The Ambush Demolition excavator
works on digging into the two
emblems on the front of the
facade of the school.
Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Everything to know about the South Park saga

By THE ENTERPRISE

April 2, 2010
Posted: April 2, 2010, 12:59 PM CDT

   Last updated: April 6, 2010, 9:55 AM CDT

It was quiet Monday morning at the demolition site of South Park school.

Crews and equipment that began tearing down the school Friday were not yet working this morning to continue their work.

The demolition permit from the city of Beaumont that was granted Thursday was stapled to one of the several oak trees lining the sidewalk in front of the school.

Nearly all of the windows in the front and on the side of the building were gone busted in by the excavator sometime over the weekend. Nothing was left of the foyer area of the building except a pile of debris.

Read more about the ongoing South Park saga in Tuesdays Beaumont Enterprise.

 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Demolition of South Park Middle School has begun.

An excavator is removing the steps to the front entrance of the 1923 structure. Demolition crews have already removed the railings. A second excavator has been brought in and is being unloaded.

VIEW PHOTOS OF THE DEMOLITION HERE.

An employee for Allco, a Beaumont-based construction company selected by the Beaumont ISD to oversee the demolition, confirmed workers are on site and were instructed to bring the building down.

Michael Getz, a Beaumont attorney representing the Beaumont Heritage Society in a battle against BISD to preserve the building, said "it is interesting the school district would decide to tear the school down on a holiday weekend."

VIDEO OF THE DEMOLITION

This afternoon, about half a dozen people hung around the site watching and taking photos.

Jimmy Madaffri was in tears as he got out of his car.

"They don't build buildings like that anymore," he said as he watched excavators work on the school he and his five brothers graduated from.

HISTORIC PHOTOS OF SOUTH PARK

Madaffri, 74, said he thought the reason the building was being torn down was because it was the last standing figurehead of the time before segregation. He said Port Arthur had the right idea by turning Woodrow Wilson Middle School into a performing arts building.

Mary Rogers, whose granddaughter now attends South Park in portables, said she favors a new school but hoped they would save the front of the old South Park Middle School and build the new one behind the façade.

Rogers said there was never going to be a compromise between the district and the heritage society.

PREVIOUS SOUTH PARK COVERAGE HERE

"I hate to see it come down," she said.

Representatives from BISD were unable to reach for comment as of 1:05 p.m.

The district is closed today for Good Friday.

VIDEO TRIBUTE TO SOUTH PARK

 

282 COMMENTS: timwopel wrote:
maybe i will propose it at one of the next meetings... 04/13/2010 09:21 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
One does not have to be a rocket scientist to see this coming. Doc Thomas has an inferiority complex so obvious, it is pathetic. I will bet you money that he already has one of his cronies lined up to make such an asinine proposal. 04/12/2010 07:56 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
when it is done, i certainly hope they give you credit. 04/12/2010 04:02 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
Just wait until you see the next suggestion to name a Beaumont landmark. Someone is going to suggest the naming of the new football stadium on IH-10 after DOC THOMAS. When a person has too much POWER over the local community, this is the result. 04/12/2010 03:06 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
you are fooling yourself 04/10/2010 10:44 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
There were two ways to fight the South Park HS destruction. The first, overtly, did not bear fruit. The second way, covertly, is subtle, cunning and correctly suitable for the fair doctor. 04/10/2010 04:12 AM CDT

BISD Disaster wrote:
According to the Texas Almanac, Beaumont's population has been stagnant since 1960 when it was 119,175. In 1970, it was 115,919, 1980 was 118,102, 1990 was 114,323, and 2000 was 113,866. CNN for 2008 reported a population of 109,800. 04/10/2010 12:12 AM CDT

ShevyG wrote:
Well, Well, Well, I see why I left Beaumont over twenty years ago. Not much has changed. I am a 1983 graduate of South Park High School and my four older siblings are graduates as well. The best years of my life were spent at South Park and it saddens me not only that the school is being torn down,but that some Beaumont Texans have not progressed forward nor let go of their out right hate for people, accepting life situations,understanding that government is politics, and just mad at others existing on this earth. Yes, it is unfortunate to read all the craziness in the blogs, but I understand that some people in Beaumont literally think and feel hate constantly! This is why I never returned home (Beaumont) to live. We all need to realize that all of the negative back and forth about South Park isn't going to change our school being torn down... wasted energy is all it is. I hope that all of us that attended and walk the halls of South Park, those of US that PROUDLY wore the track, football, basketball, cheerleading, and band uniforms. Just remember.... always remember what we learned from our Teachers and Coaches. It was good times with our peers and just good stuff! And that is what schools should be about... leaving us with good memories and preparing us to Life. South Park's teacher's and the GREENIE Spirit gave me that (gave US that) and that is so Priceless to me all these years later. Yes, our school is gone, unfortunately the fussing, silliness, ignorance, etc.... isn't. But I got mine from South Park and that school will live in my heart forever. Everyone be safe out there!
04/09/2010 11:56 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
you aren't trying too, but you did. pretty friggon low. this is your greenie fight. dispicable.
04/09/2010 04:31 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
To Joe C. Bonura - Joe, you of all people should understand the grief that people feel when they suffer a senseless loss. I am not trying to say that losing Alicia is anything like losing a building so do not misunderstand me. But the senselessness of the act taken by BISD in demolishing South Park, after promising that they would not do so is outrageous. There is also a difference in that the building that housed French, Forest Park, Hebert and Beaumont High were not demolished. Telling people to "get over it" is dismissive and flippant. You are a better person than that. Every time I pass the memorial on Hwy 90, I think of your family and pray that Alicia is in a better place. I hope this letter helps to give you some insight into the needless suffering and angst that BISD has caused to happen with a whole lot of people.
04/09/2010 02:20 PM CDT

UriOmerdcen wrote:
What, you mean about the Houston Trash? Sorry..........NOT!
04/09/2010 12:49 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
i see you have been leaving me love notes uri...
04/09/2010 11:57 AM CDT

dm's dad wrote:
Ok this is very old news who cares, lets move on.
04/09/2010 11:54 AM CDT

UriOmerdcen wrote:
Good people leaving Beaumont and trash moving in from Houston?
04/09/2010 11:08 AM CDT

Exile wrote:
Timwopel is correct that population in the area has been dropping since the late 1960s, long before Carrol Thomas. People who have options don't come here or leave as soon as possible. Whose "hatred" causes that? I'd suggest that is widespread on all sides. Whether it's labor vs management or white vs. black, too few people seek equal treatment and too many see payback. By their actions with regard to the South Park building, the BISD board and superintendent showed themselves to be part of the problem, not part of any solution.
04/09/2010 09:50 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
if you sit here and read YOUR numbers...this school district has been following the entirte area in its decline for quite some time now. much longer than carroll thomas has been around these parts. maybe you people should look in the mirror for answers as to why these things are happening. (hint...start with your own hatred and work from there)
04/09/2010 08:14 AM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
HOW DO YOU SPELL FRAUD=BISD Look for the bumper sticker soon!!!
04/09/2010 12:42 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Isn't it interesting how a dying school district would destroy a rallying / gathering point for their alumni? Shows ya just how arrogant and morally bankrupt Carrol Thomas' character actually is. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" ~ Matthew 16:26
04/08/2010 11:21 PM CDT

BISD Disaster wrote:
When I graduated in 1975 from Forest Park, there was 6 high schools that made up District 21-4A. There was no 5A schools at that time. Forest Park had roughly 2000 students and I estimate that the remaining 5 high schools had an average of 1600 for an enrollment of about 8000. That would mean there were about 10,000 HS students in the Beaumont public schools. For the 2007-2008 school year, Central had 1513, Ozen had 1257, and West Brook had 2421, or combined a total of about 5200. Kelly was here in 1975, so there was 1 private school that I remember. The number of Beaumont public HS students has gone down about 50% over the past 30+ years.
04/08/2010 11:12 PM CDT

Exile wrote:
There were six public high schools in the city at one time. Now there are three, and two of them are small. People used to blame white flight, but the surrounding districts have not grown as much as the main urban districts (Beaumont, Port Arthur, West Orange-Cove) have declined. It's a combination of people leaving the area and those remaining having smaller families or just aging.
04/08/2010 09:38 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Look to Port Arthur to see where Beaumont is headed if nothing is done. It may already be too late. One mega high school. Good bye Ozen/Hebert, so long Central/BCP/ Beaumont High. Maybe the mascot for the new high school could be Tim the Troll.
04/08/2010 08:26 PM CDT

Exile wrote:
Someone look up the trends in enrollment and attendance. Is enrollment growing or declining? That's why the last bond issue called for several school mergers and closures. People are moving away (with the encouragement of some posters here), and those who stay are aging. The result is fewer students all around.
04/08/2010 03:55 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Corky: Hmm... If they stay on the path they've been gradually going down, consolidating/merging/closing high schools and neglecting the ones that survive, it's sounding like eventually we might end up with all the high school students warehoused in one giant 'central' high school, since they can't even manage to take care of as few as three.
04/08/2010 03:49 PM CDT

corky2 wrote:
I know there are a lot of proud Hebert graduates out there. I'm glad you mentioned Hebert. It points out what is so bizarre about BISD's actions. With Hebert (Ozen), they covered up a school which was beginning to fall apart (poor maintenance as well) with a brand new facade, but the inside continues to fall apart...They were willing to do that, which won't last for long, yet they didn't save the part of SP which could have easily stood...the exterior. I meet many graduates of Hebert who have a lot of pride in what that community and school was all about...unfortunately, I think they mishandled the preservation of that building as well. One incompetent act another.
04/08/2010 03:05 PM CDT

dabreeze67 wrote:
La la la la la la la la la la......everyone la la la la la la la!!!!!
04/08/2010 01:43 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Tim is like a gnat. You swat at him and swat at him. Finally when he gets squashed, one has to wonder if he was really ever there at all. He's trying to have his 15 nanoseconds of notoriety. It's kind of like a piece of trash attempting to validate it's own existence simply by being a piece of trash. Tim is just goofy. And, goofy is as goofy does.
04/08/2010 12:26 PM CDT

