IKE DIKE TAMU VS Rice SSPEED Dike Centennial gate from Hell
Dear Friends and Neighbors of the Bayshore Communities east of SH 146 from
La Porte, to sunny San Leon, and everyone in-between,
WELL, it looks like corporate interest, big oil, big business, and all the
lobbyist that line their pockets, are pushing hard for the Rice Dike Centennial
gate underneath and in front of the Fred Hartman Bridge, totally ignoring what
every Mayor and city official that I have spoken with. even most of the
scientist that study the Rice dike compared to the Ike dike say that any
structure built to protect the Houston Port North of the Fred Hartman bridge, by
building this Centennial Flood gate, by doing so, would wipe out every coastal
city and habitat east of SH 146 from La Porte to San Leon, once another
Hurricane Ike comes up the Houston Ship channel again, making way as the Rice
Dike stipulations and shows in their drawing, recreational areas for the rich
and famous to come and party where our homesteads have been for decades, some
100 years or longer. don’t believe me, read the Rice Dike proposal, look at the
drawing, they have already drawn us off the damn maps, and replaces our homes
and property with bike and hiking trails, beaches and boating docks, motels,
hotels. OR read the Houston Chronicle report Sunday, October 6, 2013, Beauty and
the barrier, Professor Thomas M. Colbert is making the same proposal, damming up
the end of Galveston Bay with a big gate, and claims it’s just too costly to
protect all the people living on the shores of Galveston Bay, he wants to just
protect the big oil and chemical plants north of Fred Hartman bridge. Professor
Colbert stated ‘’Of the two projects, I’ve favored centennial gate for a while.
To me, smaller seemed better.” then Professor Colbert goes on to claim of how
Levees and flood gates could become tourist attractions, that ‘’you could even,
he notes, build a tourist destination atop one of those islands’’; (he is
speaking of the dredge GLIT toxic islands along the ship channel being built),
‘’He proposes a monument to Houston, the gateway to North America, a place where
nature meets industry.’’ ‘’In some drawings, just to give people the idea, he
plunks the Statue of Liberty atop a Ship Channel island’’ (no seriously, this is
in the Houston Chronicle article). all this only to protect the industry north
of FH bridge could be ‘’Levees like that can be attractive”.
please read for yourself ;
I can assure all my friends and neighbors in Bacliff, San Leon, Bayview,
Kemah, Seabrook, Shore Acres, La Porte, nothing about the RICE Centennial gate
will be attractive when the next big one comes through, because we all will have
become ‘collateral damage’ for the big oil, big chemical industry, north of FH
bridge. I have spoken with Professor Merrell of TAMU and the IKE DIKE proposal,
he came down to San Leon at a meeting last year, and Professor Merrell plainly
stated that the RICE SSPEED dike will NOT protect any of us, and that only the
IKE dike makes any sense at all, if we are to protect everyone in and around
Galveston Bay, not just Big oil, and Big chemical, north of FH bridge. look,
everyone that lives on, or around, the shoreline of Galveston Bay knows we are
vulnerable to Hurricanes and flood surges. especially me and my wife, after
sitting through Hurricane Ike here on the bluff on the shoreline of Bacliff. we
watched those minie tsunamis’s finally lift the old house up here and wash piers
and blocks away under the house, 14 feet above Galveston Bay, and we had water
in our house that night, a house that was up on 2 foot blocks (see videos).
grandpa and grandma’s old homestead has been here since the 30’s, and they too
knew of the risk living on the bay here. BUT, so did these petro chemical
plants, oil companies, and everybody else, that decided to build up into and on
the Houston ship channel. they ALL knew the risk, and the still do, yet they
still build. we cannot let these corporate entities, politicians, and their
lobbyist mobs, take away what is ours, by making us all, collateral damage.
either build an IKE DIKE like was originally proposed, along the beach front, a
dike that would protect everyone in Galveston Bay, or forget it, let Nature take
it’s course. but, you build that RICE SSPEED Centennial gate, that would dam up
the end of Galveston Bay, thus, wipe us all out along Galveston Bay shoreline,
then you would have a lot of bodies floating after the next big one, due to your
negligence, and then you will be responsible for that negligence, knowingly what
you were doing, and the ramifications there from, will be decades.
say no to the RICE DIKE and or any Centennial Gate across the end of
Galveston Bay at Fred Hartman Bridge.
