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City hall, library (and Starbucks) open for business
  
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By CHARLOTTE AGUILAR
caguilar@hcnonline.com
Bellaire's city hall and library opened this morning for the first time since Hurricane Ike, and residents could get limited varieties of Starbucks beverages -- sans dairy products -- as baristas went back to work at the store on South Rice Avenue.
City Hall receptionist Tillie Wiedemann was fielding calls and visits immediately when doors and phone lines opened at 8 a.m. -- most of them asking when power would be restored.
"A lot of them are residents calling from out of town wondering if they have power in their homes yet," Wiedemann said. "All I can do is tell them to try to get in touch with their neighbors since we don't know about specific streets."
The Bellaire Library opened at 9 a.m. and was doing a brisk business within an hour with users accessing the Internet through a bank of computers to get information, send e-mail and pay bills.
A number of people brought their own laptops and took advantage of the wireless access to work -- including the Examiner, whose offices on the Southwest Freeway are closed due to storm damage.
Head Librarian Mary Alford also set up a "charging station" full of multi-outlet power strips for people to recharge their cellphones.
And Starbucks reopened Tuesday morning with limited choices -- brewed coffees, frappuccinos and tea -- and no dairy products.
"Ah, the true sign that we're getting back to normal," one customer sighed, adding sweetener to his venti brew.
City Hall receptionist Tillie Wiedemann was fielding calls and visits immediately when doors and phone lines opened at 8 a.m. -- most of them asking when power would be restored.
"A lot of them are residents calling from out of town wondering if they have power in their homes yet," Wiedemann said. "All I can do is tell them to try to get in touch with their neighbors since we don't know about specific streets."
The Bellaire Library opened at 9 a.m. and was doing a brisk business within an hour with users accessing the Internet through a bank of computers to get information, send e-mail and pay bills.
A number of people brought their own laptops and took advantage of the wireless access to work -- including the Examiner, whose offices on the Southwest Freeway are closed due to storm damage.
Head Librarian Mary Alford also set up a "charging station" full of multi-outlet power strips for people to recharge their cellphones.
And Starbucks reopened Tuesday morning with limited choices -- brewed coffees, frappuccinos and tea -- and no dairy products.
"Ah, the true sign that we're getting back to normal," one customer sighed, adding sweetener to his venti brew.
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