Mamagistra wrote:
Corky, you're absolutely right: it *is* by design, and I fear it won't end until every last shred of the former SPISD is buried...even what's left of Hebert, a school that was once a vital and proud neighborhood school. And isn't that the real catalyst for all this? The demise of neighborhood schools set this fetid rock in motion. Thomas & Co. serve as the slime to further speed that rolling stone to it's final resting place in a hole that was once a thriving Beaumont.
04/08/2010 11:33 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
hehehe
04/08/2010 11:16 AM CDT

corky2 wrote:
legal, I agree. Tim seems to be aging in reverse... very mature -"hehehe" I had forgotten about the open meetings violation. They'll need to figure out how to twist that action into something which was 'best for the kids.' Now that will be a tough sell. Regarding Thomas' stay in North Forest...4 million dollars came up missing and 3-4 of his helpers were investigated as to what happened there. Of course BISD either didn't know or care about this problem when we decided to hire him. Kinda like hiring Mackey (Einstein) and N Lawrence Lee (sticky fingers)...nothing more attractive to an employer than a history of fraud, incompetence or an agreement to resign instead of being charged with a felony (L-Lee). you can bet she's handling most of the invoices for the bond projects. Thomas had the nerve to introduce Lee, at convocation, as the 'most over qualified person in the district.' Really, Carrol?! Is there a sign at admin that says 'non-felons need not apply'...geeez! What ever happened to Sparky Walker the felonious electrician? "We don't need no stinkin' licenses...it's for the kids." It took the threat of a lawsuit to get the AC fixed in the Special ed dept at West Brook (handicapped kids getting very overheated/possible seizures). The air had been out for weeks with multiple maintenance requests ignored...Beware Beaumont, the blatant lack of maintenance of certain schools is an ongoing attempt to do what they did to South Park. It takes the threat of a lawsuit to get issues like air quality or student health addressed. It is by design. Ironic, when you look up some of the salaries of maintenance workers in BISD because of overtime.
04/08/2010 10:09 AM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Tim, I found the arse. It is you. The reason that you are so despised on this site is because you are so sadistic. Yes, it is a building but it was important to a lot of people - that is something you cannot appreciate. Also, your comments, "bye, bye building" and laughing and expressing joy that it is gone are cruel. You know that but you do it any way. Finally, you don't seem to grasp the bigger picture, which was BISD lied, committed fraud, breached their fiduciary duties and violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. So, again, I found my arse, it goes by the name timwopel a/k/a tim the troll.
04/08/2010 09:04 AM CDT

tsbsach@hotmail.com wrote:
Our beautiful land mark is now only a mark on the land. Will memorabilia really help? For some yes, but many of the Geenies want to make sure this man leaves BISD for good. If he did this to SP, what about Beaumont High, and Frech, and Hebert.
04/08/2010 08:07 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
hehehe
04/08/2010 07:03 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
doesn't really change anything, you still can't find your arse...
04/08/2010 06:46 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
bye bye building....you never really meant that much. glad you are gone!
04/08/2010 06:45 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
you just wished cancer on another human being and you think i'm a dick....you need to look in a mirror, chump! THIS IS A BUILDING!
04/08/2010 06:43 AM CDT

thisisinsane wrote:
bornonmountain I can help you with mailouts. I will stuff envelopes and whatever else you need. I printed the petition off the website today and i am asking everyone i know to sign it. I don't know if you read my earlier post but I am fed up with BISD and everything it stands for so please let me know how I can help. It's not just about South park, although that was the final straw , I grew up in south park also, but i am fed up at is happening within BISD right now. i am putting my kids in Harmony next year, well they are on the list . i was dreading Westbrook for my daughter. so i will email you at the one you said would be up tonight.
04/07/2010 08:12 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Tim, you know what would be funny? For you to get cancer and try to give yourself chemo. Go back to Houston to the ghetto that you came from
04/07/2010 05:46 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
i bet you guys can't find your arse with both hands...lol
04/07/2010 05:07 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
GPS Man: Here's the only information I've found with some details on Carrol's degrees, from some random case study document online. He's still causing problems even though his credentials are likely real. "Carrol A. Thomas, Jr., Ed.D. became the superintendent of Beaumont Independent School District in July of 1996. Prior to his time in Beaumont, Dr. Thomas served as the superintendent of the North Forest Independent School District in the Houston area for seven years. Dr. Thomas initially spent 19 years in Lubbock Independent School District, where he served as an elementary school teacher, an assistant principal, and then as a principal at the middle and high school levels. While working in Lubbock, Dr. Thomas earned a Masters of Education degree from Texas Tech University along with administrator and superintendent certificates. Dr. Thomas??s success in Lubbock convinced the North Forest Independent School District to select him as superintendent in the hope that his efforts could lead the district back to accredited status. Dr. Thomas was able to restore North Forest??s accreditation within one year of his arrival after the district had spent three years under state review. While at North Forest, Thomas completed his work on his doctorate in education at Texas Southern University."
04/07/2010 04:28 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
LegalEagle: To clarify... BornOnMountain wasn't suggesting you visit a website, he/she was telling you that he/she is setting up a new email address on the website domain that he/she owns/operates, and asked you to send an email to him/her at that new email address - petition@beautifulmountain.com
04/07/2010 04:02 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
CORRECTION, I have just been advised that LVN Thomas was never in the medical field, after all. All this time I thought he was a medical doctor, when in reality he is just another schoolteacher with the old sheepskin hanging on the wall. If it is not too much trouble, Doctor of Education Thomas, please post your doctoral credentials on the BISD website, so that you will not become another target of nasty comments from those people wanting to verify President Obama??s nationality, via his birth certificate.
04/07/2010 04:01 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
In the Pulitzer prize winner "My Dog Skip", the final sentence says "They said they buried Skip under our elm tree in the backyard. That was not totally true because he laid burried forever in my heart". This South Park Building was just a visual of the memory I will forever have and hold dear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOspN586Nzk&feature=related
04/07/2010 03:59 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
BornOnMountain: Just in case you haven't already thought of this: For that kind of expenditure on volume mailing, you could take a look at getting Standard Class bulk mail discounts for the outgoing mail. If you can get an account set up fast enough, you could spend less for the same amount of mailing, or mail more for the same amount of money.
04/07/2010 03:56 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
BornonMountain- I went to the website you suggested. It appears to be a religious website for a church? Again, if you want a copy of the petition, you can get it at www.savesouthpark.org.
04/07/2010 03:52 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
MISSION CONTROL MESSAGE. Earth calling Timwopel, please come back down to earth, the altitude is affecting your thought process. I can only assume apoxia has set in. It may be too late.
04/07/2010 03:42 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
there you go....focus. don't waste your time on a fight you will lose. regroup, attack the flank and acheive your objective. your building is gone, but your children are still here.
04/07/2010 03:32 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
Legaleagle, setting up a new email address now. Petition@BeautifulMountain.com . It will be up tonight. Send me an email. I think the mailout will be the most fun 50,000 I have ever spent. I will need some help. If you can think of another way to do this let me know.
04/07/2010 03:24 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
BornonMountain Were you able to download a copy of the petition with the information that I gave you? If you are truly willing to pay for a mass mailing, I predict that you would have a lot of people spend 44 cents to mail them to the attorney for the Heritage Society. Remember, you need 12000 signatures. The last petition drive started in October of 2009 and those signatures are only good for 180 days so this really needs to be done by end of April.
04/07/2010 03:12 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
Corky2: Yes, the big boys are hot on his (their) trail. ATTENTION all cronies, do not believe that you can come clean at this point, your DNA is all over the place. Corky2, regarding sentences, while LVN Thomas is supposed to be an educator and he does not fully comprehend what SENTENCES are.
04/07/2010 03:05 PM CDT

corky2 wrote:
Reliable sources say, Thomas and pals are being ACTIVELY investigated by the FBI for malfeasance regarding the bond issue. Maybe they want to give him a special plaque for integrity in public school funding...or maybe they want to give him a sentence. Several sentences, perhaps.
04/07/2010 02:43 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
I made a glaring oversight in my last post. While trying to give NURSE Thomas all credit due him, I failed to take into consideration his prior record, it is with deep regret that he be further demoted from NURSE to LVN. See what happens when you do not keep your nose clean!
04/07/2010 02:34 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
I apologize for the previous post errors, the system does not translate certain characters very well. NURSE Thomas, (I hereby declare you officially demoted) as you can see, you and your cronies are in the spotlight once again. Yall (for you intellectual types, it is YOU ALL) just cannot stay out of trouble. My personal recommendation to you, try to implement deeper concentration skills and this next one is a real doozy for you, STAY FOCUSED ON THE STUDENTS. Hey FBI, please expedite your investigation, before he destroys all of the credibility in Beaumont Texas. In closing, I can appreciate the fact that you may not read all of these comments, however your cronies and attorneys keep you informed of the areas reaction. It is not looking too good for another raise! Nurse Thomas a legend in his own mind.
04/07/2010 02:19 PM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
??NURSE? Thomas, (I hereby declare you officially demoted) as you can see, you and your cronies are in the spotlight once again. Y??all just cannot stay out of trouble. My personal recommendation to you, try to implement deeper concentration skills and this next one is a real doozy for you, STAY FOCUSED ON THE STUDENTS. Hey FBI, please expedite your investigation, before he destroys all of the credibility in Beaumont Texas. In closing, I can appreciate the fact that you may not read all of these comments, however your cronies and attorneys keep you informed of the area??s reaction. It is not looking too good for another raise! ??Nurse Thomas a legend in his own mind?.
04/07/2010 02:15 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
Legaleagle. I am willing to pay for a mass mailing to every address in the West End. Attache a pettition with a no postage due stamp. Anyone want ot help get this going?
04/07/2010 01:46 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Petitions are available on line already. You will need to go to the web address "www.savesouthpark.org" and click on the petition, print it out , sign it and complete the information requested and send it to Mike Getz, the attorney for the Beaumont Heritage Society. You have to reside in BISD to be able to sign the petition.
04/07/2010 01:10 PM CDT

dabreeze67 wrote:
la la la la la la la
04/07/2010 12:57 PM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
According to one of the worker's at the site - Carrol Thomas directed Allco to "start in the front, start in the middle and start on Friday". What Big Thick, Tim the Troll and others who celebrate the school's demise is that they are condoning fraud and lies by BISD and then, the coup de grace, start demolition on good Friday two days after a district judge blisters their butt. I do have to agree with Tiny Tim on one point - the only real course of action from here is to take action to change the school board and that can only be done if the way the districts are drawn up are changed. The prior petition drive did not get enough signatures to force this issue on the ballot. What needs to happen is someone needs to ramrod a new petition drive. Around 12,000 signatures will be needed. My suggestion is to make the petition available on the internet and then have people print them out, sign them and send them to the person that is going to be responsible for the collection of all the petitions. This will be a big job. Any takers?
04/07/2010 12:24 PM CDT

CasualObserver wrote:
Hmm, isn't it about time for another 3% raise for Thomas? Oh wait...he already got it. Again. What about next time? Are the citizens of Beaumont going to continue to perpetrate his tenure or actually do something to get him and his board OUT of their positions?
04/07/2010 12:23 PM CDT

Teacher Man wrote:
Fraud, perjury, and reverse racism pretty much sums up this story. Thomas and His board obviously know no shame.
04/07/2010 12:10 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
Ya'll come pick up some bricks for souvenirs. They want to keep this demolition green, less trips to the landfill! And don't even think about putting any of them in Thomas living room! He does not want any memories of South Park.
04/07/2010 11:32 AM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
GPS Man: What demolition company would proceed in such an absurd way? The oh-so-aptly-named Ambush Demolition from Houston, of course! ;-)
04/07/2010 11:00 AM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
Hey Doc Thomas, I will be glad when it is made public what INDIVIDUAL specifically instructed the demolition company to commence demolition precisely at the front entrance way to the South Park School. Every contractor in the area that is viewing these demolition photos are having a field day laughing at the demolition sequence. No company, unless instructed otherwise, would begin a demo project at the front door. HaHaHa, you are too funny and naive, HaHaHa you need a pay raise! In addition, Ms Jessie, what asinine demo company would start demolition, prior to removal of resalable materials? Your too funny also, HaHaHa, you are really underpaid!
04/07/2010 10:57 AM CDT

GPS Man wrote:
Hey Doc Thomas, I will be glad when it is made public what INDIVIDUAL specifically instructed the demolition company to commence demolition precisely at the front entrance way to the South Park School. Every contractor in the area that is viewing these demolition photos are having a field day laughing at the demolition sequence. No company, unless instructed otherwise, would begin a demo project at the front door. HaHaHaHa?.your too funny and naive?.HaHaHa?.you need a pay raise?..! In addition, Ms Jessie, what asinine demo company would start demolition, prior to removal of resalable materials? Your too funny also??HaHaHa?..you are really underpaid?.!
04/07/2010 10:53 AM CDT

