1986 Local Corvette Enthusiasts

By day, Larry Wright and Alan Robertson are local white-collar businessmen in stressful, high-profile professions. 

However, after quitting time, the pair shed their coats and ties for faded, oil-stained blue jeans, T-shirts, and Beach Boys cassettes as they actively restore beat up Corvettes to their original showroom lustre in the garage of Robertson's Kirkwood home.

"I work with figures all day. I sit at a desk .  .  I wear a coat and tie," Wright, a Green Tee resident and a local bank executive, said. "I work hard and get grease on my elbows."

"During the day, I work with customers and mechanics," says Robertson, a service manager at an area car dealership. "I very rarely work on them (cars)."

Rich Man's Sport

At first thought, one might believe the reassembling of a Corvette is strictly a "rich man's sport" but Wright dispels that notion.

If you have most of the work done for you, it's a rich man's sport," Wright said. "In my opinion, you can't buy a Corvette and subcontract the work without losing substantial amounts of money."

Robertson agreed, noting the going shop rate for labor at most car dealerships is $39 an hour.

To alleviate the expense, Wright and Robertson do 80 to 90 percent of the work on heir Corvette projects themselves at night and most weekends.

"The car we have now (a 1963 spot-window coupe) is in 5,000 pieces. "It's all in baskets."

But saving money isn't the sole motivation for the Corvette enthusiasts. "I like the idea of having something I can show off," Robertson said. "You can say you did it (put the car together) with your own hands."

We think it's the greatest hobby in the world, "Wright said. "I can afford to buy a 1986 Corvette but I like my 1962 (model) more."

Support
The pair also have the support of their families and friends. "Both of our wives are very supportive," Wright said, "One of their fun things is to go to swap meets."

"We have a lot of friends who work with us," Wright added. "It's kind of a fraternity."

8/14/86 Bizarre Birth in South Belt

A 12-year-old mother and baby are fine following a bizarre incident which occurred last Sunday morning in the South Belt area.

The 12-year-old mother, who was visiting from Arkansas, "unintentional" attempted to flush her newborn baby down the toilet after giving birth at approximately 4 a.m. Sunday.

Sgt. Mike Thomas of the Houston Juvenile Department said the mother flushed the toilet with the intention of disposing of the afterbirth and blood, not to harm the baby. 

Thomas said the mother said she did not realize she was pregnant until she gave birth.

Likewise, neither the girl's parents not her uncle, with whom she was staying with when she had the baby, knew of her pregnancy.

Thomas said the mother and the child were taken by Houston Fire Department paramedics, from Station 70, to Humana Hospital-Clear Leak where they were listed in stable condition.

Thomas said no charges with be pressed against the mother, and the future of the baby has not been decided.

The Endless Wait for the Fuqua Bridge

 

 July 6, 1989

Fuqua Bridge Stalled

Although the Fuqua bridge at I-45 sits basically finished, South Belt residents must wait out traffic logistic problems between Houston and the state.

No one at either the Texas Department of Highways or the Houston Department of Traffic and Transportation could name an approximate date since both entities claim delays exist because of problems with the other entity. 

August 10, 1989

Gathered on the wast side of the ill fated Fuqua bridge, a number of community leaders and Fuqua business people gathered with Texas Highway Department officials to kick off the opening of all six lanes of the bridge. Weather, contractor problems and Houston building a 96-inch waterline in the same vicinity stalled the opening of he bridge for too long.  

Summer 1989 Houston: Stay Home

Gaining momentum against a proposed annexation of Sagemeadow M.U.D. by Houston, residents and community leaders expressed no desire to fall under the auspices of a city work on providing standard services. 

Annexation of Sagemeadow M.U.D., consisting of Sagemeadow and Kirkwood South subdivisions, could cause a 30 percent loss of funding for the Southeast Volunteer Fire Department and an increase in rates for the constable deputy contracts with Houston probably unable to provide adequate service. 

District E. City Councilman Frank Mancuso said he had not seen any written plans for considering annexation although he has asked the city planning department for information. 

"If I don't get an answer this week, I'll publicly ask the planning department to answer my questions. Personally, I don't think the city could handle very much annexation. City services are spread so thin I don't think they can stretch them anymore. 

