Welcome to growth!
Photo by Giant effects by Portland blogger.

City Hall
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Bad Brads-I can almost smell the brisket now?
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Bad Brads (rear side)
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Site for NFCU-Looks like Hildale 1955 in "Back to the Future"!
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Cedar street
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Cedar Street Extension
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New Mystery Hotel

News and Commentary

This blog was recently added to the Keys to the City area on citiesonline.com. I appreciate the listing! I am trying to get the word out. I need contributors!

Myself and our chief photographer-"Giant" will be out and about this coming weekend to take pictures of construction progress.

News: It looks like Bad Brads BBQ is getting very close to opening. Also seems that the cinema parking lot is finally going to get paved. One downside to all the new businesses is that some of the smaller mom and pop stores have closed their doors. Of these is the Ice Cream Parlor over by Subway and another local ice cream store (a chain) La Patera closed (next to Blockbuster)

Commentary: A Day in the Life of a Small Town

Sometimes old sayings still ring true…such as “Behind every cloud there’s a silver lining”
Recently a local retailer accidentally swapped credit cards with me and another customer. The other customer didn’t look at the card. They stuffed it into their wallet and drove away. Unsure of what to do, I called the Portland Police Department. Our local "men and women in blue" where courteous and genuinely concerned throughout the ordeal. They contacted the other card holder, got our card back and even offered to come to our house to drop it off! It's reassuring to know that at least in our small town they still protect and serve-even when it turns out not to be a crime. Thanks guys!!!

Happy New Year Portland!

Growth continues at a rapid pace and the future looks bright for 2006. While attending a local community activity it was stated that some citizens are concerned about the impact of the eventual base closing (Ingleside). I suppose we will have to wait and see. This blogger and family are continuing to enjoy Portland and did 90% of our Christmas shopping in Portland (and online).

I am working at getting this blog listed at other Texas community sites and blog search engines. The Portland Chamber politely declined a reciprocal link on their site due to some unprofessional behavior of a previous Blog / website. Nice folks over at chamber- I respect their decision. To be a successful conduit for community news I need to get the word out. I need others to contribute and provide information. (special thanks to my co-workers for some recent updates!)

This picture taken 1/2/06 show an in-progress extension of Cedar street. The street will now end at Buddy Gamen next to the new movie theater.

Photo by Giant (click for larger image)

Cedar street

Mystery Hotel

This structure (a hotel) is coming along nicely. I have not found any information as to what hotel chain this is going to be. As always feel free to post if you have any info.

Mystery Hotel-Photo by Giant (click for larger image)

Rumor Mill

Rumor has it that Brad's BBQ won't open until January perhaps for the same reasons Wal-Mart waited
: tax concerns. The construction near the Hampton Inn is very likely an additional hotel. Finally, there is going to be a road extended by Bad Brad's that leads to the US 181 feeder.

Northshore Cinema 8

Blogger contributor Giant and I went to the 6:30 showing of King Kong. The seats where comfortable, the Dolby sound awesome, and picture quality superb. Mr. Dinger was there making sure everything went off without a hitch. There was small alignment issue with the projector during the previews that he had the control room fix within a few minutes. A guy I work with said the projector broke down during the late show on Tuesday night but their money was refunded. No harm no foul, no premiere is without its problems! Looks like that they are getting all the issues worked out.

My only complaint (really had nothing to do with the theater) concerns a row of Jr. High kids sitting behind us who talked and played around during the entire movie. I and other movie goers scolded them repeatedly to no avail. I moved to a different seat (just call me Gandhi). Afterwards I mentioned this to the owner and he assured me had I said something he would have taken care of the issue immediately-“my bad” for not doing that. I do think it would be helpful to have the ushers make a few rounds to -keep order- when there are a lot of teenagers present. I don't know about other Portlanders but I very grateful Mr. Dinger decided Portland was a great place to invest in!

Movie Theater Opens Tonight!

The Portland movie theater opens tonight! See Caller Times article. Did they finish the parking lot yet???
http://www.caller.com/ccct/business/article/0,2537,CCCT_873_4314165,00.html

New development updates

North Shore 8 is shaping up! It looks like work on the parking lot is in process. Construction personnel where working on Sunday when picture was taken. The Creamery in the shopping center in now open. My family can't wait to give it a try!

Photo by Giant

Wish list

Feel free to post your own wish list!!!

• A traffic light for the intersection of Daniel Moore and Wildcat


• Best Buy


• Jason’s Deli


• Chinese Buffet
  
• A music store

Mystery Structures

The Taft Tribune newspaper reports that the structures in the background are for a bridge, one south bound and the other north, to go over the railroad tracks. These will help alleviate any increased traffic due to the LaQuinta Terminal.

US 181 Bridge supports
Photo by Giant

Walmart (click for large image)
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