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Defining 2008
  
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By MARY ALYS CHERRY
The year 2008 was a topsy-turvy time in our lives.
Its historic events — Barack Obama’s election, the nation’s economic turmoil — will linger in our minds for years to come.
But when it comes to the Bay Area, the year will be remembered for something much that struck much closer to home — Hurricane Ike.
Here’s a look back at Ike’s fury, and a few other events that impacted our readers in 2008.
Hurricane Ike dismantled homes, schools and businesses, as it swept across the Texas coast in September.
While no exact figures are available on hurricane damage, at least 1,000 homes and businesses were severely damaged and thousands more sustained some damage, with residents of the coastal communities suffering the most.
Thousands of trees and boats also were destroyed and an incredible 5 million Houston area residents were without power for several days. Many found their jobs had blown away with the storm.
Damages to the Kemah Boardwalk and Landry's Galveston properties were estimated at $50 million, with local schools left facing some $19 million in repairs.
Seabrook, Kemah, Taylor Lake Village and Nassau Bay residents had the most damage, as homes east of Highway 146 and many of those bordering bodies of water were inundated by the 20-foot storm surge Ike brought with it.
All are busy building back.
League City, Webster, El Lago and Clear Lake escaped with limited damage as the eye of the hurricane passed over them.
City and federal elections sometimes left us startled at the outcomes.
Voters turned out League City Mayor Jerry Shults and Congressman Nick Lampson as they headed to the polls in record numbers, electing a woman, Toni Randall, to head Galveston County's fastest growing city, and a Clear Lake High graduate, Pete Olson, to represent them in Congress.
Randall promptly created a stir as she fired the city cultural arts coordinator her first week on the job and then asked the deputy city administrator to resign.
NASA received a big birthday present as it celebrated its 50th year — a $2.3 billion increase in its budget to help speed up the switchover to the Constellation program.
Not only that, but Congress, and the president reauthorized the space agency’s budge, providing some security for the agency’s future. In December, we also marked the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8, which took man around the far side of the moon for the first time, and the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station.
During the year, as it celebrated its founding in 1958, NASA landed on Mars again, photographed distant worlds through the Hubble telescope, expanded the space station, participated in a lunar mission with India and made major progress toward returning man to the moon.
The school district produced many stories over the year. New Superintendent Greg Smith joined retiring Superintendent Sandra Mossman in breaking ground for the Education Village in League City, as the school district celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Other CCISD highlights included passage of a record $270 million budget, a hike in the tax rate, students passing the TAKS at exceptionally high rates and hurricane damage to most of its 36 schools.
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston started construction of a five-story hospital on Highway 3 in Webster.
Of all the Bay Area’s road construction projects, the NASA Bypass likely caused the most headaches in 2008, but there was also cause for celebration when a portion of the new roadway finally opened, allowing drivers to travel from just after the Interstate 45 feeder road all the way to the heart of Nassau Bay without stopping at a light.
Next on the list are the bypass’ direct connectors to Interstate 45, which will not be complete until the concurrent freeway expansion project ends.
Then in October, Christine Paolilla was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the 2003 Clear Lake quadruple murder case that involved drugs and the deaths of three of her former Clear Lake High classmates and a visitor.
Her companion in the slaughter, Christopher Snider, a former El Lago resident, had committed suicide as police conducted a nationwide manhunt for him.
CCISD had much to celebrate in August, breaking a district record with 18 schools rated Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency. The district as a whole received a Recognized rating for the 11th time in 12 years.
Dana Guthrie also contributed to this report.
Other 2008 memories
Houston begins trash pickup in Clear Lake City
Land cleared in Nassau Bay for redevelopment
Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan wins National Space Trophy
UHCL President Dr. William Staples wins Quasar Award
Webster City Manager Mike Jez quits to become League City police chief
Former Harris County Commissioner Jim Fonteno dies at age 81
CCISD hikes school tax rate by four cents
Seabrook to get new seven-story Best Western Hotel
Kemah Police Chief J.J. Freeze retires
A Webster liquor store owner killed in robbery
Armand Bayou Elementary teacher wins $25,000
Webster celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Its historic events — Barack Obama’s election, the nation’s economic turmoil — will linger in our minds for years to come.
