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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecemberON& beniors say A needs assessment survey of We U residents 55 years and older finds th many respondents believe the City is" almost perfect place" to live and th generally the City offers outstanding se vices to the senior population. The assessment, completed by the S nior Services Board and volunteers, w recently presented to the West U Ci Council. A major concern of the most elder and frail as well as those who suff from ill health is garbage and trash pic -up. Because of frailty, dependence canes, walkers or wheelchairs, and i paired balance, a number of these s niors have difficulty with curb pick-u Unfortunately, a number of seniors a unaware that the City provides speci pick-up in these circumstances. Seniors also reported that they ha difficulty reaching City employees for a response to problems, questions or sug- gestions and expressed frustration with the current voice mail system. The re- port suggested that there was strong consensus around a desire for a human receptionist who could aid in contacting an individual or department. However, many respondents indicated that there are not many unmet needs in West U and that living in the City was tem. • Encourage the formation of neigh- borhood "Care" committees. • Be aware of special difficulties for older seniors that are caused by new construction. • Consider including facilities and space in City parks for residents of all ages. • Consider additional funding for Se- nior Services to provide for the develop- A needs assessment survey of West U. seniors will help the City to improve services offered to seniors and better meet their needs. The report was recently presented to Mayor Teresa ogler by BettyAillet and Alice O'Neil. West U is "almost st described as the "best quality of life any- at where." The Police and Fire Depart- in ments received special praise for the at care shown by the personnel and the s r- excellence of emergency services. s Responses were gathered using a se- e- ries of focus groups as well as telephone a: as interviews. Ninety-nine residents be- 6 ty tween 55 and 97 years of age partici- - pated in the assessment. ly The report's recommendations include: er • Continue to provide assistance with k- garbage pick-up to elderly or disabled on residents who request the service. The m- request process should be simplified and e- the service publicized. o p. • Take measures within City govern- e re ment to provide prompt responses to J al residents' comments, inquiries and com- plaints. ve • Address the City's fire rating sys- 1 perfect" went of a program for men planned by male residents. • Be aware that seniors come in all hapes and sizes and represent an age pan of 45 years. The needs assessment survey is avail- le from from the Senior Services office at 62.5895. Penalty assessed for illegal blocking The West U Police Depart- ment will begin cracking down n illegal parking in the City wi r nforcement scheduled to begin ~ 4' anuary 1, 1999. Of particular concern to the City Council and several residents attend- ng the November 9,1998 Council meet- gwas the lack of concern by citi m zens who park their cars over sidewalks, blocking pedestrian access. "It is extremely dangerous for kids to have to walk into the streets because of inconsiderate residents who use the sidewalks as their personal parking lot," said resident Ken Hoffman. Another resident, Reg Burns noted that West U has a history of lack of enforcement. ,,In places like River Oaks the quality of life is better and property values are higher because people respect the law and parking ordinances are enforced," said Burns. For the next six weeks WUPD offic- (continued on page 3) • Calendar of events S • Citizen Work Order 7 • City Life 3 • Employee Spotlight 4 • Inside Council Chambers 2 • Ordinance Spotlight 6 • Police Blotter 5 • Senior Calender 7 Volume 25, No. 12 December 1998 Inside Council Chambers Page 2 An overflow crowd estimated at over 300 people filled the West U Commu- nity Center on November 161 to express concern over a proposed pedestrian and bicycle system for the City. The November Vision 2020 meeting, originally scheduled to discuss zoning and development issues, changed course as those in attendance sought to make their views known. After listening to residents' comments for over an hour, Mayor Teresa Fogler declared the proposed system "dead," assuring citizens that, in light of their comments, she could no longer support the measure and would direct the City's consulting planners to move on to other issues. The proposed system would have con- nected West U's parks, the City Center area, and the Rice Village with dedi- cated, marked lanes for pedestrians