Axiom wrote:
The past decade has produced at the very least these three pearls of wisdom: 1. Clinton lied 2. Monica swallowed and 3. Carrol Thomas is truly a world class POS and community destroying SOB. ~~ Yes, the South Park High School saga continues as well it should. Neither the last chapter or epilogue have yet to be determined.
04/07/2010 10:37 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Mr. Dingleberry timwopel, please try to understand that I did leave Beaumont, have no desire to run for any potentially corrupt public office and will stay angry at BISD for callously tearing down a historical landmark as long as there is breath and at least an ounce of energy remaining in my body. It's only fitting of the situation at hand. I don't expect you understand much. But, try hard to have a single collective thought today and let this be the lucky one. Thanks and.......oh,yeah........go to hell. Please? Thanks.
04/07/2010 10:13 AM CDT

corky2 wrote:
Majestic and Tim are still in denial about the fraud. They say, if you don't like it, leave. Take it or leave it...how do you equate expecting promises to be kept with being divisive? That's wrong headed and kinda ignorant. I think the neighborhood lady shown and quoted on the news, the day of the demolition, says it all. She said, "I don't care 'bout no lies ....I don't care 'bout nobody!" How proud she must be. Something tells me she's not paying anything but local sales tax...
04/07/2010 10:04 AM CDT

Mamagistra wrote:
The activators of hate and divisors of Beaumont are those who LIED and DEFRAUDED the citizens of Beaumont in order to bury a piece of history.
04/07/2010 09:50 AM CDT

majestic5050 wrote:
A few,few,years ago I suffered the same fate as the now South Park Greenies.We called the now deceased Supt and deceased Board Members a bunch of "yellow bellied cowards,scum sucking idiots and forever burn in hell misfits to Society in our home town.The school was torn down and those of us who tried to activitate hate in the town slowly died.Products of the new school were 9 state Judges,2 Lt Governors,5 congressmen and numerous others. Bitter as hell back then,Yes.I packed up and left town.It now seems very clear that after I left along with others,things returned to normal.If you really hate Beaumont and dislike the City Council,BISD, and if you are not to old,just pack up and leave,quickly.You will be missed by your friends,but I along with others will not miss your promotions for dividing this great City of Beaumont TX.
04/07/2010 09:16 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
you know, wavy and epn....if you don't like beaumont, you can do one of 3 things. leave, run for office and change things, or.....keep whining and stay mad.
04/07/2010 08:12 AM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Thanks for the link, Wavy Gravy. It would be nice to see an update of that book, newly available. Clearly *some* people appreciate local history.
04/07/2010 08:12 AM CDT

corky2 wrote:
Bigthick (tiny skinny) the only VOTE we had was the bond issue vote and it promised to save the building, so what ever powers of clairvoyance you think you have are only in your mind. The online polls say 65-70% think the district is wrong for doing this. Maybe you just don't have many friends...Does BigThick refer to your skull?
04/07/2010 07:58 AM CDT

BigThick wrote:
Why do you want Tim to quit? Because his opinion is the same as the overwhelming majority of Beaumont citizens. It's funny how you allow the enterprise to incite your hatred....
04/07/2010 07:49 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
@Tim - quit already, moron!
04/07/2010 07:41 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
wavy, the three categories of residents you listed, i'm guess you fall under the 3rd...how did you puit it? oh yeah....mentally misguided. lookintothis, they don't print books for charity, they do it for profit and this book you propose would not sell enough to turn the first dime.
04/07/2010 06:54 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Yep. And, that's why the folks are leaving as fast as they can get the hell out! Beaumont doesn't exist as a city any more. It's a cesspool of arrogant personalities which includes Carrol Thomas, Becky Ames, Kyle Hayes, Anne Huff....etc. Indeed, the internal turmoil of the city council and school district drives business away. Why else is the city population shrinking? Ahhh, yes. Feel the love. Freakin' idiots in charge have trashed the area. Even the police can't keep simple peace and order without some loons accusing them of brutality at every opportunity. Parochial schools are the only glue keeping the kids truly educated. BISD only teaches how to pass the required exit tests and not a real education. They damn sure don't teach history. That was proven last Friday. Beaumont is a decent place to work. But that's all. It's a crappy place in which to reside. Don't think so? Check the traffic in the mornings and evenings. They pack the freeway coming in to work and they jam it up pretty well after the workday is over. Only the poor black, tan and mentally misguided are the indigenous static population that call Beaumont their home. It's all yours Becky, Kyle and Carrol. Fools that you are. Keep it going. Stay the course. Slowly but surely you are bankrupting the city of it's heritage and in so doing, you also snuff the very will to survive. Taking turns blowing sunshine up each other's butts at council meetings ain't cutting it either. You're only fooling yourselves of what a great job you all have done. You're destroying Beaumont a little at a time. Brick by brick you destroy what you were hired to preserve. What a crying shame!
04/07/2010 06:21 AM CDT

carrol wrote:
Rub it in, Bmt. Enterprise; you're loving every minute of it. Every day you add a little salt to our wounds. Revenge is sweet, isn't it?
04/07/2010 05:36 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Read Ray Asbury's book. ///// http://www.amazon.com/South-1891-1971-founding-University-1923-1941/dp/B0006CBH3Q/ref=sr_1_1/175-1685073-1624363?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270612760&sr=1-1
04/06/2010 11:00 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
You know those fancy photo books the Enterprise published after the hurricanes? The Enterprise should collaborate with some of the Greenies to do a book like that about the South Park High School building (with lots of photos, like the ten old photos they posted online, plus more modern photos), its history (the construction, the school district, the college starting there, etc), and a 'hall of fame' of famous people like EPN listed who went to school there. Could have a chapter for each decade, perhaps.
04/06/2010 10:11 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
I know your '72 brother EPN.
04/06/2010 08:45 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
I'm proud of the people that came out of SP too. SP turned out some fine, successful folks. Congressmen, judges, doctors, lawyers, law enforcement, pro football players, pro golfers, successful business owners & leaders, teachers, famous musicians. There's more, but these came to mind. There has been a little bit of everything walk the halls of SP.
04/06/2010 08:20 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Hi Lady Boyce. Sorry to rub your fur the wrong way. But, there are a lot of things wrong with BISD inclusive of their dipstick headmaster as the primate..ah...primary reason. "It's a sin to be silent when it's our duty to protest."-- Abraham Lincoln -------------- Doodle doodle dee wubba wubba wubba.
04/06/2010 07:37 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
@Born - I'm the baby & I graduated in '81, my brothers in '72 & '65. Our name is Norris.
04/06/2010 07:36 PM CDT

skeeet wrote:
The marker is in the closet of the office that was Ingram's. At least it was Thursday before we left for the weekend. Thomas put it there because Ingram was the only one that wasn't part of the rat pack.
04/06/2010 06:46 PM CDT

Exile wrote:
Right on, Mamagistra! Reducing every matter to black-vs-white or labor-vs-management has long diminished the Beaumont area. Part of the evil fallout from this action by the BISD board has been the aggravation of all those old grievances, as shown by many of the vicious posts - from both sides - here.
04/06/2010 06:34 PM CDT

Angel baby wrote:
BISD still is a sorry excuse for a school system it does not matter how many buildings they tear down, they need to get rid of that big money sucking wind bag Carroll Thomas.
04/06/2010 06:08 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Minimum construction standards are better now, but SPHS was built far above the minimum standards (and not near the coast).
04/06/2010 05:58 PM CDT

VillageVoice wrote:
EPN said: I do not buy the economy issue, for it affects us all. You can still live a clean & moral life and not be financially well off. ...... Very true, though being poor is often a disadvantage, it is no excuse for slothfulness. Mama always said bleach is cheap -- and always keep your front porch swept! As far as the neighborhoods, we had friends off Ave. C, Highland, Corley and Ector and it seemed like different neighborhoods to country folk back then, when all you had was feet to get around. Also, someone mentioned Allco and I would like to add that they won a competitive bid, and you can't blame the crew for wanting to make a buck in this slow economy, now can you? I hope they do this quick because of the pain involved, and the sooner to get the children out of the portables. We hate losing our old buildings, but in reality, construction standards are much better now for schools: look at Crenshaw on Bolivar. Luckily, the Greenies will never die, so their history won't be lost just because their high school is gone.
04/06/2010 05:06 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
I had Mrs Tittle. They wouldnt let me have my grandmother. What a great bunch of teachers. All the way through to South Park. I sure am proud of the kids we grew up with, black and white. Great kids and good people. Carroll Thomas sure has ruined a good thing. One of the Leaders of the John Gray Institute told me years ago that Carroll Thomas would ruin this district and leave it in shambles. I still can figure out who you are. What year did you graduate?
04/06/2010 04:28 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
@BORN - I had Mrs. Vick in 2nd grade @ Pietzsch. I loved her! I got that when you mentioned your business.
04/06/2010 03:59 PM CDT

MonkeyNutt wrote:
Poop rolls down hill as they say in Missouri...So lets start at the top and scrap the poop off this pile!!!! Then things such as these will not occur again. Remember that our tax money pays these hoodlum that run our shcool district. Lets have a school board change and then maybe we can have a change in the school staff that again is paid with our tax dollars!!!
04/06/2010 03:45 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
MJR409, I am holding one grandmothers diploma from 1930. You are an idiot. Let me guess, you live off the lonestar card and your kids are on free lunch?
04/06/2010 03:19 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
@ Mamagistra - Nice post.
04/06/2010 02:20 PM CDT

Mamagistra wrote:
Wow, MJR...all schools were segregated at some point, as most everything was. It was wrong, and things changed. We don't pillage our culture of every stain created; to do so would be to wipe out the stories of people and their deeds, both good and bad. We doom our future generations to fumble through the same stupid, bygone mistakes when we wipe away history. Those who feel that South Park is some sort of last shrine to segregation are misinformed and selfish. They embrace one sliver of information and reject the rest. Few know that the South Park was built because the Beaumont schools did not want a bunch of oilfield "trash" in their schools. Yes, South Park was built in part to combat discrimination! As to the continued racial slings and arrows, those of us who take a deep interest in the area's history are aware of the pains of the past. And yet we read of and admire men like Hebert, Price, Bryant, McCowan, only a few of the many outstanding names in the black community that contributed to the greatness of the South Park Independent School District. We dishonor them all by continuing to blot out the district's history. How utterly sickening it is to see flagship South Park fall because there are those who could care less about the past--Beaumont's past--and who would spread neglect and misinformation to further their greedy, self-declared ends. Shame on those monsters of deceit! They may have stolen the crown jewel, but rest assured that South Park's beauty, her virtue, and rich legacy will live on despite their treachery and self-righteousness.
04/06/2010 01:27 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
greenie fight never wins!
04/06/2010 12:56 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
This is funny... I have no idea what MJR is trying to say. ;-)
04/06/2010 12:07 PM CDT

MJR409 wrote:
THIS IS FUNNY........MOST WERE NOT ALIVE IN 1923 WHO MADE POST HERE AND I WONDER WHY SOME WERE SO OPPOSED TO SEGREGATION BACK IN YESTER YEAR...GO C.T. SWING THE BIG STICK......NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
04/06/2010 11:15 AM CDT

Mamagistra wrote:
Yes, rice, the building was made ADA-compliant with an elevator years ago.
04/06/2010 10:25 AM CDT

Lady Boyce wrote:
I wonder why each time I log on to The Enterprise online, WAVY GRAVY is being so negative..... That's got to be a coincidence! I am determined to find a topic that this person comments on where race does not come up and all comments are positive.
04/06/2010 10:03 AM CDT

