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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-08-09 Euless Articles DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE /OF l tl4 YOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CNT .tILDO.`aLD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF HARTSELL Q DATE DISTRIBUTED g/ T /I I DATE OF ARTICLE 7/073/f 1 NEWSPAPER FWST Homeless advocate, 57, is found dead FORT WORTH—A man Known as a WI( - 1 self-appointed watchdog for the — homeless was found dead Thursday7.s 74 in the storage unit where officials f believe he had lived for the past year. 4. :,,gam — Joe Don Brandon, .' .,, 57, died of hyperten- A sive cardiovascular _; disease, according to - ::= the Tarrant County t,, medical examiner's .- Brandonoffice. - . Brandon was a fre- Y �" t - ` — quent visitor to City Hall,where he often criticized how officials ad- rif dressed the needs of homeless peo- 0 Joe Don Brandon, a frequent ple and other issues.In the winter,he visitor to Fort Worth City Hall,was — was known as the "Bus Stop Santa," apparently living in a storage unit. dressing up as he served meals at jo , , '- ---:„. shelters or waved to drivers from a r highway overpass. His daughter Lisa Schaffner said '4 she is convinced that heat was a fac- x for in his death. She said her father had high blood pressure. ! - "I'm sure it was the heat because i he was just complaining about how i r bad it was;'Schaffner said. , .. Rulings from the medical examin- .. 1 er's office on whether heat contrib- - , uted to a death often take a few weeks. . .11a — Tracey Smith,who owns the stor- - = age units off Beach Street, said t. -� $`° Schaffner called him after she could not contact her father for two days. s ., — The unit was locked from the inside ,- '—'71..'„, and an odor was apparent when ._ i Smith arrived, he said. Emergency 4„,. , ._ .. crews helped break open the latch. Joe Don Brandon,shown on Christmas 2006,was known as the"Bus Stop Santa." "It was quite upsetting' Smith Star-Telegram archives/Joyce Marshall said. "He was quite a character!' utor to the Tarrant County Homeless He said Brandon had rented the Online extra Coalition. When he missed Tiles- - storage unit for about a year, often View and sign a guest book for day's monthly meetings, Executive working throughout the day on his Joe Don Brandon at star- Director Cindy Crain took notice. computer, writing e-mails to local telegram.com/obituaries "It's sad when someone you work officials or agencies outlining his with so close dies like this;'she add- - concerns. Smith said he suspected ed. "You feel like if you had done that Brandon slept there sometimes. homeless around 2003, Schaffner more or provided more,he would be The unit was not air-conditioned, said. She said Brandon briefly lived here. But Joe Don was a smart man, but Brandon kept a fan and bottled with her but ultimately decided that and he knew where he was living. water there, Smith said. he liked being transient. "Still, it really underscores the No service is planned, Schaffner "He used to joke that he was the challenges we have in making sure all said. most powerful homeless man;' those who are not sheltered get all — Brandon grew up in Euless and Schaffner said. "He was always the resources that they need!' was a mechanic for a long time. He fighting for what he thought was stopped caring about much of life af- right!' ter his mother's death and became Brandon was a frequent contrib- Eva-Marie Ayala,817-390-7700 DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF l 11.I FOR CITY CNCL CITY ATTNY MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CNT UcDO;\':iLD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF HARTSELL D,1 TE DISTRIBUTED ? ! 9 / t 1 DATE OF ARTICLE 7/1 g /H NEWSPAPER FWST Bedford hopes to sell 'sore property o The Sotogrande building Sotogrande complex and tennis center are valued at =i ' ` — close to$396,000. k ,'` ®�,,, ; i ` a BY Terry Evans ' - \ ' tevans@star-telegram.com €-- « r 1 ©as --.44, 4 0 — Bedford hopes to excise a "sore �'.*� thumb"it owns in Euless. ,�-+ `'�. I .e���. Council members recently ap- '' - ' 4 rII Nissop r �►. " . _ proved a resolution to sell the So- � �= �� togrande Community Building and Tennis Center at 3601 W. r .