There's No Place Like Home

I found this fun meme over at Forgetfulone's place - she didn't tag me, but I decided to play along anyway!

This meme allows your Bloggy neighbors to get to know a little information about the town or city you live in. State the name and then post 10 facts or observations about the town you call home.

Home for me is Clear Lake City, TX - a suburb of Houston. Been here all my livelong days!

1. Clear Lake City is located about half-way between downtown Houston and Galveston Island.


2. Clear Lake City was originally developed by the Friendswood Development Company on land sold to Humble Oil and Refining Company (now ExxonMobil) by James Marion West in 1938. James West's mansion still stands, overlooking Clear Lake; for years, the Lunar and Planetary Institute was housed in the mansion until it moved to a bigger, more modern building. The property was recently sold to former basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon's property management company for future development; it now sits vacant.


3. The city was named for Clear Lake, a lake south of the Johnson Space Center that separates Harris County from Galveston County and connects Clear Creek to Galveston Bay.


4. Clear Lake City was annexed by the city of Houston in 1977 despite a grass-roots campaign by its residents to stop it. When Kathy Whitmire was elected Mayor of Houston in 1982, in large part because of voting support from Clear Lake City, she promised to disannex us; she did not keep her promise, so technically I live in Houston.


5. Clear Lake City is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center, where my daddy worked for 40 years (his entire career). I grew up with astronauts' children, and know several astronauts now.


6. Because we are adjacent to Galveston Bay, we have delicious seafood, a huge boating community and beautiful nature preserves.


7. When I graduated from high school in 1987, there were two high schools in the school district; the area has grown so much there are now four high schools, with plans to build another. My husband graduated from my rival high school in 1983; I didn't know him then.


8. My granddaddy built the first movie theater in Clear Lake City - it had 2 screens, and we always got in for free. The building was turned into a country-western nightclub, and that is where I met my husband. Now it is a Chinese restaurant.


9. The Clear Lake Area is also home to Ellington Field, formerly Ellington Air Force Base. The airport supports the operations of the United States military, NASA and a variety of general aviation tenants. The field is a base for NASA's administrative, cargo transport and high-altitude aircraft, which also includes NASA's fleet of T-38 Talon jets, the Shuttle Training Aircraft, and an NKC-135 aircraft known as the Vomit Comet, a zero-g trainer. The Texas Air National Guard, Texas Army National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard also maintain a presence at the base, with the Coast Guard facility known as Coast Guard Air Station Houston. Ellington Field is also home to the largest flying club in Texas and the annual "Wings Over Houston" airshow.


10. Living in Clear Lake City gives us the best of both worlds - we are close to the big city of Houston, and also the quaint, historical sea-side city of Galveston (granted, they're not the most beautiful beaches, but I still love living near the water!).

Since I wasn't tagged for this, I won't tag anyone, but if you'd like to play along, please do! Leave me a comment so I can come read about YOUR hometown!