Lady Boyce wrote:
Boronmountain, which business does your family own/ operate in the area? I too grew up in the area. I attended SPMS. I still live nearby and my husband and I are raising our daughter there. She is attending Pieztsch- MacArthur. SPMS was a beautiful build when my sister and I attended but if it has been deemed unsafe and a hazard for the children and teachers to remain in that facility, I approve of getting rid of it.
04/06/2010 10:01 AM CDT

rice wrote:
SP is a really old building, before ADA. Was it ADA equip or did they keep all the handicap kids on the first floor. ADA- America's with Disabilities Act.
04/06/2010 09:59 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
the marker is supposed to be stashed in a closet in city hall. now i really have to go...
04/06/2010 09:13 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
legal, i never disputed that. it's just a little late. did YOU vote for the bonds? I didn't? the building was coming down either way. thats pretty much been evident for a long time. you believed a politician and now you are PO'ed...I get it. now go take care of carroll thomas. he is your problem, not the building.
04/06/2010 09:12 AM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Wavy Gravy - Thank you for quoting the historical marker's text. The marker was surreptitiously removed by BISD some time around June 2009, before the court order stopped them from tearing down the school last summer. I don't think any of the public knows where BISD has it stashed now. One of the ol' Greenies commented on one of the recent articles here to say that she is trying to find out.
04/06/2010 09:11 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
time for chemo....you kids play nice.
04/06/2010 09:09 AM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Tim - try and focus on the content of my original post. I will write in small words so you can understand. BISD = lie = fraud = waste of money. Can you comprehend?
04/06/2010 09:08 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
if there was something worse above water, yes
04/06/2010 08:57 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
to them, i am not god, but i am much appreciated...
04/06/2010 08:57 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
@Tim - if you were swimming and someone held your head under water, would you consider that a favor?
04/06/2010 08:52 AM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Tim -"I keep old people and children alive every day" - I knew it - you think you are God. You are sick. Get help.
04/06/2010 08:45 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
nbot all of them, just a select few. there is only so much one person can do.
04/06/2010 08:41 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
BTW, I am very productive. I keep old people and children alive every day. without me, they would be dead, not lost.
04/06/2010 08:39 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
legal, i have lived in this area since 1979, so blow...you know nothing
04/06/2010 08:33 AM CDT

legaleagle wrote:
Tim - you are nothing but an internet troll from Houston who by your own admission does nothing productive and only exists to stir up trouble. You are sick and need help. Since you are not from here, you cannot understand the pattern of conduct that BISD has engaged in over the last 30 years when then attached themselves to the South Park ISD like a parasite. The reason why this issue will live on long after the building is gone is because it involves such a mind-blowing breach of trust. BISD promised, in writing, that should the bond election pass, South Park would not be demolished. This finding of fact was made by the Court from which the Court drew the conclusion that BISD had committed fraud against the citizens. It was also established in Court that it would have been far less expensive to renovate the building then to tear it down and construct a new building. This finding of fact led the Court to conclude that BISD had breached its fiduciary duty to the citizens of Beaumont. Are you too dense to understand the ramifications of those findings? This is NOT just about the building. It is about the conduct of BISD and that remains relevant, even after the building is gone. Ignorant people have said the Heritage Society should have bought the building but you cannot buy what BISD was not willing to sell. Other ignorant people have said that if you don't like the decisions of the school board, vote them out which ignores the reality that you only get to vote for 1 of the 7 trustee positions. So where do we go from here, people from Beaumont can go about changing the way that we elect our school trustees and as for you, you can go to hell.
04/06/2010 08:29 AM CDT

Stewie wrote:
Everyones feelings aside, the building is being torn down, that is a fact and a shame. In a perfect world, consider the way the building should have been demolished. First, get a consensis in the community on what is best for everyone.(not done) Second, the project would be bid out with local demolition contractors having the chance to bid on the work.(maybe done?) Third, the district would award the work to the best value contractor and secure proper payment and performance bonds..(maybe done?) Forth, you would survey the building for lead and asbestos, if found it would be abated for the safety of the public and workers..(maybe done?) Fifth, set up security fencing before any work starts and secure the demolition site to protect the public.(not done) Sixth, salvage all valuable items, doors, windows, antique lights, facade, etc.(not done) Seventh, tear down the building, monitoring the dust and debris for contaminates..(maybe done?) And finally clean up the site for a new building and hope it pleases all. (maybe?) Based on what I have seen and read, most of these basic contracting steps (and I mean basic steps) were missed by being in a hurry or not knowing better. Sorry for the long post, but if step four was actually missed, asbestos and lead dusts are pouring into the air right now and drifting into the community and into the childrens classrooms which if this is knowlingly being allowed it is a crime in itself.
04/06/2010 08:27 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
EPN, if someone did you a favor, out of the kindness of their heart, you would bitch because you wanted the favor done YOUR way. that's what i got from your last post...
04/06/2010 08:07 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
not what i said. the city streets are the responsibility of the city, not bisd. they probably lived in your precious building until last friday anyway.
04/06/2010 07:54 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
Yes, that's the attitude, no maintenance for the new bldg either. Geesh, it's going down already and it's not even up yet. Way to Go!
04/06/2010 07:49 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
yeah, thats a job for the city, not bisd. they would have found a home in the old building too
04/06/2010 07:33 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
Also, a bit for ya, I circled around the block when I was there for Easter wknd and saw rats, possums on the city streets. They will find a home in your new school too!
04/06/2010 07:22 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
I have moved on & up, & love where I live. I don't have police my property and belongings that I've WORKED for 24/7. I can sleep at night, without the crackheads and prostitutes outside my door. A feeling that has been long lost there. I lived most of my there, still have people that I care about there, so it does affect me. With BISD's pattern, it'll happen again, & maybe next time, it will affect you. FYI - South Park is ONE neighborhood, not several. That's the SOUTH END, two totally different places, Pear Orchard is not South Park, across Washington is not South Park either. Your right, it's not the color of skin, but the behavior that lives in it. I do not buy the economy issue, for it affects us all. You can still live a clean & moral life and not be financially well off.
04/06/2010 07:19 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
one more thing, all of the things you stated, should have been addressed long ago. saving that building would change none of that. you are just PO'ed because they took your white school and made it black. say it...
04/06/2010 06:37 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
again, EPN, i don't see where all of those ancient mistakes mean that we should turn the clock back now. the building HAS been neglected for years. all of the stuff YOU stated happened long ago. MOVE ON AND MOVE UP! IT'S CALLED PROGRESS.
04/06/2010 06:35 AM CDT

VillageVoice wrote:
Those of us who live and work in Beaumont know that a couple dozen racists on a web site, many of whom don't even live here, do not define race relations for the vast majority of Beaumonters, mostly hard-working, fair-minded people who got over school integration about thirty years ago. For every blighted neighborhood in South Park, I can show you a trashy trailer park in Vidor or Lumberton. It's not the color of your skin, it's the economy, stupid. Economically disadvantaged children of our community all face the same problem: parents who don't value education and hard work.
04/06/2010 06:23 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
@Tim, when it got messy is when SPISD had to absorb BISD, & decided to take SP High School and make it a Middle School. That hurt more people, both white & black. We loved our community and we took pride in it. BISD couldn't even take care of themselves, much less take care of SP, which was always a thorn in their side. We were financially solid and they were not. STUPID MAJOR FINANCIAL issues, much like they are today. I heard that it was really to make an unstoppable football program. Take the black football players from South End area and mix it in with the money of West End. Westbrook football program was born. By the looks of it, it's true. If SPISD wasn't forced to taken over by BISD, Thomas came along later, with his own deceitful self, after the merge, the beautiful building would not have been neglected and would be standing tall. IT IS BISD'S FAULT THAT SP BUILDING WAS NOT MAINTAINED!
04/06/2010 05:59 AM CDT

Beaumont Bill wrote:
I read so many comments that I do not remember which one said that there was a promise to NOT destroy South Park when the bond issue was presented to the citizens for approval. Perhaps that was a promise, BUT I learned a long time ago that bond issue promises are not necessarily KEPT. Many years ago, I voted for a bond issue regarding drainage that would help my neghborhood. The part for my neighborhood NEVER happened. The Lady who was Mayor at that time told me "in person" to read the fine print. That the City could spend the money anywhere they chose. As a result, I never trust the "build up" that is presented regarding a bond issue. Of course, promises SHOULD be kekpt, but who said Life was Fair????
04/06/2010 03:37 AM CDT

Exile wrote:
Carrol Thomas WAS superintendent of the always-troubled North Forest school district in northeast Houston, and it improved while he was there. Subsequent board elections returned it to the bad-joke status it had. A superintendent is only as good or as bad as the board that hires him. Voters have persisted in electing trustees with a chip on their shoulder, and Thomas is leading in the direction they insist on going. Elections, once again, have consequences.
04/05/2010 10:22 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
That Houston school didn't have Carrol Thomas. Lucky for them.
04/05/2010 09:55 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
you know, there are many things wrong with your version of reality...i was bused to a high school school in a black neighborhood in houston, from a white neighborhood. my jr. high had blacks from inner city houston bused to it. both schools are functioning fine today, pretty much exactly as they were in the 70's when i went to them. i also attended a different high school downtown that was built before south park. it is still open. they never let it get run down...
04/05/2010 09:13 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
No Tim, Mamagistra is correct. The kids of SP went there by choice (hence, the strong pride). Blacks did not want to go to a all white school and whites did not want to go to an all black school. The choice was "stolen" when they took away the neighborhood high school and bused the kids to the school that BISD chose for them to go and it's been messy ever since.
04/05/2010 08:43 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
mamagistra....you are delusional.
04/05/2010 07:59 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
When I went there, SP was the only high school in SPISD the was mixed 50/50 or close to it. We got along pretty well with each other, no major racism. Forest Park was all white and Hebert was all black. To make things LOOK fair by integrating, BISD took our already integrated school and just had to throw it into the mix of FP & Hebert, so there would no major flare ups of the two. BISD was never good to and for South Park!
04/05/2010 07:35 PM CDT

Mamagistra wrote:
Those of you who are obsessed with racial division do not speak for everyone. The decline of the South Park neighborhood is due to only one thing: the loss of South Park High School as a neighborhood school. Period. If there was one thing I learned in that landmark building, it was the beauty and depth of a diverse, family-centered neighborhood. The liars of BISD stole that peace and replaced it with neglect, disdain, and fraud, the latter perpetrated on ALL Beaumont citizens. Tuck your hatred away and know that there are people of all races who have been both insulted and scarred by the actions of this renegade school board.
04/05/2010 07:06 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
as a matter of fact, the house my grandfather built in houston in 1932 is as nice now as it was then, same with that neighborhood...
04/05/2010 04:58 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
My parents decided to move there in 1950 and raise their children. All 3 of their kids went thru Giles, Pietzsch, McArthur Jr High (remember that?) & SP. I, myself lived in the SP area for 45 of my 47 years. We sold our houses 2 yrs ago, right after Ike. I could not face the crap anymore. I lived in a corner house and the thieves, crackheads and prostitutes were too much. I have seen SP go from a graduating class of 400 (all white in 1965) to less than 200 (majority black 1980's) How's that for progress? My son was a straight A student in BISD, but when we moved, we found out that he was so behind compared to the new school district he moved to, he had to have tutors just to catch up and then he was a straight A student there. Again, how's that for progress? @Born-I had your Grandma for a teacher @ Pietzsch! Loved her!
04/05/2010 04:17 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
you know, it's funny, talking about the houses we grew up in. i grew up in houston. my old house has a nice same couple living in it and it looks as nice as it did when my parents built it in 1954. the whole neighborhood does.
04/05/2010 04:14 PM CDT

native2town wrote:
Some folks just are not "cultered" enough to appreciate the finer things in life like architecture, literature, art etc.
04/05/2010 03:22 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
My dad grew up on Harriet. I think there is a tree growing out of his old house. It is all the white mans fault 5 of Cats. We have selectively kept he black race down. Every other race seems to prosper in America.
04/05/2010 02:41 PM CDT

5 of Cats wrote:
my great aunt lived on Harriet St. - I remember going to visit her back in the 50's and early 60's before she died. Since her death, her husband sold the house and moved to west end. whoever bought the house let it go - as most of the homes in south park have gone - Hurricane Ike got it and it's gone now - I'm glad the hurrincane got it - I don't have to watch it slowly crumble anymore. It's sickening to watch what one group of people can do to a city.
04/05/2010 02:26 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
Spear Chucking 104. There's a extracurricular (3 hour cruise) laboratory as part of the course of study.
04/05/2010 02:25 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
Axiom, do they teach you how to spell The Gloucester Institute at Texas Southern? Maybe after Spear Chucking 101?
04/05/2010 02:20 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
" ... honor the legacy of African American leader Dr. Robert Russa Moton by using his historic home, Holly Knoll, for training, conferences and retreats designed to influence the market place of social, economic and political ideas in the African American community.is committed to providing an intellectually safe environment where ideas can be discussed and transformed into practical solutions. " Tell us, Dr. Thomas, how you are able to live with yourself knowing full well that you do not subscribe nor practice the ideals and conceptual goals that are purported to be taught by The Gloucester Institute? You are truly an enigma.
04/05/2010 02:16 PM CDT

GALATIONS 4:16 wrote:
I sold my house to some folks from Peru. They have kept it up pretty good. Now my neighbors houses are all owned by the brothers and they are trashed. Have not mowed their yard in years and the only new paint is some illiterate gang crap. Go FIgure.
04/05/2010 02:15 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
The current south end 'natives' aren't as self-sufficient as American Indians. And, that is called ghetto.
04/05/2010 02:06 PM CDT

tuffenuff wrote:
My diddy always said....."there used to be indians whooping and hollering 'round here....but we changed all that! " It's called progress.....
04/05/2010 01:58 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
My old home is still standing for now. But, it's been painted some Afro-FUBU rainbow tribal boom shaka-lacka scheme to which only a colorblind peacock could relate. I just know my old SPISD art teacher Mrs. Rogers would love for me to use the words 'hue' and 'shade' somewhere at this juncture. South Park as a community has been destroyed. It really has. It's idiots like icecreamlady that somehow visualize good in destruction of historic buildings and century old landmarks. That concept of lunacy is what separates the truly good people of a city who desire to preserve and protect from the knuckle draggers who want all they can get for free on the government dole.
04/05/2010 01:51 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
Hey Wavy, lets go down memory lane. My home in South Park was recently buldozed over from neglect. How about yours? Any other Former South Park folks feel free to tell how the brothers have destroyed your neighborhood too?
04/05/2010 01:28 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
Wavy Gravy, you are right. Black people believe they are the only minority. My ethnicity is purer than most blacks but because my skin is not dark.........Of course my grandparents hit the ground working in the U.S instead of the black race which hit the ground stealing. Black Motto----WOE IS ME.
04/05/2010 01:25 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
WHAT THE F***????? "The Gloucester Institute continues the work and memory of Dr. Robert Russa Moton through programs, activities, and MAINTENANCE OF HIS HISTORIC HOME, Holly Knoll." I must be reading that wrong. If I'm NOT reading it wrong, then Carrol Thomas is truly a living legend HYPOCRITE.
04/05/2010 01:24 PM CDT

TexasGirl1960 wrote:
It's really a shame to see the old historical building be torn down for no good reason. I'm tired of people saying the kids deserve a new school - when in fact they could have had a new school on the inside and save the facade. That's all the people trying to save a piece of Beaumont's history wanted. Is BISD going to issue any kind of statement?
04/05/2010 01:17 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
From the website: April 5, 2010 Vision To Preserve our history while leaving a legacy of faith and ideas. Mission The Gloucester Institute is committed to providing an intellectually safe environment where ideas can be discussed and transformed into practical solutions that produce results. Gloucester provides a peaceful place to restore and refresh leaders, and to train and nurture emerging leaders. The Gloucester Institute continues the work and memory of Dr. Robert Russa Moton through programs, activities, and maintenance of his historic home, Holly Knoll. Objectives The Gloucester Institute will ... ... cultivate a society of ??solutionists? within the African American community. ... provide a safe environment for African Americans of divergent views to work to resolve social, economic and political issues in the African American community. ... equip scholars with the intellectual, moral, and financial support to conduct intensive research to discover the best solutions to the social, economic and political problems facing the African American Community. ... communicate this vision to the entire African American Diaspora by creating a unique Web presence with a portal to policy papers, conversation, news media and career development. ... honor the legacy of African American leader Dr. Robert Russa Moton by using his historic home, Holly Knoll, for training, conferences and retreats designed to influence the market place of social, economic and political ideas in the African American community.is committed to providing an intellectually safe environment where ideas can be discussed and transformed into practical solutions
04/05/2010 01:07 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Been there. Read it. It only pertains to blacks and their history. God forbid that other races have any history worth preserving. Hypocrite is not a strong enough word to describe Thomas.
04/05/2010 12:52 PM CDT

the extreme wrote:
gjackson,BG and bluedog, all of you are correct. They had a chance to clean out the board last year and they did'nt. Where does the buck stop folks? Does the super run the district? The board? Or try this one, how bout the business manager? Hardin-Jefferson school district is on their way to joining the ranks of bisd.
04/05/2010 12:49 PM CDT

WinSpin wrote:
I realize that Thomas is only the puppet...what I really would like to know is who manipulated the strings. It makes Thomas look so stupid (even to many blacks) but everyone has a bargaining price...ALAS, POOR BEAUMONT, i KNEW HER WELL...
04/05/2010 12:22 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
waaaa
04/05/2010 08:35 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
At one time to the right of the entrance to South Park High School there was a marker placed by the Texas Historical Commission that read: "SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL Built by the South Park Independent School District in 1922-1923. This structure also housed classes of South Park Junior College for ten years. Renamed Lamar Junior College in 1932 and Lamar University in 1971. The college institution moved to it's own campus in 1942. South Park High School remained at this location until 1986, when it was merged with Westbrook High School and this facility became a junior high school. South Park represents both the past and future of education in Beaumont." Who removed it? Why was it removed? Who authorized the removal? Where is the marker today?
04/04/2010 10:10 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
Questions for DR Thomass: What is it like to be stupid and not know it? Do you have any awareness of your surroundings, any honest communication with others, do you do anything besides isolate yourself in your castle and play King Arthur?
04/04/2010 09:53 PM CDT

Exile wrote:
When Dr. Dale Hager was removed from the city council in a contentious recall election in 1969, his statement to the press was, "The people have spoken, and they will get what they voted for." They've been getting it ever since. Elections have consequences, including the ones you didn't vote in.
04/04/2010 07:05 PM CDT

bluedog23 wrote:
I agree with timwopel and have said it for ages, no changes on the school board mean that it's business as usual. As timwopel said, more to follow. I read comment after comment about the BISD, but the school board and superintendent never change. The photos above are evidence of that.
04/04/2010 05:33 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
they already get what they deserve. it's not like these people on the board are any different than they were last year or the year before. they just took another step, and left in place again, more steps will follow.
04/04/2010 12:17 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
I would expect DR Thomass to reveal himself to his posse today!
04/04/2010 10:56 AM CDT

billygoat wrote:
If the folks in Bmt . re-elect even one current schoo; board member , then they get what they deserve . Shame on Thomas whom they pay almost $7,000 a week , and the BISD board .
04/04/2010 09:20 AM CDT

GJackson3 wrote:
No matter which side you are on, the BEST thing you can do is go to a BISD board meeting and express your opinion. Writing on this website will do no good. You have to let the right people know that you do or do not agree with what is going on. If all of you would go to a board meeting and speak, it would have a much greater impact then posting anonymously on this website.
04/04/2010 08:48 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
No, rice. The unrest and complaints started many years ago.......actually before the mid--1996 arrival of Thomas......because of the shady BISD takeover of SPISD. Thomas just metastasized the preexisting dormant scholastic cancer.
04/03/2010 11:28 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
SportsFan, your feeble convoluted attempt to suggest the fraud committed by Carrol Thomas and the BISD board upon the voters as business as usual will surely not find favor with the court system. Chaos rules in place of trust........as if the trustworthiness of the BISD hasn't already been compromised time and time again over the years.
04/03/2010 11:15 PM CDT

rice wrote:
I moved out of beaumont in the 70's because of all the racism. I just like stirring the pot. now that you have a black superintendent and a black president ya'll just don't know what to do with ya'll selves. everyone of you guys sit on your computers complaining about Thomas. do you do anything about it? NO. how about a little protesting of Thomas and his bullies as ya'll call them. NO. to much work. you bunch of cry babies. I live in a school district that some of the best school in the state. not the state of texas. so I might be one of thomas's buddies but I didn't put him in office. you morons did.how long has he been in office. 199? and ya'll are just now complaining. stupid, stupid.
04/03/2010 11:08 PM CDT

corky2 wrote:
SportsF....neighborhoods don't decide to change specifics of this bond issue. All taxpayers vote. They passed the bond issue which included saving SP in some way. Whether they live 2 blocks from SP or not, they own property, so their taxes pay for these projects.They are paying school taxes on the bond issue. Can you grasp that concept? I wouldn't describe South Park's tax base as particularly vibrant at this time, so any notion that the immediate neighborhood decides what to do, when 10s of millions are at stake, is idiotic. Sportsfan, contemplate what the neighborhood tax dollars, based on South Park's property values, would be able to build with no assistance from tax dollars from other parts of Beaumont. They just tore down more than the immediate neighborhood could afford...Whether you live in the neighborhood or not doesn't matter. So does this mean South Park will be picking up the tab? Didn't think so.
04/03/2010 10:42 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
Damn right I attended South Park. And, I wanted to live there the rest of my days. But, it became impossible to stay up all night and protect my property from thieves and worry about drive-by shootings. Your point?
04/03/2010 10:15 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
And by the way. My Moms house was recently bulldozed over because your people literally destroyed it from negligence. Much the same as Carroll Thomas did SOUTH PARK. Now lets see how your people perform now that they have a new building. Oh thats right, the white man is still keeping you down after hundreds of years. My people came from Norway in the early 1900's and have prospered well.
04/03/2010 10:05 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
Sportsfan, I went to South Park. Lived there until my family was threatened in a drive by by black punks 16 years ago. Lived in the home next to my parents home next to my grandmothers house. Still operate my business in the heart of the pear orchard(100 million dollar business which taxes alone probably keep up half the hood). So yes I bleed the South End and am prepared to make Carroll Thomas and BISD life a living Hell. Take your porch sitting welfare stories somewhere else.
04/03/2010 10:01 PM CDT

SportsFan wrote:
You still did not answer my question, WavyGravy and friends -- Do you live in the South Park neighborhood? Did you even go to South Park?
04/03/2010 09:48 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
So, exactly how far up Carrol's ass are you bigmikeg? Use your cell phone. Send a pic.
04/03/2010 09:06 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
You are nothing but a detestable little pissant mike. Go play on the freeway.
04/03/2010 09:01 PM CDT

bigmikeg wrote:
Wavy Gravy you can go straight to hell so God can cancel your soul!
04/03/2010 08:54 PM CDT

bigmikeg wrote:
Wavy gravy do us all a favor and go straight to hell so God can cancel your soul!
04/03/2010 08:51 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
feel the hate...
04/03/2010 07:25 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
The people could not have purchased what BISD wasn't willing to sell, namely location location location And, Dipshit.....I mean SportsFan, if you don't stays near Disney World then YOU have no right to visit there. But, something tells me you cribs not to far from the land of Oz. You're as hateful as Thomas with your rant. I hope they cancel your Lonestar Card.
04/03/2010 05:11 PM CDT

mae wrote:
TODAY IS MY LATE MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY SHE WOULD BE 96 TODAY I REALLY MISS MY MOTHER I REMEMBER THOSE SPECIAL EASTER BASKET WITH ALL THAT GOOD CANDY THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS I REALLY MISS THAT HAVE A GOOD EASTER EVERYBODY MUCH LOVE
04/03/2010 05:01 PM CDT

jfrusha wrote:
I bet Habitat for Humanity of Jefferson County would have loved to have all those windows and blinds, curtains, electrical outlets, etc. as a contribution for their continuing plea for donations.
04/03/2010 04:49 PM CDT

