Lost on Lake Brazos

Baylor Football Moving in Right Direction

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:05:00 +0000

ESPN.com's Tim Griffin talks about Baylor's solid start this season and the challenges they face ahead.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-3-101/Baylor-is-developing--but-will-face-killer-finish.html

When will University Parks be completed?

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:48:00 +0000

The sinkhole is more than two-years-old, and University Parks Drive is still not open. I'm happy that some repairs have been made, but the crew being so close to completion is making me a little impatient.

Does anyone have any news about when the road will reopen? It has to be soon - everything looks too complete. I see trucks driving on the new bridges everyday. There must be something that I don't know about holding it up.

If you know something, let us know.

Basaberu Up and Running, Townhouse Motel-Hotel Crumbling

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:45:00 +0000

Banson Fan has brought to life his newest creation, Basaberu, after what may have been the longest construction process for a restaurant in this city’s history. But one of Fan’s other properties, the Townhouse Motel-Hotel, is falling further into disrepair. And it appears Fan has no intention of doing anything to change that.

In late 2007, Fan said he intended to convert the Townhouse into a housing development. That hasn’t happened. In fact, the property hasn’t changed much at all in the past several months. The only change is the amount of broken glass and trash on the property, which has increased steadily.

There is a fresh red tag from the city on the door dated Feb. 21, 2008. I tried to reach Fan to ask if he planned to make any repairs or demolish the Townhouse, but all attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful.

The city sued Fan in November, but it’s had no effect. Basaberu is open for business. Fan’s publicizing it. The Townhouse is still waiting. There’s a temporary injunction hearing in the 414^th District Court scheduled for March 7. Fan hasn’t done anything in more than two years – I doubt this will do anything to change his mind.

But I think a lull in traffic to Basaberu would change his mind. People should stop going to Basaberu until the Townhouse Motel-Hotel is either repaired or demolished. This is the one situation where you can get involved directly in the beautification of downtown Waco. Most deadbeat property owners have nothing to lose, but Fan has everything to lose.

Make Fan accountable for the property he purchased and then left to rot. If his parking lot at Basaberu is empty for long enough, he won’t be able to ignore the blemish he left on the city.

If Fan lacked the resources or the energy to repair the Townhouse, he should have never purchased it. His intentions were to use the property to his own benefit at the expense of Waco taxpayers. He never filed for a construction permit. He never took a positive step toward repairing the Townhouse.

He doesn’t care about this city. Why should we care about his newest project? Boycott Basaberu. It may be the only way to get his attention.

We’re waiting Banson. Surprise us.

Welcome Back Writers

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Good news from Hollywood. According to NPR, the Writer’s Guild of America may be coming to an agreement with the studios to end the 15-week writer’s strike. Exact terms of the agreement have not been released, but it’s safe to assume the writers will get their share of the revenue generated from material distributed online and via DVD and other home media.

But it’s the American people who are getting the biggest benefits. We finally have something to watch again. After nearly 15 torturous weeks of reality TV and reruns during what’s typically the home stretch for network television, the end is in sight.

If ever there was a time to be a reality television producer, it was this season. Even marginally-appealing spin-offs of other marginally-appealing shows enjoyed a larger than typical share of the viewing audience.

There’s no way of knowing exactly how many brain cells were killed during reality TV’s 15-week bender in the national spotlight. America may not recover for a decade. Our education system is far behind those of other developed nations. An overdose of reality TV just adds fuel to the mountainous book fire already ablaze.

Welcome back writers. Even the worst you have to offer is better than watching fat couples being yelled at by an angry skinny woman.

The Ranger Statue is Following Me

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:38:00 +0000

I was halfway across the country from Waco, and someone asked me about the proposed 70-foot Texas Ranger Statue. It isn’t even off the drawing board, and already it’s embarrassing.

I don’t know where this other traveler found out about the statue, but he obviously thought it was funny. This idea just won’t go away. The Trib still has the comment section up (and it should be), and it’s still a topic of conversation around town – and out of town as well. It should be talked about now because the statue (if constructed) will put a permanent blemish on the city. But it should have never been news at all.

When the idea was brought before the powers that be, Bill Warren, the man leading the committee seeking to erect the statue, should have been laughed out of the room. His committee says they hope to gather $650,000 in donations for the project. There are many local issues that need some financial help before statues are built.

I’m glad the Waco Chamber has said no. Waco is already the butt of enough jokes. The last thing it needs is a statue next to the highway. It’s about as smart as putting toll roads on I-35.

No more excuses please

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:22:00 +0000

I've heard far too many Aggie excuses after the game to be nice. Even after a great, hard-fought game, Aggie fans just can't take a loss. (I'm surprised no one has tried to blame this loss on Coach Fran somehow.)