and ans and it puts an unfair burden on those living on those streets." Mayor Fogler, who moderated the meeting, noted that the pedestrian pro- posal was "just one part of the planning process currently underway in West U." "Other elements, like zoning, redevel- opment of the City Center, and traffic and safety issues, are at least as vital, if not more so, to the success of any plan that is ultimately adopted," she said. She assured residents that the overall intention of Council and of the planners is to create a comprehensive plan that is accepted and "owned" by the citizens. As for the notion of pedestrian friend- liness, Mayor Fogler anticipates Coun- cil will move forward with a discussion of the sidewalk system in the City. The issue of repairing and completing the sidewalks has been raised several times this Fall by various Council members. cyclists, using existing streets or the The question has been discussed side- by-side with the more elaborate pedes- trian system proposed by the planners. While reaction to the sidewalk issue prior to Monday's meeting had been mixed, the response of residents on hand at the meeting seemed almost unanimous improved sidewalks throughout the City would be preferred over a dedicated system. The meeting, which lasted until 11:00 PM, eventually addressed the original agenda. The abbreviated discussion of zoning and planning goals examined the need to refine the comprehensive zon- ing ordinance and to address the visual appearance of the City Center, the bor- der or buffer zones of the City, and its residential neighborhoods. The next town meeting is scheduled for January 18th and will address City prop- erty and facilities. I~ a public right-of-way area. The system, We're which had been unveiled in July, devel- oped from the initial town hall meeting by Council Member Cindy Neal in April, when residents in attendance and respondents to a City-wide survey established a goal to make the commu- nity more "pedestrian friendly." Residents feared the system would reduce property values and increase crime, and believed retro-fitting the ex- isting narrow streets of the City with such an extravagant system would ex- tract too high a price in convenience and safety. A resident from the 6400 block of Mercer noted that West U "is not a planned community. We are too estab- lished to impose this type of plan on the City.11 Another resident from the 6600 block of Mercer said, "The plan as whole doesn't work. It is unsafe for pedestri- Plans are afoot to enclose some underutilized property next to West U's wastewater treatment plant for use as an animal exercise facility (ARF). The property on north Braeswood is owned by West U, but is outside our city limits. Almost two acres could be fenced and secured for the use of West U resi- dents only. Inside the fence, dogs may be off the leash to run, play, catch a Frisbee, and yes, foul the grass. These urban "bark parks" are success- ful in many cities. West U's own dog exercise area will be researched, planned, and implemented by our in-house green space experts, the Parks Board. In my mind's eye, it will be very simple, with benches for the dog owners, a water fountain with upper and lower spouts, and dispensers for plastic gloves. There will also be miniature sep- tic tanks available... okay, perhaps we won't go quite that far. Security lighting will be included to accommodate the shorter days of winter, but for security reasons the facility will probably close (lights out) at 10:00 PM year round. Perhaps you will soon have another way to exercise your dog! Call or e- mail with your suggestions. I have taken a poll of dog owners I know, all of whom love the idea, but it would be great to have a broader response to pass along to the Parks Board. ARF! Contact Cindy Neal, City Council member at - • Phone: 713.6653949 or • E-mail: cneal@hypercon.com the City of lA'est University Place, Texas Mayor Teresa Fogler (662.5801) City Council Members Tony Davis (662.5808), Cindy Deal (662.5847), Cindy Sparkman (662.5848), Patrick Starich (662.5889) Chgy Currents welcomes your contributions. Forward material to 3800 University Boulevard, West University Place, TX 77005, c/o e city manager by the I Oth of the month preceding publication. ■ Residents say General Information: 668.4441 • City Manager Sherman Yehl: 662.5810; e-mail: syehl@ci.west-university-place.tx.us Visit us on the World Wide Web at <www.ei.west-iniversity plaee.t c us> City Life Page 3 JAW Holiday Camp Bring in the holiday season with a bundle of fun! Children will participate in a variety of activities, including games, songs, movies, arts and crafts, and playtime. For ages 5 & up. Registration is December 1 st for resi- dents and December 3rd for non-resi- dents. Register at the Community Cen- ter, 