EVIDENCE

WESTHEIMER STREET FESTIVAL FEUD WHERE IS TH E PROOF???????????????????? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE????????????????? WHO????WHEN???????WHAT??????WHY????

DISCLAIMER

The owner of this page is not affiliated financially with the Westheimer Street Festival. I am just one of many thousands who love to participate and enjoy the DiVERSE community of this GREAT montrose happening.... Some may say it is too crowded.... On occasions there have been times that I needed to walk quickly from Mary's to Numbers during the Festival.... of course in heels and I was able to do that in 5 to 10 minutes. Of course this man in heels on many occasions posed for pictures...and that is the only time it slowed me down, except for buying that turkey leg.

WHAT EVIDENCE "BORDERS ANARCHY" FROM THE MEDIA In the 25 years of the festival what evidence can the media produce from their archives that shows the Westheimer Street Festival "borders on anarchy". The only evidence the media can prove is: a fun loving well behaved diverse crowd of people ( some may call bohemians) enjoying a festival.

WHAT WAS THE EVIDENCE FROM THE INTERVENORS

All 14 intervenors chosen by the Hearing Officer were ANTI-FESTIVAL people. They were: Donna Roth, president Mandell Place Civic Association; Richard Wiedelholt, resident of the area, and affiliated with Basic Brothers; Larry Daniel, vice president of Neartown Association; Jack Rose, president-elect, Neartown Association; Kenneth Broughton, resident of area; Jeffrey Cole, president, Avondale Association; Nancy Parra, president WAMM Westhiemer, W. Alabama, Montrose, Mulberry C.A. ; Joe Ramunni, Business Owner (Crossroads Market); Judy McFarlane, resident; Ed Gonzales, Business owner, treasurer, Neartown Association: John Block, resident of area; Susan White, resident of area; Reba Daniel, resident of area; Robert McFarlane, resident of area.

So What EVIDENCE Did the 14 Intervenors and their Witnesses Bring to the Hearing

One simple answer: NONE

The Hearing Lasted for 9 hours over a 3 day period

The first hearing date... The Hearing Officer was not satisfied with the police officers who appeared on that date.... In his words he wanted some one that had worked the festival... so he called the second hearing date... still not satisfied, called a third hearing date.... So much of those 9 hours of the hearing was irrelevant and the same statements were repeated by the anti-festival intervenors over and over... but when the applicant tried to make some points, he was stopped by the hearing officer... AND I CALL THAT UNFAIR !!!

According to the Public Hearing Rules paragraph 7 No person may relinquish time to another speaker and the BELL will sound at the end of each time limit. Answers to any questions asked of you by the Hearing Officer should be restricted to that question only. BIG QUESTION... when did the BELL ring... In fact there was no bellringer.. who was keeping time... While the audience was waiting to speak, one of the intervenors spoke for 20 minutes about the rerouting of metro bus 82.

One man from the audience LEE HARRINGTON
finally after 2 and half hours stood up and called a point of order... BECAUSE THE CITIZENS ALSO CAME PREPARED TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE FESTIVAL...and how much credit did the audience get in the final Hearing Officers report?
Only two words were found in the report, they made "brief comments".

What About The Evidence of LAW ENFORCEMENT

Sgt. John Vollert said " obnoxious as they can get, intoxicated, loud, rude, disrespectful, violent, There are some normal that walk around out there, but there are ten people wearing snakes for every one of them."

Mr. Larry Daniel, 409 Hyde Park and vice president of Neartown Association said "there is an incestuous relationship between the law enforcement officers and this festival". "they refuse to enforce the law".

Other officers contradicted them. in fact one officer stated that an HPD officer thought the job would be a joy ride... but found out it involved work and quit...

It is a well known fact that Sgt John Vollert and John Florez (the applicant for the Westheimer Street Festival) have had an ongoing FEUD for 12 years... which is documented in the blue binders given to City Council.... and it is my belief that offficer Sgt John Vollert would like to win one case, which he has never done against John Florez.

HOW ABOUT EVIDENCE of NEARTOWN HPD STOREFRONT 365 DAYS The intervenors complained about illegal parking and the unwillingness of police officers to enforce the laws during the festival...Well I can also complain about the poiice officers unwillingness to enforce the illegal parking laws on NON FESTIVAL DAYS.... which I have, since June 1999 and can be found on record with the HPD dispatch. It involves the illegal parking on right of ways and parking too close to a stop sign @Westhiemer and Ralph street (Marks Restaurant). In October I made a formal complaint by e-mail to the Mayor and all City Council Members, who forwarded the complaint to the Chief of Police, who forwarded the complaint to his staff, who forwarded the complaint and where the BUCK finally stopped at SGT. John Vollert's desk (who happens to be the ANTI-FESTIVAL's expert witness). The illegal parking ended for a few days after Marks Restaurant was contacted but then resumed even after contacting Vollert and dispatch numerous times.

MY EVIDENCE of the HPD enforcement of the laws on non=festival days

This car was parked in front of a stop sign, and according to Neartown HPD police a car cannot be parked within 15 feet of a stop sign. This car was parked the day after SGT Vollert testified before the Westheimer Street Festival Hearing.@ 12 noon and can be verified with HPD dispatch, texas plate #F51-KVP. I took pictures before the police were dispatched, while the officer was on the scene for 20 minutes, leaving the scene, and a picture of a car without a ticket.... So WHAT kind of relationship does HPD Neartown Storefront have with Marks Restaurant? You say that is being PICKY, just as picky as the antifestival people. The Law is the Law. SGT Vollert contacted me in October and said I need not go through City Hall to complain because it takes 2 weeks to get the message to him. Now that was in October and the picture above was taken in Mid December. Of course if you talk to the rent a HPD cop at Marks Restaurant or even the storefront police the offence is considered "low priority".

At the bottom of this page is the completed evidence I collected... it is a link...but before that I have a few more points...

Pee-Pee Doo-Doo and Trash the Neighborhoods There have been statements that people had peepee-d and doodoo-d in the yards... where is the evidence? I and others do not approve of this behaviour...but again there is no evidence.... Now the Latrines they call Bus Stop Shelters all over Houston may have evidence, it is called SMELL. Should the city of Houston request all bus stop shelters be torn down? Now Trash is cleaned up along Westheimer daily from the 100 to 1000 block, using the funds from the Westheimer Street Festival. The neighborhoods in the montrose have trash every day (on Non Festival days) and Annise Parker's office is aware of it. I informed the hearing officer of that at the first hearing, of course my remarks are not in the report, just like many others who attended the hearings.

SO DOES THE FESTIVAL BORDER ON ANARCHY?

or does it border on HYPOCRISY? The city has one set of rules for private owners and another set of rules for Festivals put on by the CITY OF HOUSTON. example: the 4th of July Freedom Festival along Allen Parkway, which affects neighborhoods.north of West Gray and West Dallas with the human factor...pee pee, doo doo trash, parking, (alchohol consumed outside the gated area along the buffalo bayou).