Mike Snyder
@snyderwrites.bsky.social
Occasional freelance writer, enthusiastic loafer. Worked continuously at daily newspapers for 43 years.
Excellent reporting, clear writing and (often overlooked) good editing in this Houston Chronicle story by Ryan Nickerson; www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Texts from John Whitmire reveal how he shaped bike lane removals, road projects
Text messages from Mayor John Whitmire reveal he has strategically shaped the narrative around key road projects and bike lane removals across the city.
www.houstonchronicle.com
September 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Excellent reporting, clear writing and (often overlooked) good editing in this Houston Chronicle story by Ryan Nickerson; www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Bill Mintz, the leader of this fine organization, was a Chronicle reporter in a previous life. He was my partner on the City Hall beat in the ‘80s.
Freewheels Houston honored for handing out 3,000 bikes over the past 10 years www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
'More than transportation' Houston declares a day for bike organization
Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard on behalf of John Whitmire declared May 17 Freewheels Houston day.
www.houstonchronicle.com
May 19, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Bill Mintz, the leader of this fine organization, was a Chronicle reporter in a previous life. He was my partner on the City Hall beat in the ‘80s.
The @houstonlanding.bsky.social is going out with a bang, dropping ambitious reports on the impact of Houston’s Vietnamese community and the impending area garbage crisis. houstonlanding.org
May 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM
The @houstonlanding.bsky.social is going out with a bang, dropping ambitious reports on the impact of Houston’s Vietnamese community and the impending area garbage crisis. houstonlanding.org
This never gets old
On this #420day, we celebrate the 52nd anniversary of performers “Gail & Dale” singing the hit, “One Toke Over the Line,” on Lawrence Welk.
Neither had an idea the song was about pot, and Welk thought the song was a “modern spiritual.”
Neither had an idea the song was about pot, and Welk thought the song was a “modern spiritual.”
April 21, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This never gets old
Once in a while a newspaper story enters the realm of literature.
My Valentine's Day story is about a woman, a wolf, and a quest for love.
It may require tissues.
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
It may require tissues.
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Wolves need love to survive. Will a sanctuary's newest rescue find her mate?
A Texas wolf sanctuary rescues wolves from captivity. After they rescued one young white wolf and nursed her back to health, their next job was to find her a ma
www.houstonchronicle.com
February 15, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Once in a while a newspaper story enters the realm of literature.
When I saw the deadline I thought the piece was about this excellent writer en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_R._...
January 28, 2025 at 2:53 PM
When I saw the deadline I thought the piece was about this excellent writer en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_R._...
Excellent analysis of how the brakes have been applied in booming suburbs such as Sugar Land and Pearland, by SamGonzalez-Kelly www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/202...
After decades of growth, the population is falling in some of Houston's largest suburbs. Here's why.
Since 2019, Sugar Land's population has dropped by nearly 10,000 residents, a loss of more than 8% of its population.
www.houstonchronicle.com
January 18, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Excellent analysis of how the brakes have been applied in booming suburbs such as Sugar Land and Pearland, by SamGonzalez-Kelly www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/202...
Reposted by Mike Snyder
More Texas oil and gas wells are leaking. Will taxpayers have to cover the $100M cost to plug them?
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
Will taxpayers have to cover Texas’ leaking oil gas and wells?
As Texas takes on more high-cost leaking wells, the oil and gas well plugging program is outgrowing the traditional funding model, budget documents show.
www.houstonchronicle.com
January 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
More Texas oil and gas wells are leaking. Will taxpayers have to cover the $100M cost to plug them?
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
I agree, but: Never use exclamation points
"Never use adverbs. Adverbs are bad writing" is such bizarre advice. Adverbs are a common, standard part of all languages. It would be like telling a musician "Never use 7th chords. Find a major or minor chord that achieves the same effect." Why would you limit yourself in that way? Makes no sense.
December 30, 2024 at 8:18 PM
I agree, but: Never use exclamation points
(1/2) Two friends and former colleagues, Alan Bernstein (houstonalanbernstein.substack.com) and Ronnie Crocker, (allmytexas.substack.com) have recently started Substack newsletters. Both are fine writers worthy of your attention.
December 30, 2024 at 5:24 PM
(1/2) Two friends and former colleagues, Alan Bernstein (houstonalanbernstein.substack.com) and Ronnie Crocker, (allmytexas.substack.com) have recently started Substack newsletters. Both are fine writers worthy of your attention.
This byline signals an automatic read for me. Chistof Spieler @christofspieler.bsky.social is one of Houston’s most original thinkers. Also, he knows a lot about trains. www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outl...
Trains put Houstonians in danger. Here's what we need to do.
Houston grew up around locomotives. Milby High School student death crossing train tracks is a reminder we need to upgrade our rail system.
www.houstonchronicle.com
December 15, 2024 at 3:28 PM
This byline signals an automatic read for me. Chistof Spieler @christofspieler.bsky.social is one of Houston’s most original thinkers. Also, he knows a lot about trains. www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outl...
Reposted by Mike Snyder
Janis Scott, a fixture of community meetings and public lectures who was lovingly called “the bus lady” by four generations of Houstonians, died Monday. She was 73. www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Janis Scott, Houston's 'bus lady' and public transit advocate, dies at 73
A fixture in Houston, Scott was a near-lifetime bus rider, though there was that time in the 80s when she bought a car. It didn't last.
www.houstonchronicle.com
December 13, 2024 at 3:17 AM
Janis Scott, a fixture of community meetings and public lectures who was lovingly called “the bus lady” by four generations of Houstonians, died Monday. She was 73. www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Quite a scoop here by @amari-clare.bsky.social in @houstonlanding.bsky.social houstonlanding.org/harris-outgo...
Harris’ outgoing district attorney recommends ‘unprecedented’ plea in capital murder cases
Critics said the ‘blanket recommendation’ of life without parole could be inappropriate in certain cases and confuse victims’ families.
houstonlanding.org
December 12, 2024 at 5:46 PM
Quite a scoop here by @amari-clare.bsky.social in @houstonlanding.bsky.social houstonlanding.org/harris-outgo...
Just joined up here after deactivating the account linked to the space/electric car/destroy government dude. We'll see what happens, as someone likes to say.
December 12, 2024 at 5:03 PM
Just joined up here after deactivating the account linked to the space/electric car/destroy government dude. We'll see what happens, as someone likes to say.