"The city does not have enough police officers or firemen and the public works department can barely keep up with filling potholes. They even stopped cutting weeds on city rights of way. The city is not in a position to go through an annexation process," said Mancuso.

On July 3, a 17-year-old South Belt youth was severely injured in a truck accident after his vehicle hit a pothole at South Belt and Hughes and the truck rolled over. 

According to fire protection officials, annexation would definitely tax the quality of fire department services for both the city and the county. 

"If the city annexes Sagemeadow, the fire department would lose a significant amount of revenue without losing the bulk of its coverage area. It would hurt the department and the residents would not get anything out of it except higher taxes," said Chuck Tylka, SVFD president.

Annexation would cause the department to quit using at least one engine because we could not afford it. We have the station payments, insurance, and full-time day personnel at the station. We will have to cut somewhere. 

"Houston is not going to build another station out here. They can't afford it. They're not going to hire any more firemen, so the coverage area for the local station will be made bigger without adding any more man power," said Tylka. 

6 Weeks Later. . . 

Faced with mounting opposition toward annexation fueled by the efforts of the South Belt Task Force and 10 state legislators, Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire backed off plans of acquiring the unincorporated areas of South Belt.

Last week, the mayor was hand-delivered a letter signed by eight state representatives and two state senators stating their opposition to any annexation by the city. In addition to the dilution of city services, the legislators also said annexation during an election year appeared to be a violation of the spirit of the law.

6/29/89 Amphibious Vehicles Needed

As the rain fell Monday, June 26, South Belt area ditches and creeks swelled and left their banks in several areas causing anxious moments for many area motorists trying to make it home. (Tropical Storm Allison)

Happy Birthday Sally

Sally Sherrod, principal at Burnett Elementary, stands beside her "birthday card" from her staff. She became one-half a century old last week. The card was delivered to her home after the staff "mourned the passing of her youth" with appropriate dress and decor at school. 

October 1988 Beamer at Kirkfair Pre-Light

During afternoon rush hour traffic on Beamer as Dobie ended the school day, 18-year-old George Phillips lost control of his car at the intersection of Beamer and Kirkfair and careened across two lanes of traffic crashing into a light pole on the median. Although the Chrysler LeBaron was totaled, Phillips was uninjured. This latest wreck at the intersection at which two or three wrecks occur weekly reinforces the need for traffic control.

Updated 10/25/14 to add:

5/28/87 Beltway 8 Project Progress

1989 Sagemont Baptist Church Wildgame Extravaganza

Summer 1986 People to People's Ronnie and Becky

1986 Dobie Longhorn Football at the Astrodome

The Fall of 1986 saw the Dobie Longhorns make it all the way in the playoffs to the 5A game held at the Astrodome. 

The Leader had a few pictures of the parade held beforehand, and a few snapshots from inside:

April 1986 School Crossing Accident

An accident involving a 10-year-old Burnett student last week has given rise to an effort to make safer the school crossing at Scarsdale and Sageglen.

Ten-year-old Glen Wright was walking home from school Thursday when he was hit by a car at the intersection of Fairbury and Scarsdale, according to Terry Cannon, PISD spokesman. The child suffered a broken collar bone, she said. School personnel say he is expected to return to school next week.

Meanwhile, Fran Ryan, mother of two Burnett students has taken on the responsibility of crossing the school children every morning and afternoon and has contacted county, city, and PISD officials in an effort to better control traffic on the heavily traveled Scarsdale boulevard.

"The kids shouldn't be afraid to come across the street and shouldn't be intimidated by drivers," Ryan said.

Through Ryan's efforts, the office of Princinct 1 Harri County Commissioner El Franco Lee has agreed to have 18-inch white stripes placed at the beginning and ending of the school zone on Scarsdale, she said, and to have times changed on school zone signs to better conform to times children will be crossing the street.

The South Belt Coalition also contacted Lee's officce. Bent Miller, Lee's administrative assistance, said he is submitting a letter to the county engineer requesting flashing lights in the zone.

The Coalition has attempted to get flashing lights at all area school zones for the last year. The Coalition, however, as unaware that while Burnett Elementary is in the city limits, the crosswalk lies in the county. Therefore they had been contacting the city on this specific zone. The county has placed lights at Weber Elementary and has plans for placement of lights at Moore Elementary, the only other area county school.

