumb-An unsecured bicycle was taken from a front porch of a residence. 3400 Bellaire-After returning home from vacation, a resident discovered his camera and camera bag missing. This case is still being investigated. 4100 Ruskin-A resident discovered that four boxes of checks never made it to her house. The resident discovered the theft after a bank employee called and inquired about several large with- drawals on the account. This case is still being investigated. 2900 Pittsburg-A resident reported that some custom furniture was ordered for their home. The business that was making the furniture took a large deposit for the work and the furniture was never delivered. After numerous attempts to get a refund or the furniture, the busi- ness' phone was disconnected and the business closed. This case is pending. 3800 Riley-A resident reported that a plumbing contractor came out to do some work, and asked for a large de- posit before starting any work. A check was written, and the suspect cashed it the same day, but failed to return to do any work. This case is still open. 2600 Rice- An American flag was taken from the front yard of a resident. 5900 Fordham- A resident discovered his personal checks were missing after a store owner called to confirm a pur- chase that was made, but not by him. The business owner got a license plate In my last column, we discussed our effort to reduce speeds on Wakeforest Drive. We have been working on that since the first of December and have seen some results. Notice that I have picked the term "results" carefully. Be- cause the "results" have been several citations, the majority of which have been issued to our own residents. Sev- eral residents receiving citations have told the officer that they read about the crack down in City Currents. We have written tickets to a couple of residents more than once. All of this leads me to ponder why we are, in effect, causing a major part of our own problem. Have you ever no- ticed that when you turn onto your own street, you slow down and you look at your neighbor's houses. Maybe just because you are curious; maybe because you, like myself, would never think of driving fast down your own street. It does seem that we lose that sense of "neighborhood" when we get more than a block or two from our home. Trust me, the people who live along Wakeforest and all of the other streets that you use to access your block be- lieve that their street is just as impor- tant as yours. So, let's start this new year with an expanded vision of what our neighborhood really is-the entire City of West U! Save OZOW 6'44'&_ off the truck. This case is still being investigated. 3300 Cason-A resident returning from vacation advised that he noticed several pieces of art, clothing and jewelry miss- ing from his residence. This case is still being investigated. Auto Theft 2600 Bissonnet-A car was stolen at a local bar in the late evening hours. The reportee advised that she discovered her car keys missing from the bar, and upon leaving, found her vehicle missing. No evidence or suspects at this time. Continued on p. 7 Page 7 Crime up Close,continued from p. 6 able to notify the police before the sus- pects left the bank. 3800 Case-A couple was arrested af- ter trying to pass themselves off as work- ers for a homeless mission. The docu- ments they had in their possession were stolen. The couple was taking donations and depositing them into a personal ac- count. Donations that were taken by the suspects were returned. Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 3600 Bellaire-A 1985 Chevrolet pickup was broken into during daylight hours. The locking mechanism was bro- ken and the interior of the vehicle was ransacked. The in-dash radio was also taken. 3500 Albans-A 1988 pickup was bro- ken into during the daylight hours. Sev- eral items were removed from the inte- rior. 2600 Sunset-A 1992 Ford utility truck was broken into and a cellular telephone was taken. 3400 Georgetown-A resident reported an attempted burglary into their vehicle. There were pry marks around the driver's door locking mechanism. 3000 Duke-A resident reported his vehicle was broken into. Aggravated Robbery 2600 Centenary-In the late evening hours, a pizza delivery man was robbed at gunpoint by a black male, after mak- Don't leaf this alone All of the City's storm drainage lines flow into Braes Bayou. When the area experiences heavy rains, lines lead- ing to Braes Bayou fill, and water backs up into street intersections. After the rainfall ends the intersections will nor- mally clear within 15-20 minutes. But, if leaves, grass and other trash is present to clog the storm drain inlets, longer periods of standing water will result. So, please keep grass and leaves out of the street gutters. When you rake, bag the leaves, put the bags on the curb and we'll pick them up. The Last Page I Page 8 sl 1 iver® ity e unity u eti Han rd r y 1997 Sunday Monday - Tuesday sda Thursday Friday Saturday ° Building and Standards Commission 1 _ @ 6:30 PM, Council Chamber No Recycling Pickup 1 2 3 4 Friends of West U Zoning and Planning Parks @ 6:30 PM, Commission @ 7:30 Conference Room PM, Council Chamber Parks Board @ 7:30 Pmt, Conference Room 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Council Workshop@ Zoning Board of 6:30 PM; Conference Adjustmnet @ 7:30 Room PM, Council Chamber Council Meeting @ 7:30 PM, Council 12 Chamber 13 14 15 16 17 18 Cardboard Recycling Drop-off, 8:00 AM to NOON, behind Police Station Teen Swim, 6:30 Pmt 19 20. 21 22 23 24 25 Council Workshop@ Buy tickets for Park 6:30 PM, Conference Lover's Ball Room Council Meeting @ 7:30 PM, Council 26 Chamber 27 28 29 30 31 City of Vest University Place f a 3800 University Boulevard `ham Houston, Texas 77005 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 600 Houston, TX