Bay Area Observer 1-20-2011

By Rebecca [email protected]

During Tuesday nights city coun-cil meeting Mayor Gary Renola pre-sented a certificate of appreciation to John Coggeshall for his work on the trails’ map and making and installing distance markers on the trails. A proc-lamation making January 28th Arbor Day in Seabrook was also presented to members of the garden club. The Seabrook Police Department made a presentation to the Seabrook City Council to inform the city of their desire to adopt Civil Service for the po-lice department. Civil Service is a system where indi-viduals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by com-petitive examinations. It establishes requirements for employment, designs and validates employment examina-tions and standards, and administers hearing procedures for internal em-ployee appeals. In order to adopt Civil Service, ten percent of Seabrook voters must sign a petition requesting that it to be put on the ballot for election to adopt the State Civil Service System for the police de-partment, thereby affecting the current policies and procedures regarding hir-ing, promotion and discipline of police personnel. If the governing body of the city re-ceives a petition requesting an election that is signed by at least 10 percent of voters who voted in the most recent city election, the city council shall or-der an election submitting to the voters the question of whether Civil Service should be adopted. The election must be held on the first authorized election date that oc-curs after the petition is filed to allow sufficient time to comply with other requirements of law. Voters can also decide to repeal Civil Service one year after adoption. Civil Service is only available to cit-ies with a population of 10,000 or more, and has a paid fire or police department. The 2010 census estimates Seabrook’s population to be approximately 11,800, which qualifies the city to be eligible to enact Civil Service for its police de-partment. The service is only available to police and fire personnel. Civilian employees in other city department would not be eligible.

If Civil Service is adopted by Sea-brook any police officer serving in the city who has been in the service of the city for more than six months is en-titled to civil service classification and will have the status of a civil service employee. According to Civil Service code they would not required to take a competitive examination to remain in the position the person occupies at the time of the adoption. If Civil Service is adopted by the City of Seabrook, a Civil Service Commis-sion would be established. The chief executive of Seabrook would be re-sponsible for appointing the members of the commission within 60 days after the date it is adopted. The Civil Service Commission would require that three members be appoint-ed by the city’s chief executive and be confirmed by the city council. To quali-

fy for appointment on the Civil Service Commission a person must be of good moral character, be a United States citi-zen, be a resident of Seabrook for more than three years and be over 25 years of age without having served in public of-fice within the preceding appointment. In the State of Texas there is approxi-mately 86 cities that have adopted a Civil Service Commission for their po-lice and fire departments. City council also decided to disband the Community Events Committee during Tuesdays meeting. The Com-munity Events Committee was estab-lished May 12, 2009, and their purpose has been to promote local activities benefiting Seabrook citizens. The committee has supported such events such as Breakfast with Santa, the annual Easter Egg Hunt and the Fall Family Festival, and has also cre-

ated new events for Seabrook includ-ing eco-tourism events, parks events, clean-up events and wetlands educa-tion. The council and event committee members both agreed that dissolving the committee would eliminate the need for formalities that prohibit volunteers from being involved in planning activi-ties due to city requirements. In order for a volunteer to participate on a city committee, they must be a citizen of the city of Seabrook. City committees must adhere to open meeting rules that apply because of it’s structure under a municipality. By dissolving the com-mittee, volunteers from other areas would be able to offer more participa-tion and assistance in planning events. Current event committee members are Charlotte Gioannetti, Dianne Ace, Diane Royal, Patty Kane and Nancy Jones. Committee member Charlotte Gioa-netti said, “I feel like many of us want to be involved in the community. One of the things we talked about was es-tablishing a volunteer corp. That was so that we could get people from outside the city limits, and we could keep the talent that we’ve lost due to city limit issues”. She also stated that the city can maintain events that are already estab-lished, but there would be freedom to create new events such as last year’s Saltwater Derby. “That’s why we all joined. Our desire was to bring qual-ity events to Seabrook, and make it a better place for citizens. It would be our desire to continue working with the city,“ Gioannetti said. Councilman Holbrook suggested that a calendar of city events be created so that traditional city events such as breakfast with Santa, and the Christ-mas Tree Lighting Ceremony not be overlooked. City council then approved the Con-sent Agenda by unanimous vote during the meeting, Some items included the dismissal of all outstanding warrants that are five or more years old and making such dismissal an annual activ-ity. Council also approved a request by the Junior Anglers to use the Pine Gully Park fishing pier on five Wednes-days. The dates would be May 9, June 8, June 22, July 13 and July 22 at vari-ous times during the day.

By The Bay8th Annual Seabrook Lucky Trails MarathonMeador ParkMarch 19, 2011

Sign up now! Runners and walkers welcome. Join us for our eighth an-nual Seabrook Lucky Trail Mara-thon, Half Marathon, and Relay! Saturday, March 19, 2011•Half Marathon - 7:30 A.M.•2 person Half Marathon Relay - 7:30 A.M.Sunday - March 20, 2011•Marathon - 7:15 A.M.•Half Marathon - 7:30 A.M.•4 person Marathon Relay - 7:15 A.M.•Early start for Full Marathon Walkers - 5:30 A.M.Venue Name: Meador ParkLocation: 2100 Meyer Rd, Sea-brook, TX 77586Admission Cost: pre-registrationPhone: 1-866-611-4688Web:www.seabrookmarathon.orgEmail:[email protected]

Becoming a Woman of FaithBayshore BaptistChurch - La Porte

Ladies, please join us at Bay-shore Baptist Church for a new book study - Becoming a Wom-an of Faith. Best-selling Bible teacher, Cynthia Heald offers a realistic perspective for today’s Christian woman. From facing challenging circumstances to be-ing real before God, Becoming a Woman of Faith, is a Bible study that helps women learn what it means to walk with faith in the real world and honor Christ with their lives. This Bible study lasts 13 weeks and has been created to help you search the Scriptures and draw closer to God as you seek to make God a priority in your life. The class is free! Con-tact the church office for more information at 281-271-0332.

Spaghetti Dinner FundraiserJanuary 28, 20115:00 – 7:30 PmBay Elementary In Seabrook Off Hwy. 146 At Kenneth Royal Dr.

Dinner ticket includes spaghetti dinner, dessert and beverage. Come join us for dinner and the silent auction for the benefit of the NEW Evelyn Meador Li-brary coming in 2011. See an Evelyn Meador Board Member for your ticket or buy them at the door. There will be a Special book signing by Ruth Burke for her new book on Seabrook His-tory and a silent auction.

Father Sheffield Super Bowl barbecueSunday, February 618223 Point LookoutNassau Bay

“St. Paul the Apostle Knights of Columbus Council 6234 will conduct its annual Father Sheffield Super Bowl barbecue on Sunday, February 6, at the church, 18223 Point Lookout Drive, Nassau Bay. The Knights’ award-winning smoked brisket, ribs and chicken go fast. Pre-or-ders are encouraged by Wednes-day, February 2, although some barbecue may be available the day of the event. To pre-order, e-mail or call Vince Berend at [email protected], ph. 281 333-9739; or Buck Gay at [email protected], ph. 281 333-4662. Prices are $10 per pound for brisket or ribs and $10 each for smoked chicken. Contact name: Art Anton, 281 474-3373.

INDEX

Community.......................2-3

Crossword...........................2

Education............................4

Arts & Entertainment........5

Local News..........................6

Classifieds............................7

Cuisine.................................8

In The Garden.....................8

VOLUME 2, NO. 03 LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011

The Bay Area ObserverServing Communities Along Galveston Bay

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 6

Pasadena Plumbing Services, Inc.

