Best Houston Sports - Jose de Jesus Ortiz

The Best Houston Sports Arguments:

The 100 most controversial, debatable questions for die-hard sports fans.

By Jose de Jesus Ortiz. Naperville, Ill: Source Books, 2007. pbk, author portrait, index
ISBN: 9781402210891 http://www.sourcebooks.com/

Here's a volume that should attract school library users, at least in Houston.

On the assumption that Houstonians talk about local sports, this will settle and start countless important points for questions such as:
What was the most magical performance in Houston sports history? What should we do with the Astrodome? What was the biggest post-season homerun? What was the worst move by a general manager? Who are the top 5 basketball players? What really happened at the 1979 Cotton Bowl? What was UH’s best year? All rather simple things.

HISD School Libraries

Houston Chronicle Questions Condition of
School Libraries

The Houston Chronicle recently, in latter 2007, displayed plain common sense and leadership on our children's education as squarely based on the quality their school libraries. WTM readers realize that the appeals of school librarians have long been lost in the winds to “other matters” and the pursuit of technology. The Chronicle supports their efforts.

The November 25, 2007 article by Jennifer Radcliffe, “HISD's library shelves are lacking:
Report says collections are too small or old, and many schools have none at all” made the front page and above the fold. By simply letting the facts and experts tell the story, she exposed the stunning reality that HISD and other area Districts are sharply below standards on the number and age of books available in our students' libraries, the availability of professionally educated staff (sometimes no staff at all), and, surprise of surprises, no libraries at all in some schools.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5326658.html

Only days later four letters to the Editor were printed, all clearly advocating improvement. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5334132.html

The next week, another letter writer, the dependable Marvin Rich, former Commissoner of the Texas State Library & Archives, revealed the state's separate legislative culpability in undermining our libraries with the loss of the TIF. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5349106.html

In its boldest stance, the Chronicle also ran its own December 3rd Editorial, at the top, “Non-elective: School libraries are the essential bedrock of a good education,” remarking in further detail on the necessity of such a simple component of the educational experience. In fact, the Chronicle noted that the availability of a well stocked library was SECOND!!!!! only to socioeconomic factors in determining the success of the students on the usual tests - that's SECOND! over other considerations. Good libraries in schools are that important. That’s where the mind takes responsibility for exploration. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5346247.html

If we wish to destroy the next generation or its self-worth, it's easy, take away their books - if not, give them good libraries.

Yes, it all takes money. But the real problem is the folks who feel they’re beyond accountability when the schools’ budgets are determined. If you wish to make a difference, get a-hold of a principal and don’t let them shuck you off by the “it’s somebody else’s responsibility” reflex, if it is, they should want to take you to that next person, if they’re worth your tax-paid salary.

Update: In June 2008 the new budget is "supposed" to have addressed these issues. Time and implementation will tell. - WH

Summer Book - Sarah Gish

The Summer Book, 2008:

A guide to Houston Day Camps and Classes for Kids and Teens.

Houston: Gish Creative, 2008. 165 pages, paperback, spiral bound. A few ads $12.95 ISBN 0-9728507-5-9 http://www.thesummerbook.com/ http://www.gishcreative.com/ sarah@gishcreative.com

The 2008 edition is actually in a yellow cover.

Gish does it again, as she's dependable to do. Summer is here. All the better reasons for Houstonians packing children to get this volume now, planning is the only thing that saves you from summerkiditis. Most of the book is an alphabetically arranged, annotated directory (including costs) of about 200 institutions / organizations with programs of care and enrichment for the summer of 2007. It is appended with two useful indexes. One is by the calendar, i.e., what camps / classes occur what week. The other index is by category: art, educational, full day, other, religious, free camps/classes (only 6), special needs, sports, and teens. Another list is “Drop-ins,” “ organizations that offer drop-in or at-home activities for kids.”

In 2108, our children’s children’s children will notice the options they once had. One wonders what 2108 will hold for our children. In Marshall of the 1950’s, we had summer school for the slow and the fast, Scout camp, church camp, Little League and Mormon softball, horse classes, and that mysterious girls’ camp near Jefferson; otherwise we ran free – in the Woods, the Vines, the Pits, up and down the Hills, at the Pond, in the Branch, at the Park – doing things not always reportable to grown ups. Get on the mailing list for next year and civilize your wild one.

Historic Houston Streets - Marks Hinton

Historic Houston Streets: The Stories Behind the Names.

By Marks Hinton. Houston: Archival Press of Texas(49 Briar Hollow Lane, Suite 1705, zip 77027), 2006. 231 pages, many b & w photos, maps, portraits, facsimiles, etc., footnotes. Paperback. $19.95 + $1.65 sales tax + $4.95 S&H Total= $26.55 ISBN 0-97406-039-9 http://www.archivaltexas.com/ archivaltexas@aol.com

Certainly a must in Houston school libraries.

Marks Hinton has wonderfully performed a major compilation. This “retired” investment consultant is a continuing contributor to Houston’s cultural/historical milieu and free-lance writer, when not touring far away places. His alphabetical compendium contains about a thousand street names with brief stories about their origins. The many illustrations (many of the photos by Marks and his wife Barbara) frequently break the block of text that works of this nature can visually present. The added sidebars that tie themes (English heritage, Germanic heritage, children, cemeteries, aggression, automobiles, “Let the Good Times Roll,” etc.) draw the reader to reflect and occasionally laugh. Hinton adds special information for varying, former names or transitional names, e.g., Bissonnet has also been called the County Poor Farm Road, Richmond Road, and 11th Street. His alphabet also exhibits cross references, e.g. “Stone’s Throw see Maple Valley,” and “Hawkins, John R. – See sidebar: Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, p. 10.” Hinton is generous with his research; he provides a source for almost every entry. Sometimes, he offers his first hand knowledge, e.g., for “Nibleck,” he explains, “Old time golfers know this golf club. Before irons were numbered they all had names …. The niblick equates to a nine iron today.” And Hinton’s volume ranks high amid new Houstoniana, a nine iron there as well. Hinton does hope folks will let him know of new or varying information; he’s been closely engaged on the matter for some years, and he maintain a database on his website, http://www.archivaltexas.com/ . “Houston is just so interesting,” he says. Historic Houston Streets will be used often and well. Get a copy. Be in the know. - WH

Houston Review of History and Culture

The Houston Review of History and Culture
(new series: vol. 3, no. 1, Fall 2005). http://www.class.uh.edu/TheHoustonReview

The revival of this journal / magazine is a patent success. Joe Pratt at the University of Houston has guided its transformation from its previous incarnation through a change of title (formerly The Houston Review: History and Culture of the Gulf Coast now as above ), publisher (formerly Houston Public Library Board, now UH’s Center for Public History), periodicity (formerly 3 issues a year , now semi-annually), illustrative matter (formerly few, now many ), size (formerly 6”x 9”, now 8 ½” x 11”), and authorship (formerly many institutional employees, now more general historical public and researchers), and issue focus (formerly articles on diverse topics, now each issue has a theme).
Previous issues covered Women in Houston History, Civic Leadership in Houston, the Texas Medical Center, Houston Remembers World War II, Coming to Houston, and projected issues will cover Historic Preservation, East Texas and the Law, the Arts in Houston, and Building Houston.
The current issue on “Coming to Houston” collects nine articles and several sidebars on European, Jewish, Latino, Vietnamese, and Black immigration to Houston by several authors.
An admirable subscription for all public and academic libraries and most high school libraries in southeast Texas, as well as medium to large public and academic libraries throughout Texas. Very good for business reception offices. Old timers, students, and newcomers with interest in history or Houston will find the price attractive at $10 (student), $15 (individual), and $25 (institution).
Abstracted and indexed: Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life.
The price is very attractive and the quality is high. High schools and some middle schools will find it suitable