The classic Texas A&M spirit - one excuse after another. Aggie nation, take off the maroon-colored glasses.

Baylor Basketball ranked in ESPN’s Power 16

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:02:00 +0000

They’re at the bottom, but it’s the bottom of a list that has the best 16 teams in the NCAA according to ESPN.com college basketball writers. It’s a list of some big names that regularly appear deep in the NCAA Tournament. The list is a composite of rankings reported from 12 ESPN.com writers and college basketball analysts.

There are three teams from the Big 12 on the list – (1) Kansas, (12) Texas and (16) Baylor. ESPN.com senior writers Pat Forde and Andy Katz ranked Baylor higher than Texas.

The Bears have a less than favorable schedule ahead (Oklahoma, at Texas, Texas Tech and at Kansas) and may see their rankings in this poll (and with the AP) fall in the event of a loss. But if they continue to play at a high level, it should all balance out in the end.

And with the increased media exposure, more writers will pay attention to Waco for the right reasons.

One more thing – please stop talking about Scott Drew’s contract at the beginning of the conference season. It’s as if good news makes fans in Waco uncomfortable. Enjoy the win streak and enjoy this season.

Bears are New Team, but Still Answering Old Questions

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:53:00 +0000

Scott Drew is not Dave Bliss. Nor is the team that took the court and defeated Texas A&M tonight anything like the team that led the program into some of its darkest days.

But in the past few days, no good news can be reported about the Bears without some mention about what happened under the not-so-watchful eye of Bliss. I understand where the national and large regional sports media outlets are coming from, but the story needs to be left alone. This is a new team that has done everything it can do to create its own identity.

ESPN, thank you for the coverage, but in the future please refrain from bringing up the Bliss debacle. The questions always revolve around how far the team has come, but they should be about where the Baylor men’s basketball team is going.

Drew has done what no one thought possible just a few years ago, and he’s done it the right way. This team is built with quality players who play as team. Baylor needs to do everything it can to keep him around for a long time.

This is just what Baylor needs after a rather ordinary 2007 for its athletic programs.

If you want a full recap of the game, the AP has the story everywhere. Maybe the Trib will have some local coverage up sometime tomorrow.

East Waco Still Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:12:00 +0000

Let’s start with the obvious – East Waco has seen better days. Empty buildings and a lack economic development create a scene that’s hard to ignore unless one has never made the trip across the Brazos. And there are plenty of Wacoans who haven’t. But Carol Dugat’s East Waco blog on wacotrib.com may change that.

She is one person. She is not a professional journalist. She is not a miracle worker. But her voice rings true because it’s laced with emotion and compassion for her community. She speaks with experience and that may be just enough to get some needed attention for East Waco's economic woes.

Its problems aren’t different from other areas of Waco, but the lack of support it’s given from city officials is evident. There are a dedicated few who continue to push for new ideas and developments. They have heart, but that’s not always enough.

East Waco doesn’t have a post office or a grocery store - amenities that other Wacoans consider necessities. The real estate is there. Deadbeat property owners are holding up new development. A handful of people own a large percentage of the vacant buildings that have become the face of Elm Avenue.

Steps have been taken downtown to turn abandoned structures into viable businesses. The building at 705 Austin Ave. purchased by Shane and Cody Turner is an example. East Waco can quickly make big improvements if developers are presented with the right opportunities.

Looking at the comments left by some of the readers of Dugat’s blog, there are mixed views of what is to blame for the deterioration of East Waco. Are residents less willing to act because of neglect from the city? Is the city not supporting new development because the residents aren’t active enough? Or is it easier to ignore East Waco than to fix it?

It’s going to take action by the residents and the city’s support to make change possible. And to get that support, other Wacoans and outside developers have to make a commitment to restore a once proud part of our city. Dugat’s blog will help draw attention to the situation, but that’s all it can do. It’s up to us to take the necessary steps. Come to the Fred Batts Leadership luncheon at noon on Feb. 4 at the Bledsoe Miller Community Center to get started.

Waco Trib Pulls Banson Fan, Townhouse Story From Web

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 07:39:00 +0000

To add to the previous post, the Waco Tribune-Herald has pulled J.B. Smith’s earlier story about the Townhouse and Banson Fan from its Web site. In fact, it pulled all coverage related to Fan.

I don’t know why they pulled the article, but the move does raise a few questions. It probably went unnoticed by most of its readers. I didn’t notice until I tried looking for earlier articles. I did find a repost of the original article at the Institute for Legal Reform’s Web site. Run a Google search for Banson Fan and the original articles appear, but when the links are followed, the articles are no longer available.

