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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune.Tune 1997 Hearing less construction noise these days? New residential construc- tion permits are dropping in West U ac- cording to a report prepared for the City Council. "New construction activity reached its high point in 1993," according to Public Works Director Edward Menville. "Over 150 permits were is- sued that year, but we have seen a re- duction each year since `93." For the past two years, new con- struction activity has averaged at just 66 permits. Based on the number of new construction permits issued to date for 1997, this average will be maintained. While new construction permits have dropped, residential remodeling permits have remained strong. "Beginning in 1991, we have seen a big increase in remodeling," said Menville. "For the past six years, the city has issued an average of over 172 addition/alteration permits. While new construction appears to have plateaued, there still is a lot of home improvement activity in West U." During both 1995 and 1996, 185 remodeling permits were issued. While only 64 permits have been issued so far this year, Menville thinks that about 150 permits will be issued before the year is over. The value of new construction ac- tivity remains high. The report notes that that average value of new homes con- struction was over $330,000 in 1995. While it dropped to about $285,000 in 1996, it is again averaging over $300,000 for 1997. Since 1991, the av- erage value on remodeling permits has been just over $17,000. The total valuation for all permits issued peaked at $48 million in 1994 and dropped to the lowest level in seven years in 1996 at only $25.7 million. Permits Issued 1 1 7 200 160 160 140 120 100 60 60 40 20 0 r r N M mot' LO CD h ~ CD 0) 0 0) 0) 0) a) a) rn 4'- 4- T T T 4- r T New Remodeling Activityfor 1997 is through May 1. NoUce of Meeting o~ r~ c e e ~a ~ m o~ c~~ e~ Q~ a A Touvn Meeting to discuss the possibility of an assisted living COFilMUn t1f in ItNest U is sched- uled Ior T i uisd= z:, June 12th, 7:00 - x:00 The nneetin @ gill be held 'Ell 'L"hc• Seniors Roorms 0i the cornnnu- nity BW iidis€g a-t t 10 Aeuderu. Any questiai-bs, call 662.58s"s-~. Keeping cool this summer"., Reprinted from Earthshare. Used by permission. With the heat of summer now upon us, we should do everything we can to conserve energy as we keep cool. Here are several tips that can keep you from being caught in the heat: Use an energy-efficient air con- ditioner. If you're buying a new air conditioner, choose one for maximum energy efficiency. New air condition- ers come labeled with an Energy Effi- ciency Rating (EER), a standard that lets you calculate how much electric- ity the air conditioner will consume. The higher the EER, the less it will cost you to operate the appliance to achieve the same level of cooling. Continued on page 6- 'Ntizen Work- Order--..... 7 City Life 3 Community Bulletin Board.. 6 Employee Spotlight 4 Inside Council Chambers 2 o Police Blotter....... I 5 Senior Calender 7 Inside Council Chambers 56m t!e M" 'd Ded I am proud to be the new mayor of this unique little town we call home. I am equally proud to be serving with four caring individuals who each ran for Council because they truly believe in West University Place and desire to enhance and secure the quality of life their families enjoy here. Their ideas will be fresh, their personalities are their own, but in many ways, I believe these four new members of Council will govern themselves with many of the same precepts used by the preceding Council, because their underlying goal is the same: service to the community. Over these first few months of our term, Council will strive to develop working relationships with each other that are based upon mutual respect; work to compile an outline of goals and objectives for the next two years; deter- mine how best to utilize volunteers within our community, and assign them to specific tasks; begin to examine bud- get issues for the coming year; consider the implementation of a variety of ideas initiated by the past Council; and begin the oversight of projects in progress. It is indeed a full plate! But I know some- thing of these people who will serve you Page 2 over the two years, and what I know al- lows me to conclude with certainty that they are all up to the tasks ahead. I hope the citizens of West U will en- deavor to participate in the governance of their City, as led by this dedicated group. Attend our meetings, voice your concerns and your compliments, stand up to the microphone in town hall meet- ings, write letters (and, soon, e-mail) to your chosen representatives, become involved. And, above all, trust that your Council has its heart in exactly the right place. -1-11 0 11 iCommuniV.