SportsFan wrote:
How many of you that are so aghast at South Park being torn down still live in the South Park neighborhood? How many of you were willing to spend your own money to purchase and enshrine the building? You certainly could have purchased it, and done what you want with it. And, you better run on over there and get your brick...
04/03/2010 03:47 PM CDT

Sawyers wrote:
Rice, you are going to get your wish and be left with no tax basis. Beaumont might as well change its name to Port Arthur II
04/03/2010 03:00 PM CDT

rbblum wrote:
Truth be known, South Park High School's architecture was more significantly prominent than most of the buildings on Lamar University's campus or within the proximity of downtown Beaumont. . . . The act to demolish the South Park High School was nothing short of fundamentally transforming the face of Beaumont forever . . . At least in politics there is the opportunity of a having do-over.
04/03/2010 01:59 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
If EVER there was a racial hate crime, this is it. Carrol Thomas has done more in the past 48 hours to divide Beaumont races farther than ever existed before. Too many memories are in that building that Thomas did not have the moral right to desecrate. He could have brought both sides together by saving the front of the building and constructing whatever he desired behind it. It's painfully obvious that Thomas is a divider and not a peacemaker. He deserves no respect whatsoever. He is no doubt an example of pure and unmitigated evil. I will not shed a tear if he should drop dead tomorrow.
04/03/2010 01:58 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
Helter skelter.
04/03/2010 01:50 PM CDT

Gonewiththewind wrote:
Beaumont is going the way of Gary, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. Spending 40 to 50 million to build a new high school instead of 18 million to renovate an old one is just stupid. Rice wants all the white people to move out. I wonder how Rice and Dr. Thomas and his supporters and cohorts in the city government will find the tax dollars to continue this kind of folly after the white people all move away. Maybe Obama will provide.
04/03/2010 01:48 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
Rice, your last post is so profoundly eloquent and revealing.
04/03/2010 12:44 PM CDT

BigThick wrote:
If they voted in the city of beaumont on monday on whether or not they wanted to tear down that school it would be two to one to tear in down.
04/03/2010 12:40 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
If Doc Thomas was so beneficial for Lubbock and Houston school districts, then why did he leave? Was it because of desire for much more money, power and a deep rooted bullying attitude? Yes indeed. That's exactly the leadership qualities from which BISD children should learn.
04/03/2010 11:53 AM CDT

Axiom wrote:
Carrol Thomas is obviously no carpenter.
04/03/2010 11:41 AM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
"A jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build one,"
04/03/2010 11:35 AM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
Only a feeble minded, paranoid, addle brained person would try to create a threat out of any of the comments! Please give examples of where you see danger and threats???
04/03/2010 11:27 AM CDT

mae wrote:
SOME OF THESE COMMENTS APPEAR TO BE THREATS THIS IS DANGEROUS I HOPE SOMEONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS
04/03/2010 11:01 AM CDT

The Truth wrote:
Read about Gary Indiana. It will tell you your future.
04/03/2010 10:50 AM CDT

rice wrote:
do anyone think about the money being spent for the lawyers on behave of BISD. lets keep this in court until we spent what 1 mil, 2 mil or 3 mil. Good Friday is not a holiday for everyone. what about the J Witnesses. It was a good day or weekend to tear it down because school is close for 4 days. Beaumont will always be racially divided because the white people of Beaumont area feel they are superior to every black person. and they feel black are lazy welfare freeloaders. do they ever see a hard working black person. no they only see a welfare recipient. This city is doomed. we need all the white people to moved out. go and stop complaining. it's a building not your life. get over it.
04/03/2010 10:48 AM CDT

The Truth wrote:
I really don't care about South Park. I moved out of Beaumont and SE Texas last year because it is just a bad place to live. But I will say that you guys really need to do something about this Thomas guy.
04/03/2010 10:22 AM CDT

sig220 wrote:
People have the government they deserve. If you do not like what going on, vote out the school board. I noticed the Sallie Curtis people have voted in Brassard on a continual basis and she is one of the worst, but then they gripe about the decisions. Vote them out or get over it.
04/03/2010 10:20 AM CDT

EPN wrote:
"Our" children don't mean anything to CT. Have you forgot that it's the same neighbor hood's children that BISD LET get in that condition to start with! I think that instead of wanting to destroy SP so bad, they need to look at that old & ugly Beaumont High/Charlton Pollard campus, what an eyesore! It never had the aesthetics that SP had. Yep, jealously and racism still exists, & it will as long as they keep stirring it up. SP community has gone down so bad, that even your new schools aren't going to change the fact that that section of BMT has gone to the dogs!
04/03/2010 10:18 AM CDT

WinSpin wrote:
It really is a shame when Stupidity reigns. However, in the not too distant future, there will be no surviving Greenies (nor Purples, Panthers nor Bulldogs for that matter). But there is one thing that excavator cannot bring down and that one thing is Greenie Spirit. Long after the last Greenie is gone, that Greenie Spirit will be romping up and down the hallways of whatever thing is constructed to replace the previous beautiful structure. Wouldn't even surprise me should the new structure become a noted haunted building. You see, Greenie Spirit Never Dies...To all future students: Tell Greenie Spirit I said, "hello."
04/03/2010 10:04 AM CDT

timwopel wrote:
yes corky, that might be true. but the building is gone and the new one will be built. carroll thomas has put the final nails in his own coffin and to me, it was worth losing the building over. our children are worth so much more than that stupid building.
04/03/2010 09:30 AM CDT

mae wrote:
I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO MOVE TO THIS TOWN AFTER READING ALL OF THIS INSANITY THIS IS CRAZY ALL OF YOU BLACK FOLKS WHO VOTED FOR OBAMA AND THOUGHT WE HAD MOVED BEYOND RACE TAKE NOTE RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL
04/03/2010 08:29 AM CDT

Exile wrote:
Wavy Gravy has it right. Until now a top-notch school could have been built within the existing building: the mold and asbestos abated, new plumbing, new wiring, new computer capacity, the works, and a historic structure preserved and renewed. It's been done many places elsewhere, and no would need to "lose." As other posts here make clear, the district has insisted on a course which starts another round of racial and class resentments. Yes, it's true, many of us who cared about the building no longer live in the district or anywhere near. The attitudes expressed here explain why.
04/03/2010 08:13 AM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
Bible quotes are appropriate for a great many things, especially tales of leaders that became,"Legends in their own mind", and go against the will of the people. There is much to learn about haughtiness, arrogance and, the great personal destruction that follows the prideful fall into the pit. For the ignorant and/or very stupid: To say that a Christian must forgive abuses and turn the other cheek is pure ignorance, is a direction of how to deal with evil people! I would not suggest that you push that issue, as many of us are not a highly evolved as our leader, and we may react in a way you have not calculated!
04/03/2010 07:42 AM CDT

GREENIE 1969 wrote:
GREENEI FIGHT NEVER DIES AND WE ARE NOT THRU
04/03/2010 07:22 AM CDT

GREENIE 1969 wrote:
People like Thomas have no moral about them. He will pay .Believe me. One way or the other.David Pete hope you are happy.A NEW BUILDING WILL NOT TEACH STUDENTS BETTER.BISD IS THE REASON WHY STUDENTS ARE NOT DOING GOOD WORK. FOR AND SEE.
04/03/2010 07:22 AM CDT

carrol wrote:
Simply a black, white issue and the blacks won.
04/03/2010 06:05 AM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
There's been a lot of chatter online and in print media about school bullies and how it should be outlawed. Here's a picture of the biggest school bully of all times./////http://www.aframnews.com/html/interspire/articles/444/1/Living-Legend-Dr-Carrol-A-Thomas-Beaumont-ISD-Superintendent/Page1.html
04/03/2010 04:49 AM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
I'm glad you're not sick this year SportsFan. Has your health really improved that much since you've been teaching in formaldehyde reeking portable buildings? Real quick now SportsFan. How much polish do you use on Carrol Thomas' shoes when you shine them?
04/03/2010 02:18 AM CDT

PreservationNOW wrote:
This is a tragic loss for the ENTIRE city of Beaumont. Our elected officials continue to show minimal commitment and absolutely NO PLAN for historic preservation. So much has been lost and the losses continue unabated. South Park High is clearly architecturally significant and it is certain that whatever is built in its place will be nothing but a wafer-board and plastic box!! This loss deprives the school??s alumni of an important part of their past and it deprives today??s youth the opportunity to attend school in a historically and architecturally significant school. Loss of this historic structure is a slap in the face to the historic neighborhood of South Park. It shouts that the city does not value preservation of this historic neighborhood. Totally unacceptable!! Furthermore, even if the city doesn??t acknowledge the value of historic preservation, sending this structure, which CAN/COULD/SHOULD be renovated, to the land fill is in itself an ABOMINATION! Renovate and reuse is more important today than ever before. Dispose and replace is nothing but misguided. All those responsible must be held accountable.
04/03/2010 01:20 AM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
Al Capone wasn't in Chicago when the St. Valentine's Day massacre took place either.
04/03/2010 01:13 AM CDT

Lab Rat wrote:
Yep. And I. too, am glad that Anna Polvegrove, Keaton Dowden and Alice Cashen aren't around to see the desecration of South Park HS. The dastardly folks who orchestrated this demolition during a brief window of legal opportunity on a Holy weekend know they are morally wrong. But, that's the problem with BISD. They are immoral in the first place. That could be the only lesson learned today...because community coalescence is not the happy result of today's action by the masters of evil within the ranks of the BISD so-called leadership.
04/03/2010 01:02 AM CDT

corky2 wrote:
SportsFan...why would anyone buy a school because the district lied about their plans for it. No one expects anyone to endure unhealthy conditions, at the same time, a promise which surely swayed votes, is a promise. You're not really acknowledging that part of the situation. We could have done both. This 'buy it yourself' attitude is juvenile...they deceived the voters. Congratulations on your new metal building. It will have been built on lies....
04/03/2010 12:02 AM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
SportsFan, Im betting you are a Thomas cronie. The Bible say s a lot about lazy people who do not take care of their families,the sanctity of marriage and lying. Carroll Thomas is a liar and will pay for his offenses. Keep on justifying a sluggard lifestyle.
04/02/2010 11:56 PM CDT

BORNONMOUNTAIN wrote:
SportsFan, Im betting you are a Thomas cronie. The Bible say s a lot about lazy people who do not take care of their families,the sanctity of marriage and lying. Carroll Thomas is a liar and will pay for his offenses. Keep on justifying a sluggard lifestyle.
04/02/2010 11:55 PM CDT

corky2 wrote:
Another important difference with Amelia...the bond issue clearly stated Amelia would be replaced. South Park was suppose to be saved. Amelia was important as a school as well, but voters were not told it would be saved. The nature of this act by the BISD and Thomas begs vengeance. It's as though they have dared a reaction.
04/02/2010 11:50 PM CDT

