VOLUME 6, NO. 20 (#224) www.northchannelstar.comTHURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018Serving all of the North Shore -- Channelview, Sheldon, Galena Park, Jacinto City

NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

CHANNELCURRENTS

Issue #224 OF THE STAR Connections in Texas, P. 6

Your News, Your Newspaper

Stroke Seminar, P. 8

FURR HIGHSCHOOL RIBBONCUTTING

Friday, May 18, 10:00 am,500 Mercury Drive, Houston, TX77013.

FREE FOODDISTRIBUTION

Saturday, May 19, 2018 at9 AM, 10346 Fairfax, CalvaryBaptist Church of Jacinto City,everyone welcome.

By Allan Jamail

Galena Park, TX. – Tues-day, May 15th, 2018 the Ga-lena Park/Jacinto City RotaryClub recognized Law Officersof the Year from police de-partments of Galena Park,Jacinto City and the Precinct2 Constable’s Office.

Galena Park Interim Po-lice Chief Rick Gonzales sincetaking office in Februarychose Sergeant Mike Knox a30 year veteran of the depart-ment as the Officer of theYear. Gonzales said, “Sgt.Knox is my Most ValuablePlayer (MVP) in the depart-ment this year. Our depart-ment wouldn’t be the samewi thout h im; I qu i ck ly

By Allan Jamail

Jacinto City, TX. – May10, 2018 at the city coun-cil meeting Justice of thePeace Judge George Ris-ner gave the Oath of Officeto, Councilmen Jimmy“JJ” Rivas, Gregg Robin-son and Allen Lee, all ofthem unopposed in the cityelection.

The city’s government iscomposed of a mayor andfive council members serv-

Galena Park ISD would like to congratulate Angelica Cuellar and Angelica Raines for beingnamed the 2019 GPISD Teachers of the Year! Ms. Cuellar has been in education for 25years and currently serves as the language arts instructional coach for 3rd-5th grade atPyburn Elementary. Ms. Raines has been an educator in GPISD for 7 years and serves as the7th and 8th grade Encounters teacher at North Shore Middle School.Congratulations, Ms. Cuellar and Ms. Raines, GPISD is lucky to have you!

See GP ISD Rookie Teachers of the Year, Page 8

Galena Park ISD selects2019 Teachers of the Year

Jacinto City Council takes Oath of OfficeNew Swimming Pool Grand Opening on Saturday, May 26

Photo / Allan Jamail

L – R: Councilman Jimmy Rivas, wife Shelly Rivas, wife Mary Robinson, Councilman Gregg Robinson, wife Vickie Lee, CouncilmanAllen Lee and Justice of the Peace Judge George Risner.

North Shore Rotary CatfishFry & Crawfish Boil Saturday

Rotary Club recognizes Officers of the Year

Photo by Allan Jamail

L-R: Bryan Clements, GP/JC Rotary Club President, Pct 2 Deputy Constable Cpl. Mark McGinnis, GP Sgt. Mike Knox, GP ChiefRick Gonzales, JC Patrolman Ali Kamali and JC Chief Joe Ayala

See Jacinto CityCouncil, Page 8

See Officers of the YearAwards, page 8

By Allan Jamail

Galena Park, TX. –Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at6:00 PM Mayor EsmeraldaMoya called the GalenaPark Commission meetingto order. After a prayer andpledge to the flag the Com-missioners unanimouslyapproved the reading ofthe Minutes of the April17th and May 1st meetingsand the Accounts Payablethrough May 15th.

Galena Park Commissioners sworn in

PHOTO BY LINDA JAMAIL

L-R: Commissioner Barry Ponder and wife Cheryl Ponder, Ruben Balderas, Commissioner Veronica Garcia, Sergio Moya,Mayor Esmeralda Moya, Commissioner Rodney Chersky and wife Samantha Chersky, Commissioner Zenaida Granados,Ofelia Castillo and Judge George Risner.

See GP Commissioners,page 3

THIS TOYOTA TRUCK is one of 20 prizes in the Raffle to be held Saturday at the 43rd AnnualNorth Shore Rotary Fish Fry. The event will take place Saturday, May 19 from 11am to 3pmat the Rotary Pavilion behind the Courthouse on Wallisville Road. Tickets for the Raffle are$100, and for the Fish Fry dinner, only $12 Presale, $15 at the gate. All Rotarians are sellingtickets, and many businesses including Pineforest Jewelry, as seen above. Live and SilentAuctions with lots of unique items will also be held. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED.

RUN-OFF ELECTIONTUESDAY, MAY 22Early Voting now

Voters are reminded thata run-off for several countyoffices is currently under-way, and will finish on elec-tion day next Tuesday.

Early voting is throughFriday, May 18. Hours are7am to 7pm. Locations inthis area include the GalenaPark Library and North Chan-nel Library.

Democratic voters mustchoose between candi-dates for governor, districtclerk, county clerk, countyt reasu re r , and countyschool trustee.

Republican voters donot have a candidate choicein the North Shore area.However, the race for U.S.Representative TX-2, theseat now held by retiringTed Poe, sees challengersDan Crenshaw vs. Kevin Rob-erts , and TX-29 Phi l l ipAronoff vs. Carmen Montielas contests generating pub-lic interest.

WALLISVILLEROAD CLOSED

Pct. 2 reports that Wallis-ville Road between DattnerRoad and Normandy Street isclosed until further notice ascrews assess damage to theroadway near the bridge overGreens Bayou. Drivers are en-couraged to use Maxey Road,Normandy Street, or UvaldeRoad as alternate routes. Forthose needing access to busi-nesses and schools west of Nor-mandy Road will be given ac-cess by exception. Be sure toavoid the area, if possible, andcheck HoustonTranstar.org forupdates.

Page 2 THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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St. Judes Thaddeus ParishAnnual Bazaar

St. Jude Thaddeus Paris will celebrate their annualbazaar this coming Sunday, May 20, 2018 from 11 amto 5 pm. Enjoy BBQ Chicken and sausage dinners servedin the gym. Delicious home-made desserts will also beavailable. Mexican dinners and hot dogs are also on themenu. There will be moonwalk, games, bull ride, andother outdoor booths. Bingo will be held in the MarianHall beginning at 1:00 p.m. and live and silent auctionswill begin at 1:00 p.m. in the gym. A raffle with 10 greatprizes will close the day’s festivities at 5:00 p.m.

Father Joe Mundadan, Pastor, and parishioners in-vite the community to come enjoy a family day at St.Jude Thaddeus Parish, 800 S. Main, Highlands, TX.

Crosby Community Center’sMay Special Events

Salad and Spud Luncheon featuring The Har-bor Light Choir

Friday, May 25 at 11:30 a.m. The Salvation Army Har-bor Light Choir represents the Salvation Army as Am-bassadors of hope throughout Houston. Their songsignite hope, faith, and love in the hearts of everyone thatlistens to their performance. In addition to a great per-formance, enjoy salad, baked potato, garlic bread, des-sert, tea, and coffee. Advance registration is necessaryby Tuesday, May 22. Sign up at Center, or by calling(281)462-0543.

Quilting ClassesThursdays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Take this opportuni-

ty to quilt, share ideas, and enjoy the fellowship of otherquilters. Quilters of all experience levels can attend thesesessions.

Watercolor and Oil PaintingFridays at 9:30 a.m. Professional artist and instruc-

tor Anne Vandagriff teaches composition, design, color,and contrast using a variety of subject matter.

Rhythm WalkingWeekday mornings from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Mondays,

Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.Come rain or shine for a 2_-mile walk to music in the

comfort of the Center.Aerobics With MelissaMondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to

9:55 a.m. Boost your energy, stamina, and flexibility withcertified aerobics instructor Melissa Turner.

Crosby Community Center is located at 409 HareRoad, Crosby 77532. Office hours are Monday throughFriday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more informationregarding classes or other Center programs, please call(281) 462-0543.

COMMUNITYCALENDAR

✯36th Crosby Annual AlumniAll-Classes Reunion

Plans are underway forthe 36th Crosby AnnualAlumni All-Classes Re-union, which will be heldon Saturday, August 4th,2018 at the Crosby Ameri-can Legion Hall beginning

2018 COMMITTEE MEMBERS– Back row: Bob Boyles, Joyce Polka Boyles, Melanie Ransom, BerniceFlorus Novosad , Sydney Bollom and John Lindsey Front row: John McDonald, Emma McDonald,Franny Martin Hobbs, Tricia Meigs, Patsy Svrcek Spitzmiller and Bonnie Leissner James Not picturedare: Brenda Gracey Tuttle, Paula Novosad Webb, Shirley Lesikar Sebesta and Thomas Taylor Ransom.

at 5:00 PM.Money raised at this

event is used for scholar-ships for Crosby HighSchool Seniors.

Planning meetings willbe held Wednesday June

20th and Wednesday July25th. All graduates ofCrosby High School are in-vited to attend these meet-ings, regardless of yeargraduated.

For more information,call or text Franny MartinHobbs, 832-514-9892, Tri-cia Meigs, 713-569-8731 orMelanie Ransom, email:mellieusie54@verizon.net.

Page 3THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

COMMUNITY NEWS

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Channelview ISD recently honored its May Students of the Month by hosting a recognitionluncheon in the top level of the press box at Ray Maddry Memorial Stadium. The Studentsof the Month include, top row, from left, Caleb Davis (Channelview High School), GisellCruz (Kolarik Ninth Grade Center), Tiana Campbell (Joe Frank Campbell Learning Center),Christian Hernandez (McMullan Elementary), Jazmin Catalan (Alice Johnson Junior High)and Justine Haro (Aguirre Junior High). Pictured bottom row, from left, are Ava Mendoza(Cobb Elementary), Belen Gracia (DeZavala Elementary), Ariana Gomez (SchochlerElementary), Joshua Aleman (Crenshaw Elementary), Leeotis Patrick Jr. (Brown Elementary)and Faith Rodriguez (Hamblen Elementary).

Mental illness is noteasy. It is an individualdiagnosis that trulytouches the lives of usall. The journey toreceive a diagnosis isnever easy, yet the roadto living with thediagnosis builds resil-ience in the consumer aswell as those close tothem.

When my son wasfour years old I startednoticing some behaviorsthat would ebb and flowin the seriousness. Ourpediatrician suggestedtaking him for anevaluation with aspecialist. Even today Icringe when I use theword psychiatrist. Andthe cringing is NOTfrom any experienceswith a doctor, but withthe stigma that mentalillness carries. The firstappointment took oversix weeks to obtain. Iam told this is muchquicker than it is today.The doctor suggestedthat my son be hospital-ized for an evaluation.One of the concerns wasthat my son never slept.After the hospitaliza-tion, we learned that thesleep study showed heslept on the average of24 seconds of eachminute. He had to beexhausted yet his mindwould not rest. Amongthe tests they performedwas one to determine hisIQ.

CHARLOTTE’SWEB

By Charlotte Jackson

Breathe, you are NOT Alone“Ms Jackson, do you

have an idea of howsmart your son is?” Thedoctor went on to tell methat if we “harnesses hisintelligence” he couldfind a cure for cancer. Ifwe did not, he couldblow up buildings withhomemade bombs. Gee,just what every parentwants to hear.

The next five yearswere like living on aroller coaster. This ledto his second hospital-ization and a change inthe diagnosis. He wasdiagnosed with a severecase of Bipolar Disorder.During the next 11years, I cannot begin tocount the hospitaliza-tions, the disciplinereferrals, the therapists,the prayers, and out-bursts nor the amazingpeople from our schooldistrict as well aschurch. Or the tears.

At one point, themedicine’s side effectsjust added to the issuesand with him being 6’1and over 285 pounds,there was no way toforce him to take themedicine. At the sametime this was happen-ing, he managed to notonly graduate highschool ahead of sched-ule, but to obtain twocollege degrees. Aroundthe same time, he wasgiven a dual diagnosis ofsevere bipolar disorderand paranoid schizo-phrenia.

Too often, those whoare diagnosed self-medicate and then thenightmare becomesworse. By the age of 23,my son had been lockedup at Harris County Jailtwice and was headed toprison. And each step ofthe journey, there aremore issues. It was notuntil he arrived inprison and was jumpedby two different gangswanting him to choosewhich race he was(Father is Black, Motheris White. He has beenraised to just be a goodperson), sent to theinfirmary for months,only to then be sent tosolitary confinementthat we learned he has“missed his opportunity”to ask for a psychiatricevaluation. The strug-gle has been real.

Throughout the years,we have found comfortin the free programsoffered by NAMI Great-er Houston. (NAMI isthe National Alliance onMental Illness). I havesince become involved asa Family-to-Familyfacilitator and oftenspeak to groups aboutthe services. If therewere anything I couldstress, it is that this isnot easy, we must erasethe stigma, we musteducate ourselves, weare not alone and weneed to just stop andbreathe.

Channelview ISD MayStudents of the Month

Maritime professionals willconvene for two days tod i s c u s s i s s u e s a n dc h a l l e n g e s f a c i n g t h eindustry

PASADENA, Texas –San Jacinto College andthe Texas A&M MaritimeAcademy will host theShared Quarters NationalMaritime Conference,June 5-6. The conferencewill bring together indus-try professionals and edu-cators from across thecountry to focus on the ex-pansion of the maritimeindustry and efforts to in-corporate community col-leges for the training of themaritime workforce.

Rep. Gene Green (TX-29), Chairman JanieceLongoria with Port Hous-ton, Jeff Brandt with theNational Maritime Center,and Dr. Shashi Kumar andKevin Tokarski with theU.S. Department of Trans-portation’s Maritime Ad-ministration (MARAD)will be among the guestspeakers. Ms. Longoriawill serve as the confer-ence's keynote speaker.

Ms. Longoria is an hon-ors graduate of the Univer-sity of Texas and receivedher Juris Doctor degreefrom the University of Tex-as School of Law. She hasserved as the Chairman ofthe Port of Houston Au-thority, the leading eco-nomic engine for thegreater Houston region,since she was unanimous-ly appointed by the City ofHouston and County ofHarris in 2013. Ms. Longo-ria chairs the Port Com-

San Jacinto College and TexasA&M Maritime Academy to hostNational Maritime Conference

mission’s Audit Commit-tee, Community RelationsCommittee and serves onthe Governance Commit-tee and Pension and Ben-efits Committee. She alsocreated the Citizens Advi-sory Council to foster opencommunication betweenc o m m u n i t i e s i n a n daround the Port of Hous-ton and the Port Commis-sion. Ms. Longoria is alsoa Regent for the Universi-ty of Texas System thatoversees the flagship Uni-versity of Texas at Austin,as well as eight other aca-demic institutions and sixhealthcare institutions in-cluding MD AndersonCancer Center in Houston.

“The Shared QuartersMari t ime Conferencepromises to be an eventwhere we can discuss theissues facing maritime andways that we as maritimeeducators can help meetthe industry’s growingneeds to compete globally,”said John Stauffer, associ-ate vice chancellor and su-perintendent of maritimeat San Jacinto College.“We’re excited to partnerwith the Texas A&M Mar-itime Academy in hostingthese discussions and lookforward to this nationalmaritime event.”

San Jacinto College willhost the first day on June5 at the Maritime Technol-ogy and Training Centeron the Maritime Campusin La Porte, Texas. TheTexas A&M MaritimeAcademy will host the sec-ond day on June 6 at itsGalveston, Texas, campus.In addition to guest speak-ers, the conference will in-

clude panel discussions onthe topics of innovativeworkforce programs, col-lege alignments with themaritime industry, and theDomestic Maritime Cen-ters of Excellence program.

In 2017, U.S. Senateand the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives voted to ap-prove Domestic MaritimeCenters of Excellence leg-islation as part of the FY2018 National DefenseA u t h o r i z a t i o n A c t(NDAA). The legislationauthorizes federal supportfor two-year communityand technical colleges, al-lowing the colleges to ex-pand their capacity totrain domestic maritimeworkers by admitting morestudents, training faculty,expanding facilities, creat-ing new maritime careerpathways from associatedegree to baccalaureatedegree programs, andawarding credit for priorlearning experience, in-cluding military service.

The Domestic MaritimeCenters of Excellence leg-islation was introduced inthe U.S. House of Repre-sentatives by Rep. GeneGreen and co-sponsored byRep. Brian Babin (TX-36),Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22),and Rep. Ted Poe (TX-2).The Senate version of thelegislation was co-spon-sored by Texas Sen. JohnCornyn.

To register for theShared Quarters MaritimeConference and to find outmore about presenters anddetails, visit sanjac.edu/shared-quarters-national-maritime-workforce-con-ference.

On a unanimous vote ofapproval the Commissionapproved Resolution R05-2018 accepting the resultsof the May 5th GeneralElection.

Re-elected for a new twoyear term is, Mayor Esmer-alda Moya, CommissionersRodney Chersky and Bar-ry Ponder. Newly electedCommissioners to begintheir first term to serve areZenaida Granados andVeronica Garcia.

Jamal Humphries acandidate who lost in hisrace against Rodney Cher-sky made a public com-ment. Humphries said,“I’m not crying about theresults of the election norare these sour grapes but,I want to point out the factthere were four voters whovoted in the election thatwasn’t on the Harris Coun-ty’s approved voters list. Idon’t know how this couldhave happened, but I’mconcerned about it and willbe monitoring future elec-tions for irregularities”.

There was a standingroom only attendance so

the Mayor adjourned themeeting and invited every-one to come out front of cityhall to witness the swear-ing-in and oath of office tothe Commission by Justiceof the Peace George Risner.

After the swearing-inceremony Mayor Moyasaid, “On this day, we gath-er because we have chosenprogress over fear, unity ofpurpose over conflict anddiscord.”

“The City of GalenaPark is a communitywhere citizens work handin hand. We the people ofGalena Park are the keep-ers of this legacy. We thepeople of Galena Park havethe responsibility to pro-tect it and to demand agreater effort, greater co-operation and understand-ing from each other. Wemust inherit these valuesto our children and thechildren of our childrenwho will continue with thework we have started to-day.”

“Building a city thatworks for all of us will re-quire all of us to do the

work. Our success dependson our honesty, hard work,loyalty – the quiet virtuesand forces of progress inour city.”

“My fellow citizens, I amhonored to accept thisgreat responsibility asMayor of the City of Gale-na Park. I am humbled bythe enormous work aheadand ready to stand hand inhand with you to guide thisCity forward.”

Each of the four Com-missioners thanked thosein attendance and pledgedto work for the bettermentof the city.

Commissioner Ponderwho received the samehigh vote total as the may-or said, “I thank everyonefor their support and re-gardless if you voted for allof us or not, we’ll work foryou and respect you. WhatI’m asking for most of allis your prayers.” Pondermentioned their campaignslogan of Moya Team orTeam Moya but he de-clared to the 150 enthusi-astic spectators THIS ISYOUR TEAM.

GP Commissioners,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Page 4 THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

OPINION PAGE

Editor & Publisher..............................Gilbert HoffmanAssociate Publisher.....................Mei-Ing Liu HoffmanAssoc. Editor/Advertising Manager.....Lewis SpearmanAssistant Editor.........................................Julieta PaitaProduction Manager...........................Luis HernandezIT Technical Manager.......................Pedro HernandezEntered as Periodicals Class at Highlands Post Office, Highlands, TX 77562. Under the Actof Congress of March 3, 1879. Published 50 weeks per year, on Thursday, by GrafikpressCorp., 5906 Star Lane, Houston, TX 77057. Opinions in this paper are those of the au-thors, and not necessarily this newspaper’s. Any erroneous statement which may appearwill be corrected when brought to the attention of the publisher. Liability for errors islimited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Submissions are encouraged, in person,by mail, by Fax, or by email, to grafikstar@aol.com.

GRAFIKPRESS is publisher of community newspapers, including Highlands STAR-CrosbyCOURIER; Barbers Hill Dayton PRESS; Northeast NEWS; North Forest NEWS, North Chan-nel STAR. Combined circulation of these newspapers exceeds 50,000, Readership exceeds110,000 according to industry standards. We also print dozens of school, ethnic, andgovernment publications on contract. Call for information to 713-977-2555.

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STATE CAPITALHIGHLIGHTS

By Ed Sterling

✯AUSTIN — Texas At-torney General Ken Pax-ton last week asked twofederal agencies to movequickly to fund the state’sHealthy Texas Womenprogram.

The program was cut offfrom Medicaid funding bythe Obama administrationin 2012 after the TexasLegislature enacted a lawpreventing taxpayer mon-ey from going to abortionproviders.

In a May 7 letter to theU.S. Department of Healthand Human Services andthe Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services, Paxtonsaid the addition of some$30 million a year in fed-eral dollars would increaseaccess to family planningand preventative healthservices for low-incomewomen across the statewho are not covered by tra-ditional Medicaid in Texas.

Paxton sent the letter atthe request of Gov. GregAbbott and on behalf of theTexas Health and HumanServices Commission. Hewrote that allowing statesto exclude providers whoperform or promote abor-tion is consistent with fed-eral policy.

Texas spends $29 billiona year on Medicaid — morethan one-fourth of thestate’s annual budget — toserve some 4.3 million peo-ple. The state allocates an-other $95 million annuallyto fund the Healthy TexasWomen program, whichhas a current enrollment of240,798 women, Paxtonnoted.

“States have discretionin implementing the Med-icaid Act, including in set-ting qualifications forproviders,” Paxton wrote.“Texas and the HealthyTexas Women programshould not be penalizedthrough the continuedwithholding of federalfunds merely because Tex-as has exercised the au-thority that federal lawhas granted to it — name-ly, the authority to refuseto be a conduit for channel-ing taxpayer funds to abor-tion providers pursuant tostate law.”

Forum honorswomen

T e x a s C o m p t r o l l e rGlenn Hegar on May 7highlighted Texas womenin the workforce by hostinga roundtable discussionwith a dozen women lead-ers who comprise the Tex-as Governor’s Commissionfor Women.

The panel was part of abriefing with the Gover-nor ’s Commission forWomen to review Gov. Ab-bott’s priorities for thecommission and to developstrategies to make Texas“the best state for women-owned businesses.”

The d iscuss ion ad-dressed topics such ashardships women face inthe workplace, womenwith families who pursuecareers, ways to movemore women into higher-paying jobs and women asentrepreneurs. The discus-sion is part of Hegar’smulti-stop “Good for Tex-

Paxton requests federal fundingfor women’s health program

as Tour: Women in theWorkforce.”

More than 6 millionwomen held jobs in Texasin 2017 and 938,000 wom-en-owned businesses gen-e r a t e d a b o u t $ 1 3 4 . 2million in sales, but fur-ther efforts are needed toeliminate barriers to wom-en’s entrepreneurship andimprove access to top-lev-el positions, Hegar said.

May allocations aresent

Comptroller Hegar onMay 9 announced his of-fice would send cities,counties, transit systemsand special purpose taxingdistricts $861.8 million inlocal sales tax allocationsfor the month of May.

The amount is 9.4 per-cent more than was dis-tributed for the month ofMay 2017. Allocations arebased on sales made inMarch by businesses thatreport tax monthly andsales made in January,February and March byquarterly filers.

Hurricane seasoncoming

With the hurricane sea-son less than one monthaway, Gov. Abbott and theTexas Department of Pub-lic Safety on May 7 urged

Texans to use HurricanePreparedness Week tolearn how to protect them-selves and their familiesfrom hurricanes and tropi-cal storms. Hurricane sea-son starts June 1 andcontinues through Nov. 30.

The DPS posted of list ofactions to take, such as:

— Assemble an emer-gency kit that includes es-s e n t i a l d o c u m e n t s ,supplies and provisions;

— Review hurricaneevacuation maps and selecta route;

— Plan how fami lymembers and pets willevacuate safely;

— Cons ider spec ia lneeds for individuals withdisabilities and the elderly;and

— Stay informed aboutchanging weather condi-tions.

Abbott honors thefallen

Gov. Greg Abbott onMay 7 joined law enforce-ment officers from acrossthe state for the 2018 Tex-as Peace Officers Memori-al Ceremony to honor fallenTexas peace officers andtheir families.

During the ceremony,Abbott met with and pre-sented medals to the fami-lies of officers who died inthe line of duty. The cere-mony included the laying ofa memorial wreath and a21-gun salute.

Last year, during the85th session of the TexasLegislature, Abbott signedHouse Bill 3647, legislationthat established the TexasPeace Officers’ MemorialCeremony as an annualevent. This year's ceremo-ny was the first to be con-ducted since the law waspassed.

(NAPSI)—Highblood pressure is oftensilent—showing nosigns or symptoms—but it’s not invisible.Survivors are speakingout to show the realimpact of high bloodpressure, and a newcampaign from the AdCouncil, AmericanHeart Association andAmerican MedicalAssociation providesresources to help youand your doctor createa treatment plan thatworks for you.

Survivors William,Jill, Francisco, Allysonand others show youwhat high bloodpressure looks likewhile telling theirstories atLowerYourHBP.org toencourage you to getyour blood pressureunder control beforeit’s too late.

Understanding HighBlood Pressure

High blood pressureis any level of bloodpressure above 130/80.Its consequencesinclude heart attack,stroke, heart failure,kidney disease, visionloss, sexual dysfunc-tion and peripheralartery disease. Accord-ing to the AmericanHeart Association, 46percent of Americanshave high blood pres-sure, but only abouthalf of them have itunder control.

Committing To APlan

Once you know youhave high blood pres-sure, you can manageit very effectivelythrough changes ineating habits, physicalactivity, and, whenneeded, medication.The best way to avoidthe consequences ofhigh blood pressure isto talk to your doctorand commit to atreatment plan that

Where doesschool moneygo? Not toteachers, studyshows

(NAPSI)—There are alittle over 3 millionteachers in America’spublic schools and forthe majority of them,interacting with chil-dren is the best part ofthe job. That’s just aswell, since for too many,salary and workingconditions are prettypoor.

In fact, for more than20 years, teachersalaries have not evenbeen keeping up withthe cost of inflation.According to a recentreport by BenjaminScafidi, Ph.D., a profes-sor of economics atKennesaw State Univer-sity, there’s been a greatTeacher Salary Stagna-tion and between 1992and 2014, real averagesalaries for public schoolteachers actually fell by2 percent.

Where The MoneyWent

While spending oneducation has risen inmany states, instead ofincreasing teachersalaries, the publicschools added personnelat a rate almost fourtimes that of studentenrollment growth—andthese new hires weredisproportionatelynonteachers.

If this increase in“other staff” hadmatched studentenrollment growth, theschools would havesaved almost $35 billiona year. That could havemeant an $11,100 raisefor every teacher oreducation savingsaccounts (ESAs) formore than 4 millionstudents to offset tuitionpayments at privateschools, to save forcollege, or to pay forother educationalservices, therapies,curricula and materials.

Essentially, taxpayersspent a lot more perstudent, but teachersdidn’t see much of it.That may be one reasonso many school systemshave been seeingteacher strikes lately.

What Students Got

What’s more, this hadno measurable positiveeffect on students.National Assessment ofEducational ProgressLong-Term Trend scoresfor 17-year-olds fell bythree points in readingand are flat in mathe-matics since 1992.

What Can Be Done

Dr. Scafidi suggestedstates should expandschool choice and createincentives for schools tocompete for teachertalent and students.

How? By empoweringparents to choose thebest educational fit fortheir kids—and allowingthe funding to followthem. This, Dr. Scafidi-said, lets families, notbureaucrats, decidewhere and how schooldollars are spent. And ifschools aren’t payingteachers what theydeserve, those teachersshould be able to teachwhere they’ll be paid fortheir hard work.

Learn More

Dr. Scafidi’s researchwas published byEdChoice, a nonprofit,nonpartisan organiza-tion dedicated to ad-vancing full andunencumbered educa-tional choice as the bestpathway to successfullives and a strongersociety. To read theentire report, go towww.edchoice.org/StaffingSurge.

How to stop a‘Silent Killer’

works for your life.Here are some ques-tions to answer inpreparation for yourdoctor visit:

• How have you beenfeeling?

• Is anything pre-venting you fromsticking to your currentplan?

• Any changes inyour blood pressure?

• Any side effectsfrom any medication orsymptoms?

• How do you treatyour side effects and/orsymptoms?

• What questions orconcerns do you havefor your doctor?

Overcoming Every-day Hurdles

If your treatmentplan feels overwhelm-ing, your doctor canhelp you create a moreachievable plan. Themost effective plan isthe one you actuallyfollow. You can use theguide atLowerYourHBP.org tostart the right conver-sation with yourdoctor.

If a hectic schedule,the cost of medication,or your habits arekeeping you fromsticking to your treat-ment, talk to yourdoctor about ways toovercome these barri-ers. Be clear about yourconcerns and get all theanswers you need.

Learn MoreYou can find impor-

tant facts, stats andtips and see the cam-paign’s videos online atwww.LowerYourHBP.org.There, you can alsofind helpful tools asyou work with yourdoctor to create or get atreatment plan to bringyour blood pressureunder control.

You can save your-self from the “silentkiller.”

(AUSTIN) May 15,2018 — In the Mayissue of Fiscal Notes,released today, theComptroller’s officeexamines the fundingand needs associatedwith the roads, raillines, airports andseaports that connectthe Texas economywith customers andsuppliers around theworld.

With the Texaspopulation expected todouble by 2050, theTexas Department ofTransportation esti-mates Texas willrequire about $21billion annually to keepthe state’s varioustransportation modesin a good state ofrepair.

“We’ve got nearly314,000 miles of roadsand highways, morethan 10,400 miles ofrail lines, nearly 400airports and 21 sea-ports," Texas Comptrol-ler Glenn Hegar said."Maintaining andexpanding this infra-structure is a tremen-dous task, yet theexpenditure may benecessary if we want toremain prosperous.”

Fiscal Notes:

TransportationInfrastructure

May Fiscal Notesalso looks at stategovernment employeeturnover. Texas’ fast-growing economymeans state agenciesare competing fortalent in one of thetightest job markets inthe nation. This issueis felt most acutely asagencies try to attractand retain employeesworking in highlystressful environmentslike those of the Juve-nile Justice Depart-ment and theDepartment of StateHealth Services.

Fiscal Notes isavailable online andalso can be received bysubscribing via theComptroller’s website.

Fiscal Notes helpspromote and furtherexplain the Comptrol-ler’s constitutionalresponsibility tomonitor the state’seconomy and estimatestate governmentrevenues. It has beenpublished since 1975,featuring in-depthanalysis concerningstate finances andoriginal research bysubject-matter expertsin the Comptroller’soffice.

Page 5THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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JERRY BUYS HOUSESAny Condition. Repos, Flood Damage, etc.

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Billy HowardHamblen

Billy Howard Hamblen,87, of Channelview, Texas,passed away of naturalcauses on May 9, 2018.

He was born on Janu-ary 26, 1931 in Huntsville,Texas, son of the lateHoward Bowden Hamblenand Macye Sublett Ham-blen. He is survived by hiswife of 56 years, BarbaraAnn Pugh Hamblen; histwo sons, Billy and Bobby;his daughter-in-law, Lisa;and his grandchildren,Ethan, Marisa, Macy, andCarson.

Billy graduated fromHuntsville High School in1949. After a short time atSam Houston Teacher’sCollege, he enlisted in theUnited States Air Forcewhere he served as an air-craft mechanic from 1950to 1954. After leaving themilitary, he returned toHuntsville and graduatedin 1957 with a bachelor’sdegree from Sam HoustonState University.

In September of 1957,Billy began his career inChannelview IndependentSchool District as a coachand teacher. Early in hiscareer as an educator, he

Mary FrancesBierbaum

Mary Frances Bier-baum, 88, of Galena Park,Texas, passed into herheavenly home on May 8,2018 in New Braunfels,Texas. Mary was born Jan-uary 17, 1930 in Palacios,Texas to parents, CharlesRussell and Mollie (Phil-lips) Gibson. She was pre-ceded in death by herparents, by her belovedhusband of 48 years, Ken-neth L. Bierbaum; by son,William "Bill" Thompsonand daughter, RoxanneHozdish; as well as by 3brothers and 4 sisters. Sheis survived by son, WendellK. Bierbaum and wife,Teri; and daughter, MargoL. Davis and husband, Jeff;and by 6 grandchildren,Lacey, Wendell, II, Haylie,Karsen and Garrett; andby 2 great-grandchildren,Jordan and Tyler; as wellas by other family andfriends. A visitation andCelebration of Life will beheld Saturday, May 12,2018 at Carter-Conley Fu-neral Home with visitationstarting at 11:00 am. andCelebration of Life Servic-es starting at 12:00 Noon.She will be laid to rest inEarthman ResthavenCemetery, 13102 NorthFreeway I-45 North, at1:30 p.m. under the direc-tion of Carter-Conley Fu-neral Home.

Carter-ConleyFuneral Home

13701 Corpus Christi St.Houston TX 77015

713-455-5100

Ward CorneliusCooper

Ward Cornelius Cooper,92, went to be with ourLord and Savior on May12, 2018. Ward was bornin Mystic, Louisiana toJohnny and Minerva Coo-per on June 3, 1925. So, hewas just 3 weeks shy of his93rd birthday. At the ageof 17, and determined tojoin the fight in WWII, heforged his mother’s nameand enlisted in the Mer-chant Marines. Mr. Cooperspent a good deal of hisadult life working in theoilfield industry, but in1967, he started A-1 FireEquipment in the HoustonNorth Channel Area. Hewas also an avid hunterand fisherman. Ward Coo-per was a loving, Christianhusband and father whoinstilled a positive workethic in his children. Hewas a 50-year member ofthe North Shore MasonicLodge #1353 as well as the

Bro. Scott KeatonOctober 2, 1958 -

May 7, 2018

Scott left this life onMonday May 7, 2018with his loving wife Sal-lie, daughter Rebeccaand son Noah by his sideat his home in Crosby,Tx, at the age of 59. Hefought a long hard battlewith cancer, he didnt losethough he gets to enjoyhis eternal life in heavenwith a new healthy bodysinging with Jesus...Though he will forever bemissed here on earth byfamily and friends wholoved him dearly.

Scott was born October2, 1958 in Dallas, Tx(Farmers Branch) toCharles and Barbara(Bassman) Keaton. Hisfamily moved to SpringBranch..Houston, Txwhen he was 6. He mar-ried Sallie the love of hislife on June 3, 1978. Theyhad two children togeth-er Rebecca Karin andNoah Aloysius. He lovedhis family dearly.

Scott was preceded indeath by his mother Bar-bara Bassman Keaton,Mother in law DoloresBass.

Scott is survived by hisFather and step MotherCharles and BarbaraKeaton of Livingston, TX,

ly also served the commu-nity of Channelview in sev-eral capacities. He was amember of the board forthe Harris County WaterDistrict No. 21 for over 20years. He was also a long-time member of the boardat the River Terrace GolfCourse.

Channelview was hometo Billy for over 60 years.He leaves behind a legacyof service and excellence ineducation. He had an in-tense integrity and an abil-ity to find fairness in themost impossible situations.Friends have describedhim as “a giant of a man”and “one of a kind.”

In the words of hisgrandchildren, Billy was agreat man, legendary. Hewas always caring andhumble, but he had spunk.He loved spend time withfamily, play golf, and servehis community, but most ofall, he loved to laugh.

There will be a viewingon Thursday, May 17th,from 4 pm to 8 pm at For-est Park Funeral Home onLawndale St. in Houston.The graveside service willbe Friday, May 18th, at10:30 am at Forest ParkCemetery. Also on May18th, a celebration of Bil-ly’s life will take place at4:00 pm at Dell Dale Ave-nue Baptist Church inChannelview.

In lieu of flowers, dona-tions can be made in mem-ory of B. H. Hamblen to theChannelview ISD Educa-tion Foundation by mail orat

www.cvisd.org/ /site/Default.aspx?PageID=7493

Please designate specif-ically “for B. H. Hamblenscholarships” in the com-pany line.

OBITUARIES✯ Houston Scottish Rite &

Shriners. Mr. Cooper ispreceded in death by hiswife, Patricia Cooper, andhis son-in-law, Hank Hru-za. He is survived by hisson, Ron Cooper & daugh-ter-in-law, Renee; daugh-t e r , G a i l G r a n t &s o n - i n - l a w , C h a r l e s ;daughter, Pam Hruza;daughter , Mona MaeNunn & son-in-law, Micha-el; step-son, Kevin Coggins& wife, Deidra; and step-daughter, Kim Copaus &husband, Billy. Ward Coo-per is also survived by 15grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, his sweetpuppy, Sadie Mae, and ahost of family & friendswho will miss his smile,storytelling and sharp wit.A visitation and celebra-tion of life service will beheld Thursday, May 17,2018 at Carter Conley Fu-neral Home with visitationfrom 1-2:00 pm. and servic-es at 2:00 p.m. He will belaid to rest in SterlingWhite Cemetery in High-lands, Texas at 3:30 p.m.under the direction ofCarter-Conley FuneralHome.

Carter ConleyFuneral Home

13701 Corpus ChristiSt.

Houston TX 77015713-455-5100

Wife Sallie (Bass) , SonNoah Aloysius of Crosby,Daughter Rebecca Karinand her fiance SashaDela and son Joseph ofHouston , BrotherStephen Keaton (Linda)of Richmond, MN, Sis-ter Kathryn Arnold(Marcus) of Huffman,Brother in laws RogerBass of Onalaska, LarryBass (Ruth), DouglasBass of Centerville, Sis-ter in law Sharla Ander-son. Nieces GwendolynKraus (Adam), CynthiaSmith (Mike) , StaceyKrechmer (Danny), Shel-ley Arnst (Keith) , SarahJones (Larry) , CrystalWarner, Jessica Green,Hannah Keaton, OliviaWhitaker (David) Eliza-beth , Madelyn and,Genavieve Keaton,Nephews Benjamin Ar-nold, Anthony, Jacob andCharlie Keaton, Clint

(Amber) and James (Ash-ley) Bass, PrestonBoyd...Numerous otherspecial family membersand friends, including hisspecial friends his dogAmos and cat Mike.

Scott has spent thelast few years volunteer-ing as President ofChurches United In Car-ing here in Crosby, hehad heart for helpingothers...

His biggest accom-plishment was his love ofsharing Gods love withothers until the very end.

We had a small pri-vate natural burial onour property in Center-ville, Tx on Tuesday af-ternoon with our dearfriend Larry Koslovskyofficiating.

We will be having aMemorial Service andlight lunch after on Sat-urday May 19, 2018 at10:00 am, Crosby Breth-ren Church, 5202 1st St.Crosby, TX 77532

Brother Robin Butlerand Larry Koslovsky of-ficiating.

Special thanks to Cros-by Brethren for letting ususe your facilities.

Donations can bemade to St. Judes Child-rens Hospital or RonaldMc Donald House if youwould like. Questions?Brokeaton@yahoo.com.

began pursuing his mas-ter’s degree, which he com-pleted in 1962. In Augustof the same year, he be-came the principal ofDeZavala Elementary,where he served for fiveyears before moving to Di-rector of Special Servicesin 1967. Just a few shortmonths later, he wasnamed assistant superin-tendent. In the fall of 1974,Bill became the Superin-tendent of ChannelviewISD. He spent the follow-ing 18 years in dedicatedservice to the communityin this capacity before re-tiring in 1992. In honor ofMr. Hamblen’s dedicationto the school district andcommunity, when a newschool was built in 1996 forthe 5th and 6th grades, theBoard of Trustees namedthe newly constructedcampus B. H. HamblenMiddle School. Severalyears later, it was renamedB. H. Hamblen Elementa-ry.

Even after retirement,Mr. Hamblen’s unrivaledpassion for education ledhim to be an advocate forthe local school district andcommunity. An avid golfer,Billy was the namesake forthe B.H. Hamblen Scholar-ship Golf Tournament heldeach year in October, andan active member the ofthe tournament commit-tee. He attended all of themeetings and raised fundsfor student scholarships tobenefit Channelview HighSchool graduating seniors.

Beyond his commitmentto improving and uphold-ing high standards withthe school community, Bil-

Page 6 THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

ASK THE EXPERT

ASK DIAMOND JIM

NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR5906 STAR LANE, HOUSTON, TX 77057

(713) 977-2555 FAX (713) 977-1188email: northchannelstar@gmail.comwebsite: www.northchannelstar.com

Gilbert Hoffman..................................................Editor & PublisherMei-Ing Hoffman...............................................Associate PublisherJulieta Paita..............................................................Assistant EditorWillie Glasgow....................................................Marketing DirectorLewis Spearman...............................................Advertising DirectorLuis Hernandez.................................................Production DirectorPedro Hernandez.....................................Circulation/Mail DirectorPublished each Wednesday by GrafikPress Corp. Any erroneous statementwhich may appear will be corrected when brought to the attention of thepublisher. Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected ver-sion. Submissions are encouraged, in person, by mail, by Fax, or by email, to:northchannelstar@gmail.com

Member Texas Community Newspaper AssociationMember North Channel Chamber of Commrce

Member Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce HoustonMember Texas Press Association

Often describedby gem aficionados as“emerald by day, rubyby night,” Alexandriteis the very rare color-change variety of themineral chrysoberyl.Originally discoveredin Russia’s UralMountains in the1830s, it’s now found inSri Lanka, East Africa,and Brazil, but finematerial is exceptional-ly rare and valuable.

Alexandrite, with itschameleon-like quali-ties, is a rare variety ofthe mineral chrysober-yl. Its color can be alovely green in daylightor fluorescent light,changing to brownishor purplish red in theincandescent light froma lamp or candle flame.This is a result of thecomplex way themineral absorbs light.Alexandrite’s dramaticcolor change is some-times described as“emerald by day, rubyby night.” Other gemsalso change color inresponse to a light-source change, but thisgem’s transformation isso striking that thephenomenon itself isoften called “thealexandrite effect.”

Alexandrite is also astrongly pleochroicgem, which means itcan show differentcolors when viewedfrom different direc-tions. Typically, itsthree pleochroic colorsare green, orange, andpurple-red. However,the striking colorchange doesn’t arisefrom the gem’s pleo-chroism, but ratherfrom the mineral’sunusual light-absorb-ing properties. Becauseof its scarcity, especial-ly in larger sizes,alexandrite is a rela-tively expensivemember of the chryso-

PASADENA, Texas –The Aspen Institute forCommunity College Ex-cellence has once againnamed San Jacinto Col-lege as one of 10 finalistsfor the prestigious 2019Aspen Prize for Commu-nity College Excellence,the nation’s preeminentr e c o g n i t i o n o f h i g hachievement and perfor-mance in America’s com-munity colleges.

San Jacinto now entersthe final stage of the com-petition for $1 million inprize funds which will beawarded in March 2019in Washington, D.C., tothe winner and up to fourfinalists with distinction.

“We are honored toonce again be named anAspen Institute Top 10finalist,” said Dr. BrendaHellyer, San Jacinto Col-lege Chancellor. “Thework that we do everyday at San Jacinto Col-lege to help our studentscomplete their higher ed-ucation credential is crit-ically important to ourregion. Our faculty, staffand administrators worktirelessly to help our stu-dents achieve their goals.I want to thank the As-pen Institute for recog-n i z i n g S a n J a c i n t oCollege as one of the top10 community colleges inthe nation for 2019.”

Awarded every twoyears since 2011 by theAspen Institute, a Wash-

Diamond Jim: "What isAlexandrite?"

beryl family. It sharesits status as a Junebirthstone with cul-tured pearl and moon-stone.

HistoryAbundant alexan-

drite deposits werefirst discovered in 1830in Russia’s UralMountains. Those firstAlexandrite were ofvery fine quality anddisplayed vivid huesand dramatic colorchange. The gem wasnamed after the youngAlexander II, heirapparent to the throne.It caught the country’sattention because itsred and green colorsmirrored the nationalmilitary colors ofimperial Russia.

The spectacular UralMountain depositsdidn’t last forever, andnow most alexandritecomes from Sri Lanka,East Africa, and Brazil.The newer depositscontain some fine-quality stones, butmany display less-precise color changeand muddier hues thanthe nineteenth-centuryRussian Alexandrite.You’ll still find estatejewelry set with someof the famed UralMountain Alexandrite.They remain thequality standard forthis phenomenalgemstone.

Diamond Jim is adiamond dealer andprecious metals brokerof NTR Metals. Seemore at:www.pineforestjewelry.com.

If you have questionspertaining to jewelry,watches, diamonds,precious stones, pre-cious metals, and otherquestions related to thejewelry industry,emailjmills@pineforestjewelry.com.

San Jacinto College named among 10 Finalists for 2019 AspenPrize for Community College Excellence for Second Year

ington, D.C.-based educa-tional and policy studiesorganization, the Prizerecognizes institutionsthat achieve high studentoutcomes, and improvethose outcomes. San Ja-cinto College is one of 10finalists from an originalpool of more than 1,100public community colleg-es nationwide. Focusedsolely on student accessand success, the AspenPrize recognizes commu-nity colleges with excep-tional achievements infour areas:

• Student learning;• Certificate and de-

gree completion while incommunity college andafter transferring to afour-year institution;

• Employment andearnings rates after grad-uation; and

• Access for and suc-cess of minority and low-income students.

“Since winning theRising Star award in2017, San Jacinto Collegehas kept getting better,”said Joshua Wyner, Exec-utive Director of the As-pen Institute’s CollegeExcel lence Program.“Through distinctive ef-forts to coach faculty onimproving learning prac-tices, develop clearingdegree pathways andmaintain excellent con-nections to employersthat offer good jobs, San

Jacinto College is rapid-ly improving the successrates of its very diversestudent body.”

San Jacinto Collegestands out as one of thenation’s top communitycolleges for many rea-sons, including:

• A 33 percent in-crease in credentialsawarded over the pastfive years.

• Five years aftergraduating, San JacintoCollege’s 2010 graduatesearned 28 percent morethan all other workers inthe region.

• Innovative practic-es dedicated to improvingstudent learning, such aspermanent departmentchairs working closelywith faculty members toassess learning tech-n iques and improvecourse completion whichare factors in faculty per-formance reviews.

• Development of clearpathways for every de-gree, aligned with localemployer needs and pro-jected job growth inhealth case, the petro-chemical industry andother fields.

Community collegestoday enroll about 40 per-cent of all U.S. under-graduates – 6 millionstudents – who are work-ing toward earning de-grees and certificates.Improving student suc-

cess across the more than1,100 community colleg-es in the U.S. is criticalto national efforts to de-velop talent and enableindividual social mobilitybecause:

• Community colleg-es disproportionally en-ro l l l ow- income andminority students en-rolled in college today.

• Community collegegraduation rates remainflat, with fewer than 40percent of all enteringstudents earning a de-gree and / or transferringto a four-year college oruniversity.

• A college degreetoday is more importantthan ever before. Recentresearchshows that out ofthe 11.6 million jobs cre-ated in the post-recessioneconomy, 11.5 million re-quire a college education.

The 10 Aspen Prize fi-nalists have achievedstrong and improvingstudent success rates invery different contexts –they are from rural andurban areas, serve demo-graphically different stu-dent bodies, and offer avaried mix of technicalworkforce and academictransfer programs. These10 institutions offer proofthat every communitycollege can achieve high-er levels of success forstudents while in collegeand after they graduate.

Page 7THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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KC Hall Columbus Club

Bar Open to The Public

Thurs.–Sun. 2 pm ‘til?

Rentals Call 281-328-1104

Commercial PrintingCall for a Quote

GRAFIKSHOP713-977-2555

FOR SALE

BOLDEN ST.LOTS 8 & 9,Blk 2250 X 100 LotFidelity Subdivision.Houston, TX 77029Call 281-222-3983 or713-455-5222.

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RENT

LARGE ROOMClose to 137 in Ja-cinto City. Weekly:1person - $150,2 people - $100 each.Furnished, Wi-Fi, noutil i t ies. No harddrugs. No lease orsocial req. Call 832-740-0164.

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Notice for Private Non-Profit Schools with students who reside in the Galena Park ISDattendance area.Please be advised that Galena Park ISD will hold a meeting for administrators of all PrivateNon-Profit Schools that have students who reside in the Galena Park ISD attendance area.Information on program planning, availability, and eligibility criteria of Federal funds andservices (Title I, II, III, and Special Education programs) will be held on Monday, June 4,2018, at 1:00 pm at the Administration Building – Room M-104 located at 14705 WoodforestBoulevard. For additional information about this meeting, please contact Amy Cole at 832-386-1028.

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NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR281-328-9605 email: northchannelstar@gmail.com

LEGAL NOTICE

Page 8 THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

Jacinto City Council,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ing a two year term in stag-gered elections. Three ofthe five council memberswere on the ballot this yearwith the mayor and twocouncil member positionsare up for election in Mayof 2019.

The monthly salary andbenefits for mayor and citycouncil was unanimouslyapproved with councilmembers receiving $350 insalary and $225 for autoexpense. The mayor ’smonthly salary is $400with $300 auto expense.Councilman Allen Lee wasapproved as Mayor ProTem to act in the mayor’sabsence.

K y l e R e e d , P u b l i cWorks Director said thecity’s 2017 Consumer Con-fidence Report met the USEnvironmental Protection

Agency’s (EPA) safe waterregulations. The city’smain source of drinkingwater is purchased fromthe city of Houston comingfrom Lake Houston. Thelake water is pumped to awater purification plantthat treats and tests it toinsure it meets the EPAguidelines before it’s dis-tributed to Jacinto City’sconsumers.

Citizens detecting anabnormal taste, color orodor in their water shouldcontact Kyle Reed at 713-453-7411 or City Hall at713-674-8424.

Lon Squyres, City Man-ager and Kathy Greiner,Assistant City Managerboth Investment Officersfor the city reported invest-ments for the f i rst 6months of the budget year

of, $361,159.44 in the En-terprise Fund, $392,632.42in the Interest and SinkingFund, $6,646,964.57 in theGeneral Fund for total in-vestments as of April 1,2018 of $7,400,756.43.

Police Chief Joe Ayalareported 10 felony arrestsin the past few weeks, in-cluding aggravated rob-bery and illegal narcotics.

The grand opening ofthe city’s new swimmingpool for citizens is sched-uled for Saturday, May 26th. The ribbon cutting willtake place at 11:00 AM andthere will be food and re-freshments provided to cit-izens. Address: 10215Challenger 7 Dr, Houston,TX 77029, Phone: (713)673-7464.

learned I could depend on himto take care of any assign-ment given.

Jacinto City Police ChiefJoe Ayala named PatrolmanAli Kamali as his officer of theyear, calling him a true pub-lic servant.

“His recognition comes dueto his outstanding service tothe community, he has a bigheart and makes it a habit tocheck on the concerns of ourelderly and at times he goesout of his way taking expens-es out of his own pocket tomake it better for someone inneed,” Ayala said.

Chief Ayala said, “Recent-ly Officer Kamali respondedto a call of an armed robberyat the CVS Pharmacy. Due tohis quick response Officer Ka-

Officers of the Year Awards,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

mali located the suspectsboarding a vehicle. Kamaliand other responding officerswere able to apprehend sixsuspects. Again a week later,he with a team effort was in-volved in the apprehension offour more robbery suspects.”

Bryan Clements, GP/JCRotary Club President, recog-nized Harris County DeputyConstable Corporal MarkMcGinnis of Precinct 2 as Of-ficer of the Year. Clementssaid, “Corporal McGinnis a 22year veteran of the GalenaPark School District’s con-tract deputy program, has abroad range of experience andhas proven to be a valuableasset to the district.

In 1962, President John F.Kennedy signed a proclama-

tion which designated May 15as Peace Officers MemorialDay and the week in whichthat date falls as Police Week.Currently, tens of thousandsof law enforcement officersfrom around the world con-verge on Washington, DC toparticipate in a number ofplanned events which honorthose that have paid the ulti-mate sacrifice.

In the nation since the be-ginning of 2018 there havebeen 54 line of duty deaths.Causes of death: 9/11 relatedillness 3, Assault 1, Automo-bile crash 13, Drowned 1,Gunfire 27, Gunfire (Acciden-tal) 1, Heart attack 3, Struckby vehicle 2, Vehicle pursuit1, Vehicular assault 2.

Galena Park ISD would like to congratulate Kelly Colbert and Antonio Antoine for beingnamed the 2019 GPISD Rookie Teachers of the Year!Ms. Colbert is a kindergarten teacher at Cloverleaf Elementary and Mr. Antoine is a 7thgrade reading teacher at North Shore Middle School!Congratulations, Ms. Colbert and Mr. Antoine, GPISD is lucky to have you!

Galena Park ISD honors 2019Rookie Teachers of the Year

COMMUNITY NEWS

HOUSTON – May 15,2018 – Volunteers from theHouston Refinery of Lyon-dellBasell , one of theworld’s largest plastics,chemicals and refiningcompanies, recently dis-tributed books to 100 class-rooms in the Houston,Galena Park and Pasade-na independent school dis-tricts to commemorate theRefinery’s 100th anniver-sary celebrated this year.The “100 for 100” bookcampaign was coordinatedthrough the Astros Foun-dation Literacy Bus.

“Our employees havean unwavering commit-ment to children and fam-ilies in need,” said JeromeMauvigney, site managerof LyondellBasell's Hous-ton Refinery. “Last yearalone, the Refinery con-t r i b u t e d m o r e t h a n$200,000 and 4,000 volun-teer hours to local organi-zations that advance ourcommunities and have ameaningful impact on ourneighbors.”

The Astros FoundationLiteracy Bus is a mobileinteractive unit that en-courages family reading inHouston-area communi-ties. Books are distributedat no cost to children ingrades K-5 at local schools,youth organizations, com-munity centers and events,as well as baseball andsoftball parks renovated bythe Astros Foundation aspart of its CommunityLeaders program.

LyondellBasell joinedthe Astros Foundation's

LyondellBasell’s Houston Refineryteams up with Astros foundationto support youth literacy program

LyondellBasell employee volunteers distributed books to100 classrooms in the Houston, Galena Park and Pasadenaindependent school districts to commemorate the Refinery’s100th anniversary celebrated this year. The “100 for 100”book campaign was coordinated through the AstrosFoundation Literacy Bus. Pictured are LyondellBasellemployee volunteer Denise Jennings and students fromGalena Park Elementary.

Community Leaders Pro-gram in 2017. The pro-g r a m h a s p o s i t i v e l yi m p a c t e d m o r e t h a n30,000 children through-out the Greater Houstonarea through baseball andsoftball programming, ed-ucation-based initiativesand volunteer opportuni-ties. Major League Base-b a l l h o n o r e d t h eCommunity Leaders pro-gram with the prestigiousAllan H. Selig Award for

Philanthropic Excellencein 2017.

“Collaborating with cor-porate partners like Lyon-d e l l B a s e l l h e l p s o u rmission of encouragingfamily reading in Houston-area communities,” saidTwila Carter, executive di-rector of the Astros Foun-dation. “We appreciate thetime and work volunteersput into helping us empow-er and educate our youth.”