* A grow living i the same area or having interest in common By: Council Member Tony Davis Council e-mail coming soon other. When someone suggested sev- to-clay basis. decisions possible. - , C.'ity Life There's still time to register for camp and summer classes Openings are still available in several sessions for the following camps: Sports and More Camp: All two- week sessions consists of a variety of soccer, baseball, kickball, golf, floor hockey, basketball, football, wiffleball, and more. Each Friday we will meet at Colonial Park for swimming, sand vol- leyball, wallyball, and more. The final Wednesday of each session will include a racquetball demonstration and exhi- bition at Colonial Park. Open to chil- dren 7-12 years of age. Fees: $45/$50NR Summer Tennis Programs: Open to ages 4 & up. Class size is lim- ited to 8! For class day and time, call 662.5892. Dates: Session L June2 - July 5; Ses- sion IL• July 14 - August 16 Class Fees: $50/55NR League Fees: $25130NR *Very limited instruction, participants will play matches. Day/Time: Monday-Friday 8:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. Class Fees: $125/135NR Racquet and More Camp: This camp consists of tennis, racquetball, wallyball, sand volleyball, and more. The final Wednesday of each session will include a racquetball demonstration and exhibition by state ranked racquet- ball players. Camp is open to all 7-12 year olds. Day/Time: Monday - Thursday 8:30 A.M.- 1:30 P.M. Class Fees: $100/11 ONR Baseball Camp: Learn basic throwing, catching, hitting, game situ- ations, the rules of baseball, and a real game is played everyday! It is open to boys and girls ages 6-13 years old. Day/Time: Monday - Thursday 9:00 A.M. - NOON. Class Fees: $155 - $160 For information on registration for call 662-5892. Streamline Stretch Fitness: This class works all major muscle groups using Asatia (Yoga) stretching, condi- tioning floor work exercises, and an ab- dominal workout. Day/Time: Mon. & Wed. 10:OOAM - 11:OOAM or 7:OOPM - 8:OOPM Dates: Session I: Closed; Session II: June 1611 - July 23rd; Session III: Au- gust 411 - September 1011 Est wants you If you are interested in serving your community, volunteer to serve on one of the various boards, commissions, or committees that aid our city govern- ment. We are now taking applications, so if you are asking yourself what you can do to become more involved, this is perfect for you. To obtain an application or to find out more, call City Secretary Kaylynn Holloway at 662.5813. Page 3 Mark your calendar for the July 4t" Bike Parade and Pool Party (Note change in parade route) Kids of all ages, decorate your bi- cycles and meet at Milton Street Park, 3901 Milton Street for the an- nual July 411 bike parade. Judging for the most creatively decorated bike will take place at 9:45 A.M. on Friday, July 4th. Bicyclist will then parade to Colonial Park at 10:00 A.M. After the parade, join us at the Co- lonial Park swimming pool, 4130 Byron, for a refreshing dip. Pool games will begin at NOON and con- tinue on the hour until 5:00 P.M. Food, fun, and festivities for every- one! For more information, please call 662.5892. Prey go-o& wank . . Page 4 Fire Department Secretary Tracy Snider knows how to handle a crisis. This month's employee in the spotlight is the Fire Department's secretary, Tracy Snider. Tracy came to work for the Fire De- partment in January 1995 as a part-time employee. In 1997 the position was made full-time and Tracy was the ideal candiate. Since the Fire Department had never had a full-time secretary, Tracy's first year and a half was spent organizing files, learning the ambulance billing program, and completing overdue projects for the Fire Chief. "Tracy's job is one that requires effi- ciency and accuracy, which she accom- plishes very well," said Fire Chief Terry Stevenson. "She has made my job a lot easier since day one of her employment, he added." In addition, Tracy is very well liked by staff. "Not only has she helped in the office, her personality has made her a joy to work with," said Chief Stevenson. Tracy graduated from Hardin High School in Hardin, Texas and is currently