• . , • ip Rd. o Pipeli e Pipeline Road. Councilman Roy Savage said 1 the building and 11 tennis courts ' ` a. adjacent to the former Soto- . � . o�S\v grande apartment complex have �' W IN EN°C 0\'' — been a "sore thumb, but it's a Bedford hopes to sell the Sotogrande Community Building and Tennis Center sc • good property at a good loca- at 3601 W. Pipeline Road.A previous attempt to sell the 7-acre property in Bedford hopes to sell the don!' Euless and its 11 tennis courts in 2005 was unsuccessful. Sotogrande Community A council member since 2000, star-Telegram/Joyce Haran Building and Tennis Center at — Savage added that he was ready to et rid of the roe 3601 W.Pipeline Rd.in Euless. g p p rty in 2005, "Now we're trying to remarket country club-like appeal, with the first time the city tried to sell it,"he said. members who were Sotogrande star-Telegram it. Euless spokeswoman Betsy residents and included former — "The upkeep is greater than Deck said that the apartments Texas Rangers players and Gram- Miller said that a bid package any advantage it affords to the ci- and tennis center were developed my-winning singer B.J.Thomas, will be ready within 60 days,and ty,"he said."We tried to keep the by a company owned by former Deck said. the city will allow 30 days for the ,_ courts up for years.There was a Dallas Mayor Robert S. Folsom. "It used to be very upscale," bid process.If no acceptable bids pro shop,too,but it didn't go ov- But history is murky about how she said. are received, the sale will be ell' the tennis center became Bed- Bedford Councilman Roger handed over to a broker. Deputy City Manager David ford's in the 1980s. Fisher said that the area still "We'd like to do this on our — Miller said that the city is merely Former Sotogrande resident needs a good tennis venue. own to save the commission fee;' maintaining the almost 7-acre Denny Holman, who remains a "We don't have the money to Miller said. He added that sale property's landscaping at a cost partner in Folsom Companies make it look nice;' he said. "If proceeds would go into the city's of less than$5,000 a year. Inc., said the company sold the someone else does,that would be general fund. — The 2005 attempt to sell the apartment complex in the 1980s. great?' This report indudes material from the property was abandoned because He doesn't remember much be- Tarrant Appraisal District val- Star-Telegram archives. there was not enough interest, yond that. ued the property at almost —Miller said. The facility once enjoyed a $396,000. Terry Evans.817-390-7620 DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE 1 OF 3t-1 YOR CITY CNCL CITY ATTNY MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CNT lleDOLD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF HARTSELL DATE DISTRIBUTED 0 / q I 11 DATE OF ARTICLE '/9 NEWSPAPER FWST Staregram axis ' g-home sales Increase _ 18% in North Texas' By Sandra Baker sabaker@star-t&egram.com North Texas home sales got a spark of good news Monday with a report that sales of existing homes rose 18 fell 32 percent,to$67,000. percent in July. Home sales rose 80 percent in Buyers in the 29-county region the Haltom City/Riverside area, purchased 6,079 homes last ercent in Euless 59 percent in month, according to the Texas Be or an 52 percent in centrals A&M Real Estate Center report. west Arlington/Dalworthington But year to date, existing home Gardens/Pantego. Monday's report shows 5,521 sales are down 9 percent, with pending sales in North Texas in Ju- 37,009 homes sold from January ly,13 percent more than a year ear through July. lier. The median home price fell 1 .,. percent in July,to$153,000,the re- But listings are still down. Last port said. month, 36,733 homes were listed for sale, down 14 percent from a Most Tarrant County submar- leets saw sales gains in July. year earlier. East Fort Worth, with 41 sales, The Real Estate Center compiles had a 116 percent increase from a its data from the Multiple Listing year earlier, but the median price Service used by real estate agents to list and record property sales. Sandra Baker,817-390-7727