But when it comes to the Bay Area, the year will be remembered for something much that struck much closer to home — Hurricane Ike.
Here’s a look back at Ike’s fury, and a few other events that impacted our readers in 2008.
Hurricane Ike dismantled homes, schools and businesses, as it swept across the Texas coast in September.
While no exact figures are available on hurricane damage, at least 1,000 homes and businesses were severely damaged and thousands more sustained some damage, with residents of the coastal communities suffering the most.
Thousands of trees and boats also were destroyed and an incredible 5 million Houston area residents were without power for several days. Many found their jobs had blown away with the storm.
Damages to the Kemah Boardwalk and Landry's Galveston properties were estimated at $50 million, with local schools left facing some $19 million in repairs.
Seabrook, Kemah, Taylor Lake Village and Nassau Bay residents had the most damage, as homes east of Highway 146 and many of those bordering bodies of water were inundated by the 20-foot storm surge Ike brought with it.
All are busy building back.
League City, Webster, El Lago and Clear Lake escaped with limited damage as the eye of the hurricane passed over them.
City and federal elections sometimes left us startled at the outcomes.
Voters turned out League City Mayor Jerry Shults and Congressman Nick Lampson as they headed to the polls in record numbers, electing a woman, Toni Randall, to head Galveston County's fastest growing city, and a Clear Lake High graduate, Pete Olson, to represent them in Congress.
Randall promptly created a stir as she fired the city cultural arts coordinator her first week on the job and then asked the deputy city administrator to resign.
NASA received a big birthday present as it celebrated its 50th year — a $2.3 billion increase in its budget to help speed up the switchover to the Constellation program.
Not only that, but Congress, and the president reauthorized the space agency’s budge, providing some security for the agency’s future. In December, we also marked the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8, which took man around the far side of the moon for the first time, and the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station.
During the year, as it celebrated its founding in 1958, NASA landed on Mars again, photographed distant worlds through the Hubble telescope, expanded the space station, participated in a lunar mission with India and made major progress toward returning man to the moon.
The school district produced many stories over the year. New Superintendent Greg Smith joined retiring Superintendent Sandra Mossman in breaking ground for the Education Village in League City, as the school district celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Other CCISD highlights included passage of a record $270 million budget, a hike in the tax rate, students passing the TAKS at exceptionally high rates and hurricane damage to most of its 36 schools.
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston started construction of a five-story hospital on Highway 3 in Webster.
Of all the Bay Area’s road construction projects, the NASA Bypass likely caused the most headaches in 2008, but there was also cause for celebration when a portion of the new roadway finally opened, allowing drivers to travel from just after the Interstate 45 feeder road all the way to the heart of Nassau Bay without stopping at a light.
Next on the list are the bypass’ direct connectors to Interstate 45, which will not be complete until the concurrent freeway expansion project ends.
Then in October, Christine Paolilla was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the 2003 Clear Lake quadruple murder case that involved drugs and the deaths of three of her former Clear Lake High classmates and a visitor.
Her companion in the slaughter, Christopher Snider, a former El Lago resident, had committed suicide as police conducted a nationwide manhunt for him.
CCISD had much to celebrate in August, breaking a district record with 18 schools rated Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency. The district as a whole received a Recognized rating for the 11th time in 12 years.
Dana Guthrie also contributed to this report.
Other 2008 memories
Houston begins trash pickup in Clear Lake City
Land cleared in Nassau Bay for redevelopment
Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan wins National Space Trophy
UHCL President Dr. William Staples wins Quasar Award
Webster City Manager Mike Jez quits to become League City police chief
Former Harris County Commissioner Jim Fonteno dies at age 81
CCISD hikes school tax rate by four cents
Seabrook to get new seven-story Best Western Hotel
Kemah Police Chief J.J. Freeze retires
A Webster liquor store owner killed in robbery
Armand Bayou Elementary teacher wins $25,000
Webster celebrates its 50th anniversary.
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