It seems odd to me. If you can find any articles about Fan archived somewhere on wacotrib.com, let us know.

You can send an e-mail to us directly at LoLB@lostonlakebrazos.com.

Townhouse Motel-Hotel Still Waiting Repairs, Demolition

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:28:00 +0000

It’s early, but the Townhouse Motel-Hotel is still waiting on repairs or demolition. Banson Fan hasn’t done anything. The city of Waco hasn’t either. Maybe its illegal residents will do something – new drapes, some paint and a syringe disposal bin.

Fan said he would like to make repairs in January if the city allowed him, but there’s no sign of activity. (But work has been going on at the site of his new restaurant.) The concern he showed after the city pushed him in November is gone. If he’s done anything, it isn’t much. No signs, no warning tape, no boards over windows, no trash picked up. Nothing. (Photos of the Townhouse from December 11)

There has been some criticism of local media coverage for its extra attention to the Townhouse. Dozens of buildings and houses in Waco need to be repaired or demolished, but the Townhouse is the best example to use. It’s in the middle of downtown and representative of the other red-tagged buildings across the city. And its owner is representative of the lazy, inconsiderate property owners who won’t do anything to maintain their rotting investments.

This problem isn’t exclusive to Waco. It happens in every city. What’s different here is the frequency of the violations. The worst buildings are in prime locations and everything around them loses value. Apathy is the tone of local code enforcement. Brief flurries of outrage and interest are followed by more inactivity.

The city is making progress with its “crackdown” of building code violators, but more needs to be done. Contact the city, contact the Trib, contact anyone who can make a difference.

(Photo by LoLB Staff)

The Technicolor Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:08:00 +0000

Downtown Waco is seeing a flurry of new development projects lately. According to Mike Copeland’s article in today’s Waco Tribune-Herald, several new business ventures are in their infancy. But how many will last?

Good intentions won’t solve any of the economic problems downtown. Local entrepreneurs need a business plan and a product or service that will appeal to this community. Many franchises and independents have tried to make it in Waco, but quickly failed. They just didn’t fit.

Waco Town Square is well on its way to completion, and the developer, Planned Community Developers, has an established track record (see Sugar Land Town Square). It has a much better chance at success in Waco than Temple-based Aston Development, the company trying to bring a Hotel Indigo franchise to Waco.

That’s right – another franchise is coming to Waco. Aston has previously started three other InterContinental Hotel franchises – two Holiday Inns located in Temple and Killeen and a Candlewood Suites in Killeen. Aston doesn’t have a successful pedigree like PCD, nor does it have the market capable of supporting its plan.

Hotel Indigo is the “upscale” brand of InterContinental hotels. Expect the usual normalcy of a franchise with a few surprises and a much higher cost per night. I still think any type of positive investment in downtown is good, but I had hoped it would be something uniquely Waco. But instead, it's just another boring franchise covered in psychedelic paint.

You can’t book a room at the Waco Indigo yet, but I doubt you’ll ever have a problem getting one after it opens. If it ever opens.

Its high price and Waco location don’t mix well. Waco has limited resources to draw in visitors. The convention center, Baylor University, businesses that bring in employees or franchise owners for training, events at the H.O.T. Fairgrounds and a few other scattered events don’t pull in enough people to sustain a second high-end hotel. Combine a limited customer base with an overpriced product and disaster is soon to follow. I hope the Waco Indigo does well, but the odds are stacked against it. Customer demographic studies and market analysis may show a great business opportunity, but logic says otherwise.

Aside from the cost, the interior design style of other Hotel Indigo locations isn’t typical of a high-end hotel. I appreciate the attempt at modernity and aggressive progressive design, but the hotels look like something from Alice in Wonderland. The sensory overload may drive away some of the wealthy, older clientele. (You can see all of the hotels at the I nterContinental Web site.)

All other Hotel Indigo locations are based in cities much larger than Waco. It’s not a coincidence.

Its target customer is much more affluent than the general consumer. That customer makes up a smaller percentage of the population and to fill rooms, they need large cities with large events to draw in large groups of the target customer. Waco doesn’t fit the profile and the franchise may flop as a result.

Aston Development may want to rethink its strategy before it gets in too deep.

Downtown is looking better. There are several new projects in various stages of construction. Let’s hope some of them work out. Even if downtown turns into a Technicolor franchise hell, it’s surely better than empty buildings.

OK, maybe not.

Drop that Pecan (and Pick Up a Can)

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:31:00 +0000

Collecting cans is so last year. There’s a new way to slowly amass a small fortune. Albeit a very, very small fortune, the local tides of commerce have shifted.