Coalition chairman Mary Obenauf said the city has been slow to honor the Coalition's requests.

But many, including PISD officials, feel that a crossing guard should be in place at the crosswalk. Although the child was not using the crosswalk when he was hit, it is felt by crossing guard advocates that a crossing guard would serves as a reminder of where to cross the street.

The question of who is responsible for placement of that guard, a question that has been bounced around for several years, remains.

The county's stance, said Miller, is that placement of a guard is a municipality's responsibility, and when zones lie in the county, it is the responsibility of civic groups or neighborhoods to hire a guard.

The school district's position is that the district cannot assume liabilities on county and city streets, said Jack Donnell, assistant superintendent of operations. Municipalities are created to provide these services, he said.

However, a letter has been written to County Judge Jon Lindsay on behalf of PISD asking for aid in rectifying the problem, including the placement of a guard at the crossing, said Deupty Superintendent of Administration Eugene Tegeler.

Moore Elementary, which lies in a bit more remote area at Hall and Southbluff Roads, makes use of parent volunteers said Principal Jerry Davis. Davis and assistant Principal Mark Priest also help cross the children on a daily basis.

Ryan said she will continue to cross the children until school is out if necessary.

"Kids need to get home safely," she said.

25 Years Ago This Week: Hurricane Chantal (Landfall 8/1/89)

Deja vu disguised as Hurricane Chantal enveloped the South Belt area as visions of 10 years ago gripped residents battling torrential rains and rising flood waters when the "good" side of the storm moved through the area.

Despite rampant high water, downed power lines and fierce winds, the South Belt area did not experience any loss of life. Three women, however, did have to be rescued after the driver, unfamiliar with the area drove into a drainage ditch at Beamer and Hall. (See related story on Page 1A.)

Official records from the Harris County Flood Control district show the South Belt area received 6.5 inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 10 p.m. Tuesday, August 1. Spokeswoman Billie Wolff said the majority of the rain fell in a six-hour period Tuesday morning and afternoon. Computer recorded time is somewhat deceptive since the rain did not start until early Tuesday morning. 

Although the South Belt-Ellington Leader received numerous reports on the Beamer ditch, and other flood district ditches, overflowing the banks, officially the water stayed within the banks.

A sensor at the bridge at Hughes and Beamer did not indicate the water reached an overflow level. "It is quite possible in some areas the water did spill over onto the easement but we don't believe it contributed to the street flooding," said Wolff.

With the storm forming right off the Texas coast, at least we did not have to face three or four days of constant rain," said Wolff.

At one time during Tuesday afternoon Wolff reported a cell containing approximately 10 inches of rain was located in the area. If the cell had developed and released the rain, Wolff said severe flooding would have occurred. 

Reported Flooding

Reports of neighborhoods experiencing flooding were widespread. Southbend residents watches as the waters rose to the tops of the fireplugs. Conservative estimates placed the water at two feet deep.

Residents living in Kirkmont II experiences water in their homes as well as people living in most low lying areas. 

All the major thoroughfares flooded forcing many residents to adnabon their cars and attempt to walk home. When the flood waters receded hundreds of cars stood stranded in the streets, on the medians, on the side of the road and on numerous parking lots. 

Wind Damage

High winds in excess of 50 mph lashed the area timbling a number of fences, smashing residential and commercial windows, ripping shingles off homes and causing a number of areas to lose electrical power. 

Winds were strong enough to snap a telephone pole in two on the northbound side of Beamer at Memorial Southeast Hospital. A portion of the roof of the Beamer Road Medical Building peeled back hen caught by high gusts of winds. Emergency teams from the Houston Fire Department Station 70 and Southeast Volunteer Fire Department responded. 

Dobie High Schools FFA barn received extensive damage by a possible tonado. According to Sherry Berkley, an FFA booster member, the high winds lifted the lumber and the tin rood roof and carried it to the parking lot. One of the show animals was injured. 

Berkley said the FFA had no funds to rebuild the structure and the animals did not have good protection. Many of the students were expecting to participate in the September show. 