6104 Auden. Camp Dates: Mon., 21, Tues., 22 Mon., 28, Tue., 29, Wed., 30, & Thurs., 31 Time: 9:00am - 2pm Fee: $75/85NR Camp Coordinator: Lachele Stoeck Location: Scout House *Children need to bring a sack lunch. Snacks are provided. Let i sno ! Let it sn ! Let it sn ! Join us for the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, complete with real snow! Santa Claus will be on hand for the fes- tivities to be held on Monday, Decem- ber Th at 6:30 PM. This year, the cer- emony will be held in front of the Com- munity Building, located at 6104 Auden. Nobel thin to On October 12t', 1998, Dr. Ferid Murad, a West U resident, was one of three Americans to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Dr. Murad received the coveted award for his work on nitric acid. Murad is the chairman of the Department of Integra- tive Biology, Pharmacology and Physi- ology at the University of Texas-Hous- ton Medical School. On December 10th, 1998 Dr. Murad will officially accept his Nobel Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. The City has pro- claimed December 10th, 1998 Dr: Ferid Murad Day. Dr. Murad deserves the most sincere appreciation for his dedi- cation and commitment to furthering the understanding of medicine. Congratulations, Dr. Murad, on receiv- ing the prestigious Nobel Prize in Medi- cine. Your Drinking Water - Lead and Copper Survey Results by Patrick J. Walters The most recent results of lead am available to make and copper sampling shows that the presentations at meetings of local drinking water provided by the City, a organizations and in school meets the standards for set by the` C, classrooms. These presentations U.S. Environmental Protection cover drinking water and wastewater Agency. The water department will issues in general and other issues related continue to monitor for lead and copper. directly to the City's utility systems. In addition to regulatory monitoring, staff To schedule a presentation, or for will monitor closely the sample sites, other information on our drinking water which had above 0.0100 mg/L lead or wastewater systems, please contact content. me by telephone: 713.666.8974 or e- As a service proviaea ay ine t-ity, i mail: pjwaltersILaol.com. EPA Action Levels: Lead -0.0150 mg/L; Copper -1.300 mg/L Sample Lead Copper Sample Lead) Copper Sample Lead Copper dumber (mg/L) (mg/L) Number (mg/L) (mg/L) Number (mg/L) (mg/L) 1 0.001 0.0249 11 0.01 0.0087 21 0.00057 0.0312 2 0.005 0.0127 12 0.004 0.0103 22 0.003 0.0079 3 0.005 0.0241 13 0.001 0.0288 23 0.005 0.0135 4 0.002 0.028 14 0.001 0.0175 24 0.0024 0.0155 5 0.003 0.0126 15 0.011 0.0124 25 0.0027 0.0101 6 0.015 0.0165 16 0.011 0.0221 26 0.0014 0.0217 7 0.005 0.0121 17 0.0042 0.0152 27 0.0022 0.0386 8 0.007 0.0066 18 0.0051 0.0224 28 0.0101 0.0107 9 0.005 0.01 19 0.00034 0.0852 29 0.0032 0.0228 10 0.003 0.0167 20 0.0033 0.0163 30 0.0072 0.0118 Survey completed August, 1998 The loo enter prepares for the holidays As the holidays approach, The Blood days designated by The Blood Center Center is preparing for the challenging as Red Letter Days. These days are task of maintaining the blood supply in chosen because of the low number of the Gulf Coast region at safe levels. donations projected during Christmas Usage at regional hospitals has in- and New Years holidays. If a person creased 10.2 percent compared to the donates blood on one of the following same time last year and it has been dif- days, he or she will receive a special ficult to adequately meet the need of Holiday Hero T-shirt: December 19- patients in the region. Area hospitals 24, December 29-31, and January 2-4. always need blood making it extremely "On behalf of The Blood Center and important for people to continue donat- those patients in the region who need ing blood throughout the year. blood, we thank all blood donors who To reward people who donate blood give a little bit of themselves to help regularly, The Blood Center frequently someone else in need of transfusion provides T-shirts appropriate to the therapy. With the Holiday Hero donor event. Holiday Heroes receive a T-shirt recognition program we show our ap- when they donate on one of thirty-two (continued on page 7) (Illegal Blocking continued from page 1) ers will be educating residents about il- legal parking by issuing warning notices for parking over sidewalks, parking the wrong way on streets, parking too close to fire hydrants or in fire lanes, and park- ing too close to intersections. Effective on January 1 tickets, with fines from $20 to $50, will be issued. The City Council also discussed ways in which the Police Department could be more proactive in addressing crime. A series of armed robberies in the ar- eas adjacent to West U has some resi- dents concerned about the need to make the police more visible in the commu- nity. Police Chief Gary Brye was re- quested to provide a staffing study which takes into account the addition of six new police officers for patrol. 