I have tried to reach out to several city’s and their officials around the
Bayshore communities about this proposal by RICE SSPEED center to take away our
land, and change it into a water recreational park for the rich and famous to
come play. here is what a few had to say, everyone I have spoken with via email
is on the record of being FOR THE IKE DIKE, and OPPOSED to the RICE SSPEED Rice
Dike, which they are against.
please see there comments ;
Kemah Mayor
From: Bob Cummins Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 1:51 PM To: Terry S.
Singeltary Sr. Cc: Rick Beverlin Subject: RE: Is your community just collateral
damage? RICE DIKE VS IKE DIKE
Mr. Singeltary, The City has Dr. Merrill speak on several occasions to help
educate our citizens. We have sent letters to the state and federal bodies to
show our support for the much needed Ike Dike. Dr. Merrell has spoken to every
group in the Bay area and has done a great job to help all of us. If you know of
anyway we can be of greater support of this cause please let me know.
Respectfully, Mayor Bob Cummins City of Kemah
========================
Seabrook Mayor
From: Glenn Royal Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 4:56 PM To: 'Terry S.
Singeltary Sr.' Subject: RE: Is your community just collateral damage? RICE DIKE
VS IKE DIKE
Dear Terry,
Rice University has not bothered to ask the opinion of Seabrook about the
Centennial Gate. Had they asked, our reaction is similar to LaPorte. Prior to
receiving your email, council has discussed our own resolution in opposition to
this plan.
Recent discussions that I have had with area groups about the Centennial
Gate give me hope that it is not going to be implemented given its relative cost
versus storm surge protection. The Ike Dike gives us the greatest cost/benefit
value.
Thank you for reaching out and sharing these articles with me. Please
continue you to do so.
Best regards,
Glenn Royal
Mayor
City of Seabrook
========================
La Porte City Council At Large “A” councilman
From: John Zemanek
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 1:58 PM
To: 'Terry S. Singeltary Sr.'
Subject: RE: Is your community just collateral damage? RICE DIKE VS IKE
DIKE
Terry,
City passed resolution opposing the Rice Dike. If you hear anything down
the road, please let us know. We are keeping our eyes & ears open as well.
FYI, I am the At Large “A” councilman.
Regards,
John Zemanek
Zemanek Marine Services, Inc.
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. [mailto:flounder9@verizon.net]
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 12:28 PM
To: mayorsoffice@laportetx.gov Cc: atlargea@laportetx.gov;
atlargeb@laportetx.gov; district1@laportetx.gov; cengelken@att.net;
district3@laportetx.gov; district4@laportetx.gov; district5@laportetx.gov; district6@laportetx.gov
Subject: Is your community just collateral damage? RICE DIKE VS IKE
DIKE
Say there Honorable Mayor Louis Rigby, and Council Members et al in the
great city of LaPorte, Texas.
snip...end...tss
==============================
RICE UNIVERSITY IKE DIKE hwy-146-levee proposal, THAT WOULD WASH AWAY
SEABROOK, KEMAH, BAYVIEW, BACLIFF, AND SAN LEON
NOVEMBER 2011
Preliminary research results indicate that the most feasible structure will
be a levee along SH-146 accompanied by pocket levees, built by private
landowners. The levee would connect natural 25 foot elevations near the Houston
Ship Channel and the Texas City Dike effectively protecting the properties and
critical facilities and infrastructure west of SH-146. However, moveable
barriers would need to be placed at Clear Lake and highway underpasses.
*** Furthermore, this proposal leaves waterfront properties and communities
east of SH- 146 vulnerable; however, it maintains the possibility of waterfront
recreation and other environmental and natural coastal features.
HERE is a IKE DIKE proposal that would help SAVE AND PROTECT SHOREACRES,
SEABROOK, KEMAH, BAYVIEW, BACLIFF, AND SAN LEON.
THIS Ike Dike proposal by TAMU does NOT abandon all of us that have lived
here all our lives, and this proposal does not sell out to developers ;
=====================
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 5:30 PM
To: William Merrell
Cc: Cherie Coffman
Subject: Re: Ike Dike question ? fantastic! thank you for your kind reply
Sir, and explanation for the layperson such as me. many thanks, I like your
proposal much, much, better Sir, considering my backyard is Galveston Bay here
in Bacliff, 77518 shoreline. with that rice university plan, the shorelines from
Kemah to San Leon and property values there from would tank and the next big
one, we would all be marsh land. course, it would not matter much anyway,
because that big toxic dredge island I have to look at everyday now, you know
the one they propose to double in size now, well all that would be in our
houses. ...what were they thinking. ...thanks again. with kindest regards, terry
=====================
From: William Merrell
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 5:08 PM
To: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Cc: Cherie Coffman
Subject: RE: Ike Dike question ?
