Katy Tigers growling over paw prints

[stangsfan]

Interesting post on a Houston Chronicle blog...

August 26, 2005
TxDOT verdict leaves Katy Tigers growling over paw prints
Traditionally, the Katy Athletic Booster Club has relished the pregame event practice of painting Tiger paws on Highway 90 and FM 1464 in Katy.

This year, the fun is over.

The Texas Department of Transportation created a rumble when it told the group for the first time in more than 20 years that there would be no paw prints painted on the state-run streets this year.

A TxDOT spokesman, Norm Wiggington, said he was surprised to hear about the decision.

Jim Hunt, the Fort Bend County engineer for TxDOT, did this by sending a letter to the administration at Katy High and Katy Mayor Doyle Callender reminding them of an agreement made two years ago, Wigington said.

It was decided and agreed upon two years ago between TxDOT and the mayor that after the road was repaved, the club couldn't repaint the paws on it," Wigington said. "It's a distraction to motorists."

"All we want are the little paws on the road leading up to the high school," said Katy Athletic Booster Club president Bodley Thornton, but we don't want to do anything wrong. I hate to see this taken away from the kids."

Wigington said the group should be patient because there are discussions taking place to see if another resolution is possible.


Should TxDOT officials allow the paw prints?

[TheDuke]

They should allow it!! That is stupid! When we went to the Humble game the other night they had paw prints on the streets and on ALL the street signs signs around the school, they were purple WITH paw prints! Thought that was a nice touch! For a power house like Katy they should be allowed to to what they want.

[Fleeman93]

First of all, I think the speed limit through that area is like 30 or 35. I would be interested in seeing a report on how many accidents there have been in the past 20 years in that area. I would think that 85-90% of the people that drive on those roads see the paw prints just about every day.

[CoppellCowboy57]

Oh yeah go for, its town pride, spirt bring out the spirt..

[TWHPA]

Why would the Mayor agree to this with txDOT.....I have been to Katty and it was not distracting.

[ALLIN]

Well, there goes the secret to Katy success, I guess there will be no more wins for Katy :( Just kidding, I think it is stupid too!

[tigersdad09]

First off what does the Mayor of any town have any say in what a HS does...He has no control over a school. He's a mayor not a District Official. So I say what ever he said has no bearing over the school.....If TxDot dont like it...tough....JUST PAINT THEM...

[Lobo9498]

The problem with "just painting them" would be that Katy does NOT own the roads, TXDoT does. TXDoT is in charge of taking care of those roads. IF Katy went and just painted the paws, TXDoT could possibly sue them, or charge them for cleanup. That is if TXDoT wanted to just be jerks about it.

Just an opinion from an outsider.

[Fleeman93]

No reason to break any laws or get anyone in trouble. My point is that if it doesn't cause any problems to the road and it really doesn't cause accidents then it shouldn't be a big deal.

[stangsfan]

Many schools have mascot tracks on their roads, I guess there just not allowed on TxDot roads.
Given the recent difficulty evacuating Houston and creating contra flow, one would think TxDot wouldn't want to aggravate anyone at this point.

[OfficerCartman]

Well the number of accidents on that road, if you looked them up, would be misleading. There would probably be a lot of accidents, but not because of the paw prints. This is the road all the high school students use to get to and from the parking lots. It can get pretty crazy right before and right after school.

It is stupid about the paw prints, I'm so used to them it would be distracting NOT to have them.

[KatyHighCO04]

This is ********, why do away with something that has been there for so long. It's one of my favorite parts of the drive up to the school, and I remember seeing them every day on my way to school and now I love seeing them the few times a year I go up there. I don't understand why the Government always seems to find its way into things that it doesn't need to especially concerning small towns that have done things that way for so long. I hope for the sake of tradition that somebody either in the district or the city government take a stand and tell TxDot that the pawprints are a part of Katy's tradition and they havent harmed anyone.

They also need to get their facts straight, they're on FM 1463 not 1464 or whatever they said.

[Fleeman93]

Well the number of accidents on that road, if you looked them up, would be misleading. There would probably be a lot of accidents, but not because of the paw prints. This is the road all the high school students use to get to and from the parking lots. It can get pretty crazy right before and right after school.

It is stupid about the paw prints, I'm so used to them it would be distracting NOT to have them.

My point exactly. You would have to exclude accidents by the students that see them everyday. Take away those accidents and I bet you aren't left with much.

[CoveFan05]

Interesting post on a Houston Chronicle blog...

August 26, 2005
TxDOT verdict leaves Katy Tigers growling over paw prints
Traditionally, the Katy Athletic Booster Club has relished the pregame event practice of painting Tiger paws on Highway 90 and FM 1464 in Katy.

This year, the fun is over.

The Texas Department of Transportation created a rumble when it told the group for the first time in more than 20 years that there would be no paw prints painted on the state-run streets this year.

A TxDOT spokesman, Norm Wiggington, said he was surprised to hear about the decision.

Jim Hunt, the Fort Bend County engineer for TxDOT, did this by sending a letter to the administration at Katy High and Katy Mayor Doyle Callender reminding them of an agreement made two years ago, Wigington said.

It was decided and agreed upon two years ago between TxDOT and the mayor that after the road was repaved, the club couldn't repaint the paws on it," Wigington said. "It's a distraction to motorists."

"All we want are the little paws on the road leading up to the high school," said Katy Athletic Booster Club president Bodley Thornton, but we don't want to do anything wrong. I hate to see this taken away from the kids."

Wigington said the group should be patient because there are discussions taking place to see if another resolution is possible.


Should TxDOT officials allow the paw prints?


This is crap...We've had bulldawgs prints for about 6 or 7 years on the roads. Its about a 3 mile stretch from where it start till it gets into the parking lot

[Slim-Rob]

Katy loyals need to get some spray paint and a paw print pattern, and go have some fun.... The school can't do it, that doesn't mean that some random people can't. Give me some paint and transportation to Katy from SA and back and I'll help ya.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

Katy loyals need to get some spray paint and a paw print pattern, and go have some fun.... The school can't do it, that doesn't mean that some random people can't. Give me some paint and transportation to Katy from SA and back and I'll help ya.

I agree! If Katy faculty and students can't paint the highway, then some parents should get together and do it!

We can send 17 and 18 year-olds to war, continue to knowingly destroy the ozone/atmoshpere and watch as a city (New Orleans)starves, nearly to death, for a week, but we can't have painted paw prints on the street?...Give me a break!

[ktCarl]

Paint long jagged claw marks on the road as if you had to drag that tiger off the road!!

How ridiculous. Those paw prints don't distract anyone driving down that road. There's something fishy going on here. This is just like the year the principle of Katy Taylor raised a racas over Katy's football players receiving t-shirts from Joe's Crab Shack that read "Joe Knows Katy". The shirts supposedly gave the players an unfair advantage over their opponents.