bullets13

From "The Bayou": Bolivar is decimated. You don't need us to tell you, just go out and look around (or check out these high-tech aerial shots). We did, this past weekend. What we saw was utterly depressing. Houses tumbling onto themselves, trash hung up in brush, entire fields where cattle used to roam now strewn with sand. But there were signs of hope. There were Earth movers clearing debris, bars open with patrons inside, Stingaree was up and running and builders were out framing homes. A friend also took a trip out to Bolivar, only he took his motorcycle. A decision he later regretted. He didn't realize it at the time, but after he returned he began dealing with some respiratory issues from all of the waste fumes he'd inhaled. It took a few days for him to feel "normal" again. Despite the damage, we still saw dozens of folks fishing out on Rollover Pass. But if the Texas Legislature has its way -- that sight might be a distant memory. Today, the House will hold public hearings on HB 3986 (there is a sister bill, SB 2043, in the Senate). The bill mandates the "closure of any manmade pass between the Gulf of Mexico and an inland bay if the commissioner determines that the manmade pass causes or contributes to significant erosion to the adjacent beach shoreline." Ike -- DUH! -- caused much of the erosion. The sand dunes that once separated Texas 87 from the Gulf are now gone. As you drive along, you can see miles of uninterrupted beachfront that appears to almost come right up to the roadway. Essentially, this bill allows for the closure of Rollover Pass as early as September 1st -- something the commissioner of the General Land office has been advocating since before Ike. Galveston County commissioners already voted to fill the pass in February. This bill would make it a mandate. The closure would be accomplished by pumping in sand and completing shore protection on the Gulf of Mexico side of the project for an estimated cost of $6 million. The annual cost savings for the state of Texas would be approximately $150K/year in maintenance. A Bayou reader and Gilchrist resident had this to say about the Pass: "How, in the wake of a catastrophic hurricane, can a governmental agency justify the taking away of this economic engine for our community?" Good question. There is much to consider, and a September 1st deadline seems like an awfully short window to cover it all.

i'm all about the tourney, but i'm boatless, so i'll need a partner with a boat (and hopefully mad fishing skills)

he seems to have changed his ways a bit. i'm gonna assume the best unless proven otherwise.

don't know if i can make it, but i might try. there are some folks out that way i need to go visit anyway. if i do, i'll be looking for that autograph. good luck, either way.

no idea. i tried to look it up on ESPN.com, and they didn't have anything. i'm not really interested in it enough to look harder than that.

i'll jump on. why not. i'd rather them advance than some team from halfway across the state.

tiger beats ray floyd in his prime 8 out 10 times, IMO.

memphis might struggle next year.

Baylor has been very impressive. i wish they would've played like this in the middle of the season, they had the talent to be a sweet 16 team in the NCAA's.

it will be interesting to see what happens. he'll attract better players than gillispie, but he had a great thing going at memphis

congrats on a great year...

agreed! keep SETX alive!

What about the black waldo by the rockets bench? haha and wuts the problem with no minorities there?? Not a big deal... crime rate in utah is really low that sounds decisively racist.

those are some very good points.

there's definitely room for both. if a player is good enough to get a scholarship, he/she will get it regardless of whether or not they play HS soccer. i don't see how an extra 50 or so practices and 20 or so games a year is going to hurt a player's scholarship chances.

having played HS, club, and college soccer, my only comment would be that i enjoyed HS soccer more than the other two. she might be angling towards a scholarship, but in my opinion she's really missing out by not playing for her high school team.

go rangers.

he needs to be fired... as much as it's the police officer's role to enforce the law, it's just as important for him to show compassion and help people when they need it.

[Hidden Content] sounds like Calipari is pretty much a done deal!

I was kidding about that!!! I love these guys!!!

Sham Wow helped me clear up a nasty STD.

Calipari is the obvious choice... of course, he'd be leaving a winning program to go to a classic powerhouse that's on the decline.

who are these guys? they're terrible!!!

absolutely they have a chance. should they be favorites? NO. but neither of these teams are flukes. both of them are good enough to win two more games and be the national champion.