dry Pasadena is at an end

North Side voters say yes to sale of beer and wine
Merchants claim new law is no cause for concern

— reported by the Houston Chronicle(1)

[snip]

On Nov. 8, Pasadena voters approved the sale of alcoholic beverages on the North Side, roughly north of Spencer Highway.

Alcohol sales were already allowed on the South Side because it was annexed after Pasadena had incorporated as a dry area. The annexed portion was wet and stayed that way.

Last week’s election must still be canvassed by the Harris County Commissioners Court before the two propositions legalizing alcohol sales go into effect. At press time, the canvass was tentatively scheduled for today, said David Beirne, spokesman for Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman.

Under the two provisions that voters approved last week, grocers and convenience stores can sell beer and wine for consumption elsewhere and restaurants can sell mixed drinks.

[snip]

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce was the driving force behind the campaign for North Side alcohol sales.

Prior to undertaking a drive to gather petition signatures for an election, the chamber commissioned a telephone survey of registered voters. Among survey respondents, 64 percent supported the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants and beer and wine in grocery stores.

The ballot propositions passed by smaller margins.

Proposition 1 — beer and wine in stores — passed 52 percent to 48 percent, or 4,791 to 4,486.

Proposition 2 — mixed drinks in restaurants — passed 59 percent to 41 percent, or 5,539 to 3,830.

[snip]

A Pasadena ordinance prohibits the sale of alcohol within 300 feet of a church, public school or public hospital. State law gives the city the authority to widen the prohibition to within 1,000 feet of a public or private school if the school’s governing body makes a request.

Before Pasadena merchants can apply for the city permit, they must have their license from the state commission, according to the city ordinance.

Obtaining a state license normally takes 45 to 60 days, if the application is filled out completely and correctly, said TABC spokeswoman Carolyn Beck.

By state law, restaurants that have not previously sold alcohol must post a notice of their intent to do so for 60 days before their application goes to commission headquarters. But restaurant owners can start the application process before the 60-day waiting period is over, Beck said.

One factor determining eligibility for a license is residency of the business owner, Beck said. Owners must be Texas residents for at least a year before applying for a license, she said.

[snip]

I’ve lived in Pasadena nearly 15 years and I don’t really understand where the dry area ends and the alcohol zone begins… other than the string of bars and liquor stores that all of the sudden pop up on Preston or Richey or Spencer.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the rest of the city once this kicks in.

LaPorte ISD superintendent hired

Say takes La Porte ISD superintendent job
Board offers full-time position to interim chief

— reported by the Houston Chronicle(1)

Michael W. Say has been such a popular interim leader at La Porte Independent School District that the board has named him as the lone finalist for superintendent.

Say, 65, was selected as the top candidate at the Nov. 8 school board meeting. By state law, he cannot be hired until 21 days after that date. The board must take a separate vote to name him as superintendent, which has been tentatively set for Dec. 13.

Say, who has been La Porte ISD’s interim superintendent since April, has agreed to serve as superintendent until June 2007, said Board President Gene Horn.

[snip]

* * *

Reminders:

  1. Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.

info on ALA conference in New Orleans

Madeleine Albright to Keynote New Orleans Conference
— reported by the American Library Association

Former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has agreed to keynote the American Library Association’s Annual Conference, next June 22–28 in New Orleans, the Association revealed November 14.

I understand why ALA is keeping the conference in New Orleans, but there’s a part of me that’s reluctant to go. I recently drove through Port Arthur and stopped for dinner. It was… enlightening on what to expect. And it wasn’t anything nearly as devastating as News Orleans.

New York Times honors librarians

27 Librarians Win New York Times Awards
— reported by Library Journal

The New York Times Librarian Awards, in its the fifth year, has honored 27 librarians. This year’s winners represent 13 states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Wyoming. Nominations from the general public were accepted from June through September and exceeded 1,200 with nominations coming from 48 states. The Times held a reception in honor of the winners on November 16, with author Alice Hoffman as guest speaker. Each winner received $2,500 and a commemorative plaque. A separate plaque featuring the winner’s name and title will be sent to the library where each winner works.

Read the Library Journal aticle, linked above, for the full list of honoress.

increases in advertising spending on Hispanic television and print

Hispanic Market Advertising Grows 4.7% In 2004 … 2005?
— reported by HispanicAd

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) announced that Hispanic television and print advertising spending in 2004 grew 4.7 percent from 2003. The findings were the result of the 2004 Hispanic Media Spend study commissioned by AHAA’s Hispanic Advertising Agencies Foundation, Inc. (HAAF) with data from TNS Media Intelligence and Market Development.

The 4.7 percent increase in Hispanic spending contrasts to the overall growth in total television and print media spending which increased 10.5 percent from 2003. Despite this growth in Hispanic media spend, one-third of the top 250 national advertisers still do not appear among the top 250 Hispanic advertisers. While some marketers, such as Sears, McDonalds, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson recognize the brand loyalty associated with reaching out to U.S. Hispanic consumers; others may be ignoring the trends.

[snip]

It was about time.