“For All Your Plumbing Needs”

281-487-4688

By Paul Shattenberg

Whether it’s a single death or a mass die-off, experts from Texas A&M AgriLife and other agencies say almost all bird mortality in Texas and elsewhere is due to natural – or at least ex-plicable – causes. Each year in the U.S., hundreds of millions of birds die from a variety of causes, according to Dr. Thomas Lacher, head of the wildlife and fisheries sciences department at Texas A&M University in College Station. “The larger bird die-offs we see in Texas this time of year are not all that unusual given the kind of weather related to the season, storm fronts and mass roosts of birds, especially blackbirds,” Lacher said. “Mass bird die-offs in the hundreds hap-pen all the time, but we seldom see evidence of them.” However, Texas AgriLife Extension Ser-vice wildlife specialist Dr. Jim Gallagher, who works at the Texas AgriLife Research and Ex-tension Center in Uvalde, is someone who has witnessed a sudden, unexpected mass bird die-

off. “Many years ago, while I was living in up-state New York, I saw dozens of geese crash to the ground when they were suddenly caught in a freezing rain,” he said. “The weight of accu-mulated ice on them made it impossible to sus-tain flight.” In recent years, Texas has had its share of un-usual, even “bizarre” weather, Gallagher noted, and birds are especially vulnerable to the vaga-ries of sudden cold, unpredictable winds, hail and lightening. “If you’ve ever been on a heavy commercial aircraft that the wind suddenly moved up or down 1,500 feet or more in a matter of seconds, think what that kind of force could do to a bird weighing only ounces,” he said. “In an updraft, masses of birds can also accumulate ice on their wings and bodies at higher altitudes. And in a sudden downdraft, especially one associated with something like a micro-burst, a mass of them can be tossed to the ground.” Gallagher said birds thrust thousands of feet upwards by a sudden updraft also are subjected to physical stress similar to that of a diver try-

Seabrook Dissolves Committee, Hears Police Department Concerns

Seabrook Mayor Gary Renola Presents A Certificate Of Appreciation To John Coggeshall For His Work On The Trails’ Map And Making

And Installing Distance Markers On The Trails.

Lakewood To Host Bay Cup I On March 5

Lakewood Yacht Club Race Committee Chairman Dwight Bengt-son has announced that the 2011 Bay Cup I will be held on Sat., March 5. This race is open to the public and race registration can be handled on line at Lakewood’s web-site: www.lakewoodyachtclub.com under the racing button.“This is the first of a two race series which features long distance racing in Galveston and Trinity Bays,” explained Bengtson. Bay Cup II will be held on Sat., Aug. 6. with both races having multiple legs which total about 30-40 nautical miles. Overall trophies will be presented for the two race series at the conclusion of the Bay Cup II in Aug. Bengtson related that the club will continue the Cruising Non-Spinnaker and a Cruising Poleless Spinnaker Classes as they were popular with racers last year. Other classes will be One-Design, PHRF Spinnaker and Non Spinnaker, ORC Club Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker, Short-handed Offshore Sailors (SOS), Women Crewed and Multihull. A minimum of five boats constitutes a class. In addition to the long legs which will take boats into Trinity Bay, the course will present a navigational challenge. The entry fee of $55 will include post race activities the eve-ning of Sat., Mar. 5, with a steak cook-out by the pool and musical entertainment in the club’s lounge. Photos of the day’s race will be shown on the lounge’s plasma television for all to enjoy. The entry deadline for Bay Cup I is Wed., March 2, 5 pm. There will be a Skippers’ Meeting in the Lakewood Yacht Club Ballroom, 2425 NASA Parkway, Seabrook, on Friday, March 4, 7:30 pm where all skippers are urged to attend for last minute regatta updates. Bengtson would like to remind racers that Bay Cup I is made pos-sible by the support of its Silver Sponsors: Bay Access, Sobeski, and Sea Lake Yacht Sales. For questions, please e-mail Lakewood Yacht Club at [email protected].

AgriLife Extension, Other Experts Say Texas, Other U.S. Mass Bird Die-offs No Real Mystery

Smart Shoppers Browse In Santa Fe...But Buy It At The World Famous

CROW’S NEST ART GALLERY

230 JeffersonLa Porte, Texas 77571

281-471-4371

The

Onsite or In-House - 2 LocationsLa Porte - 281-867-0429 Webster - 713-893-8920

Business-Residential PC-Laptop-ServerNetworks - Xbox-TV Repairs-Security Camera

Home Theater Installs

ABC COMPUTER SERVICES - 24 X 7

THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY EVENTSThe 19th Annual Ed Brandon Cenikor Golf Tournament May 9, 2011Bay Oaks Country Club Did you know that, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 23.1 million Americans age 12 and up suffer from some type of substance abuse or chemical dependency? Did you know one of the most researched programs in the nation operates within your backyard? Cenikor has been helping people change since 1967. We would love to discuss how you and/or your business can help make the Greater Houston area a healthier and more productive place to live and work. Cenikor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and appreciates your help in getting this message to others. For More Information Contact: Roni Archer [email protected]. Sponsorship information available

Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department Blood DriveJanuary 31st4:00 PM to 8:00 PM 1850 E. Meyer Road, Seabrook

The Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting a blood drive. The drive will be held on Monday, January 31st, 2011 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM in association with the UTMB Blood Bank. All community members are invited and encouraged to participate in the blood drive, which will be held at the Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department, Station 1, located at 1850 E. Meyer Road. For more information, please contact SVFD at 281-474-3434.

Continued from page 1

Bayside Area Little League Spring 2011 Baseball Registration Boys & Girls ages 4 – 12 (as of April 30, 2011) You are within the Bayside boundaries if you live in Seabrook, Kemah, El Lago, Clear Lake Shores, Bayview, Taylor Lake Village, parts of League City including the following subdivisions: Bay Ridge, Glen Cove, Harbour Park, Lakeside, Marbella, Marina Bay Park, Marina Del Sol, Whispering Lakes Ranch, South Shore Park, Baycliff north of Gordy Road, and Shore-acres south of Fairfield.Registration Dates are as follows:Thursday January 20th 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Saturday January 22nd 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Please bring the following to registration:

• Certified Birth Certificate - To show proof of child’s age• Proof of Residency - To verify child’s residence is within league boundaries (Voter’s registration, utility bill, lease, mortgage statement are all acceptable proofs of residency. Driver’s license will not be accepted.)

2011 Fees:Age 4 T-Bits $70.00Ages 5-6 T-Ball $80.00Ages 7-9 Dixie $90.00Ages 10-12 Texas/Majors $110.00

Challenger Division $25.00 A late registration fee of $25.00 applies after 02/4/2011. Seabrook Sports Complex, Field House 2, 1805 N. Meyer Avenue, Seabrook. *Please note that all dates are subject to change. Please check the Bayside website for any updates, www.eteamz.com/bayside.

Bayside Area Little League Spring 2011 Baseball Registration

P.O. Box 305 • Seabrook, Texas 77586Phone: 281-907-3140 • Fax: 866-596-8973

Email: [email protected]

Opinions in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the newspaper. Any erroneous statement which may appear will be correct-ed if brought to the attention of the publisher. Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Submissions are encouraged by mail, by fax, or by email to [email protected].

Editor & Publisher...........Rebecca [email protected]

Associate Editor................Carolyn [email protected]

Sales Representative............Jeanne SadlerSeabrook, Kemah Area832-421-4777 • [email protected]

Sales Representative.....Beverly LawrenceLa Porte Area281-793-7961 • [email protected]

The Bay Area ObserverEstablished in 2006

Serving the communities along Galveston Bay.

GOLF CART INSPECTIONS:Jan. 22 from 9 AM until Noon at the Seabrook Island Pool/Boat Ramp Area

Bring your golf cart to the inspection site.

Golf Cart Requirements for Registration:

HEADLAMPS (24 to 54 Inches above the ground) TAIL LAMPS (15 to 72 Inches above the ground)

REFLECTORS (15 to 60 Inches above the ground)PARKING BRAKES

REARVIEW MIRRORS SLOW MOVING VEHICLE EMBLEM (Reflective Triangle)

COPY OF LIABILITY INSURANCE COPY OF DRIVERS LICENSE

More information can be fouund at the City of Seabrook’s website at: www.ci.seabrook.tx.us

Seabrook Golf Cart Inspections

Got A Commmunity Event Coming Up?

Email us at [email protected]

Dunham’s Tax Service816 South First StreetLa Porte, Texas 77571

Tel: 281-471-4892 • Fax: 281-470-7419Open six days a week 9 to 5

Thank you for reading our advertising! We have been in business here in La Porte for sixty-three years. We are proud to be the oldest Accounting and Tax Prepa-ration firm in East Harris County.

We support youth programs, education, churches, anything to better our community. We are aware of most businesses in our community. If you need a particular expertise, give us a call. We may be able to help you.

Our Tax Preparation fees for Individuals, Partnerships, and Corporations are quite reasonable.

Our turnaround time is usually three days. We can also do your Notarizing for Documents when needed.

Thanks for reading our letter and come meet us.

The Dunham Family

Submitted by Jay Dunham

The fifth annual “Briskets For The Bowl” fund raiser sponsored by the United Methodist Men’s (UMM) ministry of First United Methodist Church La Porte will benefit the Boys and Girls Har-bor facility in neighboring Morgan’s Point. Boys and Girls Harbor is a 501(c)(3) state licensed home which welcomes children in need, suffering from abuse, neglect or abandonment. The children live in a family style environment filled with love and care. First United Methodist Church La Porte has been providing voluntary services to the home for many years. The UMM cook 12-15 lb briskets all day Friday and will have them ready for pick-up at the church parking lot at 9601 W. Fairmont Parkway, La Porte on Saturday, February 5, 9:00-12:00 noon, in time for Super Bowl XLV. The tax deductible donation is still only $45.00. Tickets for purchase are available from any UMM member, the church office (281-478-4673) or Vince Chamberlain (281-814-8393).

“Briskets For The Bowl” Fundraiser Set For February 5

Visit us on the web at www.bayareaobserver.com

“Wellness is Best Fest” Well Attended At LPISD The La Porte ISD School Health Advisory Council’s Employee Wellness Committee spon-sored the “Wellness is Best Fest” on Monday, January 17, which is a professional development day. The event was held at La Porte High School, and campuses have been scheduled to attend the fair at selected times throughout the day. Special thanks to Dr. Joanne Kolius and staff for hosting the event at the LPHS campus! Among those who participated were the La Porte Recreation Center, Bayshore Hospital, Lighthouse For the Blind, Jazzercise, La Porte Eye Center, Curves, AFLAC, Scan Specialists USA, Yoga Rasa, Fitness Bootcamp, Ameritas, Epilepsy Foundation, La Porte Police Depart-ment and many more.

From Texas Chiropractic CollegeL - R - Kanon Oswald, Michael Cyran, Emily Hughes and Alicia Stephenson

Lana Follis of Beacon FCU

Kyle Schaefer and Amy Redus of the Epilepsy Foundation

From left to right - Chris Pyle, Liz Antognoli, Tracie Brace, and

Melissa Luna of Yoga Rasa

Wanda Cummings and Fred Paulus of the La Porte Citizens Police Academy

Polly Swerdlin of Armand Bayou Nature Center

Gerard is an LVN at Bayshore Hospital

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Assistance League of the Bay Area’s Resale Shop re-cently received a very special donation from an unexpected group of philanthropists – 5th grade boys from Falcon Pass Elementary. Selected to be part of a “lead-ership cluster” at Falcon Pass, five boys were tasked with tak-ing on a project of their own choosing. The only require-ment of the project was that it demonstrate leadership skills. Lauren Ambeau, assistant principal at Falcon Pass, said the boys considered what leaders do, and decided lead-ers serve others. From there, they brainstormed ideas, and remembered a program they had heard of called Operation School Bell. Getting on the Internet, they were able to con-

nect Assistance League of the Bay Area with the program, and learned that the money made by our resale shop pro-vides the money to buy the clothing for Operation School Bell. That was it! They would have a clothing drive for the Assistance League’s resale shop. Ambeau said the boys de-cided to challenge the different classrooms to a competition. Whichever classroom collect-ed the most clothes would win an ice cream sandwich party. The blossoming leaders cre-ated flyers and distributed them throughout the school, even getting permission to an-nounce their competition over

the school intercom. Their project was a success! Assistance League Resale Shop Chairman Jill Smither-man received a phone call in

December that a group from Falcon Pass would like to bring a donation to the Re-sale Shop. Assistant Principal Ambeau and Principal Monica Guiffre brought the boys to the

shop where they carried all the bags in themselves. Smither-man gave them all a tour of the shop, and Assistance League Public Relations Chairman Jenny Verghese showed them around Operation School Bell, explaining how Assistance League clothes nearly 2,000 school children every year, and how the boys were now a part of making that possible. Assistance League is inspired and honored by the actions of these young men, and wishes to extend our sincere thanks to them for selecting us! Assistance League’s Resale Shop, Operation School Bell and chapter office are located at 100 E. NASA Road 1 in Webster. For more information about the organization, it’s re-sale shop and its philanthropic programs, call 281-554-2594, or go online to www.bayarea.assistanceleague.org

Fifth Grade Boys Organize Clothing Drive To Benefit Assistance League

Of The Bay Area

Got A News Tip?

Let Us Know At

The Bay Area Observer

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COMMUNITY

Severe Weather Awareness Week

The weather in our area can change signifi-cantly without much notice. During the spring and summer months, severe conditions such as thunderstorms, hail, flooding, and tornadoes may occur with very little warning. Therefore it is critical for citizens to prepare for severe weather before it strikes. The National Weather Service has designated February 20th-26th as “Severe Weather Awareness Week”. The goal of Severe Weather Awareness Week is to encourage all citi-zens to be prepared should severe weather occur in our area. In order to prepare, families and businesses should establish an emergency action plan and assemble an emergency supply kit. The supply kit should include a minimum three day supply of non-perishable food and water, flashlights with extra batteries, first aid kit, extra medications and prescriptions, and other necessary items for infants, family members with special needs, and pets. These supplies should be kept in a container that can be easily moved when necessary. Perish-able items and water should be replaced every six months. A sample emergency supply kit can be found at the La Porte Office of Emergency Man-agement’s website listed below. Citizens should stay alert to the threat of severe weather in our area by frequently monitoring TV, radio, and NOAA weather radio broadcasts for updates. In the event that you should lose power in your home or office, have a back-up system in place such as a battery-powered radio so you may continue to receive vital weather information. For home, work, or school, shelter areas should be designated, whether they are in ground level

windowless rooms or interior hallways on the lowest floor. Protect yourself from flying debris with thick blankets, sleeping bags, or mattresses. Avoid areas near glass windows or doors, as well as rooms with widespread roofs such as auditori-ums and cafeterias. One of the topics being highlighted during Se-vere Weather Awareness Week is tornado safety. Although tornadoes in this area occur most often in the late winter and early spring, they can hap-pen any time of the year. They are often associ-ated with strong frontal systems. Tropical storms and hurricanes may also produce tornadoes. A tornado WATCH means a tornado is possible in your area. When a tornado WATCH is issued, listen to local radio and TV stations for updates. A tornado WARNING means a tornado has been sighted and may be headed for your area. When a tornado WARNING is issued, immediately seek shelter in your designated safe area and remain there until the threat passes. Choose a safe place for your family to meet if your home is damaged or destroyed. The La Porte Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is hosting a Skywarn training class on Tuesday, February 22nd from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the La Porte Police Department building, located at 3001 N 23rd Street. The class is sponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS) and is designed to train volunteers to monitor the skies and provide valuable information to the NWS during severe weather. For more information on the class or severe weather awareness, contact La Porte OEM at (281) 470-0010 or visit us at www.lpoem.org.

LPPD’s Ron Parker Honored as City’s Manager of the Year

The City of La Porte has named Assistant Chief of Police Ron Parker as its Manager of the Year for 2010. He will be publicly recog-nized at the City of La Porte’s Council Meet-ing on January 24th for his many contributions to the City. This event marks the second time Parker has received the Manager of the Year honor since he began his career with the City of La Porte’s Police Department in 1984. Assistant Chief Parker has served the commu-nity in a wide variety of capacities throughout his long tenure, including his current role where he serves as the senior manager over the Police Department’s Support Services Division. His current responsibilities include oversight of the Department’s Criminal Investigations, Street Crimes, Jail, Communications, Community Service, and Evidence Control Sections, as well as the management of in excess of $170,000 in State and Federal Grants, and the maintenance of hundreds of individual Departmental policies and procedures. As detailed in a letter of nomination submit-ted by the Chief of Police, Parker clearly distin-guished himself in each of these roles through-out the last year. Most notable was his focus on the Department’s newly-implemented Street Crime Division, which played a central role in the Department’s proactive response to nar-cotic activity as well as illegal gambling in the community. Largely through the efforts of the Street Crimes Unit, narcotic arrests within the La Porte Community were increased by 289% and more than $50,000 in illegal proceeds were seized from narcotic traffickers during the 2010 fiscal year. Additionally, the unit managed to file several illegal gambling cases resulting in the shutdown of all 3 known Gamerooms lo-cated within the City of La Porte. Of additional note, Parker also went above and beyond the call of duty as the Program Manager for the Department’s Best Practices Recognition initiative. The Law Enforcement Recognition Program is a voluntary process where police agencies in Texas prove their compliance with over 150 Texas Law Enforcement Best Practic-es. Being “Recognized”, means that the agency has been inspected and certified by outside rep-resentatives of the Texas Police Chief’s Asso-ciation, who verify that the Department meets or exceeds all of the identified Best Practices

for Texas law enforcement. Of the more than 3000 police departments in Texas, less than 40 have achieved “Recognized” status. Maintain-ing its status as a Best Practices Recognized agency requires much effort on the part of the Police Department, most particularly the Pro-gram Manager, who must spend countless hours monitoring critical departmental systems. 2010 was the first year the Department was subjected to an annual inspection. Thanks to the efforts of Assistant Chief Parker, the Department passed the inspection without a single deficiency being noted by auditors. No less admirable, Parker has done an extraor-dinary job developing and managing the Police Department’s various community service ef-forts, including a Citizens Police Academy, Vol-unteer Program, and Youth Explorer Post. Dur-ing the 2010 cycle, 43 attendees graduated from two separate La Porte Police Department Citi-zens Police Academies. Many of these gradu-ates went on to join the Department’s Volunteer Program, which is now 58 members strong. These volunteers provide a wide array of skilled and non-skilled services to the City of La Porte as a whole, including data entry, answering tele-phones, and staffing special events. At the close of 2010, La Porte Police Volunteers, under the direction of Assistant Chief Parker, donated a total of nearly 1000 hours of their time toward improving the quality of life within the La Porte Community. Assistant Chief Parker’s Commu-nity Services Section also recruited, trained, and graduated the Department’s first Youth Police Explorer Post class during 2010 with a second class scheduled for early 2011. Like the De-partment’s adult volunteers, these enthusiastic youth work side-by-side with the City’s Police Officers; serving the needs of the community, while learning valuable law enforcement skills in preparation for possible future careers in the law enforcement. Assistant Chief Parker represents a precious asset for the La Porte Police Department and the City of La Porte as a whole. His leader-ship has inspired confidence and, as a result, his professional achievements are wide-ranging. For more information on any of La Porte Police Department’s Community Service operations, please call 281-842-3171.

Thank you to all the Rotary Clubs who have purchased and sold coffee! Through the sale of Rotary licensed Green Mountain Coffee during the months of September – December 2010 Five for Water Foundation has been able to fund a deep bore well water project in Malawi, Africa. The project will be coordinated by Rotarian Robert Holloway of the Sparta, IL Rotary Club. The well will be located in the northern region of Malawi. The villages in this area are among the poorest in the world. Their per capita income is less than $1.00 per day. 60% of the children in the area die before the age of five because of bad water and water related diseases. The well will be located at the village of Esigondhweni, Malawi and will provide water for a school of 850 children plus eight surrounding villages. In total approximately 4,000 people will receive water from this well. Thanks again for your continued support of coffee for clean water!

Bill Prost

Five For Water Foundation, Inc.

Malawi Water Project

Front row, from left, Mitchell Gress, Anthony Avendano, Geoffrey Swartz, Trenten Graves; back row, from left, Falcon Pass Assistant Principal Lauren Ambeau, Garrett Pettit, Ryan Santos, and Falcon Pass Principal Monica Giuffre.

Falcon Pass students Anthony Avendano (left) and Geoffrey Swartz lift bags of donations collected from their clothing drive out of their princi-pals car to bring into the Assistance league Resale Shop.

Assistance League Resale Shop Chairman Jill Smitherman tells Falcon Pass students how the resale shop makes it possible to clothe needy chil-dren through Operation School Bell.


Helping You And Your Family See into The Future

With An Annual Eye Exam At

Check insurance for vision benefits. La Porte Vision accepts most major insurances and routine vision plans

Keep Your

401 W. Fairmont Pkwy., Suite A • La Porte

281-471-6546www.laportevision.com

Deborah S. Bernay, O.D.Andreane B. Fagala, O.D.

Patricia A. Galos, O.D.

La Porte Vision Center

EDUCATION

The Elementary Division Winner, Kendra Fort, a 5th grader at Hyde Elementary School, performs “Let ‘Er Rip.”

All students in the Education Village were given the oppor-tunity to audition and be a part of Lil’ Abner, the first musical produced at the new Clear Creek ISD PreK-12 complex. The idea is to start a tradition of cooperation among the Fine Art Depart-ments of Mossman Elementary, Bayside Intermediate and Clear Falls High School, giving students of all ages the chance to work together.

The public is welcome to attend. Show times and ticket prices are listed below.

Lil’ AbnerClear Falls Performing Arts Center Auditorium

Feb 3-5 at 7 pm Feb 6 at 2 pm

Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $8.00 for students (available at the door)

Dianna Moore - DirectorJill Fetty - Choral Director

Elizabeth Townsend - ChoreographerAdrian Washburn, Doug Eger,

and Dean Beltran - Orchestra Directors

Lil’ Abner Set To Debut In February At Education Village

“So You Think You Can Sing?” Competition Hits

All The Right Notes

– The Clear Creek ISD singing competition “So You Think You Can Sing” was held Saturday, January 15, 2011. Sponsored by the CCISD Choral Music Department, the competition featured elementary, intermediate and high school students from 28 schools. The singers won the right to represent their school by submitting an audition video that was selected as the best by a campus judging committee. Students performed a song of their choice and audience mem-bers sent in their votes for each category by texting. The winners are as follows:

Elementary Division:Kendra Fort

Hyde Elementary5th Grade

“Let ‘Er Rip”

Intermediate Division:Hannah Seavey

Westbrook Intermediate8th Grade

“Stormy Weather”

High School Division:Bianca Higgins

Clear Springs High SchoolJunior

“Love You I Do”

“We congratulate the winners and all of the contestants,” said CCISD Fine Arts Director Dean Muths, “They did an awesome job.”

Join us for the 2011 La Porte High School musical, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man..

Performances dates and times:

Thursday, January 27, 2011 7:30 p.m.Friday, January 28 2011 7:30 p.m.Saturday, January 29, 2011 2:00 p.m.Saturday, January 29, 2011 7:30 p.m.Thursday, February 3 2011 7:30 p.m.Friday, February 4, 2011 7:30 p.m.Saturday, February 5, 2011 5:00 p.m.Saturday, February 5, 2011 8:30 p.m.

January 27 is the Gold Card Senior Citizens performance. Se-nior Citizens can get free tickets to this performance in advance with their Gold Card (available from the LPISD Administration Bldg). Tickets go on sale Monday January 24, 2011. They are sold from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday – Friday in the Lobby of the Sonia Angelo Theatre Tickets may also be purchased before each show. The box of-fice opens 30 minutes before show time.All seats are reserved and tickets are $12.00. Payment may be made by cash or check. For more information please call Karen Hall at 281-604-7573.

La Porte High School To Present Meredith Willson’s

The Music Man

Hannah Seavey, 8th grader at Westbrook Intermediate School, is pre-sented the trophy for Intermediate Division winner.

Director of Fine Arts Dean Muths congratulates High School Division winner Bianca Higgins, a junior at Clear Springs High School.

Work Under Way At New Student Success Center

San Jacinto College (SJC) North recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the campus’ new Student Success Center (SSC), a facility that will house student services such as enrollment and financial aid. The new 39,500-square-feet center will cost approximately $10.9 million to build, and is part of a $295 million capital im-provement bond referendum approved in 2008 by citizens of the College district that will fund new facilities and renovations at all three SJC campuses. Construction on the North campus Student Success Center began in November 2010, and is scheduled for completion in December 2011. “This is a much-needed facility, and it will be a very attrac-tive ‘front door’ for the campus to the community,” commented North campus President Dr. Allatia Harris at the ceremony. The Student Success Center will adjoin the Spencer Administration Building and will face Uvalde Road at the western main entrance of the campus. The SSC will serve as a “one-stop shop” for many important student services, and will house enrollment, testing and assess-ment, educational planning and counseling, financial aid, the business office, the campus president, and the campus vice presi-dent for learning – all in one convenient location. Consolidating student services into one location will be a great benefit to students, according to Amy Ammerman, dean of enroll-ment services at the North campus. “San Jacinto College endeav-ors to remove barriers to higher education for our community,” noted Ammerman. “The new Student Success Center will enable us to streamline the enrollment and registration process for new students. It will be nice to tell a student he or she can walk to the next window to check on their financial aid, rather than instruct-ing them to walk across the campus. Students seek clear informa-tion and a welcoming environment, and the new center will be a vital tool to help us provide that to our community.” One example of the improvements anticipated with the new building is the testing center. The main tests administered at the SSC will be placement tests to determine college-readiness of new students, such as COMPASS and Texas Higher Education Assessment tests, GED, GED in Spanish, and English-language proficiency exams. The testing center also will assist instruc-tional programs with make-up exams and some distance learning course exams. “The new testing center will allow for expanded operations so we can serve more students at a time, administer different tests at the same time, and provide private testing rooms for disability services,” remarked Ammerman. Other projects planned for the North campus that are part of the 2008 bond program include a new 130,000-square-foot Sci-ence and Allied Health building, renovations at the Edwin Lehr Library, and renovations at the John Nichols Gymnasium.

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San Jacinto College employees and local elected officials attended a rib-bon cutting ceremony for the new Student Success Center at the North campus, which is part of the 2008 bond referendum,. Those in atten-dance included, from left: Dr. Richard Bailey, San Jacinto College (SJC) North vice president for learning; Ken Lynn, SJC vice chancellor of fis-cal affairs; Amy Ammerman, North campus dean of enrollment; Steve Peterson, Tellepsen Construction; Dr. Charles Grant, Harris County Precinct 2 commissioner’s office; U.S. Congressman Gene Green (TX-29); Dr. Allatia Harris, North campus president; Dr. Brenda Hellyer, SJC chancellor; John Moon Jr., SJC trustee; Albert Cheng, Deputy Re-gional Director, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison; Randy Sparks, Brooks & Sparks Engineering; Dawn Harris, Harris County Precinct 2 com-missioner’s office; and Richard Chambers, Morris Architects. Photo credit: Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College marketing department.

Short Classes Beginning Soon At College Of The Mainland’s

North County Center Whether you want to start a new business or just upgrade your job skills, College of the Mainland is offering the following courses at its North County Learning Center in League City. How to Start Your Own Business is a 36-hour professional course that addresses the A-to-Z of business start-up. Registration is under-way now; the class starts March 21. If you have been out of the job market and need to refresh your office skills, enroll now for Office Professional 2007 skills upgrade. Classes begin Jan. 29. Courses in COM’s Real Estate Fast-Track Academy start ev-ery two weeks with day and evening classes. All are non-credit courses held at 200 Parker St. in League City, just off FM 518, a half-mile from I-45. Other helpful courses begin daily. For infor-mation, a list of additional courses, or to register, call 281-332-1800, or visit the website: com.edu/nc.

Learn About Collegiate High School At A Meeting On Feb. 16

Galveston County high school students interested in college-level courses at College of the Mainland next fall are invited to learn about COM’s innovative Collegiate High School (CHS) on Wednesday, Feb. 16. The college will host an information-shar-ing meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Resource Auditorium 131. Reservations can be made by calling 409-933-8169. The meeting will introduce the benefits and curriculum of Collegiate High School to prospective high school students and parents, and provide an overview of expectations. Students will be able to ask questions of college administrators. CHS is an Advanced Aca-demic Middle College Program for high school students seeking an academically challenging, mature educational environment. CHS offers rigorous academic instruction, career guidance, academic counseling, and work-based learning opportunities. By optimizing dual credit opportunities, students may complete high school graduation and associate degree requirements at the same time. Through specially designed Transitions classes and activities, CHS students are allowed to enroll as full-time college students at College of the Mainland. Depending upon public high school requirements, some students may enroll as early as their freshman year of high school. Students may also enroll as private school students. With the support of their local high school, students may remain enrolled in their local high school, but complete their school day on the college campus. Students can continue their participation in extra-curricular and UIL activities, while enjoying the rigors of college academics. To learn more about the information session or to RSVP, contact Lodie Salazar, administrative assistant, at 409-938-1211, ext. 8169, or e-mail [email protected].

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Watson Galleries in Houston will feature 25 artists at their next Art Show on Friday Jan 21st and Saturday the 22nd from 6-10pm. Artists include Michelle Huff, Paris Holt, Susan Freeman, Vernessa Wadsworth, Steven Sample, David Stunts, Valerie Gudell, Kim Kartiganer, Syd Moen, Howie Doyle, Bryan Cope, Leigh Anne Marshall, Saida, Christi Hellrung, Ameilia Goff, Cory Durand, Angela Fabbrii, Janette Arsement, Richard Eastman, and More Two artists from the local area are also featured in the show. Brian Sterling of La Porte will dis-play his paintings, and James Phillips of Clear Lake will display his wood sculptures. Both are very popular in the Galveston Bay Area. Phillips has been a participant at Seabrook Rotary’s Annual Quick Draw, and Sterling is known for his work as a painter on canvas and muralist, with works on some of La Porte’s historical Main Street buildings.Watson Galleries will also have a show on January 27th from 6-10pm featuring Paige Lewis Sing-ing Live from 7-9pm. Artists are welcome to submit their work along with an entry Fee of $60 for 6-8 pieces. Artists will make 100% commission including credit card Sales. Sign up now 585-737-9524.

Krewe du Lac and The City of Kemah present the Ninth Annual Krewes Into Kemah” Parade and Carnival on Sunday, March 6, 2011. The 2011 theme is “Pirates of the French Quarter”. Vehicle line up starts at 11 a.m. on Harris Street in Kemah behind T-Bone Tom’s. The Children’s walking and bike parade lines up in the parking lot behind the Kemah Visitors Center at 6th and Bradford Streets. The parade rolls at 12 p.m. Individuals, schools, groups and businesses are encouraged to deco-rate trucks, cars, floats, golf carts or organize walking clubs. The parade winds through the streets of Kemah while merry makers have a great time throwing beads and loot to the crowds. The route begins on Harris Avenue, to 7th Street, Kipp Street to 8th street and back to

Harris. Spectators stand or bring a chair, pick a spot and have a front row seat. Participation and admission are free! The post parade “Kemah Carnival” is from noon to dusk at T Bone Tom’s. T Bone Tom’s has a full menu including crawfish and a cash bar available. Live music by Ezra Charles, a family friendly costume contest, face painting, Arts and Mardi Gras market, and a Pirate Ship moonwalk round out the afternoon. Great family fun celebrating the Mardi Gras season! The “Krewe Into Kemah” events are co-sponsored by Krewe du Lac & The City of Kemah. For more information, call 832-771-7661 or visit www.krewedulac.org. Join Krewe du Lac on Facebook


“Krewes Into Kemah” Mardi Gras Parade & Carnival

Watson Galleries To Feature 25 Artists Including Two Local Favorites

KUHF’s Elaine Kennedy appears at The Bay Area Chorus of Greater Houston Major Works Concert

Elaine Kennedy, KUHF Morning Show host, will appear as a special guest at the 2011 Major Works Concert presented by the Bay Area Chorus of Greater Houston. Accompanied by a profes-sional orchestra, the Bay Area Mixed Chorus and the Bay Area Women’s Chorus will perform at 7:30 pm on February 7 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 18220 Upper Bay Road, Nassau Bay, TX 77058. Tickets are $10 in advance. At the door, tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors 65+. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the “purchase tickets” section of the BAC website, www.bayareachorus.org, by calling the BAC hotline, 281.326-1286 or from any chorus member. Ms. Kennedy and members of the Chorus Advisory Board will be honored at a post-concert reception for performers and members of the audience. Refreshments will be provided by Mediterraneo Market and Cafe, featuring “Flavors of the Mediterranean”. The BAC Mixed Chorus will perform a concert favorite, the Schubert Mass in G. In contrast, a rarely-performed work, the Rheinberger Mass in A, will be presented by the BAC Women’s Cho-rus. Both Schubert and Rheinberger represent the 19th century romantic point of view as expressed in philosophy, literature, visual art and music: individualism, emotionalism, and subjectivity. Fol-lowing the tradition established by earlier master composers, Rheinberger and Schubert accepted the challenge of setting the Catholic Ordinary of the Mass for concert, rather than liturgical, pur-poses, resulting in these significant contributions to the choral repertoire. Now in its 46th season, The Bay Area Chorus has grown to be a Houston-area choral institution. During the 16-year tenure of Musical Director Keith Dixon, the group has expanded to include a Women’s and Mixed Chorus. Both have exhibited a high standard of musical excellence in performances throughout metropolitan Houston. Additionally, the Bay Area Chorus has an extensive outreach program showcasing school, church, community and university choirs as guest performers. The Bay Area Women’s Chorus is honored to be invited to perform at the state convention of the Texas Choral Directors Association in San Antonio on July 30, 2011.

Galveston Arts Center is pleased to present Bert’s Red Book, featuring a new series of work by Houston-based art-ist Bert Long. The exhibition will open during the January 22nd ArtWalk and remain on view through March 6, 2011. Curator Clint Willour will lead a gallery talk with the artist at 6:30 pm during ArtWalk. Released in 2009, Swiss psy-chiatrist Carl Jung’s The Red Book, has been described as the “most influential work in the history of psychology.” Cre-ated by the founder of analyti-cal psychology and pioneer of dream analysis between 1914 and 1930, it was Jung’s record of what he described as his “inner images.” Jung utilized his active imagination to cre-ate his images and text for the book. The Red Book became the source for artist Bert Long, who used his own dreams and visions to create a series of paintings and drawings in re-sponse to Jung’s work. Work-ing in a style that has become his trademark, Long’s paint-ings are also sculptures, where canvas and frame are one and collage is part of the whole. These works are at once direct and mysterious, simple and complex, cheerful and brood-ing, bright and dark. Curator Clint Willour writes in the exhibition catalogue, “Throughout these works Bert has explored his personal un-conscious to delve into Jung’s conscious active imagination. He has responded to those ideas with his visionary reactions. In doing this he utilizes many of the ideas Jung brought to the world of psychology: arche-type, persona, shadow, anima and animus, dream interpreta-tion, personal typography and individuation.” In Art (2010), Long combines acrylic paint

with a plaster eye and frame embellished with the tools of his trade, tubes of paint, pen-cils, pens and brushes, recur-ring symbols from the artist’s visual lexicon. In Stumped (2010), a central canvas depicts the serpent from the biblical expulsion story, minus the ap-ple or Adam and Eve. Embel-lished with a metal “welcome” sign and tree branch, the work is in response to Jung’s writing, “He gives you a small insignif-icant fruit which has fallen at his feet.” In Soul (2010), Long responds to the notion of “the soul in the primitive sense” with boxes representing heaven and hell, a crown of thorns and images of eyes, tears, smiles, day, night, fire, and wind representing Universal Consciousness. The works in the exhibition char-acterize what the artist has de-scribed as only the beginning of a wonderful quest into his mind.A native Texan, Long received a degree in adult education

from the University of Cali-fornia at Los Angeles in 1972. In 1990 he was recognized as Texas Artist of the Year and was awarded the Rome Prize Fellowship. His work has been included in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including a one-person exhibition at The Museum of Fine Arts, Hous-ton, in 2006. Long currently lives and works in Houston. Galveston Arts Center is op-erating in a temporary down-town gallery space—the site of the former Maceo’s Spice and Import Company located on the corner of Market and 25th Streets. The administrative of-fices are also at this location. The gallery and selections from GAC’s retail gallery, Art-Works, are open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and Sun-day by appointment only. A flyer listing all ArtWalk partic-ipants with times and locations can be downloaded at www.contemporaryartgalveston.org Funding for GAC’s exhibition programs is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., Hous-ton Endowment, Inc., Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund, The National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, the City of Galveston through the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund, The Levin Family Foundation, and the generous support of the community, vol-unteers and an active member-ship. GAC’s Art for All Educa-tion Program is supported in part by the Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Brown Foundation, Inc., Alice Taylor Gray Foundation, Har-ris and Eliza Kempner Fund, and the Jr. League of Galves-ton County’s Community As-sistance Fund.

Bert Long: Bert’s Red BookJanuary 22–March 6, 2011

ArtWalk Opening, Saturday, January 22, 6 to 9 pmGallery Talk at 6:30 pm

Fourth and fifth grade teachers tasked with educating their students about trees and the benefits they provide have a tool to help liven up their lessons — the 2011 Texas Arbor Day Poster Con-test. A diverse community forest is a healthy community forest, and that’s just the point that the state poster contest is focusing on this year. Sponsored by Texas Forest Service and open this year to both fourth and fifth grade students, the contest carries the theme Trees are Terrific in all Shapes and Sizes! It’s designed to boost students’ environmental stewardship by having them create a community complete with not just trees but the right trees planted in the right places. The contest — and included environmental lessons — are correlated to the state curriculum for science and art, said Contest Coordinator Pete Smith. “It’s just a fun way to educate students about the benefits that come from the trees that surround us,” Smith said. “It’s not about forests somewhere else; it’s about trees where we live, trees that we see every day. Hopefully, the lesson will instill in them an environmental ethic that they can carry forward.”

RulesUnlike previous years, the national contest sponsored by The Arbor Day Foundation will not be held. As such, rules for the state competition have been tweaked this year.

• Both fourth and fifth grade students are eligible to participate.• Posters may be no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches.• The deadline for each school to submit its winning poster is March 25, 2011.

PrizesThe winning student will receive a $500 savings bond and a year-long family pass for Texas state parks, as well as a framed copy of his or her poster and an invitation to the Texas Arbor Day cer-emony in Pearland on April 29, 2011.

The winning teacher will receive a personal iPad and $250 to go toward classroom supplies. The winning school will receive $250 for environmental books or supplies and a tree planted on the campus as part of an Arbor Day celebration. For more information about the contest or to download the 2011 Activity Guide, visit the 2011 Texas Arbor Day Poster Contest on Texas Forest Service website. Or, email Poster Contest Co-ordinator Pete Smith at [email protected]. Contact: Pete Smith, Contest Coordinator at 979-458-6658, [email protected]

State Poster Contest Helps Teachers School Their Students

About The Benefits Of Trees

Brian Sterling’s Display Hangs In Watson Galleries. His Portrait Subjects Include Historical Figures, Personal Portraits And Pets.

Bay Area Chorus - Major Works Concert The Bay Area Chorus of Greater Houston is pleased to announce an upcoming Major Works concert accompanied by a professional orchestra. The BAC Mixed Chorus will perform a concert favorite - the Schubert Mass in G. In contrast, a rarely-performed work, the Rheinberger Mass in A, will be presented by the BAC Women’s Cho-rus. Both Schubert and Rheinberger represent the 19th century romantic point of view as expressed in philosophy, literature, visual art and music: individualism, emotionalism, and subjectivity. Fol-lowing the tradition established by earlier master composers, Rheinberger and Schubert accepted the challenge of setting the Catholic Ordinary of the Mass for concert, rather than liturgical, pur-poses, resulting in these significant contributions to the choral repertoire.

Time: 7pmVenue Name: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

Location: 18220 Upper Bay Road, Nassau Bay, TX 77058Phone: 281-326-1286

Web: www.bayareachorus.orgEmail: [email protected]

An art auction of small-sized art pieces donated by valued area artists for a silent and live auction. This fundraiser has music entertainment and food. We envision this fun and enlightening event to “bring the arts together” for our community and draw visitors from across the region.

Entry for work: Saturday, January 29.Pre-view of work: Tuesday, February 1.

Venue Name: The Arts Alliance Center at Clear LakeLocation: 2000 NASA Parkway, Nassau Bay, TX 77058

Admission Cost:

Phone: 281-335-7777Web: www.taaccl.org/events.htm

Small Works By Great Minds - Art Auction


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LOCAL NEWS

ing to resurface too quickly. “Basically, dissolved gases in their blood suddenly start boil-ing out and they get the avian equivalent of the bends,” he said. “A bird flying along at 1,000 feet and suddenly be-ing thrust upwards to 20,000 feet will be subject to the same physical effects as a diver coming up to the surface too quickly — if the rise is rapid enough.” Disease and parasites may also be factors in some mass bird deaths, according to ex-perts at the Texas Veterinary Medical and Diagnostic Labo-ratory in College Station. Necropsies done by the lab on birds from a 60-plus bird die-off Jan. 8, 2007 in Austin revealed they were “heavily parasitized.” But the unusually cold weather the night before was given as a “principal fac-tor” in this die-off, which led to the temporary closure of several downtown streets by state health officials until the incident was dismissed as a public health threat. “There has been evidence that a few wild-bird deaths in Texas over the past several years have been associated with West Nile virus,” said Dr. Randy Moore, resident di-rector of the diagnostic lab’s poultry laboratory in Center. “We historically have seen in-stances of West Nile, which is predominantly carried by mos-quitoes, affecting birds here in Texas, but the number of birds is very small. And currently there is no evidence that avian influenza (bird flu) or other avian viruses have been as-sociated with mass die-offs in wild bird species in the United States.” Moore said mortality from parasites or disease is more of-ten associated with individual or small groups of birds and is usually a “contributing factor” in these situations as opposed to a singular cause of death. Another reason for some mass bird die-offs in certain

areas of Texas from time to time could be bird control to benefit agriculture, said Mike Bodenchuk, state director for Texas Wildlife Services, an agency of the Texas Depart-ment of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Bodenchuk said his agency is often called on by the state’s farmers and ranch-ers to provide control of birds that are detrimental to their ag-ricultural operations. “For example, we provide control to rice farmers in East Texas and to feedlot owners in the Panhandle,” he said. “We use a bait that the birds ingest and fully metabolize prior to death, which typically occurs one to three days after they consume it. The toxin is not transferred to other birds, animals or humans that may come in contact with the dead birds.”Bodenchuk said birds killed by the bait typically can be found in clusters beneath their roosting areas — the trees or phone and power lines they re-turn to after ingesting the tox-in. “Bird control in East Texas rice fields is usually targeted at blackbirds, while control in Panhandle feedlots is mainly targeted at starlings, which are an invasive species,” he said. Bodenchuk said these efforts reduce grain loss, lower opera-tional costs and help increase agricultural production. “In the case of starling control, it also helps native ‘cavity-nest-ing’ bird species by reducing competition for living space.” He added that these activi-ties are “well-publicized” in advance and are coordinated with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Tex-as Department of Agriculture, so it should be relatively easy to discover if a bird die-off in a particular area was due to a control effort.Another ‘ingestion-related’ occurrence was the likely rea-son for a mass die-off of cedar waxwings near Lake Ray Hub-

bard in Dallas this past spring, according to experts with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. They said these fruit-fancying birds were mi-grating north as they stopped to partake of abundant, prob-ably partially fermented, sweet berries on bushes near the Highway 66 bridge. The birds over-indulged and many became intoxicated. Hundreds – disorientated or bloated from gorging on the berries — had difficulty flying and were hit by cars traversing the bridge.A similar die-off took place in early January of this year near a bridge in the Lake O’ the Pines area of East Texas. Parks and wildlife experts and game wardens familiar with past occurrences said the death of several hundred American coots, or mud-hens – a mass-roosting, low-flying species – was most likely due to them being frightened by a noise or predator. The panicked birds flew into the path of numerous cars traveling on or near the 155 bridge. Another possible factor in the recent mass bird die-off in Arkansas was given as loud noise or fireworks, noted Bo-denchuk, but said that this explanation warrants further scrutiny. “We’ve done roost relocation actions throughout Texas using literally tens of thousands of rounds of pyro-technics, and I can’t ever recall any birds dying from ‘trauma’ as a direct or indirect result of that control method. However, I suppose it is possible that a flock of daytime-flying birds might suddenly be startled at night by a loud noise, panic and then fly into a nearby building or other structure.”While recent mass bird die-offs in Texas and elsewhere have grabbed the headlines and spurred the imagination of conspiracy theorists – other “explanations” range from se-cret military or government

testing to bio-terrorism and biblical portents — the real causes of the bird mortality are far more banal, according to experts. So what are the main causes of bird death? The Sibley Guides website, a compen-dium of information on North American birds and trees, con-tains a “Causes of Bird Mor-tality” chart giving estimated annual bird mortality from various causes in terms of millions of birds. It turns out that blunt-force trauma caused by impact with transparent, silicate-based materials is the top cause of bird mortality in North America. That’s right; birds crashing into windows is by far the continent’s single-greatest cause of bird mortal-ity, killing an estimated 900 million a year. The second-leading cause is feral cats, which kill about 500 million birds annually, followed by high-tension wires, which take a yearly toll of around 190 million. Some lesser causes of bird mortality noted on the chart include cars, pesticides, communications towers and hunting, with hunting respon-sible for the fewest deaths of that group. Data from other sources indi-cate U.S. bird mortality figures represent roughly half of those on the Sibley chart. Addition-ally, the National Audubon So-ciety and U.S. Parks and Wild-life Department state that “loss of habitat” is truly the single-largest threat to birds, and that this factor is most responsible for the overall reduction in U.S. bird populations. How-ever, the figures are nebulous.“The die-offs we’ve been hear-ing about in Texas are a normal occurrence,” said Lacher. “But when put together with reports of other die-offs in other states or countries that are posted in blogs and on the Internet and shown on national television, they appear to be greater and stranger than they really are.”

Continued from page 1

Bird Die-offs ...

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Twitching Lids

Twitching eyelids, or blepharospasm, is an annoying condition with no definitive cause. It is thought that stress, fatigue, eyestrain, and caffeine all play some role. The twitches, which are actually involuntary spasms of the muscles that control the eyelids, can last minutes, hours, or even sporadically for days. Twitching that is prolonged and severe, when characterized by an eyelid that closes completely, may cause irritation of the cornea (the outer surface of the eye) or the conjunctiva (eyelid lining). To try to ease the spasm, those afflicted with twitching eyelids can try closing their eyes and applying a warm compress over them, and should avoid alcohol and caffeine intake. Botulinum toxin injections (Botox) may be performed for temporary relief in more severe cases. If you are concerned about a lid twitch or have any other ocular concerns, please call LaPORTE VISION CENTER at 281-471-6546 to schedule a comprehensive eye health examination. Our practice is located at 401 West Fairmont Parkway, Suite A. Help-ing you and your family see into the future.

Firefighters Rebuffed At Alleged Pot House

The Associated Press

Firefighters who refused to be waved away by people outside a burning house extinguished the blaze, then found a marijuana operation inside. San Leon Assistant Fire Chief Scott Lyons says a man with a water hose, standing in the driveway, was saying “Man, we got it. We got it.” Lyons told the Galveston County Daily News that the caretak-ers locked the place and would not let firefighters near the struc-ture Saturday night. Firefighters put a ladder to the second-story porch and went in anyway. Lyons says marijuana paraphernalia was everywhere. More than 100 plants were seized. Deputies detained a suspect, who allegedly returned to try to destroy the drugs. The cause of the electrical fire is sought.

Information from: The Galveston County Daily News, http://www.galvnews.com

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DRIVERS-ASAP! New pay increase; 34¢-40¢ cpm. Excellent benefits, need CDL-A and 3 months re-cent OTR. 1-877-258-8782, www.meltontruck.com

DRIVERS-OWNER OP-ERATOR! $2000 sign-on bonus paid in 60 days! New pay increase. Paid FSC. Home daily with local and regional runs based out of Dallas. Call Comtrak at 1-866-338-2958 or apply online at www.comtrakl-ogistics.com

DRIVERS-FOOD TANK-ER drivers needed OTR positions available now. CDL-A with Tanker re-quired. Outstanding pay & benefits; call a recruiter today! 1-877-810-1041, www.oakleytransport.com

NATIONAL CARRIERS needs O/O’s. Lease pur-chase. Company drivers for it’s expanding fleet. Of-fering Regional/OTR runs. Outstanding pay package, excellent benefits, generous hometime. 1-888-707-7729 www.nationalcarriers.com

SLT $3000 BONUS team drivers needed. Class A-CDL with Hazmat and 2 years experience. Teams split up to $1.10/mile. Flat-bed owner operators $1.40/mile. 1-800-835-9471.

THE MASON & DIXON Lines; Experienced Owner/Operators wanted, daily settlements, no forced dispatch, fuel discount programs, flatbed & van divisions. Contact Donna, 1-877-242-1276 or [email protected]

CASH NOW! GET cash for your structured settle-ment or annuity pay-ments. High payouts. Call J.G.Wentworth. 1-866-SET-TLEMENT (1-866-738-8536). Rated A+ by the Bet-ter Business Bureau.

$10,000 OR MORE in debt? Credit cards, store cards, medical bills. Help eliminate harassing calls. Debt free in 12-48 months. Free consultation, 1-800-631-9149. Debt Help Ex-perts

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST VIEW Lake Medina/Bandera 1/4 acre tract, central W/S/E, RV/motor home/house, OK only $830 down $235 month (12.91%/10yr), Guaranteed financing, More information call 1-830-460-8354

AWESOME 1 ACRE Lake access homesite with hugh views of the 3rd largest lake in Texas. Paved roads, wa-ter, electric and phone with high speed internet included. Build when you want. Was $49,900 now $29,900. Call now 1-214-613-1284.

BANK REPO’D 5 ACRES! This big, beautiful five acre property is perfect for the horse lover with access to a state-of-the-art equestrian center, stable and miles of riding trails. Clear title, sur-vey. Priced way below market value at $29,900! Call 1-903-284-2521.

BUY MY LAKEFRONT -Get my boat! 1 acre dockable lakefront on 3rd largest lake in Texas with brand new Sea Ray boat for only $99,900. Lakefront was $124,900 and boat retailed for $30K. Must have quick sale. 1-214-506-1043

$106 MONTH BUYS land for RV/motor home/house, pier, boat ramp, pool, clubhouse, gated entry, on Lake Fork, $690 down ($6900/10.91%/7yr) Guar-anteed financing, 1-214-696-2315

18.95 ACRES acres, north of Brackettville. Oaks, heavy brush, dry creek bed. Deer, turkey, exotics, hogs. $1,610-down, $317/month, ($32,215, 11%-interest, 20-yrs) or TX Vet financing. 1-800-876-9720. www.texasranchland.com

676 ACRES-REEVES Coun-ty, 15 Miles North Pecos. River frontage. Call Jack 1-214-755-6224.

RVS FOR SALESELL YOUR RV FAST! Online at RVT.com Ac-cess millions of RV buyers. Thousands of RVs sold- Serving RV traders since 1999. www.RVT.com or call 1-877-700-8798


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IN THE GARDEN

CUISINE

Super Bowl 2011 is coming up on us very soon. Here is the first of our Super Bowl Series of Wonderful Treats to Conjure Up For That Special Day.

Ingredients

• 4 jalapeno peppers• 4 ounces peanut butter• 1 cup milk chocolate chips• 1 teaspoon sugar• 1 teaspoon milk• 1 teaspoon chili powder (or three)

Directions

1. Core the jalapeno peppers by cutting off the stems and hollow-ing out the insides.2. Stuff each jalapeno with 1 ounce of peanut butter. Amount of peanut butter you can fit will vary per pepper.3. Heat a small pot to medium heat. Add chocolate chips, sugar, milk and chili powder. Stir until chocolate melts and combines with other ingredients.4. Set stuffed jalapeno peppers on a plate and drizzle chocolate over them until they are thickly coated.5. Allow to cool and serve!

Increase the recipe as needed for your crowd. This recipe is from the Jalapeno Madness website. For all things jalapeno go to www.jalapenomadness.com.

Gardeners By The Bay Upcoming Meeting & Events

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled

Jalapenos

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Gardeners of all levels are invited to attend the Gardeners by the Bay meetings held the first Wednesdays of each month, from September to May, at University Baptist Church (Great Room on 2nd floor) located at 16106 Middlebrook Drive. Members and guests enjoy a light brunch from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. A brief business meeting is then held prior to the main program. Guest speakers present timely programs of interest to all garden-ers. Anyone interested is welcome to visit or join. Our member-ship includes novice gardeners as well as certified Texas Master Gardeners who are eager to share their expertise and knowledge in response to questions and concerns. Local trips are planned each year to gardens or other places of interest to gardeners. Visit us at http://gbtb.org

Upcoming Wednesday Meetings: Feb 2 - Kitchen Gardening

Mar 2 - Basic Rose Growing in the Houston Area Apr 6 - Identification of Bird Sounds on the Flute

with guest artists from the Clear Lake SymphonyMay 4 - Spring Luncheon

Local Trips: February: Painted Churches of SchulenburgApril: Visit the Heights district and shops

Please call Joanne at 281-286-4938 for information. Looking forward to seeing you !

So often the home garden pest control remedies work as well or better than the chemical counterparts, and with the added bonus that with these formulas made of kitchen cupboard ingredients, you don’t need to worry about poisoning yourself, your pets, or your garden! Here are some standby remedies for yard and gar-den, including a natural fungicide for mildew and black spot:

Simple Soap Solution For Aphids, Spider Mites, and Whiteflies

2 Tbs. soap flakes2 qts. warm waterDissolve soap flakes in water and apply directly to infested ar-eas every 5-7 days. Note: Too much soap can cause burning on plants.

Garlic Oil Spray For Aphids, Spider Mites, and Whiteflies

10-15 cloves of minced garlic2 tsp. mineral oil3 cups water1 tsp. liquid dish soapSoak garlic in mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain garlic out and add 3 cups water and 1 tsp. liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly. Spray plants with this solution.

Fungicide for Mildew and Black Spot1 tsp. baking soda1 qt. water1 tsp. soap flakesDissolve baking soda in 1 qt. of warm water.Add soap flakes to help solution cling to leaves. Remove infected leaves from plant, then spray top and bottom of remaining leaf surfaces to control spread of the disease.

Sticky Traps For Fungus Gnats, Whiteflies, Houseflies1-2 Tbsp. petroleum jelly4”x8” plastic cards or cardboardWaterproof yellow paintApply paint onto both sides of the card and let it dry. Once the paint is dry, applypetroleum jelly liberally over both sides of the card. Place the card just above the plant canopy.

Sowbug Traps1 small plastic container with lid2 Tbsp. cornmealCut a small hole at the base of the container, large enough and close enough to the bottom to allow sowbugs to climb in. Place cornmeal in container. Place container into area infested with sowbugs. After the plastic container gets full of the little guys, release them in your compost pile.They are great at breaking down dead vegetation.

Master Gardeners 2011 Saturday Seminar Series Upcoming Programs The Galveston County Master Gardeners and the Galveston County Extension Office sponsor numerous seminars, workshops, plant clinics and other educational programs throughout the year. All programs are conducted at the Galveston County Extension Of-fice at 5115 Highway 3 in Dickinson and are free to the public except when noted. However due to space limitations pre-registration is required. To register for a program, please call 281-534-3413, ext 1-2 or e-mail [email protected].

ANYONE CAN GROW ROSES January 22, 20119:00 - 11:00 a.m.A PowerPoint presented by Master Gardener John Jons cover-ing the basics of growing hybrid tea roses, including variety selection, bed preparation, planting and culture, insect and disease control.

GROWING CITRUS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD January 22, 20111:00 - 3:00 p.m. Master Gardener Herman Auer will present a Power Point pre-sentation on how to successfully grow citrus trees. The presen-tation will cover such topics as rootstock and variety selection, cultural care of trees, typical disease and insect pest problems, control of birds and critters, and freeze protection.

MINIMIZE TOMATO STRESS FACTORS TO MAXIMIZE YIELDS January 29, 2011 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.Presented by MG Sam Scarcella. An overview of the problems that could be occurring in your tomato garden at this time, and what to do about them.

GROWING BLUEBERRIES January 29, 20111:00 - 3:00 p.m. Presented by Dr. David Cohen, an accomplished home grower of blueberries by avocation and a practicing physician by trade. Dr. Cohen has an impressive “blueberry patch” as part of his home landscape and has gained considerable hands-on experience with successfully growing blueberries under our growing conditions.

Show Off Your Garden!

Do you have a garden or a gardening project you are proud of? Would you like to share it with our readers? Do you have a herb garden, a vegetable garden, or a special rose bush that you inherited from your Grandmother? How about a composting project? We would love to see what you are doing. Please send a couple of photos along with a brief description of your good work to [email protected]. We will include them in our garden-ing section.

Safe and Easy Home Made Pesticides

The program will feature a presentation by Patricia Martin, master gardener, who will discuss planting a native garden for hummingbirds and butterflies. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited. The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Jimmie Walker Commu-nity Center, 800 Harris Ave., at Highway 146 in Kemah. The Kemah-Bay Area Garden Club meets the first Wednesday of each month and welcome visitors to all meetings. Call An-niece Larkins, club president, at 281-842-9008 for information.

The Kemah-Bay Area Garden Club Meeting

Wednesday, Feb. 2

Bay Area Observer 1-20-2011

Documents

Transcript of Bay Area Observer 1-20-2011