4 EMPLOYEE I nIE SPOTLIGHT In the employee of the month spotlight this month is your Fire Department's newest Lieutenant, Joe Gebhardt. Joe is a Houston area native, having grown up in Jacinto City and attending Galena Park high school. Joe began his fire service in 1979 as a volunteer with the Jacinto City fire de- partment. After a few years as a vol- unteer he chose to make the fire ser- vice his career. He received his fire certification training at Texas A&M Uni- versity and received paramedic training at San Jacinto College. Joe has since received numerous certifications and attended classes in both the fire and EMS fields. Joe most recently earned a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant' through testing and an assessment cen- ter process. Joe came to West University in 1985. You likely have seen him out and about in our city, possibly in the course of duty, perhaps at a community function or maybe just shopping at JMH. "I really enjoy the small city environ- ment and the opportunity that it affords me to provide a more personalized ser- vice to the residents of our community. I also have a great bunch of co-work- ers, in and out of the fire department." When not hard at work for you, Joe has a number of interests. When his dog washing and horse tending honey- dos are complete he enjoys honing his culinary skills and is a barbecue affectionado. During hunting and va- cation seasons he has been known to head west on I-10 to the Hill Country. Joe selfishly wishes everyone a safe holiday season and thanks you for the opportunity to work for you. r F E Celebrating the big eptiquinquennial By early 1923, approximately forty families were living in West University Place, an area best described as a low- lying, poorly drained swamp. A prob- lem all of the early homeowners encoun- tered was the flooding of streets and yards each time there was a heavy rain. The residents realized that they needed to band together and solve this problem. After a series of neighborhood meet- ings, during which the participants dis- cussed not only their flooding problems but also the need for such amenities as schools, and police and fire protection, they conceded that the best solution was to incorporate their town. The first step was to file a plat of their proposed city in October of 1923. A petition was circulated (a tabulation showing that there were more than 200 people living in West U by this time), expressing the desire "to incorporate the hereinafter described territory which is now unincorporated, into an incorporated town, the name of which town, if it be incorporated, shall be West University Place." There were 29 signatories, all of whom had lived in West U for at least six months. The Petition to Incorporate was filed with the Harris County Commissioners Court on December 1, 1923, and signed by county Judge Chester H. Bryan. The Judge ordered an election for incorpo- ration on December 18, 1923. The elec- tion drew a total of 30 people, all ofwhom voted in favor of incorporation. West University Place will celebrate its 75th year of incorporation through- out 1999. The West University Place Historical Society is proud to be part of the celebration. For information on join- ing the Historical Society, call June Begeman at 666.5721. Time to "Get Smart" about bike theft by Lt. Richard Unger One of the most common crimes that the West U. Police Department deals with is bicycle theft. The "Get Smart" program, developed several years ago, has helped to reduce the occurrences of bicycle theft at night. Unfortunately, bicycle thefts still frequently occur during the day. Due to the high volume of legitimate traffic during daylight hours, a bike thief is able to pass unnoticed with relative ease while committing the crime. The theft occurs in only a matter of seconds. An innocent looking pedestrian mounts an unsecured bicycle and disappears around the next corner. The pedestrian is actually a bike thief. Other methods include throwing the bike into a pickup or trading an old bike for a nicer one. A thief rarely uses force to steal a bike, whether chained to a stationary object or from a locked garage. Although local children steal some bicycles, older teenagers and adults steal a greater amount. What can you do about this problem? First, write down the make, model, color, and serial number of your bicycle (and lawnmower, TV, VCR, etc.). File the information in a safe place. Than, close the garage door! A large number of bicycles disappear from open garages. In one incident, the resident was carrying groceries into the house. While returning for