I began to notice more and more aluminum cans littering my street. Next to the curb and strewn about in frat house parking lots. The cans are even starting to show signs of wear.

Recently a new business opened on the corner of Fourth Street and Waco Drive which buys pecans from local amateur pickers. It has instantly created a new cash crop to the unemployed in the downtown Waco area.

At first I thought this was a good move for our 401k-less citizens. But their switch to organic bartering could damage the fragile environmental state of the Lake Brazos community.

Obviously the problem starts with the unwanted cans. If our pickers aren’t around to pick up the cans, how will they get recycled? Certainly our normal citizens can’t take up this abandoned cause. To recycle is to admit that an environmental crisis actually exists. It validates the theory of global climate change. Any red-blooded Bush country Republican would rather have his or her heart promptly removed with a dull pecan shell before admitting that their side may not be on the right side of an issue.

My other concern rests in the native squirrel population. Are we that arrogant to take our furry friend’s favorite fall cuisine? (I can’t completely confirm that the pecan is their favorite food because I lack the lingual skills to translate squirrel to English. But I can look to the squirrels’ body language as an indicator. They let out a tiny sigh each time a large bucket of pecans leaves for the auction block.)

Who are we to limit their already meager selection of food? With big thumbs and upright strides, the United Pecans Pickers of Lake Brazos are imposing their will on the weaker species. What will be the next change forced on the squirrels, free elections and country music?

Please do your part to help solve this problem. Find a celebrity to take up the cause (and they don’t even have to understand it.) Or just pick up a can and put it in the recycling bin. Maybe pick some pecans on your own and give them to the nearest squirrel. Each small step can make a difference.

No Mo' Townhouse? We'll See.

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:08:00 +0000

Could the city of Waco actually be taking positive steps to beautify downtown? Maybe.

According to J.B. Smith’s article from the Nov. 2 Waco Tribune-Herald, the city filed suit with the owner of the Townhouse Motel-Hotel on Nov. 1 to force the owner, Banson Fan, to make improvements to the property. The structure has been in a constant state of disrepair since Fan purchased it at a city auction.

But it seems the city is merely posturing. It’s desperately seeking some positive PR for its deteriorating downtown and the overall lack of direction for improving it.

The only significant new development, Waco Town Square, does little to occupy or improve the empty buildings which line downtown streets. Waco Town Square will add new life to the old city square, but it’s not enough to shake off the feeling of abandonment that persists in downtown.

At least the city is taking action of some kind. It’s too early to tell if this will lead to sweeping reforms, or the development of an action plan to revitalize the city center. But at least it’s a step in the right direction. A few thousand more steps and the city may see some results.

According to the code enforcement section on the city of Waco’s Web site, there are more than 220 tagged structures waiting repair or demolition. (These include both residential and commercial properties.) Many of the status reports on the structures indicate little or no progress regarding renovations or demolitions.

Let’s hope that the action taken against the Townhouse will lead to bigger changes downtown. Part of Mayor DuPuy’s Community Visioning Project is to “support inner-city residential and commercial development on both sides of the river.” Maybe it will happen, but based on the current rate of progress, don’t expect changes any time soon.

(Photo by Rod Aydelotte, Waco Tribune-Herald. Originally posted on wacotrib.com)

Don't Say Bye to Guy

noreply@blogger.com (JC) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:13:00 +0000

After last Saturday’s 51-13 loss to Kansas State, Baylor seems destined for another three-win season. And possibly another head coach.

At least that’s what local rumorists have to say. Even though Morriss has yet to take a Baylor team to the land of bowls and money, he’s still done more than Baylor’s more recent attempts to replace Grant Teaff. (Morriss has already eclipsed what Kevin Steele accomplished – but that’s nothing to brag about.)

Morriss has given Baylor a new identity – a new, fun approach to the game. And for brief periods over the past two seasons, the BU community has come out in force to support its bears.

The Baylor higher-ups need to give him more time. If BU cuts its ties with Morriss now, they’ll do nothing good for the program. If you think recruiting is bad now, fire Morriss and it will take five years or more just to get back to the point the program is at now. Young players don’t want to play for a lame duck coach. Players want stability.

The only option is to extend his contract three, maybe four years. Wait and see what the new practice facility does for recruiting before making any drastic changes. Morriss may not be doing as much as Baylor fans and administrators would like, but consider the alternatives. Who is out there to replace him? And more importantly, think about the long term stability of the program.

If Baylor continues to cycle through coaches like they have for the last decade, coaches and players will be deterred from coming. No one wants to come to a place under that much pressure.