Ringo wrote:
Lab Rat, I might be way off base here, but does NHRA and Volkswagons mean anything to you? But back to the topic, someone asked why no one complained when Amelia Elementary was torn down. Huge difference between the buildings. Amelia was in terrible condition, and NOT able to be economically renovated. It made good sense to replace it. South Park was deemed structurally sound by the engineers, and worty of a renovation. Cost of renovation was estimated at 18 million dollars. Cost to tear it down and replace it comes in between 40 and 50 million dollars (BISD numbers, not mine). Pietzsch was sound when it was wastefully destroyed a few years ago. Parts of the old MacArthur building were probably in bad shape. That building always struck me as having been added on to several times without any real sort of plan. I'm glad Miss Polsgrove, Mr. Dowden, and the others from Pietzsch, and Miss Cashen (God bless her) and the other old-timers from SPHS aren't here to see what's been done to buildings where they spent forty-plus years (each) of their lives. And the only reason these buildings are gone is because Thomas and his gang think (and apparently they are) above the law, and don't have to answer to the taxpayers. To me, it's really about the wasted money. Tens of millions wasted. And no accountability for any of the gang.
04/02/2010 11:31 PM CDT

SportsFan wrote:
Who do you people think you are to quote the bible about tearing a school down? You seem to forget that you all refused to buy it, and refurbish to your liking. All the old Greenies had their chance, and they did nothing. When we had the town hall meeting about whether to demolish or renovate, there were six, yes six of you there. The rest of the people in the auditorium supported the demolition. And, if I remember correctly, only one of you approached the microphone. You did nothing about all of this until after the bond, not before. I am proud to say I teach at South Park, and I will be proud to teach in a new building. This year, in the portables, is the first year I have not been sick due to mold and mildew. There is one bible verse that you Greenies seem to forget, let those of you without sin cast the first stone.....
04/02/2010 11:20 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
Carroll Thomas, Jy is so laag soos die skaduwee van slang kak. (You as low as the shadow of snake shit.)
04/02/2010 11:10 PM CDT

corky2 wrote:
Timwopel, it's not that we didn't believe you; Thomas doing what he shouldn't is no big surprise. It's more like we just thought you were being a d*ck...Release the Hounds!!!
04/02/2010 10:51 PM CDT

rice wrote:
I have a few questions to answer. Hebert High original building is no longer standing. the original building use to be at the corner of usan and sarah, a wooden house, torn down many years ago. the site now is blandchette. I'm sure I spell it wrong. so you can't tear it down. black people didn't get brick building. the 6 high schools in beaumont were bisd- Charlton Pollard, french and beaumont high, spisd- Hebert High, south park and forest park. and now for you dumb taxpayers. Carroll Thomas has your tax dollars to spend on lawyers to fight this lawsuit until the cows come home. do you guys want that. It over and done with. cry a river of tears and move on to the next fight of getting Thomas out.
04/02/2010 10:36 PM CDT

thisisinsane wrote:
we all saw today what thomas and his crew are made of, they are underhanded, crooked, liars and will be held accountable one day for what they did. we already know that OVERPAID thomas isn't a man of character, just ask his wife, he hasn't pulled this town together he has divided it . bisd is not the same school district it used to be, there are to many a**kissers who are trying to please the holy thomas and when u put imcomptent people in positions of authority only because they kissed his a** then you get what you deserve. if this had been hebert high then a different group of people would have been mad, oh but they would have been black so it wouldn't have been a race thing. u people who think thomas is all that, TAKE YOUR BLINDERS OFF!!!! he is an overpaid, immorral man of no character that has brainwashed this city. well, you just lost two more students , we will no longer be a part of this pitiful school district. I hate the fact that my tax dollars go towards this mans salary, we all need to remember this next election and get rid of the school board get some new blood in there and FIRE the crooked, immorral no character thing that has the title of superintendent right now. Remember to vote in the next election get rid of the school board we have now and FIRE THOMAS and the rest of the a**kissers and actually get some people in there who really care about our kids. South Park South Park dear old South Park !!! GO Sparky!!! Greenies NEVER DIE!!
04/02/2010 10:19 PM CDT

The Truth wrote:
Beaumont, the new Gary Indiana. Look it up.
04/02/2010 10:04 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
It's simple enough to see that Carrol Thomas was trying to erase anything connected to segregation of education in Beaumont. But, what that heartless simpleton did was to stoke glowing embers of racial discord once again. I personally didn't think it was possible for me to hate anyone or anything as much as I do Carrol Thomas right now. It is wrong for me to hate like I do. But, when out of town (Thomas came from the Houston area) folks who do not have the right to tug at emotional strings that bind our childhood memories to our hometown and in fact.......our lives.........rip the soul right out of a community by unnecessary destruction. It just boggles the mind where the vileness and sinister purpose resides in such an individual. But, this event has been brewing for quite some time. ///// http://setxbayou.blogspot.com/2008/01/sweetheart-deals-syphilis-and-carrol.html
04/02/2010 09:59 PM CDT

Ringo wrote:
The demolition company is AMBUSH Demolition. How appropriate. Everyone does know, right, that Thomas is the highest paid superintendent in the state. Makes $7,000 more than the guy who came in second, which is the superintendent of Houston ISD. For comparison's sake, check this out: BISD has about 19,000 students, and Houston ISD has over 200,000 students. Anyone see something wrong here? Of course, Thomas and his gang are untouchable...
04/02/2010 09:46 PM CDT

Ringo wrote:
Remember the three tall windows in the center of the building, on the third floor? Each window was divided in such a way to have the appearance of a cross (I can just about guarantee you this wasn't an accident of design). Three crosses total. They ripped those crosses out and let them fall three stories to the ground. Then ran a multi-ton piece of demolition machinery over them. On Good Friday, two days before Easter. Wow, I wouldn't want to be Thomas or any of his gang when their turn comes to account for their time here on earth. Wow....
04/02/2010 09:37 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
Well, it's official now. Up until today there was a chance at peace and harmony for everyone. Not anymore. Doc Thomas has finalized the division of Beaumont right down racial lines. I hope that phuggin' bastard rots in a part of HELL that the Devil has built extra special for the most criminal and deceitful of all. Thomas is not a peacemaker. He's a criminal.
04/02/2010 08:51 PM CDT

bigbird wrote:
They could have hired a drone plane to hit the building and it would have collapsed.
04/02/2010 07:54 PM CDT

bigbird wrote:
The judge said the school board committed fraud,so let the D.A. file charges against them,just making a joke,the only people he likes to file charges against are nudist on the beach.
04/02/2010 07:42 PM CDT

Not-PC wrote:
It's a sad thing to lose the S.P.H.S. building so lets just move on . Lets go back in time , does anyone remember the soul bowls that was held at Lamar Stadium ? I made it to four of them . Beaumont had two school districts and six high schools at one time . Can you name them ? I noticed parts of McArthur Jr.H. is still there too bad the face of S. P. could not have been saved .
04/02/2010 07:26 PM CDT

TexasGirl1960 wrote:
I am assuming that BISD will not live up to their promise to save any of the architectural elements (they are in pieces on the ground) or let the alumni have anything from the inside. THey advertised they would do it and let everyone sign up for items like auditorium chairs, signs, etc. Another promise broken. THey didn't save anything.
04/02/2010 07:12 PM CDT

Proud_Panther wrote:
@not-pc yes actually everything at ozen except for the new gym and math-science complex is Hebert, and if Dr. Thomas had his way he would just close down Ozen, demolish it completely and build some random athletic complex.
04/02/2010 06:52 PM CDT

Not-PC wrote:
I know Ozen H S. was once Hebert H.S. Does anyone know if the original Hebert building is still there ? It would be as old as S.P. maybe it needs to come down as well , then we'll see that Hebert pride come out in protest . This new school building on Highland Ave. will probably be named after some civil rights person.
04/02/2010 06:45 PM CDT

Proud_Panther wrote:
Beaumont needs a bomb dropped right in the center. Now i remember why I moved, most of the whites are racist most of the black are lazy and most of the people are deprived of common sense. One day the sensible people left are gonna say screw Beaumont and their jacked up school district and move right on out.
04/02/2010 06:37 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Anyone who wants to can be competent, caring, trustworthy, and hard-working, regardless of race. But Carroll Thomas and his cronies choose to be none of the above.
04/02/2010 05:43 PM CDT

GALATIONS 4:16 wrote:
The Beaumont Chamber supported this. If you are a member you should quit. It is a waste of your money. Dont do business with any of their members. Also boycott Beaumont Bone and David Teucher!!!
04/02/2010 05:43 PM CDT

GALATIONS 4:16 wrote:
Proud Panther is an OXYMORON.
04/02/2010 05:39 PM CDT

GALATIONS 4:16 wrote:
Now all we have is Panther Pride. What a joke. Perpetual breeding program for welfare. Most are knosked up at 15 and living large off of the white man. Carroll Thomas lives large off of us too. White folks pay the bulk of the taxes in this town although we are less than 50% of the population . Go figure. Edit this Enterprise?
04/02/2010 05:38 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Good post, Skeeet. To add to my 5:28pm post: Oh, and another reason people are upset about the South Park building is because it was the flagship of a school district (SPISD) that no longer exists due to earlier BISD incompetence and malfeasance, the last major evidence of SPISD's existence that hadn't yet been buried.
04/02/2010 05:37 PM CDT

buddy wrote:
Amazing that Proud Panther and Jack can even write a coherent sentence, given their educational background, which must have been in 'old' schools.
04/02/2010 05:35 PM CDT

skeeet wrote:
Jangiling, don't be stupid. Is the Alamo more imortant than a 200 year old barn? Yes, some old buildings are more important than other, it's called history. If you had stayed in school until 11th grade you would have known that.
04/02/2010 05:28 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Jack, if you are actually upset about Amelia being torn down, then be upset about that, don't take it out on other people who are upset about another building being torn down. "If I can't have mine, you can't have yours" is not a good attitude. The loss of one/some buildings shouldn't have to mean the loss of more buildings. I don't know a lot about the Amelia building except that it was similarly old (but very different architecture), and was an elementary school. It may well have been worth saving too. But there was/is more outrage in defense of the South Park building because it was a high school for many decades (which means many more people went to school there than any elementary school, and at a more memorable phase of their lives), and because it is where Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology began (started as South Park Junior College in 1923).
04/02/2010 05:28 PM CDT

timwopel wrote:
I TOLD YOU AND YOU DIDN"T BELIEVE ME!!! BYE BYE BUILDING!!!
04/02/2010 05:22 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Oh, and icing on the cake: they couldn't even keep the blood money from these demolition contracts in the Beaumont area. The contractors they had on site briefly last summer were from the Houston area, and now this Ambush Demolition company is from Houston too.
04/02/2010 05:06 PM CDT