attending Houston Community College. Her hobbies include scuba diving and traveling. Her dream is to someday tour Europe, Central America, and the Carribbean. Tracy recently became engaged and is busy planning an April wedding. For now, she will settle for domestic travel to Lake Tahoe where she plans to take that everlasting plunge! Preparing all *s calm Although the last major hurricane to hit the Texas coast was Hurricane Ali- cia in 1983, recent development along the Gulf Coast has placed many citizens in high-risk areas with little or no ex- perience in preparing for or surviving a storm of such magnitude. Many Tex- ans have developed a false sense of se- curity because Texas has not had a sig- nificant hurricane this decade. "I encourage all West U resi- dents to educate themselves and their families on the dangers of a hurricane and to prepare them- selves and their property to deal with this threat." said Fire Chief Terry Stevenson. Preparation is the key to surviving the storm and recovering from its effects. According to Stevenson, here are some things you should do before it's too late: 1.Take inventory and inventory of your personal belongings. 2. Review your existing insurance coverage. 3. Plan a route to safety. 4. Keep disaster supplies on hand dur- ing hurricane season. Stevenson also warns residents "not to be a storm casualty." Storm surges, flashfloods and torna- does are the most potent killers asso- ciated with a hurricane. Secure loose ob- jects around your home. Unsecured ob- jects become projectiles during the high winds and can contribute heavily to in- juries and property damage. If a hurricane makes landfall near Galveston and tracks close to Houston, widespread devastation can be expected. Roads will be blocked by debris, sewers may be backed up, no electrical power or phone service will be available and City ser- vices will be overloaded. "Hur- ricane Alicia was a mild storm in comparison to the storms of 1995 and 1996 that hit the east coast. "The dev- astation that occurred in 1983 in West U caught everybody by surprise," said Stevenson. "A little education and preparation now will pay off if we are faced with a hurricane later." he added. Hurricane forecasters predict a busy storm season for the Gulf and the possi- bility of a storm making landfall along the Texas coast, so if you are interesed in finding out more about hurricane pre- paredness, stop by the West U Fire De- partment or by calling 662.5836. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November. Historically Speaking... First residents took a chance "swamp" land Have you ever been curious about the first homeowners in West University Place? Who were those intrepid souls who gambled their savings on a muddy lot in a low-lying, swampy area "away out in the country," miles from the bur- geoning city of Houston? Who were the visionaries who gathered together to incorporate our city in 1925? And exactly what did our city look like back in the 1920's? Janice Donalson will answer these and many other questions about our early beginnings at a meeting of the West University Place Historical Society on Tuesday, June 10th at 2:00 P.M. at Bayou Manor, 4141 South Braeswood. Janice's interest in the history of West University Place began in 1983 as she researched the origins of our city for her master's thesis, which she titled Subur- ban Pioneers: The Origin of West Uni- versity Place 1919-1939. Along the way, she collected many photographs of early people and places of West U, as well as maps of the period, and she will share some of them with us during her talk. Janice received a B.A. from Texas Christian University in 1970, and a Master of Arts degree in 1985 from the University of Houston. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the WUPHS since its inception in 1993, and serves as its Program Officer. All are welcome to attend this in- formative meeting. Refreshments will be served. For further information, please call President June Begeman at 666.5721. Police Blotter Page 5 April, 1997 Failure to stop and give information 6500 Brompton-April 29th. Resi- dents discovered that their 1992 Acura had been hit by an unknown ve- hicle while it was parked on the - street. No suspects or witnesses. 6600 Vanderbilt-April 7th. A workman witnessed a dark blue Suburban, driven by a white fe- male with blonde hair, backing into a parked car. Witness ob- served truck leaving area without suspect stopping to look for damage. Truck last seen going north on Vanderbilt. Case still pending. 