the next load, she witnessed the thief riding away on her bike. In less than 15 seconds the thief noticed an opportunity and acted. Next, teach your children to keep their bicycles secure. Too often, kids leave their bicycles unattended in the front yard. Either place the bicycle in the garage (and close the door) or keep it as far from the street as possible and hidden from view. A bicycle may be effectively hidden from the street by bushes and cars. The backyard is yet another option. If you suspect someone is stealing a bike, make note ofhislher description and direction of travel. Call the police immediately. If possible, follow them in your car and contact the police department on your mobile phone, quickly guiding us to the suspect. Within certain guidelines, state law permits you to use reasonable force to prevent a theft. However, you cannot make a citizens arrest unless the offense is a felony. In most cases, it's just not a good idea to stop a thief. The consequences may be more severe than the loss of property as the suspect may turn the situation into a violent confrontation. Police Blotter kXC1&" V1, 1770 ■ AO%k Auto Theft up close 3000 Wroxton - October 14. A resi- dent reported her ladies 15-speed bicycle missing from her garage Although the 4200 Sunset - October 13. A resi- dent reported that someone attempted to take his vehicle out of his driveway. The vehicle was found partially hanging in the'street. It appeared that it had been started. The suspects may have been scared off. Nothing was missing from inside the ve- hicle. No suspects or wit- nesses; case pending further garage doors were shut, a side door was unlocked. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further information. 2900 Quenby - October 17. A resi- dent reported three bicycles miss- ing from his unlocked garage, de- spite t iron electronic driveway. One bicycle gista black 22" 6-speed mountain bike, an- other a purple 22" 6-speed moun- information. tain bike, and a black with green - stripe 24" mountain bike. No sus- Burglary of a Building ` pects or witnesses; case pending further information 3800 Milton - October 6. A city employee returned from vacation to find the computer printer missing from his office. There were no signs of forced entry. Few people have keys to the of- fice. Turned over to the detectives for further investigation. 3800 Milton - October 6. A city employee reported that a computer monitor was gone from his shop area. As it was unused, it is not certain as to how long it has been missing. No signs of forced entry. Few people have keys to the office. Turned over to the detec- tives for further investigation. 3500 Corondo Court - October 7. A resident advised that two men's bi- cycles were missing from her garage, which had been open due to damaged doors. One was red, the other green and white. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further information. 2900 Sunset - October 12. A resi- dent called 911 to report that a medium brown-skinned Hispanic or Black male just stole her gray, 10-speed Miyta bi- cycle from her garage. The suspect, who was wearing a bright blue and white Hawaiian shirt, was not found after an immediate search of the area. No sus- pects or witnesses; case pending fur- ther information. 2800 Nottingham - October 12. A resident reported her husband's black mountain bike missing from their open garage and a gray and white speckled Huffy 10-speed bike was left behind. No suspects or witnesses; case pending fur- ther information. 3500 Pittsburg - October 21. A resi- dent advised that their black Schwinn bicycle had been taken from the closed garage. A back door had been unlocked. No suspects or witnesses; case pend- ing further information. 3000 Wroxton - October 28. A housekeeper at a residence discovered an unknown bicycle in the garage and the resident's maroon Utimax mountain bike missing. The recovered bike is a green men's Schwinn cruiser mountain bike with a white baby seat attached. No suspects or witnesses; case pend- ing further information. 4200 Dartmouth - October 29. Resi- dents returning from vacation found their garage door forced open; a crow- bar was found nearby. Taken from the garage were a red, woman's Special- ized Crossroads bicycle and a man's Trek 720. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further information. Burglary of a Habitation 2600 Nottingham - October 19. A resident advised that when he returned home from work he discovered his back door open. A lawn mower was missing from the back yard and several power tools and a pair of running shoes were missing from inside the house. A neigh- bor observed a Black male, 6'tall of light build, clean shaven with short wavy hair, wearing a light colored T-shirt and dark pants, make at least two trips through a side gate into the back yard. The sus- pect had a commercial box-type truck Page 5 - Chiefs Corner Uy Polka ch-e f nary an,~ Lately it seems to me that I'm con- stantly being asked just how safe it is in our community and what citizens can do to make it even safer. The answer to this question has two parts. First of all, our crime rate is low and has been so for a long period. Second, you can and should always call the police de- partment to report suspicious circum- stances. Here is a perfect example of, what I mean. A short time ago one of our residents came home' and diseoa erect that their house had been broker into. A great deal of property had been! taken. Officers investigating the c scl discovered that a neighbor had ob- served a suspicious person leaving tlie" area of the house but did not cal the police. A few days later at a d- in erenl! location we did receive a call frown a different resident. This resident re- ported suspicious activity and a suspectl leaving the area of a townhouse. G ficers responded, found the suspect, and were able to make an arrest. Be- cause of this person's call to politic, and follow-up work by officers, almost all of the stolen property from the bu rgl an was recovered and the burglar w -s! identified. So the moral of the story is, If it looks suspicious, call thepolice. We're here to serve and protect ,you We need your eyes and ears to fiel,-) out." Gary Brye with a red cab and a silver/aluminum box. There were no other markings or words on the truck and the license plate was tipped down so it could not be read. The suspect was at the residence for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before leaving in the truck. The resident thought the back door was locked but there were no signs of forced entry. A pair of shoes with socks was left behind as well as a drink can. A vase appeared to have been touched and was confis- cated for fingerprints. Turned over to the detectives for further investigation. 6300 Belmont - October 28. A resi- dent reported that when he arrived home he heard a noise from the kitchen. When he entered the kitchen, he found the back door open and the dead bolt ex- (Blotter - continued on page 6) Page 6 (Blotter - continued from p. S) tended and bent. Thinking the maid may have accidentally damaged the door, he started to fix it. He then realized that the area around the doorframe was also damaged. In checking other parts of the house, he realized he had been bur- glarized. The neighbor saw a Black male, 20 to 30 years old, 5'10" with a medium build, walking down Belmont near University carrying a large box on his shoulder. Most of the rooms had been searched and many jewelry items were taken as well as a pistol. No fin- gerprints were found. Turned over to the detectives for further investigation. In November, a resident witnessed a Black male with a backpack leaving a neighbor's residence whose home alarm was sounding and called the police. A West U officer stopped a Metro bus and apprehended the suspect whose back- pack contained articles thought to be stolen. The resident identified a couple of items belonging to him, however did not want to press charges of Burglary if the rest of his stolen property was re- turned. The suspect led the officer to his apartment where most of the items were recovered. Case solved and closed. Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 2700 Bissonnet - October 2. A pa- tron to a local business returned to his car to find a window shattered. Miss- ing from the vehicle were a sports bag containing tennis rackets and clothes. No suspects or witnesses; case pend- ing further information. 3100 Robinhood - October 31. A worker in the area reported seeing a pickup truck with two Black males stop beside his pickup truck. One male got out, took a leaf-blower and an edger from his truck and drove off. The sus- pects vehicle was a newer model, candy apple red Chevrolet truck. No additional details; case pending further information. Criminal Mischief 2600 Robinhood - October 3. The babysitter at a residence heard a noise outside and saw a juvenile hanging out the window of a vehicle driving by. She discovered the driver's side mirror to her vehicle broken. She described the sus- pect vehicle and thought she knew the juvenile. The officer checked the pos- sible address of the suspect, who claimed to have been out but denied breaking the mirror. The babysitter did not want to file charges without proof. Case closed. 4200 Amherst - October 19. A resi- dent reported that someone damaged the door lock to her vehicle. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further in- formation. Forgery/Credit Card Abuse 4200 Emory - October 8. A resi- dent advised that a credit card company notified her that someone attempted to pass one of her bank checks at a de- partment store, a box of which had been missing since late September. The sus- pect was arrested by Harris County Precinct 4. Arrest made, case closed. 3700 Albans - October 12. A resi- dent received a notice that she had writ- ten a bad check in another city. Fol- lowing up on the report, she found that the check contained her name and per- sonal information but was drawn on a different bank and account number. She contacted the check verifying compa- nies, Telecheck and Equifax, to have her name flagged. She was informed that other "bounced" checks had been re- ported under her name, all of which were cashed in Louisiana. Turned over to detectives for further investigation. Tangley - October 20. A resident reported that someone had opened a department store credit card in his name and used his major credit card number to purchase items. Several purchases were made on both credit cards. An address change had been requested for the fraudulent card, that has been traced. Turned over to the detectives for further investigation. 5900 Fordham - October 21. A resi- dent advised that he lost his credit/ATM card. His statement showed that some- one made one purchase. Turned over to detectives for further investigation. 6700 Stella Link - October 22. A resident reported that someone had de- posited two checks into his checking account with less cash received. Turned over to the detectives for fur- ther investigation. 5300 Mercer - October 22. A resi- dent received a call from her bank about a check written on her account for a large amount to an unknown person. It was discovered that additional checks had been ordered for her account with a change of address and phone numbers. Several checks for large sums had been cashed through this money market ac- count. Turned over to the detectives for further investigation. 2800 Wroxton - October 30. A resi- dent reported that while checking his credit rating he found two gasoline credit card accounts that were not his. His name and social security number were correct but the address was in a differ- ent city. There are outstanding balances on both of the cards. Turned over to the detectives for further investigation. Robbery 4100 Southwestern - October 29. As a resident exited her vehicle in her driveway, she saw someone running to- wards her through the neighbor's yard. Two medium dark-skinned Black males, one with a gun, demanded her watch and rings. She gave them the watch but could not remove the rings. One sus- pect grabbed her hand and started pull- ing on the rings. The resident screamed and her teenaged son came out of the house. The suspects ran off. The son ran after them until one of the suspects pointed something at him and a red laser dot appeared on his chest. The young man ducked into the bushes then returned to the house. The car door contained fingerprints, possibly of the suspects. Turned over to detectives for further in- vestigation. In November, the city of Hedwig Village police arrested a Black male for aggravated robbery (with a weapon) and another suspect turned himself in. In a taped line-up, the resi- dents identified the second suspect as one of the two males involved in their robbery. The suspect is awaiting trial in Harris County with no bond. Theft 3100 Nottingham - October 3. A resident reported that his lawnmower was missing from his backyard. It is black with a gray body and five-horse power motor. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further information. 4000 Coleridge - October 4. A resi- dent advised that the Halloween deco- rations in her yard had been taken dur- ing the night. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further information. 4000 Bellaire - October 15. The ve- (Blotter - continued on page 7) Page 7 erniors' calendar of events for December • December 1, Tuesday • December 7 Monday • December 11 F 'd Do you have any last minute Christ- mas Shopping to do? Perhaps, you would simply like to _ K= people watch and enjoy lunch at The Galleria. We'll get you over there in the mini-bus. 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Free. • December 3, Thursday Today's destination is Sugar Land. We begin our trip with a visit to the Museum ofSouthern History fol- lowed by a guided tour of the Aero- drome, where Olympians and the Houston Aeros practice. We stop to enjoy lunch at Correli's Italian Cafe, followed by an afternoon Casino Party. Sugar Land Seniors will be invited to party with us. Local musi- cians will provide the entertainment. Sorry, no big prizes, but it will be a lot of fun. 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. $20.00. (Blotter - continued from page 6) hicle of a patron to a local business was almost struck by another vehicle while she was loading her purchases. She checked to make sure there was no dam- age, fmished loading her vehicle, and then drove home. She discovered her purse was missing. She was not sure at ex- actly what moment she lost track of it. No suspects or witnesses; case pend- ing further information. 3900 Amherst - October 17. A resi- dent reported that while visiting a friend, she left her bicycle out front. A few minutes later, she discovered it missing. It was a two-toned purple, Murray Mountain bike. No suspects or wit- nesses; case pending further informa- tion. 5300 Buffalo Speedway - October 10. A visitor to a local church had her wallet taken from an office while visit- ing an employee. The office was not locked. No suspects or witnesses; case pending further information. 4100 Dartmouth - October 21. A Last year we were able to tour only half of The Hereitage House all decorated for the holidays. This trip we will see the rest of them. The mu- seum is also interesting and well worth the visit. 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM. $4.00. • December 8, Tuesday The ladies of the Tuesday Musical Club have, once again, graciously invited us to attend their Christmas Coffee held at The Junior League. The brunch is delicious and the mu- sical program, top-notch. Your res- ervations and money are needed by Monday, November 23. 9:30 AM - NOON. $10.00. December 9, Tuesday We will take another group to the Ride Store to get our ID cards for the Metro 70 Plus Lifetime Pass Program. 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM. $2.00. resident reported that her son's red 20" 6-speed mountain bike was taken from the front porch of their home. No sus- pects or witnesses; case pending fur- ther information. 3000 Tangley - October 26. A call was received about a bicycle theft in progress. Officers could not find the two White males, 20-25 years in age, wearing shorts, one in a red T-shirt and one in a white T-shirt. The housekeeper saw one male pass two bicycles from the gated backyard to another male. She contacted the resident at the office who in turn called the police department. The bicycles are men's Trek Hybrid, 26" 24- speed, purple and teal in color. No sus- pects or witnesses; case pending fur- ther information. 4000 Bellaire - October 30. A pa- tron to a local business had her wallet in the shopping cart as she loaded pack- ages into her car. Later at home she realized that the wallet was missing. No suspects or witnesses; case pending fur- ther information. , I ay Today's MFA senior program is titled Rhapsodies in Black.• The Art of the Harlem Renaissance. Alvia Wardlaw will be the guest lecturer. 9:30 AM -NOON. $1.00/$2,00. • December 15, Tuesday Join us for our Christmas party at St. George Orthodox. In addition to a delicius hot lunch, we will be en- tertained by an award-winning mu- sical group titled Four Men Only. Reservations are a must. 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. $2.00. L"V T_Trl~% Please call 713.662.5895 for more information or to make reservations to attend any of these events. (The Blood Center continued from page 3) predation to the heroes who give the gift of life. In this situation, everybody wins," said Renay Moore, The Blood Center's director of donor recruitment. Stop by the La Concha facility at 1400 La Concha. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM; and Sunday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. For directions or more information call (713) 790-1200. o s• he Last Page f F Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday - -+r Seniors trip to the for some ll i ~ BuildingandStandards Commission @ 6:30 Newcomer's Club Coffee, 10:30 AM - a er a Christmas Shopping, PM in the Public Works NOON, Community o m Lunchroom Center Al- ` Seniors trip to Suga r i Land c 29 30 1 2 3 - 4 5 eniors are invited t Senior Services Board Museum of Fine Arts ~ Christmas Coffee Meeting @ 2:30 PM. senior program: with the Tuesda "Rhapsodies in Black: Musical Club. Zoning and Planning The Art of the Commission @7:00 Harlem Renaissance." o~ ree Lighting Ceremony, 6:30 P,M. in the Public Works Lunchroom 6 M' 7 8 9 10 11 12 Council Workshop Seniors Christmas Zoning Board of 6:45 PM Party at St. Georg Adjustment @ 6:30 Community Ctr. Orthodox Church .M. in the Public f , G ' Works Conference Council Meeting ~ ~ Room 7:30 PM Commu- %7 f ~ _ _4~ 13 ity Ctr. 14 15 16 17 18 a j-. ~ 19 City Offl s Closed Solid waste picku 20 21 22 23 today, the 24°h! 24 25 26 Council Worksho City offices close @ 6:45 PM Ctr mmunit C o' < . y o l, t Council Meeting @ 7:30 PM Commu- nity Ctr. 27 28 29 30 31 2 0 City of West University Place CM) 3800 University Boulevard West University Place, Texas 77005 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 600 Houston, TX