Most Popular
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Banned Books at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
No logic needed
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Movie Pirates
That couple in the back row — they're making out big time, but not in the way you think
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Former Death-Row Inmate Sent Back to Prison
Martin Draughon returns to the clink after becoming a test case for alleged flaws in GPS monitoring devices
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Breakfast Enchiladas at Mi Sombrero
At this old-fashioned Tex-Mex joint on North Shepherd, the huevos are served all day on weekends
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The Judy's Come Back
Just in time for SXSW, the Pearland New Wavers brush off the mothballs
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A Prison Cover-up During Hurricane Rita (28)
For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.
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Barack Obama and Me (263)
It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator
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Are You Hot Enough for Citizen Lounge? (12)
All This Useless Beauty
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What's the Problem Houston? (6)
The city's skuzzy alt-rock scene thinks it is dying
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Who's On Deck for the Houston Astros in 2008? (6)
The Astros' post-Biggio era begins with a lot of unanswered questions, but the biggest one of all is: Just how bad are things going to get?
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Banned Books at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
No logic needed
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Movie Pirates
That couple in the back row — they're making out big time, but not in the way you think
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Former Death-Row Inmate Sent Back to Prison
Martin Draughon returns to the clink after becoming a test case for alleged flaws in GPS monitoring devices
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The Judy's Come Back
Just in time for SXSW, the Pearland New Wavers brush off the mothballs
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Over the Weekend: Main Street, Astros, Beyonce and Jay-Z
12:29AM 04/07/08 -
Muxtape Monday: African Diaspora
12:07AM 04/07/08 -
Astros-Cubs: One Win (and Two Losses) for the ‘Stros, But Still None for a Starting Pitcher
07:57PM 04/06/08 -
$13 at Jax Grill in Bellaire
05:28AM 04/05/08
What we are writing about
- Altar Boyz
- Backroom at the Mink
- Cactus Music
- Chantal Akerman
- Continental Club
- Cuban immigrants
- Erykah Badu
- Frozen
- Houston art
- Houston local music
- Houston music stores
- Houston theater
- McGonigel's Mucky Duck
- Meridian
- Ornament as Art:...
- PlayStation
- Proletariat
- Roger Clemens
- Rudyard's
- Sig's Lagoon
- Sound Exchange
- southwest Houston
- Sugar Bean Sisters
- The Menil Collection
- There Will Be Blood
- Vinal Edge Records
- Walter's on Washington
- Warehouse Live
- Wii
- Young and Fertle
Recent Articles By Todd Spivak
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Texas coin companies target elderly investors
Heads you lose, tails you lose
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Heads You Lose, Tails You Lose: Lie, Puke and Say No
Coin brokers are taught that customers aren't trustworthy
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Taking Care
Margie Hill goes home and CPS learns about directory assistance
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Woodwind Lakes subdivision built on oil and gas field turns on neighbor who pointed out the contamination
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Woodwind Lakes: Danger — Baby on Board
Two feet below the inviting backyard was a sludge pit bubbling toxic waste
National Features
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Miami New Times
The Murder of Master Do
In a city plagued by killings, the most perplexing death is that of a killer.
ByTamara Lush -
SF Weekly
Pitching "Woo-Woo"
He'll find you a parking space and even watch your car--if the meter maids let him.
By Ashley Harrell -
Nashville Scene
Spank the Honkey
The victim of a racial slur exacts a special kind of retribution.
By P.J. Tobia -
Broward-Palm Beach New Times
Spring Break is Still Awesome
Try as it might, Ft. Lauderdale still can't shake America's die-hard partiers.
By Michael J. Mooney
Toxic Town: Contamination in Somerville Schools
Continued from page 2
Published: April 3, 2008"The kids are scared," she says. "I am so scared. I mean, if [contamination levels are] higher than the World Trade Center, I mean, God."
Barbara Nichols, the music teacher at Somerville Elementary who has worked in the school district for five years, says she isn't at all concerned.
"If it was a major problem, somebody would tell us," says Nichols, standing next to her car in the school parking lot during a cigarette break. "We have no problem in this school unless we go crawling around in the attics."
Another teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, saying she feared retribution from the school district, says she is "very worried" about her health and "can't understand" why her colleagues aren't.
"Nobody cares," says the teacher, who plans to leave the district or retire. "Other teachers aren't even bothered, like it's nothing, like it's a joke."
Justin Faust, a 15-year-old freshman at Somerville High, says his teachers don't talk about it: "But most of us students believe that there's poison in the schools."
Still, the school-band member says he is conflicted about transferring.
"I have a lot of friends here," he says. "I kind of want to go to a different school, but I kind of want to go here where I know everybody."
Justin Faust's grandmother, Linda Faust, sued Koppers and BNSF, alleging that emissions from the plant caused her stomach cancer at age 40 in 1998. A Fort Worth jury ruled against her in February; she plans to appeal.
Other trials are slated to begin this summer.
In the meantime, parents such as Carolyn Johnson, whose grandson attends third grade at Somerville Elementary, complain that they haven't heard anything from the school district.
Another grandparent with a child in the elementary school, who asked not to be named because he doesn't want his local business affected, said more needs to be done.
"The school district has been dragging its feet," he says. "They ought to clean this mess up. If not, let's get these kids out of here."