4100Bissonnet--April 6th. Residents witnessed female in a Honda back into their car and flee the scene. Residents gave chase and cornered her on a dead end street. She was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Auto Theft 6100 Fordham-April 7th. Resident re- ported his Isuzu Trooper missing from the front of the house. The vehicle was not secured. No witnesses or suspects. Criminal Mischief 4100Amherst-April 11th. Resident reported a bullet had entered through a kitchen window and lodged in a win- dow frame. The residents in the area did not hear or see anyone shooting a gun. There were no witnesses or sus- pects in this case. 6400 Mercer-April 18th. Resident reported finding a golf ball that had bro- ken two of his house windows. An egg was also thrown against the house. No witnesses or suspects. 3800 Tennyson-April 23rd. Resi- dents discovered rear window of vehicle broken. No items missing from vehicle and no suspects or witnesses. Aggravated Robbery man in the City reported seeing a black male take a back pack gas blower out of the back of a company truck. The workman approached the suspect and tried to get the gas blower back. The suspect pulled out a handgun and told him not to follow, or he would shoot. The suspect was last seen travelling north on Kirby in a four-door grey Chevrolet Cava- lier, license plate NDZ-023. Theft 3200 University-April 28th. Resi- dent reported an Hispanic male at a con- struction site loading lumber into the back of his pickup. The resident ap- proached the suspect and inquired what he was doing. He said he was taking scrap lumber, and the resident told him to put it back. The suspect returned the lumber and left the scene. 2600 Werlein-April 28th. Resident reported several valuable documents missing from a file cabinet in his home. There were no signs of forced entry into the residence. No suspects or witnesses. 4000 Ruskin-April 24th. Resident reported a lawn mower missing from the backyard of the house. No witnesses or suspects. 3500 Nottingham-April 12th. Resi- dent reported a 6' rabbit sculpture miss- ing from the west side of the house. There were tire tracks left in the yard and street indicating that a vehicle backed onto the yard to load the sculp- ture. Pieces of the artwork were later found in Poor Farm Ditch. No witnesses or suspects. 3500 Tangley-April 12th. Resident reported dinosaur topiary missing from the front porch. There were no signs of evidence left in the yard indicating how the topiary was removed. No witnesses or suspects. 6600 Rutgers-April 4th. Resident moving into the city reported a water- color painting missing from the collec- tion of paintings that were moved. There were no witnesses or suspects. 2700 Bissonnet-April 17th. A work- Come join the West U Rangers! Several residents and police officers have banded together to give our young citizens an opportunity to learn safe gun handling and shooting skills. This summer, youth from ages 9 to 16 can take a five-week course, which will, by age category, teach skills in air rifle, 22 rifle, shotgun and handgun. We have titled what we hope to be an annual summer event, the Vest U Marksmanship Club. I would be re- miss if I didn't thank the residents who have volunteered their time and effort to make this program a success. Allen Blakemore, Steve Masera, and Rick Spencer have each attended two days of instructor training and have commit- ted valuable time during the summer to make this program a success. Mem- bers of our staff who will be serving as instructors are Lieutenants Gary Brye and Rick Niebur, Sergeants Tod Schneider and Richard Unger, and Of- ficer Ken Macha. If you would like your child to learn safe shooting skills from members of your Police Department and dedicated volunteers, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 662.5892 and tell them that your child wants to be a West U Ranger! Steve Griffith, Chief of Police Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 2700Amherst-April 17th. Resident reported that while loading her vehicle, a witness observed a black male run from her driveway and jump into a late model blue Sunbird. The resident dis- covered her purse missing from her car. Suspect was a tall, thin, black male with a short afro, white T-shirt, and blue jeans. Suspect was last seen on Kirby leaving the city. 2800 Jarrard-April 10th, Residents reported their vehicle was broken into. Rear vent window was broken. There appeared to be nothing missing. No wit- nesses or suspects. 6100 Charlotte-April 7th. Resident reported a cellular phone missing from Page 6 Police blotter - continued from page S his vehicle. No signs of forced entry, as the car was not secured overnight. No witnesses or suspects. 6100 Fordham-April 7th. Residents reported their car broken into. Rear passenger window was broken. Noth- ing of value was taken from the car. No suspects or witnesses. 6100 Wakeforest-April 7th. Resi- dents reported their car was broken into. Passenger window was shattered. CD player, CD's, phone a/c adapter and sev- eral credit card receipts were taken. Inside of the car was ransacked. No witnesses or suspects. Credit Card Abuse 2700 Wroxton-Apri 12 1 st. Residents reported charges being made on their ATM card. A new card was sent in the mail, which resident's never received. No suspects or witnesses. 4100 Southwestern-April 18th. Residents reported their bank called to confirm several charges made to their account. The exact locations where the charges were made are unknown at this time. Case is still pending. Fogery/Fraud 3100 Plumb-April 28th. Residents reported they did not receive their box of checks in the mail. A specialty store called and advised them that a suspi- cious black male was in the store ear- lier trying to pass one of their checks. Case is still pending. 4000Marlowe-April 17th. Resident reported the theft of a box of checks. The checks were ordered from the bank, but they were never delivered to the residence. The resident received notice from the bank that 14 checks were cashed from the missing box of checks. Case is still pending. 2800 University-April 11th. Resi- dents reported several large sums of money withdrawn from their account. Several fraudulent deposits were made to the account with withdrawals made with the deposits. Case is still pend- ing. 3900 Villanova-April 10th. Resi- dent reported ordering new checks and never receiving them in the mail. The stolen checks were being written around the city. Case is still pending. 4200 Lehigh-April 7th. Residents were contacted by their bank and ad- vised that several checks were passed through the bank with check numbers not consistent with the checks in the account. All other identification infor- mation on the checks was that of the residents. Case is still pending. Keeping cool continuer. from page I- Avoid overcooling. Don't use or buy more cooling equipment capacity than you actually need. Bigger is not always better. A larger unit than you need will cost more to run and may not remove enough humidity from the air, the feature that some consumers like most about air conditioners. Keep your cooling system well tuner. Have it professionally main- tained, and ask how the energy effi- ciency of the system can be increased. Install a whole-(rouse ventilating fan. This can be put in your attic or in an upstairs window to cool the house, even if you have central air condition- ing. Set your thermostat as high as possible. 780 F is often recommended as a reasonably comfortable and en- ergy-efficient indoor temperature. Clean or replace air-condition- ing filters at least once a month. When the filter is dirty, the fan has to run longer to move the same amount of air, using more electricity. Lectures at the MFA in conjunction with the the Exibition Jewels of the Romanovs The Palaces of St. Petersburg pre- sented by William Craft Brumfield, Pro- fessor of Slavic Studies at Tulane Uni- versity and master photographer. With dazzling slides, Dr. Brumfield illustrates the splendor of St. Petersburg's many imperial palaces. Special emphasis is given to The Winter Palace, the Great Palace at Peterhof, and the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, which dis- plays the tastes and styles favored by two empresses, Elizabeth and Catherine the Great. Following his lecture, Dr. Brumfield will sign his book, LostRus- sia: Photographing the Ruins of Rus- sian Architecture. Thursday, June 12 @ 6:00 at Brown Auditorium. Free. Upstairs, Downstairs: Daily Life at the Alexander Palace presented by Bob Atchison, President of the Alexander Palace Association. From the fairy-tale life of the Russian tsars and their fami- lies to the lives of their servants, how did things really work at the Alexander Palace? What were the kitchen facili- ties like? What did they eat? What kind of pets did they have? What kinds of plumbing and lighting? Mr. Atchison talks about