The FFA students would appreciate any help South Belt residents could contribute. 

 Lena Perry of Sagemont was a flood victim twice in 1979. Due to Claudette, Perry had 2 1/2 feet of water in her house for three days. As she was in the process of putting her house back together in September, the water came rushing in again, flooding her home.

Perry said that she was not flooded during Hurricane Alicia, but she came close during Tropical Storm Allison.

"I was getting pretty concerned about it. Had it continued to rain, we possibly could have gotten it in the house," said Perry. 

Flood control efforts in the area were a concern of Perry's. "They've done a lot of good work. I felt real good about it for a long time until recently," said Perry. 

Sagemont resident Linda Burton was also a victim of the floods of 1979. Burton comments on flood control in South Belt by saying, "I do think they did a great job." However, she also said, "it seems to me there still needs to be a lot of work done."

Burton was not flooded during Allison, but the abundance of rain frightened her enough to start elevating valuables in her home. "We were ready," she said.

"I don't think anybody from Houston will ever be flood-free." said Burton. But she went on to say that South Belt residents should not always flood every time it rains, that the area should be able to handle a medium sized flood. 

Concerned and Involved

Burton and her neighbor and friend Joyce Baker were among a handful of residents who worked instrumentally with the South Belt-Ellington Leader after the floods in 1979 to obtain flood control in the South Belt. 

Upkeep of the area, as far as flood control efforts, is a major concern of Burton's. She believes that the ditches should be kept clean and mowed. 

According to Billie Wolff of Harris County Flood Control most all of the ditches and canals in the South Belt area, including Beamer ditch, have been under maintenance from May 2 to July 21. Wolff said that maintenance includes includes mowing, herbiciding, desilting, grading, and cement repairs. 

Perry is one resident that is deeply concerned about dumping in city storm sewers in the South Belt. Perry simply cannot understand how her neighbors, also flood victims in 1979, can tamper with something so crucial to the area. 

"People throw everything in there," said Perry She believes that dumping grass and oil, among other things, into the sewers expedites flooding. 

During the afternoon of June 29, 1989, as water levels were rising, the South Belt-Ellington Leader received a call from a resident hwo desperately wanted her storm sewer cleaned. The resident was obviously concerned about the effects of a clogged swere combined with flooding. However, a flood is not the time to make such a request. 

Shakey's Pizza Parlour

Thanks to Karen O'Conner for sharing these snapshots from Dec. 1972 of Shakey's Pizza:

(This wouldn't have been the Shakey's outside Almeda Mall, since this Grand Opening ad was run in the Leader in 1976.)

The Goodyear Blimp over the sandpits

January 1989 Thompson's Ritchey announces retirement at the end of the school year

Deciding he'd finally put his "100 percent" in, Thompson Intermediate School Principal E.J. Ritchey changed the direction of his commitment to community service and announced his retirement from public education.

After 33 years of service to Pasadena ISD, Ritchey looked at his work, liked what he saw and sought a new challenge. He filed as a candidate for Pasadena City Council.

"I've always been committed to community service and to the kids of the community and I just look at running for a seat on the city council as an extension of community service," said Ritchey.

For 15 years, the name plate over Ritchey's door at Thompson read principal. Over the years, Ritchey became an integral part of the community and a positive force in the education of South Belt area children.

"I've seen a lot of changes in education over the years. The one that worries me most is the rise in emotional problems students today must face. The make-up of he family has changed. You have situations where both parents work, you have one-parent families, and an overall lack of discipline. I call it a values vacuum, but I don't think parents are all to blame. Schools have lost the discipline authority they once had," said Ritchey.

"Teachers are doing a better job than ever educating our children. I think educators need to stop and look at  what we are teaching the children. Curriculum, especially on the intermediate level, needs to be closely watched. For a good number of students educators need to re-eevaluate what we're teaching those children. I think we need to start vocational training earlier for those students who just aren't going to make it into college. We have students at Thompson who just can't wait until high school for vocational training. They'll give up," said Ritchey.

When Ritchey hears the bell ring for the last time, he hopes students and teachers remember his desire to succeed, never to give in to mediocrity. 