Again - the Dike you describe is proposed by Rice University. It has
nothing whatsoever to do with the Ike Dike. The Ike Dike protects everyone in
the Bay because it is along the coast. You can verify this and learn the details
of the Ike Dike by going to our website
=====================
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. [mailto:flounder9@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 5:00 PM
To: William Merrell
Cc: Cherie Coffman
Subject: Re: Ike Dike question ?
Greetings again Dr. Merrell,
Sir, I had a question.
I did not have any ideas, other than the fact, I am concerned and confused
on one of rumored proposals of Ike Dike, and we wanted to know the truth, and I
was told, you were the person to go to, and my question was as follows ;
i heard that one of the potential designs for the ike dike, would have
everyone living south of the Kemah bridge on hwy 146, and everyone east of hwy
146 there from, i.e. Kemah, Bayview, Bacliff, and San Leon, all these fishing
communities would be EAST OF SAID IKE DIKE, as the said IKE DIKE would be built
west of hwy 146, thus leaving everyone east of 146 to be left for marsh land, as
any hurricane after said IKE DIKE built would leave these fishing communities as
marsh lands due to any IKE DIKE built west of hwy 146, is any of this true?
is there any proposal on the table to eliminate the Kemah, Bayview,
Bacliff, and San Leon shore lines from the Ike Dike?
is the scenario of said rumor, I proposed above, is this one of the
proposals?
as home owners, property owners, and business owners, we are concerned, and
we have a right to know if this is a proposal or not?
a simple yes or no answer will do. ...
thank you,
kind regards,
terry
=====================
From: William Merrell
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 4:38 PM To: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Cc: Cherie Coffman
Subject: RE: Ike Dike question ?
The 146 dike is proposed by the SSPEED Center at Rice. I agree with your
ideas on it. The Ike Dike is a coastal spine which would protect everyone.
Details on website http://www.tamug.edu/ikedike/
Best regards, Bill
William Merrell George P Mitchell Chair Texas A&M University at
Galveston Po Box 1675 Galveston, Texas 77553-1675 409-740-4732 work 409-740-4787
fax 409-771-2225 cell
=====================
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. [mailto:flounder9@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:50 PM
To: William Merrell
Subject: Ike Dike question ?
Greetings Dr. Merrell,
I am a bit concerned and confused, and hoping you might be able to help
straighten out any confusion on the IKE DIKE.
i heard that one of the potential designs for the ike dike, would have
everyone living south of the Kemah bridge on hwy 146, and everyone east of hwy
146 there from, i.e. Kemah, Bayview, Bacliff, and San Leon, all these fishing
communities would be EAST OF SAID IKE DIKE, as the said IKE DIKE would be built
west of hwy 146, thus leaving everyone east of 146 to be left for marsh land, as
any hurricane after said IKE DIKE built would leave these fishing communities as
marsh lands due to any IKE DIKE built west of hwy 146.
is any of this true ?
can you please show me where all the said potential designs and drawings
might be for the public to view on any said IKE DIKE ?
thank you,
kindest regards, terry
===================
END...TSS
Dr. Merrell, a marine scientist from Texas A&M, will be talking about
his proposal December 11, 2012 at 7 P.M. to explain his proposal, at a Town Hall
Meeting in San Leon, Texas, at the San Leon Fire Station. ...
=====================================
see full text ;
October 10, 2012
IKE DIKE PROPOSED BY RICE UNIVERSITY hangs our Bayshore communities out to
dry, IN 25 FEET OF WATER, to make way for WATERFRONT RECREATION $$$
Sunday, December 9, 2012
*** RICE DIKE PROPOSAL COULD DESTROY GALVESTON BAY BAYSHORE COMMUNITIES
Monday, April 15, 2013
Hurricane Ike: 5 Years Later Conference Rice Dike Proposal September 24-25,
2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
RICE DIKE AND IKE DIKE ARE RIVALS NO MORE, AND HAS BACKED OFF THE PROPOSAL
OF A 20-MILE 25 FOOT LEVEE ALONG SH 146
Monday, November 18, 2013
Is your community just collateral damage? RICE DIKE VS IKE DIKE
Hurricane Ike
here is a view from our pier back to the garage apartment, the garage, and
the main house, the day before Hurricane Ike. video scans down shoreline in
front of your house James and Tammy, and then, about halfway through the video,
after a big wave came crashing over the top of the hill, I went in, still well
before landfall of Ike, the pier went 12 hours before Ike made landfall, or
there abouts. then the video picks of the day after.
HURRICANE IKE
bonnie and terry day before and the day after IKE Bacliff 77518
HURRICANE IKE
Bacliff, two days later, see a video from our neighbors yard, looking back
to our gutted out apartment ‘mother-in-laws-house’ and garage, (see how high
tide still is along Bacliff shoreline), and the big rocks in neighbors backyard
and pool.
say no to the RICE DIKE and or any Centennial Gate across the end of
Galveston Bay at Fred Hartman Bridge...
reading the Galveston Daily News over the weekend, and comments there from,
it looks like Mr. Blackburn and the city of Houston wants to abandon everyone
living along the shores of Galveston Bay, just to save their precious Port of
Houston, and their own butts, with this SSPEED Rice Dike Centennial gate
underneath and in front of the Fred Hartman Bridge. I remember the city of
Houston doing the same thing when Rita hit, and the coast was suppose to evac
first, then the bayside communities, and THEN Houston last, because they were so
far inland. well, we all know what happened then, Houston said screw the rest,
we will evac ahead of them all, and that they did. it’s a dog, eat dog world I
guess, but I am surprised that Mr. Blackburn, apparently, would bail on everyone
south of the Fred Hartmann bridge, living all around Galveston Bay, instead of
going for the TAMU RICE Dike,
that would protect everyone, not just the PETRO chemical and oil complex, north
of FH bridge. just like with the Texas windstorm and flood insurance, Texas sold
it’s soul to the devil, big industry, that’s what happened with the Biggert
waters act, and that’s what happened with the Ike Dike proposed by TAMU, big
industry took that protection that was going to be for everyone, right from each
and every one of us living along Galveston Bay. that’s how things work now in
government, it’s run by industry, for the industry, not the people, for the
people, and rest assured, the industries lobbyist are working overtime on this.
if they do give us the opportunity to vote on the IKE DIKE vs RICE SSPEED DIKE,
I’m voting to protect all of Galveston Bay, not just the petro chemical plants
north of FH Bridge. and for those that do not live right along the coast around
Galveston Bay, this RICE SSPEED DIKE will affect you too. by damming up the
North End of Galveston bay during a hurricane, that surge has to go somewhere,
now that the dikes that were also proposed along SH146 South from the FH Bridge
to Texas City are not going in (thank God), you too, everyone west of the old
railroad tracks along SH 146 (all those new homes in League City, around Clear
Lake, down to Texas CIty, will now be at a greater risk for flood surge, there
is no way around it). if the Biggert Water’s flood insurance rate hikes will not
force you all to move, the next big hurricane will, thanks to any part of the
SSPEED Rice Dike Centennial gate underneath in front of the Fred Hartman Bridge.
I suggest, whether or not your democrat, republican, and anything in-between,
you think about these factors the next time you go vote, and vote against anyone
that is for any part of the SSPEED Rice Dike Centennial gate, and or the Biggert
Water’s flood insurance proposal. ...
JUST SAY NO to the Centennial Gate SSPEED RICE DIKE!
SAY YES TO THE TAMU IKE DIKE ! THAT WILL PROTECT ALL OF US FROM THE NEXT
BIG HURRICANE...
Sec. 11.096. OBSTRUCTION OF NAVIGABLE STREAMS. No person may obstruct the
navigation of any stream which can be navigated by steamboats, keelboats, or
flatboats by cutting and felling trees or by building on or across the stream
any dike, milldam, bridge, or other obstruction.
Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2207, ch. 870, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1072, Sec. 12, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Sec. 11.097. REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS FROM NAVIGABLE STREAMS. (a) On its own
motion or on written request from a commissioners court, the commission shall
investigate a reported natural obstruction in a navigable stream caused by the
accumulation of limbs, logs, leaves, other tree parts, or other debris. If
making the investigation on request of a commissioners court, the commission
must make its investigation not later than the 30th day after the date on which
it receives the written request from the commissioners court.
(b) On completion of the investigation, if the commission determines that
the obstruction is creating a hazard or is having other detrimental effect on
the navigable stream, the commission shall initiate action to remove the
obstruction. (c) In removing an obstruction, the commission may solicit the
assistance of federal and state agencies including the Corps of Engineers, Texas
National Guard, the Parks and Wildlife Department, and districts and authorities
created under Article III, Sections 52(b)(1) and (2), or Article XVI, Section
59, of the Texas Constitution. Also, the commission may enter into contracts for
services required to remove an obstruction. However, no river authority may
require the removal, relocation, or reconfiguration of a floating structure
which was in place before the effective date of this Act and the effective date
of any ordinance, rule, resolution, or other act of the river authority
mandating such action unless the WATER CODE
Statute text rendered on: 1/8/2013 - 245 - commission determines the
structure is an obstruction to navigation. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch.
295, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.
SNIP...
Sec. 63.156. EMINENT DOMAIN. (a) The district may exercise the power of
eminent domain to condemn and acquire the right-of-way over and through any
public or private land necessary to improve any river, bay, creek, or arm of the
Gulf of Mexico for the construction and maintenance of any canal or waterway and
for any other purpose authorized by this chapter. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/SDocs/WATERCODE.pdf
The Texas Water Code, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, the Texas Natural
Resources Code, and the Texas Penal Code all contain regulations regarding the
obstruction of navigable streams and/or the construction of unauthorized private
structures in or along streambeds. For example, the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Code generally provides that a person may not restrict, obstruct, interfere
with, or otherwise limit the public's recreational use of protected freshwater
areas (subject to trespass laws and other legal exceptions).17) The Texas Water
Code prohibits the obstruction of navigable streams by cutting or felling trees
or by building dikes, bridges, and the like on or across a stream.18) The Texas
Penal Code inter alia makes obstructing public waterways without legal authority
a Class B misdemeanor. Obstruction for purposes of the Penal Code means
rendering the waterway impassable or unreasonably inconvenient or hazardous.19)
The Texas Natural Resources Code prohibits the construction or maintenance of
non-permitted structures on lands owned by the state. Violations can result in
monetary fines and liability for removal costs incurred by the state.20) Under
Texas case law, water obstructions also may constitute unlawful purprestures if
they encroach on public rights or appropriate that which belongs to the public
for private use.21) The Texas Attorney General also has opined that riparian
owners may not erect fences on their property that prevent the public from
accessing a public waterway by means of a highway right-of-way. Nor can a
riparian owner prevent the public from navigating up and down public waterways
in boats and fishing by constructing fences stretching across the waterway.22)
The Texas Disaster Act of 1975, codified as Section 418 of the Texas
Government Code, authorizes state and local officials to take temporary actions
in the case of disasters and impending disasters. These laws most likely give
state and local authorities the right to close waterways for reasons of public
safety (e.g., high water, contamination, or other dangerous conditions). Actions
taken under the Texas Disaster Act cannot remain in effect indefinitely from
their inception, but rather are subject to certain review/renewal requirements.
Sec. 11.096. OBSTRUCTION OF NAVIGABLE STREAMS. No person may obstruct the
navigation of any stream which can be navigated by steamboats, keelboats, or
flatboats by cutting and felling trees or by building on or across the stream
any dike, milldam, bridge, or y g y , , g, other obstruction.
Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2207, ch. 870, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1072, Sec. 12, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
PREVENT THE GATES OF HELL:
Dear Steve old buddy, it looks like corporate interest, big oil, big
business, and all the lobbyists that line their pockets are pushing hard for the
Rice Dike Centennial Gate underneath and in front of the Fred Hartman Bridge.
They are totally ignoring what every mayor, city official and scientists have
spoken out against. In the event of a major storm this gate will cause a
backwash of enormous tidal surge wiping out communities in its path like La
Porte, Shore Acres, Seabrook, Kemah, Bacliff, San Leon and the Port of
Galveston. The only real choice is the solution previously presented, known as
the Ike Dike. This is a levee and gate system which would extend off of the
existing Galveston levee running forty miles East and West of Galveston Island.
The people in these local communities need to speak up to their community
leaders and their state and federal politicians against this proposed gate at
the Fred Hartman bridge. Terry Singeltary
Thanks for the letter, Terry. If we people on Galveston Bay sit back and
allow this Fred Hartman Gate to happen we will not be here after the next major
hurricane. In fact, even a minor hurricane will be enough if this gate is built.
Remember folks, the big money and Houston voters do not give a shit about our
little communities.
kind regards,
terry
Terry S. Singeltary SR.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
Friday, December 6, 2013
IKE DIKE TAMU VS Rice SSPEED Dike Centennial gate from Hell