these and many more fasci- nating, behind-the-scenes aspects of daily life at the Alexander Palace. Thursday, June 26 at 6:00 p.m. at Brown Auditorium. Free. Removal and replace- ment of paving will get DRUM underway June 2nd for Auden between Rice and University and University between Weslayn and Auden. During; this pe- c. residents wit] not have access to their drive- way, so please make arrangements to park your vehicle elsewhere until im- provements are done. Also avoid area if at all possible. If you have any questions, please con- tact Public Works Director Edward Menville at 713.662.5840 or Conrad Construction Company's main office at 713937.3081. Page 7 Seniors' cal(.:.ndar of events for June ® June 2, Monday A van trip to Now and Again Antiques is on our itinerary today. This 10,000 square foot showroom at Woodlake Square should keep us busy for an hour or two. And if ev- eryone so desires, we will lunch at a nearby restaurant. 11:00 A.M - 2:00 P.M. Free. ® June 5, Thursday If you like tip-toeing through gardens, then come with us today to Shimek Gardens in Alvin, Texas. We'll see all sorts of lilies, roses, fruit trees and much more. Later we will visit a local an- tique center and Bayou Wildlife Park for a canopied tram ride through the park. 8:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. $15.00. ® June 10, Tuesday Want to learn more about West U's His- Location: Description of work or problem: • June 25, Wednesday The McGovern Amazon Forest Wing recently opened at the Houston Zoo. Want to take the van over and check it out? Weil take up to two loads. The exhibit is in a building, so no need to worry about nature's elements. 1:00 - 4:00 P.M. $2.00. Please call 713.662.5895 for more information or to make reservations to attend any of these events. Coming in July... • July 2, Wednesday Hot dog party with magical entertain- ment. Dogs with all the usual trim- mings. Call ahead for street repair con- ditions. 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. $4.00. How long has condition existed? Who should we contact for additional information? - ni_-- tory? Well, we've been invited to do just that. We will take a van to attend a meeting of the West U Historical Society. Refreshments will be served. 1:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. Free. June 13, Friday The Museum of Fine Arts Senior Pro- gram highlights the Jewels of the Romanovs. Over 250 objects, includ- ing three pieces from the "Wonders of the State Diamond Fund" are on display. 9:30 a.m. - NOON. $1.00/$5.00. June 20, Friday Today we will visit the newly renovated Contemporary Arts Museum. The most appreciated addition to the mu- seum is an elevator! Exhibits include Finders/Keepers and Yasumasa Morimura Actor/Actresses. 10:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. Donations accepted. Best time to call: F_. _-irn this for___ to: City Manager, City of West U, 3800 University Boulevard, Houston, T 77005-2802; leave a message on our 24-hour Citizen Zane at 662.5887; or complete this for on our web site at < .ci.west-university-place.tx.us> The S Page Page 8 University West Community icy r-- Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday thursday NTiday Saturday Friends of West U Building & Standards Seniors trip to Now Parks Meeting a 6:30 Commission @6:30 and Again Antiques P.M. in the Conference .M. in the Conference at Woodlake Square Room Room 11COA.M. - 2:00 P.M. Parks Board Meeting Seniors trip to Shimek a 7:30 P.M. in the Gardens in Alvin 1 2 3 Conference Room. 4 :30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. 5 6 7 Council Workshop Seniors trip @ 6:30 PM West U Historical Jewels he MFA's Conference Room c Society Meeting @ 2:00 P.M., Romanovs @ 9:30 Roma 9:30 A M - NOON Flag Day Council Meeting Bayou Manor . . . @ 7:30 PM 4141 S. Braeswood 8 Council Chamber 9 10 11 12 13 14 Happy Seniors trip to the Fathers Tray Contemporary Arts Museum a 10:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Council Workshop Seniors trip to the Cardboard Recycling @ 6:30 PM, McGovern Amazon Drop-off, 8:00 AM to NOON behind Police Conference Room Forest Wing at the , Station Houston Zoo @ 1:00 - Council Meeting 4:30 P.M. u 7:30 PM A A" 22 Council Chamber 23 24 ' 25 26 27 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 City of West University Place 3800 University Boulevard r J Houston, 'T'exas 77005 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 600 Houston, TX Sherman Yehl City Manager