"We've always been winners at Thompson. Winners in academics and winners in sports. We won state titles for Knowledge Masters and Honor Orchestra. Our TEAMS scores are at the top of the district. Extracurricular activities are great, but academics are why we're here," said Ritchey. 

In order to obtain his goals, Ritchey has always "been perpetually dissatisfied with himself in order to improve.

We (Thompson) couldn't have done the things we did without the finest staff in he district. They're absolutely second to none. They're dedicated. They love the kids and they are darn good teachers. We also had the support and full cooperation of the parents in the area. The parents who became involved in the school showed a deep love for their children and insisted on the best education for their children. 

PISD Superintendent Dr. Lon Luty said Ritchey was an outstanding school administrator in every way, "He was a motivator and that motivation was infectious throughout the school. He will be sorely missed -- really missed because there is no real competition for Bacarro to keep up with," said Luty. 

"I'm going to miss the day-to-day relationships I've developed over the years, not only in school but in the community also, I'll miss the kids . . .  I haven't really thought about what I'll do the first time I realize I don't have to go to the office. I keep too busy for that and hopefully I'll stay too busy. I just  operate that way," said Ritchey. 

Dobie High School Principal Jerry Speer called Ritchey one of PISD's finest. "He is one of the finest gentlemen I've ever met and is a working example of a dedicated professional educator. He'll be missed," said Speer. 

"Teachers will never be paid the money they are worth. I hope young people going into education realize teaching is not money, it is a love of kids and a blind dedication and worth every minute of it. 

"Hopefully, I'll be able to continue my work in community service, my work for education. We'll see how the voters feel. If not . .  I'll just go fishing," said Ritchey. 

The voters decided he'd better not go fishing, and voted him as Pasadena City Councilman. He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Pasadena Historical Society. 

I found a set of 8 black and white photos of Mr. Ritchey in the cabinets that resulted in the one photo run with the retirement story:

Mr. Ritchey still resides in Pasadena today.

From one of Mr. Ritchey's first years as Thompson principal:

And in 1979

My Mr. Ritchey story came in my 8th grade year, when I was a student in Mr. Flores' U.S. History class. 

Mr. Flores assigned everyone to select a topic of a Federal law they would want passed. We had to write up our debate on the passage of this law to present to the class. He choose a row to be the senate, and the rest of the class sat as the House of Representatives. The trouble came when I'd had my bill pass almost unanimously through both House and Senate and he, as President, vetoed it, simply because he disagreed. (Full disclosure: I now hold the same position he did.)

But as an outraged, defeated 8th grader who'd worked quite hard on my argument only to be met with "I disagree. Vetoed," I was livid.

I know, now of course, he couldn't possibly get into a intricacies of a hotbed topic such as the death penalty without creating a furor with half of the class' parents, but "I disagree" after all that work?? I remember being so red-faced and angry and insisting the class should have had an option to vote a President that was not Mr. Flores. 

He seemed amused and ask, "Who would do it, then?" 

Out of desperation, I retorted, "Why not Mr. Ritchey?"

Now, understand, this was pretty out of character for me in 8th grade. I was a nerdy, outcast kid with a metal mouth, Herminone-worthy hair, and plenty of acne. I typically was not willing to put myself in the front of a class full of kids and take on a teacher. 

But not this time. 

Mr. Flores smiled, and said, "Why don't you go ask him?"

Somehow, I found myself walking to the Principal's office for the first time in my life, wondering what on earth I was going to say. Luckily, I'd worked as an office helper and had interacted with Mr. R. in that capacity, so he at least knew who I was. 

He was so kind and agreed to sit in our class for the next two days to listen and rule on our Congressional bills. I didn't get my bill passed since I'd already presented, but I felt like I'd won a moral victory. 

[I also a won a phone call to my dad that night from Mr. Flores. When Dad and I both picked up different phones in the house and I heard who it was, I thought I was dead. I hung up my phone and sweated it out. But Mr. Flores had called Dad to tell him that I had a great career ahead of me in law, if I wanted one.]

So, some 30 years later, a sincere and heartflet thank you, to both Mr. Ritchey and Mr. Flores, for being willing to listen, and teach, and encourage crazy, hormonal, narcissistic junior high kids for all those years. 

And, in June, the Leader featured his retirement party with a front page photo: