NC STAR 9-21-16

CHANNELCHATTER

Issue #140 of the STAR Crosby Antique Mall, P. 3

VOLUME 4, NO. 37 (#140) www.northchannelstar.comWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016Serving all of the North Shore -- Channelview, Sheldon, Galena Park, Jacinto City

NORTH CHANNEL✯STARTent Revival, P. 5

Your News, Your Newspaper

COMMUNITY PROFILE‘Helping a Hero’honors John Painter

HOUSTON ISDFurr High Schoolawarded $10 million grant

Police seek shooters at EH Hospital

Houston Police cars surround the entrance to East HoustonHospital on Monday, after shots were fired at a car deliveringa wounded boy to the Emergency Room. Police are lookingfor a red SUV that followed the white SUV to the hospital,and fired additional shots at the SUV but failed to inflictadditional injuries.

NORTH CHANNEL –Houston police are search-ing for a red SUV that wasseen leaving the scene of theEast Houston Hospital, af-ter firing shots at a whiteFord Explorer that wasdropping off a wounded boyat the Emergency Room en-trance.

Police investigators saidthat apparently the 17 yearold boy that was taken tothe emergency room, hadbeen shot at a different lo-cation. He told them he en-tered the white car eventhough he did not knowthem, and asked for help tobe taken to the hospital.

They were apparentlyfollowed by another vehicle,a red SUV perhaps anotherFord Explorer, and possiblya third car, a black ChevyTrailblazer.

Witnesses described themayhem, as at least 10shots were fired at the whiteSUV and other cars andpeople in the parking lot infront of the hospital. As faras can be determined, noone was hit by the shots, butbullet holes were in severalcars, including the firstwhite Explorer, that left thescene in a hurry.

Blake Taylor, a witness inthe parking lot, said “Scary.I thought I was going to die.I really did. Because he wasright beside me. And thedude in the middle of thestreet was shooting at him.It’s just crazy.”

East Houston RegionalMedical Center released thefollowing statement regard-ing the incident:

“The gunshot victim that

arrived in our EmergencyRoom at 2:00 p.m. today isin stable condition. The firstconcern of hospital staff wasto provide for the continuedcare and safety of the pa-tients and visitors includingtemporarily restricting ac-cess to the facility as a pre-caution to help ensure thesafety of patients, visitorsand employees. Thanks tothe quick response and pro-fessionalism by the HoustonPolice Department, the hos-pital was able to lift restric-tions and return to normaloperation at approximately3:30 p.m.

At this time, the policehave no suspects, and aresearching for more informa-tion. If you know anythingabout this incident, youshould call 713-222-TIPS.

By Allan Jamail

AUSTIN, TX. Sept. 12,2016 - Governor Abbottawarded the Star of TexasAward to 57 Texans, in-cluding Jacinto City’s re-cipient Sgt. JenniferSimpson-Castañeda.

The Star of Texas Awardcreated by the 2003 Legis-lature go to first respond-ers, peace officers andfirefighters who have dem-onstrated remarkablecourage and heroism inserving and protectingtheir communities andwho have been seriouslyinjured or killed in the lineof duty.

Following is Sgt. Cas-taneda recollection of theMarch 20, 2013 shootingwhere she and Lt. DennisWalker was shot.

September 14, 2016 –HISD’s Furr High Schoolhas won a $10 million Su-per School Project grant,beating out thousands ofother schools who appliedfrom across the nation.

The five-year grant,awarded by the XQ In-stitute, began with a callfor innovative ideas for re-designing traditionalAmerican high schools toprepare students for col-lege and the workforce.Only 10 schools wereawarded grants.

Accepting the award ata ceremony in WashingtonD.C., Principal Bertie Sim-mons said the grant willhelp elevate Furr to a newlevel of achievement.

“Pretty good is notenough for us,” Dr. Sim-mons said. “We want to bea Super School. Just waitand watch and see what wedo. It’s going to be amaz-ing.”

HISD Trustee DianaDávila, who represents theFurr community, said thegrant will furtherstrengthen the neighbor-hood high school.

“I want to commend Dr.Simmons and her team fortaking the initiative to goafter this highly competi-tive grant,” Dávila said.“HISD is a district of

NEIGHBORHOODSAFETY MEETING

Monday, September 26,2016, 8:30 a.m. at East FreewayHPD Storefront, 12001-A EastFreeway (Next to Burlington).

FREE COFFEENETWORKING

This is a GREAT opportuni-ty to meet community leadersand BUILD strong business rela-tions. Open to members & non-members. Everyone gets 30seconds to talk about them-selves or their organizations.Tuesday September 27, 2016from 9:30 am to 10:45 am at LaQuinta Inns & Suites, 5520 E.Sam Houston Pkwy N., Hous-ton, TX 77015.

choice, and strong neigh-borhood schools such asFurr are the foundation.”

HISD has a strongrecord of winning compet-itive grants to benefitschools. In 2013, HISD wasawarded a $30 million fed-eral Race to the Top grant.That grant is fundingHISD’s Linked Learninginitiative that enables stu-dents to begin early collegeand career readinessthrough project-basedlearning. That same year,HISD won a $12 milliongrant to start six magnetschools emphasizing sci-ence, technology, engineer-ing and math instruction.

The youthful, energetic82-year-old principal Ber-tie Simmons reflects, “We

Jacinto City Police Officer Sgt. Castañedareceives Star of Texas Award from Governor

PHOTO BY ALLAN JAMAIL

Texas Governor Greg Abbott presenting recipient Sgt. Jennifer Castaneda withTexas First Lady Cecilia Abbott & Senator Sylvia Garcia.

“I and another policeunit were going to a resi-dent to interview the sus-pect on an un-related casebut it evolved into a domes-tic disturbance and theshooting. A family memberwho had earlier called thepolice prior to my arrivalsaid there wasn’t anyweapons present.

I arrived at the locationfirst and upon doing so Iobserved two females anda male at the doorway, theywere screaming and push-ing each other. As I ran tothe house, they went backinside and out of my sight.Upon immediately enter-ing the doorway of thehouse, I was shot withoutwarning; I never had a

See Texas Award, Page 8

FOCUS 2016FESTIVAL

Celebrating Our Communi-ty. Highlighting Business, Orga-nizations, Ministries and Fami-l i e s . E n j o y f o o d , f u n ,entertainment, games, meetnew friends and discover com-munity resources! Saturday,Sep., 24, 2016, 10 am - 3 pmat North Shore Rotary Pavilion,14350 Wallisville, Houston, TX77049. •Talent Show • Contests• Moonwalk • Musical Chairs •Wood Craft Painting. FUN FORALL AGES!

HOUSTON, Texas(September 8, 2016) –Helping A Hero presenteda collection of honors toexpress their gratitude toa multitude of volunteersincluding Roger Clemens,the Honorable David De-whurst, Deborah Duncan,David Elliott, KevinMathews, John Painter,Kelley Paul and the Hon-orable Bill White. Theluncheon was held Sep-tember 8 at the Hyatt Re-gency Houston.

“Volunteers and donorsare the backbone of Help-ing A Hero. Without theseamazing individuals, theorganization would notoperate as effectively as itdoes. Thanks to them andmany others, we havebeen able to improve hun-dreds of lives through thework HAH has done forour heroes and their fami-lies,” said Rex King,Chairman of the Board.

John Painter, Ser-vice Above Self Award

John is originally fromthe state of South Caroli-na and came to Houston,Texas in 1957, after grad-uating from high schoolJohn continued his studyat Robert E. Lee Jr. Col-

John Painter

lege. Heserved in theTexas Nation-al Guardwhere he wasStaff Ser-geant. Johnwas thefounder andowner of En-pro Systems,LLC a manu-facturer ofchemical, re-finery, steeland paper in-dustry equip-ment withsales world-wide. He wasa member ofHouston PlateFabricationAssoc. He sold and retiredfrom the business in2006. Rotary is John’sheartbeat! He has been aRotarian since 1984. Hehas served Rotary inmany roles such as Trea-surer, Secretary, Presi-dent, chaired districtcommittees, host to GSEteam members and ex-change students, worldcommunity service, Assis-tant District Governor1997-98, District Gover-nor 1999-00, and Zone

Major Gifts Advisor. Johnhas been Rotarian of theYear twice and a recipientof the Four Avenues ofService Award, the Meri-torious Service Award,the Distinctive ServiceAward and the ServiceAbove Self Award. He isproudly a multiple PaulHarris Fellow, Benefac-tor, Bequest Society mem-ber, and a Major Donor tothe Foundation.

Principal Bertie Simmons, right, receives the award at a XQInstitute award ceremony in Washington DC, along with nineother schools nationwide.

were referred to as athrowaway school. I cameout of retirement and wentthere on a mission.” She isdetermined to transformthis school, and says, “Pret-ty good is not for us. Wewant an amazingschool.We want to be oneof the best schools in thenation.” Furr will focus onproject-based learning andenvironmental sustain-ability.

The XQ grants are real-ly big compared to any-thing prior. Theirexpectations for innova-tion are really high as well.Unlike other grant pro-grams requiring matchingand lots of fundraising, thewinners can get to workknowing they’ll havemulti-year support.

LAWSUIT VS.CITY DISMISSED

The former City Manager ofGalena Park, Robert Pruett, andt h e f o r m e r P o l i c e C h i e fJonathan Rader, sued the cityand Mayor Moya and others toretain their pensions and otherbenefits.

City Attorney Robert Collinsinformed the North ChannelStar that these lawsuits hadbeen dismissed by FederalJudge Ewing Werlein Jr. of theU.S. District Court.

Page 2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICELEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Public Hearingon Tax Increase

The Harris County Emergency Service District No. 12 will hold twopublic hearings on a proposal to increase total tax revenues from prop-erties on the tax roll in the preceding tax year by 68.92 percent (per-centage by which proposed tax rate exceeds lower of rollback tax rateor effective tax calculated under Chapter 26, Tax Code). Your individu-al taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, de-pending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relationto the change in taxable value of all other property and the tax ratethat is adopted.

The first public hearing will be held on September 29, 2016 at 06:00PM at Cloverleaf Fire Station No. 1, 911 Hollywood Street, Houston,Texas.

The second public hearing will be held on October 4, 2016 at 06:00PM at Cloverleaf Fire Station No. 1, 911 Hollywood Street, Houston,Texas.

The members of the governing body voted on the proposal to consid-er the tax increase as follows:

FOR: William B. Anders David W. Proctor Larry Helgesen Frank M. Staley William Darling

AGAINST:

PRESENT and notvoting:

ABSENT:

The average taxable value of a residence homestead in Harris Coun-ty Emergency Service District No. 12 last year was $102,363. Based onlast year's tax rate of $0.0300 per $100 of taxable value, the amount oftaxes imposed last year on the average home was $30.71.

The average taxable value of a residence homestead in Harris Coun-ty Emergency Service District No. 12 this year is $111,603. If the gov-erning body adopts the effective tax rate for this year of $0.0296 per$100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed this year on theaverage home would be $33.03.

If the governing body adopts the proposed tax rate of $0.0500 per$100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed this year on theaverage home would be $55.80.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the hearings andexpress their views.


Harris County Water ControlImprovement District No. 21 Notice

of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The Harris County Water Control Improvement District No. 21 will hold a publichearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2016 on October 3, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at15808 Avenue C, Channelview, TX 77530 .Your individual taxes may increase or decrease,depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change intaxable value of all other property and the tax rate that is adopted.

FOR the proposal: Bill Hamblen, Jimmy Smith, R.L. McRae & Pete BradyAGAINST the proposal: NonePRESENT and not voting: NoneABSENT: B.D. Neal

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unitlast year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

2015 2016Last Year This Year

Total tax rate (per $100 of value) $0.366/$100 $0.366/$100 Adopted Proposed

Difference in rates per $100 of value $0.00/$100Percentage increase/decrease in rates (+/-) 0.00%Average appraised value $ 85,370 $ 88,991General exemptions available(excluding senior citizen's or disabledperson's exemptions) $ - $ -Average taxable value $ 85,370 $ 88,991Tax on average residence homestead $ 312.46 $ 325.71Annual increase/decrease in taxes if proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-) $13.25 and percentage of increase (+/-) 4.24%

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS' RIGHT TO ROLLBACK ELECTION

If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more than eight percent, thequalified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determinewhether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax rate underSection 49.236(d), Water Code.

Mike Arterburn, Tax Assessor-Collector(713) 688-3855


CITY OF JACINTO CITY BUDGETSUMMARY GENERAL & WATER FUNDS

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

Water DistrictNotice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The Harris County Fresh Water Supply District #6 will hold a publichearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2016 on Wednesday, Octo-ber 12, 2016 at 7:00 PM at 15902 Market Street, Channelview, Texas 77530.Your individual taxes may increase of decrease, depending on the changein taxable value of all other property and the tax rate that is adopted.

FOR the proposal: Carl Green, Ronald Rushing, Gary O’Brian, Jerry Davila and Paul Pendergrass

AGAINST the proposal: None

PRESENT and not voting: None

ABSENT: None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homesteadin the taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residencehomestead this year.

Last Year This YearTotal tax rate (per $100 of value) $0.23/$100 $0.23/$100

Adopted Proposed

Difference in rates per $100 of value $0.00$100

Percentage increase/decrease in rates (+/-) 0.00 %

Average appraised Value $ 69,426 $ 73,326

General exemptions available(excluding senior citizen’s or disabled person’s exemptions) $ 10,414 $ 10.999

Average taxable Value $ 59,012 $ 62,327

Tax on average residence homestead $ 135.73 $ 143.35

Annual increase/decrease in taxes if Proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-) +$ 7.62 And percentage of increase (+/-) +4.61408%

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS’ RIGHT TO ROLLBACK ELECTION

If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more than eightpercent, the qualified voters of the water district by petition may requirethat an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation andmaintenance tax rate to the rollback tax rate under Section 49.236(d),Water Code

Question regarding this notice should be directed to June Muth(281) 426-8156

Page 3WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

SCHOOL NEWS

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Galena Park Library Programs-Sat., Sep. 24, Family Time Movie, 3 pm.-Mon., Sep. 26, Beyond the Book, 4 pm.-Wed., Sep. 28, Toddler Time, 10:30 am; Story Time, 11:30 am.-Wed., Sep. 28, Microsoft Word Básico IV, 10:15 am; MicrosoftWord Basics IV, 1 pm; Get Active/Activate, 4 pm.-Thur., Sep. 29, Chronicles of Yarnia Knit & Crochet Class.-Thur., Sep. 29, Kid’s Creations, 4 pm.

Galena Park Library's Nutrition ClassNutrition Classes for Adults every Friday afternoon from 4-5

pm starting October 7th through December 2nd. These classesare completely free and participants will receive a certificate ofcompletion at the end of the program if they attend at least sixsessions.

Walgreen will come to the library on October 10th from1-4pm and give free flu shots to customers 7 years and older.

If you have any questions please call 713-450-0982. All chidlren programs require tickets. Tickets are free andavailable the Moday before the program at the front desk.Galena Park Branch Library, 1500 Keene St., Galena Park, TX.

Galena Park Senior Dance Senior Dance is every Monday at the Alvin D. Building,1302 Keene St., Galena Park. 7 pm - 9 pm. No cover charge.Live band Country music. Call for more information: 713-455-7335.

North Shore Senior Dance North Shore Seniors holds a dance every Thursday from 1- 4 pm at the Grayson/Baldree Building, Corpus Christi street.Live bands and refreshments. Cost is $ 5/per person. Formore information call 713-455-3660.

San Jacinto Pilot Club meetingThe Club meets the 2nd Thursday of each month atLyondellBasell on Sheldon Road at noon.

Jacinto City Library programs-Friday, Sep. 23, Clases de Inglés Usando Mango, 1 pm.-Saturday, Sep. 24, Family Movie Theater, 12:30 pm.-Monday, Sep. 26, ESL Discussion Class, 4 pm.-Tuesday, Sep. 27, Toddler Time, 10:30 am; Children’s Storytime,11:30 am.-Wednesday, Sep. 28, ESL Class, 12:30 pm.-Thur., Sep. 29, Free Flu Shots, 1 pm.-Friday, Sep. 30, Clases de Inglés Usando Mango, 1 pm. NOTE: Will be suspending COMPUTER CLASSES at this locationuntil further notice. There are free computer classes at the GalenaPark Library, 713-450-0982 and North Channel Library, 281-457-1631. Jacinto City Branch Library, 921 Akron, Jacinto City, TX. 77029.For more information on other programs, call 713-673-3237.

The Buckshot Jamboree Enjoy Classic Country music every Saturday night from 7pm - 10 pm with The Buckshot Jamboree at 7414 Hartmannear Old Beaumont Highway. More info, call 281-458-0729or 832-444-5000.

RESTAURANT GUIDEGreat Food, DIne In Or Take Out

DAILY SPECIALSMon-Thu 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm Sun

11am-8pm

SHOP IN THE COMMUNITY

Annual B.H. Hamblen ScholarshipGolf Tournament

Presented by Channelview ISD Education Foundation, Mon-day, October 10, 2016 at River Terrace Golf Club, 16777 Wallis-ville, Houston, TX. 77049. 10:45 am: Registration, Practice & Lunch.Call 281-960-3714 for more information.

CRISELDA SALINASFarmers Insurance918 Mercury Dr., Ste 4Houston, TX. 77029832-830-8987

Mon - Fri: 9 am - 6 pmSe habal Español

• Car • Home • Auto • Life • Business •Commercial • And much more

UPS Shipping/DHL Shipping/Mailboxes/Copying/Notary/Faxing/Packaging/Digital

Printing/PLUS SO MUCH MORE

15634 Wallisville Rd. #800Houston, Texas 77049

281-457-1006www.theupsstorelocal.com/6204

HOURS:M-F 9am-7pmSat: 9am-5pmSun: CLOSED

NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

Printing Department713-977-2555

Galena Park/Jacinto City CIPThursday, October 6, 2016. Need to arrive by 5:30 p.m. Boat leavesdock at 5:45 p.m. Meet at Port of Houston, Gate 8 off ClintonDrive. Enter Gate 8 and stay right.Tour of Houston Ship Channelon MV Sam Houston. Delicious dinner and great door prizes.

Parents were able to meet with Alice Johnson Junior Highteachers and administrators during the school’s annualHornet Night. Teachers shared information about what theirchild will be learning this school year and answeredquestions from parents. Principals also shared informationabout programs offered during the year.

Cruisin’ for the CauseBenefitting the North Channel Assistance Ministries Food Pan-

try. October 8, 2016, 7 am - 3 pm, 6603 Uvalde Road, Houston.Classic cars, awards, live DJ, door prizes, kids games, food & drinks.To register your car, call 713-829-4601.

Seven Channelview ISDschools received Distinc-tion Designation honorsfrom the Texas EducationAgency for exemplary aca-demic performance on spe-cific areas of the State ofTexas Assessment of Aca-demic Readiness (STAAR)exams.

District officials wereexcited to see that the to-tal number of distinctionsshowed a significant over-all increase. According tostate results, the districtwas awarded 18 distinc-tions this year, as com-pared to six the previousacademic year.

Channelview HighSchool earned designa-tions in Mathematics, So-cial Studies and StudentProgress, while AliceJohnson Junior High wasrecognized for excellencein Mathematics, Scienceand Social Studies. In ad-dition, Aguirre JuniorHigh received recognitionin Science, Social Studiesand for closing of achieve-ment gaps.

McMullan Elementaryreceived distinctions for in-creases in Reading/EnglishLanguage Arts, Mathemat-ics, Student Progress andclosing of achievementgaps, with Hamblen Ele-mentary being honored in

Social media has becomethe platform of communica-tion to the world and wewant to make sure everyoneis connected to Galena ParkISD. Through our Twitterand Facebook account(s),the GPISD community andparents will be able to seethe great things happeningat our 25 schools! On eachof our social media sites, youwill find information re-garding news, events, ac-

CHANNELVIEW ISDAlice Johnson JH hostsHornet Night

GALENA PARKGet Connected with GalenaPark on Twitter andFacebook

complishments, campus ac-tivities, daily campus lifeand notices.

If you don’t have a socialmedia account, you can goto the Galena Park website,www.galenaparkisd.com, tosee a running feed of Twit-ter post on the right side ofthe page.

To get connected with us,find us on Twitter @Galena-ParkISD and Facebook atwww.facebook.com/GPISD.

Channelview campusesreceive “distinction”honors from state

Mathematics, StudentProgress and Postsecond-ary Readiness. Cobb Ele-mentary and CrenshawElementary were also com-mended for StudentProgress.

“It is exciting to see suchoutstanding results fromour students,” CISD Super-intendent Greg Ollis said.“I am proud of all of ourcampuses and the contin-ued progress they’veshown. Our teachers, prin-cipals and staff do a greatjob of working together toensure the success of allstudents.”

The announcement ofthe distinctions was moregood news for the districtas CISD and all campusesrecently earned the ap-proval rating of “Met Stan-dard” under the state’saccountability system forthe third consecutive year.

Campuses that earnedthe Met Standard designa-tion were Aguirre JuniorHigh, Alice Johnson JuniorHigh, Brown Elementary,Campbell Learning Cen-ter, Channelview HighSchool, Cobb Elementary,Crenshaw Elementary, DeZavala Elementary, Ham-blen Elementary, McMul-lan Elementary, SchochlerElementary and the EarlyChildhood Center.

Pilot Club Spaghetti DinnerThe San Jacinto Pilot Club will hold their 29th Annual Spa-

ghetti Dinner & Auction on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at the Bal-dree Building on Corpus Christi Street, off Freeport Street.

Dinner is $10, and a raffle ticket is $25. Top prize for the raffleis a one week stay for 8 in a beach house on Crystal Beach. Call281-221-1616 to join the fun.

Live Music • Entertainment • Vendor Booths • and much more

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5:30pm5600 S. Main in Old Town Crosby, TX

crosbyantiquemall.com

Antiques • Collectiblesand Unique Items

Texas Award, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

chance to talk to him orpull my gun out. I struckmy head and was dazedbriefly. I felt as if I was go-ing to die and be shot in myhead as I lay on the floor.My feelings was correctbecause Lt. Dennis Walk-er said afterwards when hearrived and heard gunshots he entered the door-way and he saw the sus-pect standing over me withhis gun pointed at myhead. The suspect thenturned his gun at Lt. Walk-er, they both exchangedgunfire over me. Lt. Walk-er sustained several lifethreatening gun shots tohis upper chest area. Theshooting stopped, I thengained full awareness ofthe situation. The suspecthad run into an adjoiningroom and was screamingsomething I couldn’t un-derstand. I could not see orfeel my right arm; I

thought it was shot off. ButI then realized I was lay-ing on it. I suffered a sev-ered radial nerve and myright humorous bone wasshattered extensively. Itried but could not reachmy gun with my left handat the time. I realized hewas going kill me if Istayed in the house, so I gotup and ran out of thehouse.”

Lt. Walker last year re-ceived the same award forhis bravery and actions af-ter his receiving seriousgun fire injuries as he re-turned gun fire to distractthe suspect from shootingSgt. Castaneda in thehead.

Police Chief Joey Ayalasaid, “the gunman, EdgarOmar Cuellar in 2015 pledguilty and received a 50

See Texas Award-PartII, page 8

NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR5906 STAR LANE, HOUSTON, TX 77057

(713) 977-2555 FAX (713) 977-1188email: [email protected]: 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:[email protected]

Member Texas Community Newspaper AssociationMember North Channel Chamber of Commrce

Member Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce HoustonMember Texas Press Association


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 [email protected].

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.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In-county, $28.00 per year. Out of county, $35.00 per Year. POST-MASTER: Send address changes to Star-Courier, P. O. Box 405, Highlands, TX 77562

News and Ad Phones....281-328-9605FAX Line....713-977-1188email: [email protected]

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Star✯CourierStar✯Courier

STATE CAPITALHIGHLIGHTS

By Ed Sterling

✯AUSTIN — U.S. Secre-tary of Defense Ash Cart-er on Sept. 14 announcedthe opening of a “DefenseInnovation Unit Experi-mental” hub at the CapitalFactory in downtown Aus-tin.

Carter and Universityof Texas System Chancel-lor William McRaven saidthe hub would provide op-portunities for innovatorsto partner with the De-partment of Defense to de-velop technologies toaddress the nation’s secu-rity challenges.

“Austin’s commitmentto innovation, access to tal-ent and academia, as wellas the department’s long-standing ties to Texas,make this an ideal next lo-cation for DIUx,” Cartersaid.

Gov. Greg Abbott added,“Texas is the new frontierin innovation, and with thearrival of DIUx, the De-partment of Defense’s besttechnologists will be righthere in Austin.”

According to the DIUxmission statement, “As ourname implies, DIUx is justthat: an ‘experiment.’ Wecontinuously iterate onhow best to identify, con-tract, and prototype novelinnovations through sourc-es traditionally not avail-able to the Department ofDefense, with the ultimategoal of accelerating tech-nology into the hands ofthe men and women inuniform.”

The Capital Factory, anincubator for start-up tech-nology companies foundedin 2008 by Joshua Baer,occupies the fifth and 16thfloors of the Omni AustinHotel.

Other DIUx hubs havebeen launched in NorthernCalifornia’s Silicon Valleyand in Boston.

Texas economy addsjobs

The Texas WorkforceCommission on Sept. 16reported the increase of anestimated 21,400 nonfarmjobs in August and notedthat the state has addedjobs in 16 of the last 17months.

Despite that increase,Texas’ seasonally adjustedunemployment rate in-creased to 4.7 percent inAugust, up slightly from4.6 percent in July. Thenational unemployment

Defense secretary promotes newhub to partner with tech startups

rate for August was 4.9percent.

Some students mayregister

Texas Secretary of StateCarlos Cascos on Sept. 13posted a reminder thatqualified students have avariety of options to regis-ter to vote, includingthrough their high schoolprincipal.

“Texas law has a uniqueprovision that requireshigh school principals, ortheir designees, to serve asa voter registrar. I encour-age all high school princi-pals to offer thisopportunity before the Oct.11 registration deadlinefor the November election,”Cascos said.

Students may register ifthey are a U.S. citizen andhave reached the age of 17years and 10 months. Tovote in an election, a Tex-an must be 18 years old byElection Day. In addition tostudents, high school prin-cipals or their designeealso may register employ-ees of their schools.

For more informationvisit VoteTexas.gov or call1-800-252-VOTE.

Sabre home officesgrow

Gov. Abbott on Sept. 14announced Southlake, Tex-as-based Sabre GLBL Inc.would expand its head-quarters at the Solana de-velopment in nearbyWestlake.

The expansion, madepossible in part by a $5

million Texas EnterpriseFund grant issued by thegovernor’s office, is expect-ed to create 500 new jobsand bring more than $37million in capital invest-ment, Abbott said.

Sabre provides soft-ware, data, mobile and dis-tribution solutions toairlines and hotel proper-ties to manage critical op-erations, includingpassenger and guest reser-vations, revenue manage-ment, flight, network andcrew management. Sabreserves customers in morethan 160 countries.

Free inspectionsoffered

To coincide with nation-al Child Passenger SafetyWeek, Sept. 18-24, the Tex-as Department of Trans-portation on Sept. 13encouraged caregivers tomake an appointment fora free inspection at theagency’s 25 statewide dis-trict offices.

TxDOT noted that na-tionwide, three out of fourcar seats are improperlyinstalled. The agency re-minded Texans that prop-erly restraining theirchildren while riding invehicles is the law, and isan everyday, year-roundresponsibility.

“We are determined toeducate parents and care-givers in Texas about theimportance of bucklingtheir child into the correctcar seat for their age andsize,” said TxDOT Execu-tive Director James Bass.“It’s not only the law, butwe’re also trying to savelives through proper use ofsafety seats.”

Texas law requires allchildren under 8, unlessthey are taller than 4 feet9 inches, to be in a car seatwhenever they ride in apassenger vehicle. Failureto properly restrain a childcan result in a ticket of upto $250. In 2015, 83 chil-dren younger than 8 yearsold were killed in crashesin Texas.

If you’ve spent anytime in Texas, you knowthat we share so muchmore with our neighborssouth of the border thanjust the waters of the RioGrande.

For one, we share along and elaboratehistory. The first sover-eign flag planted intoTexas soil was Spanish –and that sprawlingSpanish colony extendedall the way to modern-dayChile. When Mexico wonindependence from Spainin 1821, it won all ofTexas as well. And whenTexas fought Mexico forindependence, on theTexas side stood soldiersof Mexican and Europeandescent alongside eachother in support of astrong Republic of Texas.

For lasting evidence ofour entwined roots, lookno further than the city ofSan Antonio, so-namedbecause Spanish settlersarrived on the feast day ofSt. Anthony of Padua, orthe city of El Paso,originally named El Pasodel Norte because of itsstrategic location throughwhat we now call theFranklin Mountains. Thecity of Amarillo, whichtranslates in Spanish to‘yellow’, became thePanhandle city’s namebecause of the color of themud there.

Of course, the ex-change of people, culture,and values extendsbeyond borders, citynames, and flags.

Texans have devel-oped an affinity forHispanic cuisine – one ofmy family’s personalfavorites is Mi Tierra inSan Antonio, which theCortez family has proudlyowned for the past 75years. And I never leavethe Rio Grande Valleywithout the famouslydelicious tamales fromDelia's.

Hispanic singers likeSelena and Demi Lovatogot their start here inTexas before they broughttheir bilingual hits to thenational -- and global --stage.

Texas is also blessedto have exceptionalHispanic jurists on thebench, like Judge DianaSaldaña of the U.S.District Court for theSouthern District ofTexas. Diana grew upwith modest means inCarrizo Springs before

Celebrating HispanicHeritage Month in Texas

TEXAS TIMESBy SEN. JOHN CORNYN

✯

she went on to become thefirst federal judgenominated by PresidentObama for Texas. AndEva Guzman, who is notonly the first Hispanicwoman to sit as a justicefor the Supreme Court ofTexas, but also the firstHispanic woman electedto any statewide office inTexas.

All across the state,Hispanics are giving backto their communities.Cecilia Abbott, thegranddaughter of immi-grants from Mexico andour first Hispanic FirstLady of Texas, recentlylaunched her “Texanthro-py” initiative to promotevolunteerism acrossTexas. And Teach forAmerica, which hasexpanded education andopportunity for under-served students acrossthe nation, takes its leadfrom CEO Elisa Villanue-va Beard, raised in theRio Grande Valley andnow based in Houston.

More stories of thestrength, success, andstruggles of the Hispaniccommunity are beingrecorded and sharedevery day, and for that wehave, in part, NicolásKanellos to thank. AsDirector of the nation’soldest and largestpublisher of U.S. Hispan-ic literature in thecountry, the Arte PúblicoPress in Houston,Kanellos has focused onrecovering and telling theforgotten tales of Hispan-ic-Americans.

We all benefit from ashared history, culture,and set of values. Andwith more than one inevery three Texansidentifying as Hispanic,the ties between ourcultures are tightlybound.

So as we come aroundto mid-September - andthe anniversaries of theindependence of CostaRica, El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras,Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile,and Belize - I am proud tointroduce a resolution inthe United States Senateto recognize and celebrateHispanic Heritage Month.We have much to cele-brate.

Senator John Cornyn,a Republican from Texas,is a member of the SenateJudiciary and FinanceCommittees.

Be prepared forwhatevernature throwsat you

(NAPSI)—You have abetter chance of keepingyourself, your vehicle andyour passengers on theroad to safety even whenthe weather is bad if youprepare in advance soyour vehicle can be yourrefuge. These seven tipscan help.

Take Inventory InsideMake sure you know

what’s inside yourvehicle. See that you havea blanket, first aid kit,current snacks and aninflated spare tire; also, acell phone charger andsome basic tools. All thosecan be useful if yourvehicle leaves youstranded.

Clean and Coat

Your windshield allowsyou to see what’s coming.Clean the inside thor-oughly to remove buildup,smoke and haze. On theoutside, use a productsuch as Invisible GlassClean & Repel to add aprotective coating to helpshed rain, snow and icewhile increasing visibili-ty.

Inspect the OutsideSee that all your lights

work, front and rear.Working lights are key toseeing and being seen.They’re not just for looks.Plus, driving withburned-out bulbs canresult in a hefty fine.

Checkups CountPerform regular

maintenance, includingchecking that little oilchange sticker on thewindshield. Regularmaintenance is similar toa checkup. Metal shardsin your oil, discoloredcoolant or an irregularnoise can help diagnosesomething that could gowrong with your ride.

Keep Your WheelsTurning

Your vehicle’s tires andwheels take a beatingevery time you drive.Brake dust, grease, oil,and road grime can causepermanent damage overtime. A simple cleaningcan help protect yourtires and wheels, prolong-ing their life. For exam-ple, Stoner WheelCleaner quickly pene-trates deep into hard-to-reach areas, makingcleanup fast and easy.

Don’t Pass Gas

If you have the chanceto fuel up, take it. On anytrip, never let your tankdrop below half full.Doing that means youshould always haveenough gas to get back towhere you were.

Charge Your ACThe air conditioner

system does more thancool your vehicle. It alsoremoves excess moisture.Fogged windows are asign that your defrostersmay not be able to keepup the pace. Have yourmechanic top off yourrefrigerant.

Learn MoreThere are many ways

to make sure your vehicleis ready for any season.For further tips, visitwww.Facebook.com/StonerCarCareandwww.stonercarcare.com.


LIFESTYLE

Attorney at LawKAREN A. BLOMSTROM

281-328-7311510 Church Street Crosby, TX 77532

NOT CERTIFIED BY THE TEXAS BOARD OF LEGAL

SPECIALIZATION

Complete Line of Groceries

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Pride only breeds quarrels,but widom is found in

those who take advice.

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All of them were filled withthe Holy Spirit and began to

speak in other tongues as theSpirit enabled them. Acts 2:4

St. Timothy’sEpiscopal Church

All Invited to Worship with Us

SUNDAY Holy Eucharist Rite II 9:00 amSUNDAY Coffee Hour 10:00 amSpanish Service/Holy Eucharist 11:00 am

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sttimsinhouston.com 713-451-2909

THRIFT-TEE FOOD CENTER

10955 Eagle Drive 281-576-5040

Rise in the presence of theaged, show respect for the

elderly and revere your God.Leviticus 19:32

Be alert. Continue strong inthe faith. Have courage

and be strong.1 Corinthians 16:13

ROOF LEAKING

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(713) 455-5100*Funerals *Cremations *Pre-Arrangements

Family Owned and OperatedSince 1992

www.CarterFuneral-Houston.com

Virginia Sue Berry

Virginia Sue Berry, 86,of Houston, Texas, passedfrom this life on September19, 2016.

Known to her familyand friends as Sue, she wasborn January 17, 1930 inJustin, Texas to parents,Samuel David & May EttaMoore. She grew up in Jus-tin, Texas, later moving toHouston, Texas after hermarriage to Roy Berry. Shewas a lifelong member ofthe Galena Park Church ofChrist until they closed,then attended PasadenaCentral Church of Christ,Deer Park Church ofChrist and most recentlyChannelview Church ofChrist.

She is preceded in deathby her parents, and by herhusband, Roy O. Berry andby brother, Jesse Kittrell.She is lovingly survived byher son, Hershel Berry anddaughter, Shirley Damuth;by grandchildren, Ricky J.Damuth; JoAnn Dodson,Donnie Damuth; RachaelAllen; Dennis Berry, andSarah Green; and by 14great-grandchildren; by

On Friday, September 9, three Galena Park Elementary students got a surprise they had been waitingnine long months for from their loved one serving our country. Danielle Torres, 2015 Galena ParkHigh School graduate, is training to become a generator specialist in the United States Army andhad been training in North Carolina for the past nine months. Her siblings and nephew had no ideashe was back from training and would be surprising them at school. The GPE students were in theirclass when Torres walked in to surprise them, the look on their faces was priceless when they sawher. GPISD would like to thank Ms. Torres for her service to our country.

OBITUARIES✯

other family and dearfriends.

A visitation and servicewill be held at the Chan-nelview Church of Christ,1301 Sheldon Rd., Chan-nelview, Texas. The visita-tion will be from 6-8:00p.m. Thursday, September22, 2016 and services cele-brating her life will be10:00 a.m. Friday, Septem-ber 23, 2016. She will belaid to rest in BrooksideMemorial Cemetery at1:30 p.m. Friday under thedirection of Carter Funer-al Home.

Carter Funeral Home13701 Corpus Christi St.

Houston TX 77015713/455-5100

GALENA PARK ISDSurprise Homecoming

✯LITTLE

BIDDY BITSBy Danny Biddy

TailgateTheology

The bed of myfather's pickup truckstayed cleaned outmost of the year,because we used itfrom May until Octoberin the hay fields. Youwould think afterunloading the bales ofhay, you could leavethe tailgate open, drivedown the road and allthe straw would blowout the back, right?Wrong! It ends up nextto the cab of the truck.From time to time wehad to get a broom andsweep it out. Cleanjust does not happen onits own, does it?

"Create in me a cleanheart, Oh God, filledwith clean thoughtsand right desires."(Psalm 51:10)

The September GalenaPark ISD Board of Trusteesmeeting took place on Sep-tember 13, during the boardmeeting, Dr. Williams and Mr.Joe Stephens made specialrecognitions to the recipientsof the family of Riny Pieter-nelle and new GPISD admin-istrators.

Dr. Williams and Mr. Joe Stephens with Angie Eason and Mileen Anderson.

The family of Riny Pieter-nelle, a devoted communitymember, was recognized fordonating $4,000 to the TeamRiny Memorial ScholarshipFund. Seven North Shore Se-nior graduates benefited fromthe Riny Scholarship.

Riny Pieternelle believedin giving back and offering ahelping hand to those in need.In honor of her life and belief,her family and friends wantedto build on her legacy by help-ing graduating seniors inGPISD fulfill their dreams bycontinuing their education.

Community members, Galena ParkISD new administrators recognized


BUSINESS

NORTH CHANNELBUSINESS DIRECTORY

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www.har.com/[email protected]

United States NavyThe United States Navy (USN) is

the naval warfare service branch ofthe United States Armed Forces andone of the seven uniformed services ofthe United States. The U.S. Navy isthe largest, most capable navy in theworld, with the highest combinedbattle fleet tonnage. The U.S. Navyhas the world's largest aircraft carrierfleet, with ten in service, two in thereserve fleet and three new carriersunder construction. The service has328,194 personnel on active duty and101,199 in the Navy Reserve. It has272 deployable combat vessels andmore than 3,700 aircraft in activeservice as of February 2016.

The U.S. Navy traces its originsto the Continental Navy, which wasestablished during the AmericanRevolutionary War and was effectivelydisbanded as a separate entity shortlythereafter. It played a major role in theAmerican Civil War by blockading theConfederacy and seizing control of itsrivers. It played the central role in theWorld War II defeat of Japan. The 21stcentury U.S. Navy maintains a sizableglobal presence, deploying in suchareas as East Asia, the Mediterra-nean, and the Middle East. The Navyhas the ability to project force onto thelittoral regions of the world, engage inforward areas during peacetime, andrapidly respond to regional crises,making it an active player in U.S.foreign and defense policy. The Navyis administratively managed by theDepartment of the Navy, which isheaded by the civilian Secretary of theNavy. The Department of the Navy isitself a division of the Department ofDefense, which is headed by theSecretary of Defense. The Chief ofNaval Operations (CNO) is a four-staradmiral and the senior naval officer ofthe Department of the Navy. However,the CNO may not be the highestranking naval officer in the armedforces if the Chairman or the ViceChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffare Navy officers, who by law, outrankthe CNO.

The Navy's three primary areasof responsibility are:

•The preparation of naval forcesnecessary for the effective prosecutionof war.

•The maintenance of navalaviation, including land-based navalaviation, air transport essential fornaval operations, and all air weaponsand air techniques involved in theoperations and activities of the Navy.

•The development of aircraft,weapons, tactics, technique,organization, and equipment of navalcombat and service elements.

History“It follows then as certain as that

night succeeds the day, that without adecisive naval force we can do nothingdefinitive, and with it, everythinghonorable and glorious.”

—George Washington

The Navy was rooted in theAmerican seafaring tradition, whichproduced a large community ofsailors, captains, and shipbuilders inthe colonial era. In the early stages of

The average Americanretires at about age 63, ac-cording to data from the U.S.Census Bureau. If you en-joy your work, of course, youmay want to go well beyondthat age. But what if youdon’t want to wait until 63or so? Can you afford to re-tire early?

Possibly – if you followthese suggestions:

• Research the costs in-volved. What will you doduring your retirementyears? Will you travel theworld or stay close to home,pursuing your hobbies? Willyou downsize from your cur-rent home? How will youpay for health care untilyou’re old enough for Medi-care? You will need to an-swer these and otherquestions to determine howmuch you will need to sus-tain a comfortable lifestyleas an early retiree.

• Invest more – and in-vest for growth. One big ad-vantage in retiring at theusual age, or even later, isthat it gives you more timeto invest. But if you’re de-termined to retire early, youwill almost certainly need toaccelerate your investmentrate – which, in practicalterms, means you’ll likelyhave to contribute moreeach year to your IRA and401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement planthan if you were going toretire later on. Plus, youmay have to “ratchet up” thegrowth potential of your in-vestment portfolio. Howev-

Want to Retire Early?Start Planning Now

er, because growth-orientedinvestments typically aremore volatile than other in-vestments, you will be tak-ing on more risk than youmight otherwise. If you aretruly uncomfortable withthis risk level, you may needto re-evaluate your plans forretiring early.|

• Cut down your debtload. It’s always a good ideato enter retirement with asfew debts as possible – butif you want to retire early,you may need to be evenmore diligent in controllingyour debt load.

• Know the rules govern-ing retirement plan with-drawals. If you want toretire before age 59_ andbegin taking distributionsfrom your IRA or 401(k)plan, you will generally besubject to a 10% early dis-tribution penalty, plus nor-mal income taxes. (Towithdraw your earningsfrom a Roth IRA tax andpenalty free, you generallymust have owned the ac-count for at least five yearsand have reached age 59_.You can withdraw your con-tributions at any time taxand penalty free.) However,you may be able to avoid the10% penalty if you take“substantially equal period-ic payments,” which are cal-culated based upon your ageand other factors. Oncethese distributions begin,they must continue for fiveyears or until you reach age59_, whichever is longer.Other rules apply to thesedistributions, so before tak-ing any, you will want to con-sult with your tax andfinancial professionals. Andkeep in mind that if yourwithdrawal rate is too high,you risk seriously depletingyour retirement accounts,especially if your invest-ments decline in value dur-ing the years you’re takingthese payments.

Most importantly, do ev-erything early: Plan early,invest early (and don’t stop),and lower your debt loadearly. Getting a jump on allthese activities can go a longway toward turning yourearly retirement dreamsinto reality.

This article was writtenby Edward Jones for use byyour local Edward JonesFinancial Advisor.

Diamond Jim: "What can you tell us about theUnited States Navy?"

the American Revolutionary War,Massachusetts had its own navy. Theestablishment of a national navy wasan issue of debate among themembers of the Second ContinentalCongress. Supporters argued that anavy would protect shipping, defendthe coast, and make it easier to seekout support from foreign countries.Detractors countered that challengingthe British Royal Navy, then theworld's preeminent naval power, was afoolish undertaking. Commander inChief George Washington resolvedthe debate when he commissionedseven ocean-going cruisers, startingwith the schooner USS Hannah, tointerdict British supply ships, andreported the captures to the Congress.

The Continental Navy achievedmixed results; it was successful in anumber of engagements and raidedmany British merchant vessels, but itlost twenty four of its vessels and atone point was reduced to two in activeservice. The Continental Navy wasdisbanded at war's end.

From reestablishment to theCivil War

The United States was without anavy for nearly a decade—a state ofaffairs that exposed its merchant shipsto a series of attacks by Barbarypirates. The sole armed maritimepresence between 1790 and thelaunching of the U.S. Navy's firstwarships in 1797 was the U.S.Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS), theprimary predecessor of the U.S. CoastGuard. Although USRCS Cuttersconducted operations against thesepirates, the depredations faroutstripped the abilities of the USRCSand Congress passed the Naval Act of1794 which established a permanentstanding navy. The Naval Act orderedthe construction and manning of sixfrigates and, by October 1797; threeyears later, the first three werewelcomed into service: USS UnitedStates, USS Constellation, and USSConstitution. In 1798–99 the Navy was

involved in an undeclared Quasi-Warwith France.

The U.S. Navy saw substantialaction in the War of 1812, where it wasvictorious in eleven single-ship duelswith the Royal Navy. The navy droveall significant British forces off LakeErie and Lake Champlain andprevented them from becoming Britishcontrolled zones of conflict. The resultwas a major defeat for the Britishinvasion of New York state, and thedefeat of the military threat from theIndian allies of the British. Despite this,the U.S. Navy was unable to preventthe British from blockading Americanports and landing troops on Americansoil. After the war, the U.S. Navy againfocused its attention on protectingAmerican shipping assets, sendingsquadrons to the Caribbean, theMediterranean, South America, Africa,and the Pacific.

21st centuryWhen a crisis confronts the

nation, the first question often askedby policymakers is: 'What naval forcesare available and how fast can they beon station?'

—Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost

The United States Navycontinues to be a major support toU.S. interests in the 21st century.Since the end of the Cold War, it hasshifted its focus from preparations forlarge-scale war with the Soviet Unionto special operations and strikemissions in regional conflicts. Thenavy participated in OperationEnduring Freedom, Operation IraqiFreedom, and is a major participant inthe ongoing War on Terror, largely inthis capacity. Development continueson new ships and weapons, includingthe Gerald R. Ford-class aircraftcarrier and the Littoral combat ship.Because of its size, weaponstechnology, and ability to project forcefar from U.S. shores, the current U.S.Navy remains a potent asset for theUnited States.

Notable sailorsMany past and present United

States historical figures have served inthe navy. Notable officers include JohnPaul Jones, John Barry (ContinentalNavy officer and first flag officer of theUnited States Navy), Edward Preble,James Lawrence (whose last words"don't give up the ship" arememorialized in Bancroft Hall at theUnited States Naval Academy),Stephen Decatur, Jr., David Farragut,David Dixon Porter, Oliver HazardPerry, Commodore Matthew Perry(whose Black Ships forced theopening of Japan), George Dewey(the only person in the history of theUnited States to have attained therank of Admiral of the Navy), and theofficers who attained the rank of FleetAdmiral during World War II: WilliamD. Leahy, Ernest J. King, Chester W.Nimitz, and William F. Halsey, Jr..

The first American president whoserved in the navy was John F.Kennedy (who commanded thefamous PT-109). Others includedLyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon,Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, andGeorge H. W. Bush. Both TheodoreRoosevelt and Franklin D. Rooseveltwere the assistant secretary of thenavy prior to their presidencies. Manymembers of Congress served in thenavy, notably U.S. Senators BobKerrey, John McCain, and John Kerry.Other notable former members of theU.S. Navy include astronauts,entertainers, authors and professionalathletes.

We at Pineforest Jewelry saluteour service men and women stationedhere in the USA and all over the world.You have our deepest respect and ourappreciation. *** They placethemselves in harm’s way, noquestions asked, so that we may besafe at home…Thank you! ***

Diamond Jim is a diamond dealerand precious metals broker of NTRMetals. See more at:www.pineforestjewelry.com.

If you have questions pertainingto jewelry, watches, diamonds,precious stones, precious metals, andother questions related to the jewelryindustry, [email protected].


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BOATS FOR SALE BOATS FOR SALE

PEARSON 23’ DAYSAILERIT’S SAILING SEASON, THROUGHOCTOBER. THIS BOAT WILL TAKEYOU ON THE WATER. WITH NEW 6HP TOHATSU OUTBOARD. HAVE FUNFOR $4850 OBO. CALL 713-977-2555OR 713-252-8000.

RENT/LEASE

Double-WideMobile home for rent.3 bedroom/2 bath/2,000 sq. ft. No Pets.$1,100/month + $750deposit. Crosby.281-450-7282.

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FOR SALE

HONDASelf Propelled Lawn-mower. In good con-ditions. $150 firm.281-426-1139.

36-2

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

The Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition (the "Coalition") will receive sealedbids at the office of RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, 19 Briar HollowLane, Ste. 145, Houston, Texas 77027 for the construction of a park. Each bidmust be accompanied by a Bid Bond or a Cashier’s Check (the “bid security”)drawn for at least two percent (2%) of the total amount of the bid and madepayable to the Coalition only. The successful bidder shall forfeit bid security tothe Coalition as liquidated damages if it shall fail or refuse to enter into aproper contract for the project, including failure or refusal to furnish the Per-formance and Payment Bond required by the Contract. Bid security will bereturned to all but the three (3) most qualified, lowest responsible bidders withinfive (5) days after the Bid Opening Time set forth below. Remaining bid securi-ty will be returned after execution of the Contract. The BIDS are due in dupli-cate at 2:00 P.M. (CST) on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. NO BIDSWILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 2:00 P.M. The Coalition is exempt from salesand use taxes, so such taxes should be excluded from BIDS.

A MANDATORY PRE-BID Conference will be held at 2:00 P.M. (CST) onWednesday, September 14, 2016 at the site of the park at 641 Bradfield Road,Houston, Texas 77060. In case of inclement weather, the alternate location willbe at indoor facilities at 16945 Northchase, Suite 1900, Houston, Texas 77060.

Bid Documents are available at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, 19Briar Hollow Lane, Ste. 145, Houston, Texas 77027 during normal workinghours Monday through Friday. Alternately, Bidders may obtain online accessby contacting RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, Robert Whittemore,[email protected]. Online access will be provided to prime bid-ders only. All questions pertaining to this bid shall be directed to Robert Whit-temore in writing at [email protected].

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

GARAGE SALE

INSIDEGarage Sale. 234Live Oak in Crosby.Furniture & miscella-neous. Daily basis.Starting Sep. 15.

36-2

FOR SALE

SHOPSMITH VTable Saw with acce-sories. $1,350 cash.Call 281-413-9727.

36-2

HARRIS COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE

Notice is hereby given that the Board of the Directors of Harris County Water Con-trol and Improvement District Number One at a meeting held on the 13th day of September,2016 adopted an Ordinance providing for amended rates and fees for service; providing forthe enforcement of the Ordinance, providing for penalties for violations of the Ordinanceand providing a severability clause. A copy of the Ordinance is on file at the principal officeof the District, 125 San Jacinto Avenue, Highlands, Harris County, Texas, where it may beread in full.

/s/ Ray MullinsPresident, Board of Directors

HARRIS COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE

Notice is hereby given that the Board of the Directors of Harris County WaterControl and Improvement District Number One at a meeting held on the 13th day of Sep-tember, 2016 adopted an ordinance regulating certain plumbing work within the bound-aries of Harris County Water Control and Improvement District Number One, and outsideof said district if such work be connected to either the district’s water or sewage systems;providing for the issuance of permits and a method of establishing certain fees; providingfor the enforcement of this ordinance; providing penalties for violations of this ordinance;and providing a severability clause. A copy of the Ordinance is on file at the principal officeof the District, 125 San Jacinto Avenue, Highlands, Harris County, Texas, where it may beread in full.

/s/ Ray MullinsPresident, Board of Directors

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

2016 Property Tax Rates in Harris CountyEmergency Service District No. 12

This notice concerns the 2016 property tax rates for Harris County Emergency Service DistrictNo. 12. It presents information about three tax rates. Last year's tax rate is the actual tax rate thetaxing unit used to determine property taxes last year. This year's effective tax rate would imposethe same total taxes as last year if you compare properties taxed in both years. This year's rollbacktax rate is the highest tax rate the taxing unit can set before taxpayers start rollback procedures. Ineach case these rates are found by dividing the total amount of taxes by the tax base (the total valueof taxable property) with adjustments as required by state law. The rates are given per $100 ofproperty value.

Last year's tax rate: Last year's operating taxes $838,922 Last year's debt taxes $0 Last year's total taxes $838,922 Last year's tax base $2,796,406,667 Last year's total tax rate $0.0300/$100

This year's effective tax rate: Last year's adjusted taxes (after subtracting taxes on lost property) $838,111 : This year's adjusted tax base (after subtracting value of new property) $2,823,338,939 =This year's effective tax rate $0.0296/$100(Maximum rate unless unit publishes notices and holds hearings.)

This year's rollback tax rate: Last year's adjusted operating taxes $838,111 (after subtracting taxes on lost property and adjusting for anytransferred function, tax increment financing, state criminal justicemandate, and/or enhanced indigent healthcare expenditures)

: This year's adjusted tax base $2,823,338,939 =This year's effective operating rate $0.0296/$100 x 1.08=this year's maximum operating rate $0.0319/$100 + This year's debt rate $0/$100 = This year's total rollback rate $0.0319/$100

Statement of Increase/DecreaseIf Harris County Emergency Service District No. 12 adopts a 2016 tax rate equal to the effective

tax rate of $0.0296 per $100 of value, taxes would increase compared to 2015 taxes by $4,841.

Schedule A - Unencumbered Fund BalanceThe following estimated balances will be left in the unit's property tax accounts at the end of the

fiscal year. These balances are not encumbered by a corresponding debt obligation.Type of Property Tax Fund BalanceUnencumbered Fund 4,300,000

Schedule B - 2016 Debt ServiceThe unit plans to pay the following amounts for long-term debts that are secured by property

taxes. These amounts will be paid from property tax revenues (or additional sales tax revenues, ifapplicable).

Principal or Contract Interest to be Paid Other Amounts Total PaymentDescription of Debt Payment to be Paid from from Property to be Paid

Property Taxes Taxes 0 0 0 0

Total required for 2016 debt service $0- Amount (if any) paid from Schedule A $0- Amount (if any) paid from other resources $0- Excess collections last year $0= Total to be paid from taxes in 2016 $0+ Amount added in anticipation that the unit willcollect only 99.03% of its taxes in 2016 $0= Total debt levy $0

This notice contains a summary of actual effective and rollback tax rates' calculations. You caninspect a copy of the full calculations at 1001 Preston, Houston, TX 77002.

Name of person preparing this notice: Mike Sullivan Title: Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Date Prepared: 09/12/2016

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF TAX RATE INCREASE AND SETTING

Harris County Emergency Services District No. 5 will hold a meeting at6:30 PM on September 29, 2016 at 5915 FM 2100, Crosby, Texas,77532 to consider adopting a proposed tax rate for tax year 2016. Theproposed tax rate is $0.0200 per $100 of value.

The proposed tax rate would increase total taxes in Harris CountyEmergency Services District No. 5 by 0.45%.



THE CITY OF GALENA PARK WILL RECEIVE SEALED BIDS FOR THE CITY OFGALENA PARK MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORTATION.SEALED BIDS WILL BE RECEIVED BY MAYRA GONZALES, CITY SECRETARY, ATTHE CITY OF GALENA PARK, CITY HALL, 2000 CLINTON DRIVE, GALENA PARK,TEXAS 77547 UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ON OCTOBER 11, 2016. NO BID WILL BECONSIDERED IF RECEIVED AFTER THIS TIME. ALL BIDS MUST BE CLEARLYMARKED: “SEAL BID- CITY OF GALENA PARK-MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTECOLLECTION AND TRANSPORTATION”. THE BIDS WILL BE OPENED ANDREAD ALOUD AT A SPECIAL OPEN MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AT 5:00P.M. AT CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 2000 CLINTON DRIVE, GALENAPARK, TEXAS, 77547 ON OCTOBER 11, 2016.

BID SPECIFICATIONS ARE ON FILE AND MAY BE VIEWED AND OBTAINEDWITHOUT CHARGE IN THE OFFICES OF THE CITY OF GALENA PARK 2000CLINTON DR. GALENA PARK, TX 77547.

THE CITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND/OR ALL BIDS, TO WAIVEANY AND ALL TECHNICALITIES AND TO ACCEPT ANY BID OR PART THEREOFWHICH IN THE OPINION OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TOTHE CITY.



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Channelview ISD waswell-represented by a largegroup of district educators,support staff, administra-tors and students partici-pating in the Walk forAutism Speaks event onSeptember 18 at MinuteMaid Park.

“Team CISD” had morethan 175 walkers partici-pating in the event andthey are still raising funds

HOUSTON – The SanJacinto College baseballteam will play two exhibi-tion games against theUSA Baseball 18 and Un-der National Team at theNorth Campus in late Sep-tember as part of the 18UNational Team Trials.

The first game will beplayed on Sunday, Sept. 25at 6 p.m., and the second

Channelview displays strong show ofsupport at Walk for Autism event

More than 175 Channelview ISD employees, students and other district supporters participated on Team CISD as part ofthe Walk for Autism Speaks event at Minute Maid Park recently. The annual event focuses on raising awareness of AutismSpectrum Disorder.

through the end of Decem-ber to go toward researchof Autism Spectrum Disor-der (ASD).

“The level of support wehave had among our dis-trict staff and especiallythe students is amazing,”said Nan Meharg, CISD’sCoordinator of Special Ser-vices. “We hope to increaseawareness of Autism andadvocate for individuals

and their families throughevents such as this.”

The Channelview teamwas comprised of membersof the Special Services de-partment, district teachersand student groups fromChannelview High Schooland other individuals.CHS organizations partic-ipating in the walk includ-ed the Channelettes danceteam, Interact Club, Math

Club, ROTC, ChristianClub and Student Council.Local company Stronghold,Ltd. donated hats and abanner to the group.

For more information onAutism, you may log on tothe Autism Speaks websiteat www.autismspeaks.orgor contact CISD’s SpecialServices Department at281-860-8006.

San Jac to play nation’s best 18U teamNational Trials to feature top young baseball players

game will be played onTuesday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m.Both games are free andopen to the public and willbe played at John Ray Har-rison Field at Andy Pettit-te Park, located at 5800Uvalde in Houston.

Following the NationalTeam Trials, the USA 18U

National Team will partic-ipate in the Pan AmericanBaseball ConfederationChampionships in Monter-rey, Mexico to competeagainst 18U teams from allover the world.

Kory Koehler, San Ja-cinto College volunteer as-sistant baseball coach,

says people who come outto see the exhibition gameswill see some exciting andcompetitive baseball. “Ev-ery Major League Baseballorganization and manyNational Collegiate Athlet-ic Association programswill have representativesat the games,” Koehlercommented. “The players

on the national 18U teamare the best 40 high schoolseniors from across thecountry. Most of them willsign six-figure contractsnext June and many ofthem will one day play inprofessional baseball atthe highest level. It will bean honor t o c ompete

against them.”The San Jacinto College

baseball team will competein scrimmages through thefall semester. The 2017season gets underway inlate January. To find outmore about the College’sb a s e b a l l p r o g r a m ,visitsanjacsports.com.

year prison sentence. Itwas a privilege and honorto witness both Sgt. Casta-dena and Lt. Walker re-ceive the awards from theGovernor which they sure-ly deserved.”

Senator Sylvia Garciasaid, "It was a honor to rep-resent Senate District 6 atthe ceremony and be therewith the families who'vemade such a sacrifice forour safety. I was moved byall of the stories of ourbrave first respondersacross Texas." SenatorGarcia’s district includesthe city of Jacinto City.

Governor Greg Abbottsaid, “Today, Texas honorsthe extraordinary few –those who have demon-strated the character andthe courage to repeatedlyput their lives on the lineto serve and protect theircommunities.” “Today we

recognize acts of uncom-mon valor – by first re-sponders, firefighters andlaw enforcement officers –willing to put everythingon the line to keep us safe.All of the men and womenwho protect and serve, andthe families who stand bytheir sides, deserve ourdeepest respect. They rep-resent the very best of Tex-as.”

Jacinto City’s City Man-ager Lon Squyres said, “Itwas great to see Sgt. Cas-taneda being recognizedfor her service to the citi-zens of Jacinto City. Itstands in stark contrast tothe lack of respect for lawenforcement officials thathas become so popular intoday’s world. In additionto the event in Austin wehave seen a large outcry oflocal support for the entirePolice Department. Having

a close relationship withour police is just anotherbenefit of living in a smalltown like Jacinto City.”

After the ceremony Cas-taneda said, “I am so hon-ored to have received theaward. Although it was be-cause I was shot in the lineof duty, receiving the Starof Texas was a humble ex-perience. I am grateful forthe support and out pour-ing of love from all.” Shemisses the honorable pro-fession of police work; af-ter numerous surgeriesshe has permanent impair-ments to her arm and handwhich prevents her fromever returning to the du-ties of a police officer.

State RepresentativeAna Hernandez and Sena-tor Sylvia Garcia will rec-ognize and honor Sgt.Castaneda at the October13th 6 PM Jacinto CityCouncil meeting.

~ OPEN 7 DAYS ~TACLB001427C

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Texas Award-Part II, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3