JangilingJack wrote:
Where were you when they tore down Amelia? Huh???? Guess some old buildings are more important than others? Hypocrites.
04/02/2010 05:02 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
It wouldn't have to be too late to at least save most of it and repair the damage done today, if some kind of 'cease & desist' could somehow be done this afternoon/evening. (Sadly, I know that has very little chance of actually happening.) If Former Yankee is correct that "Monday an appilant court could rule with the Judge, and make BISD live up to its promises not to tear SP down.", then why are they able to do this? They were forced to wait months for the last ruling. Judge Wortham's comments reported yesterday -- "the BISD school board and administration committed a fraud upon the citizens of BISD" and "has breached its fiduciary duty to the citizens of BISD" and "violated the Open Meetings law by discussing the school's fate behind closed doors" -- should've been said months ago when he made his ruling, and Thomas and his cronies should have been ousted at the least, if not fined and/or put behind bars. Instead, they are blithely going right ahead with whatever the heck they want to destroy, and conveniently doing so on a holiday weekend to make it even more unlikely that any last-minute action to intervene would be able to happen. Disgusting. Nearly a year of legal efforts undone. I agree that it is well past time for criminal charges.
04/02/2010 04:48 PM CDT

lookintothis wrote:
Proud Panther and JangilingJack may not give a darn about history or appreciate the beauty and value of an irreplaceable historic building (which could've been totally refurbished and modernized for half the cost of tearing it down and replacing it), but SOME Beaumont-area residents (who are all quite able to think about more than one thing at a time during the months/years that this has been going on) are smart and caring enough to recognize that it's a lot more than some "stupid building" as you ignorantly dismiss it.
04/02/2010 04:47 PM CDT

skeeet wrote:
Way to promote harmony between the races Dr T. You're responsible for more racial tension than Jesse and the rest of the race pimps. You're really helping your people out here. I guess when you run all the white people out of town you can have Beaumont to yourselves. Welcome to north Port Arthur.
04/02/2010 04:43 PM CDT

brchodzin wrote:
I have no personal attachment to South Park, no history in Beaumont, and didn't even go to school here (thank goodness, in looking at BISD leadership) but the basic injustice of this whole thing makes me sick. It makes me sick to my stomach in the same way as when I read a child rapist walks free because of jail overcrowding, or a proven psychopath and murderer like Michael Vick is making six figures or more. There is right and there is wrong, bottom line, and everything about the way BISD and its legal mouthpiece has handled this is wrong. They lied, they stole, they lied some more, they stole some more, and I'm positive they are sitting around toasting themselves and their victory today and laughing at all of us for once again "pulling one over." Sadly, until the people of Beaumont take a stand en masse and actually DO something about it, nothing will ever change. I hope everyone involved with BISD and the school board does time over this fraud, and maybe then someone who actually cares about the children of Beaumont and their education can finally have some power. If anyone actually believes that a new BUILDING will do anything for your children, you're kidding yourselves. Until BISD does a complete 180, your children are damned to the same sub-par education and dismissive attitude from leadership.
04/02/2010 04:41 PM CDT

allsmiles wrote:
Carroll Thomas should have been tied up with a noose and hung on the front door steps when the demolition began!! Sorry b@stard!!! You need to take your sorry @ss out of BISD. You already ruined one school district and got kicked out of there for it. Your day here will not come soon enough.
04/02/2010 04:38 PM CDT

allsmiles wrote:
Carroll Thomas should have been tied up with a noose and hung on the front door steps when the demolition began!! Sorry b@stard!!! You need to take your sorry @ss out of BISD. You already ruined one school district and got kicked out of there for it. Your day here will not come soon enough.
04/02/2010 04:38 PM CDT

allsmiles wrote:
This song is dedicated to Carroll Thomas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atBg9zLI2bA
04/02/2010 04:18 PM CDT

Proud_Panther wrote:
@ sj25 yes you people aka the people making a big fuss over a stupid building when more important issues are at hand and sure you can buy me a ticket i need a trip anyways :) Alot of you sound like the homeless crazies on the side of the road preaching about a bunch of nothing get a life that dosent revolve around a old school building.
04/02/2010 03:41 PM CDT

former yankee wrote:
drifterpilot - I would be happy to contribute to that cause.....
04/02/2010 03:33 PM CDT

admaven wrote:
This makes me sick. I hope that the citizens who stand for decent elected officals will hang Thomas and all by the toenails so everyone can take a swing of them wasting taxpayers money!
04/02/2010 03:30 PM CDT

drifterpilot wrote:
Now it's time for criminal charges against Dr. Thomas and the BISD school board members for fraud. Until this demolition, the citizens of Beaumont have not suffered actual damages from the fraudulent conduct of BISD. Now, the citizenry of Beaumont has suffered actual damages in the form of demolition of an important historical landmark under fraudulent circumstances. This action now confers legal standing to bring suit for recovery of damages against the person (or persons) who committed the fraud. The original trial proved that fraudulent conduct on the part of Dr. Thomas and BISD school board had in fact occurred. Now that damages have been incurred as the result of that fraudulent conduct, the grounds have been set for litigation. The only reason that BISD acted in this way is because they know that the findings of fact and conclusions of law issued by Judge Wortham in the first trial would be convincing to any appellate court panel who might hear the case, and the only way to prevent this is to carry out the destruction over the holiday recess before the Greenies have opportunity to file an appeal on Monday after the holiday. Appeal is now moot. Criminal charges against the perpetrators of this crime are not.
04/02/2010 03:29 PM CDT

SJ25 wrote:
@Proud_Panter. "You people"? How about I buy you a one way ticket back to the African jungles? You can throw some war paint on your face and pillage and rape the neighboring tribes without fear of incarceration over there.
04/02/2010 03:16 PM CDT

SJ25 wrote:
I haven't been paying much attention to this controversy. I figured the school was some old dilapidated building and eye sore that had to clear the path for a newer school. Then I googled it and saw this: http://www.preservationnation.org/assets/photos-images/preservation-magazine/todays-news-items/2009/South_Park_HS.jpg They are tearing down that historic and architectural masterpiece for todays cheaply constructed modern day modular unit buildings? What was I missing? Why were libtards hellbent on destroying it, and doing so against public wishes? Bingo!..."the reason the building was being torn down was because it was the last standing figurehead of the time before segregation."
04/02/2010 03:13 PM CDT

former yankee wrote:
People, the building had to be razed today. Monday an appilant court could rule with the Judge, and make BISD live up to its promises not to tear SP down. Why would you think there would be a building left of the old SP, it has been a thorn in the side of BISD since the merger years ago.....And you are talking to a brick wall when you try to tear down Dr T's integrity, he has none.....
04/02/2010 02:59 PM CDT

Proud_Panther wrote:
it was either gonna get torn down or burnt down which do you people prefer ?
04/02/2010 02:56 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
DR Thomass, you godless bastard, you lowlife no good scum sucking pig. You pull this Voodoo Magic crap on Easter weekend. Somehow in you and your butt buddy's deranged minds you have figured out this would be the Coupe de Grace. Attack the front doors, breach the moat, destroy the castle. Well old boy, you have taken this King Arthur roll too far. You have become a legend in your own mind, the very worst and horrible kind of man. Damn you Carroll Thomass, damn you to hell!
04/02/2010 02:53 PM CDT

how about no wrote:
God knows I disagree with a lot of things that BISD pulls on the public. I agree that the school's shell could have been saved and the interior could have been remodeled. Having said that, people let's have a little perspective here. Quit quoting God just because it is Good Friday. All you people calling for Fire and Brimstone are being ridiculous. They are tearing down a School, not a church. For everyone putting on their "I AM SO OUTRAGED HE IS DOING THIS ON GOOD FRIDAY" Sunday Face and quoting scripture, damning the board and Thomas on a biblical level, wishing them dead, I have one thing to say. That isn't very Christian of you. I thought you people were supposed to be forgiving and turn the other cheek.
04/02/2010 02:53 PM CDT

Lab Rat wrote:
Doctor Thomas, you took my Pietzsch Elementary building down to the ground. You took my MacArthur Junior High and now my South Park High School. There is no SPISD building standing that I can take my grandchildren to and show them where I received my education. Words cannot express my true emotions. But, I promise you that I will follow your remaining career. And, when you finally retire and pass on, I will justly honor you by locating your grave and urinate and on it every Easter weekend as long as I am physically able. It's the best I can do for you for all you've done.
04/02/2010 02:48 PM CDT

blckpnthr wrote:
Not in Washington, here with me and we are laughing at all you white idiots. He rules!! He is King T, do not forget it!
04/02/2010 02:37 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
Allco is on my SHlTLIST now too.
04/02/2010 02:30 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
DR Thomass has flown to Washington to bury his face in Obama's lap! This is the way they both celebrate Easter!
04/02/2010 02:28 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
A new school with an old face was possible up until today. Everybody could find peace and harmony with a little give from both sides blending the history and future of the school. All that wrecking ball did was to divide a community that can't stand much more division without ripping itself apart. For that you can thank the not so honorable Der Fuhrer Carrol Thomas emeritus.
04/02/2010 02:27 PM CDT

buddy wrote:
Jack must be old Doc Thomas' friend. Thomas and board should be in jail for their criminal deeds, but they'll roasting in hell for eternity once this earthly life is over.
04/02/2010 02:24 PM CDT

EPN wrote:
Carrol Thomas is nowhere to be found, is he?
04/02/2010 02:19 PM CDT

JangilingJack wrote:
So what. Why should the kids of South Park get less than other kids in the West End and North End who are getting new schools. You didn't give a rat's ass when they tore down Amelia. What does this have to do with Obama, you braying jackass?
04/02/2010 02:12 PM CDT

CharlesRay wrote:
Jack, you idiot, South Park could have been revamped and modernized for HALF of what a 'new' school costs. Obamanomics must be what you follow.
04/02/2010 01:57 PM CDT

CharlesRay wrote:
VOTE. THEM. ALL. OUT.
04/02/2010 01:56 PM CDT

JangilingJack wrote:
YEA! A brand new school for the children of South Park. It certainly is a good Friday.
04/02/2010 01:55 PM CDT

CharlesRay wrote:
Satan is laughing with delight, his BISD board minions are doing his bidding ...
04/02/2010 01:53 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
That fine old building has withstood every weather related act of GOD since it was constructed in 1923. But, today's man-made destruction of South Park's building on this HOLY weekend is not unlike when the Jews put Jesus to death on the cross some 2000 years ago. Resurrection is the promise of tomorrow. Do not give up the fight until Carrol Thomas is behind bars.
04/02/2010 01:53 PM CDT

JudyLouWho wrote:
vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. What can you expect from moral-less beings on earth? I bet he is wringing his hands in glee that he got one over on voters.
04/02/2010 01:47 PM CDT

buddy wrote:
Let's send the bulldozers over to Doc Thomas' house after this for another demolition. School board members should be next after Thomas.
04/02/2010 01:42 PM CDT

Beekeeper wrote:
Well, there you have it folks. Good old Carrol Thomas' scorched earth policy in action. Tear down everything that represents a 'white' Beaumont. Is it any wonder why the "N" word exists? Here's your sign.
04/02/2010 01:30 PM CDT

southeasttexas wrote:
Megabucks CARROL is laughing at you all right now.
04/02/2010 01:29 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
Axiom will speak for Axiom. Bobette hypothesizes fiction.
04/02/2010 01:22 PM CDT

pall2509 wrote:
Par for the course, why do you think Ingram quit, he knew this was coming. DT is scum, everyone knows, he will rot in hell!
04/02/2010 01:21 PM CDT

Wavy Gravy wrote:
To do such a dastardly thing on Good Friday proves just how evil Carrol Thomas really is within his inner being. Thomas is truly the Devil incarnate. This situation could have been handled in a way that pleased all. Thomas didn't care about community harmony. It's all about him and his power. Man, what kind of foul individual can find the gall to do that? Pure evil. That's all it is. Pure evil.
04/02/2010 01:15 PM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." And you sorry bastards picked Good Friday to do it! MAY GODS WRATH RAIN ON THE WICKED AND GODLESS NON BELIEVERS AND MOCKERS OF THOSE WHO GIVE THE TRUTH!
04/02/2010 01:12 PM CDT

bobette wrote:
It's about darned time! The pictures on the news last night, the building is mold/mildewed plagued. Axiom would probably be one of the very first to file a lawsuit if one of their kids, grandkids, etc. got sick from it! Go forward people!
04/02/2010 01:12 PM CDT

Axiom wrote:
GOD DAMN YOU CARROL THOMAS! A PLAGUE UPON YOU, YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU!
04/02/2010 01:06 PM CDT


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