Results tagged “davidsmith”

Looks like the end of the road for Friendswood's attempt to make English the city's official language: Last night, the City Council voted 5-2 not to include the measure on the May 12 municipal ballot. The idea, you'll remember, came about in November when a Friendswood resident tried (unsuccessfully) to communicate with a Spanish-speaking crew trimming trees near his house — that prompted the City Council to consider a measure requiring all city employees to speak English, but councilmembers later swapped that out for a proposed city charter amendment that would make English the city's official language. City Councilman Chris Peden, who insists that the measure was never an issue of "English only," asked that the amendment be placed on the ballot and said he wasn't upset that it didn't make it: "[The other councilmembers] voted their conscience," he told the Chronicle. "They did what they felt was right. I don't have a problem with that, honestly."

Remember late last year, when Friendswood officials started discussing an ordinance that would make English the city's official language? Well, the discussion's still going on: A group of Friendswood residents showed up at a city council hearing yesterday to voice their opinions on the idea — both for and against it.

The Ben Milam Hotel (Joseph Finger: 1925), located across from Minute Maid Park (and some may know that old place - Union Station), has been vacant for more than two decades and may soon be history. What's with all this speculation, you ask? Well, we recently witnessed the sneaky razing of its neighbor, the William Penn Hotel (which was, indeed, in much better condition), and now its windows are being removed and the interior is...