YC R O S B Y

C R O S B YH I G H L A N D S

StarStarStar ✯✯✯ Courier Courier Courier

VOL. 65, NO. 07 – 50¢ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018© Copyright 2018 P.O. DRAWER 405, HIGHLANDS, TEXAS 77562

Serving Highlands, Crosby, Huffman and Surrounding Communities since 1955www.starcouriernews.com

STAR-COURIER PHONES: 281-328-9605 • E-MAIL: GRAFIKSTAR @ AOL.COM • FAX: 713-977-1188

BIRTHDAYSFeb 15--Micheal Hance

Lisa HenningDebbie HermanTerry Smith

Feb 16--Sandra GrossFeb 17- Donnie CravattFeb 18--Fay Blackmon-Slot

Ray BlackmonRebecca NibbeMandy CarwileNakomi StoneBilly Nash

Feb 19–Stephanie LaneFeb 20--Stormy Fulmer

Herman BradfordBeau McCrary

Feb 21--Lyndsie HenniganLeah MoyeTera Smith

DEATHSRobert Arnold JurekDenise Lynn Phillips

OVERWHELMED BY DEBT?BANKRUPTCY MAY BE THE ANSWER.CALL US TODAY!

WESTON G. COTTENATTORNEY AT LAW

5223 GARTH RD.BAYTOWN, TX

OFFICE: 281-421-5774FAX: 281-421-1103

WWW.WESTONCOTTEN.COM

WE CAN HELP!FREE CONSULTATION

We are a debt relief agency. Wehelp people file for bankruptcyrelief under the bankruptcy code.Not certified by the Texas Boardof Legal Specialization.281-328-4377

TurnerChevroletCrosby.com

✯IN THESTARS

Place Your Message on the FrontPage, at a reasonable Rate. Call the

STAR-COURIER 281-328-9605

These storiesin the PRESS:•Lee College Health Fair•Donation to Sam andCarmena Goss MemorialLibrary..........And more, Page 5

TXDOT STUDYMEETINGS FOR 1-10TXDOT is conductingfour public studymeetings to discuss thefuture of I-10, withpossible changes andenlargement. Dates are:Feb. 13, Barber Hill HSFeb. 15, Goose CreekMemorial HSFeb. 20, Channelview HSFeb. 22, Mickey LelandCollegeSEE STORY ON PAGE 8

THUR., FEB. 15CROSBY CHAMBERBANQUETAnnual Awards Banquet& Board Installation, 6:30pm - 9:00 pm. Monu-ment Inn, 4406 Indepen-dece Parkway. Visitwww.crosbyhuffmancc.orgfor more inforation.

TUE., FEB. 20EASTSIDE VETERANSCELEBRATIONChili Supper with all theFixins’, 6-8 pm, HungryJack Rest., 14045 FM2100, Crosby. 281-794-5122.

FRI., FEB. 23KNIGHTS OFCOLUMBUS FISH FRYFried fish, fries, hushpup-pies and coleslaw.Deserts available withdonation. #3229 KC Hall,1508 Crosby Dayton Rd.Feb. 23, March 2, 9, 16& 23, 5:00 - 8:00 pm.281-328-1104.

TUE., FEB. 27WEIGHT LOSSOPTIONSHouston Methodist SanJacinto Hospital will holda Medical WeightManagement & Weight Loss SurgeryEducartional event from6-7 pm at HospitalConference Boardroom,4401 Garth Rd.,Baytown. Call 281-428-2273, see AD, page 10for more information.

Don Coffey, P. 10CRI Financial Mgmt., P. 3 Weight Loss Options, P. 10

EVENTS

See Terry Davis Awards,Page 3

Coffey is Terry Davis Awardee

Justice of the Peace Don Coffey accepts the TerryDavis Award from Highlands - LynchburgChamber of Commerce President Jim Wadzinski

Sheriff Ed Gonzales accepts the Community Award for Sheriff’s Deputy ofthe Year for his entire Department surrounded by District 3 Deputies andsome of his command staff as presented by Wadzinski.

Eagleton Gala drawslawmen and friends

KEMAH – The ShermanEagleton Valentines Gala atthe South Shore HarbourResort & Conference Centerin League City was nonstopevents and celebration ofPrecinct 3 Sherman Eagle-ton’s administration sinceDecember 31, 2016.

The Constable was recog-nized by the Sheriff EdGonzales, a variety of lawenforcement personnel,multiple members of theCrosby Fair & Rodeo, whichlead by Rick Loggins put ona thriving live auction.

The Constable recog-nized with awards his mo-torcycle riders, the deputythat sold the most tickets tothe gala and sponsors.

Having met challengesthat included the murder ofhis Assistant Chief Deputyand executive adjustmentsEagleton has initiated bringPrecinct 3 into the ideals of“Best Practices” in 2018.

Sheriff Ed Gonzales brought his family and acadre of distinguished lawmen to the ShermanEagleton Valentine’s Gala last Saturday. Fair wasan excellent glazed chicken and vegitables.The band “Hill County Jane” played a variety offavoriets and the dance floor was generallypacked once the announcements and awardsportion of the show had concluded.

Donkey Polo makeshysterical debut

Cade Hoener, Blake Larkin, Cullen Lee and JeffreySparks are the Number One Team of 8 teams forDonkey Polo in Crosby, ‘Now on to the Olympics!’Crosby Young Farmers raised funds with a set ofbroom and donkey polo matches Saturday tobenefit Crosby FFA. According to one witness,“The second time I spewed beer was theimprobable take away by Blake to score from wayacross the field. I was laughing so hard I couldnot drink my beer.”The event was a bring your own bottlecelebration. It was said to have raised about$2,500 by coordinators on Tuesday afternoon.

EPA updates Galveston residents on Waste PitsAgency responds to request, but attendance is low

See Waste Pits, Page 6

An Environmental group meets with EPA directorScott Pruitt (at far end of table) to discuss theagency’s recent initiatives to speed up the clean-up process for projects throughout the UnitedStates, including the San Jacinto River Waste Pits.Seated at left, in blue sweater, is Houston’senvironmental activist Jackie Young. At right, astack of papers is the actual letters and commentsthat were submitted to EPA regarding the wastepits. Most of the comments asked for completeremoval of the toxic material.

At February’s meeting of the THEA/San JacintoRiver Coalition, director Jackie Young broughtthe group up to date on her trip to the EPA inWashington, DC and the public update meetingthat the EPA held in Galveston on January 30that the request of those residents. Present at themeeting were EPA regional superfund managerJohn Meyer, and Technical Manager Gary Miller,who presented a slide show similar to the onepresented in Highlands in December. Then theyanswered questions from the audience.

HIGHLANDS – JackieYoung conducted themonthly meeting of theSan Jacinto River Coali-tion of THEA last Tuesdaynight, February 6th, andbrought the audience up-dates on activities at EPAheadquarters in Washing-ton D.C. and at a publicmeeting presentation byEPA in Galveston.

Young was invited to at-tend a very interestingmeeting at the EPA inWashington, with the di-rector Scott Pruitt andsome of his departmentheads. Young was part of agroup of environmentalactivists from variousparts of the United States,with their own pollutionproblems that they neededthe agency’s help to solve.

Pruitt has indicated

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STARPage 2 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

✯ C O M M U N I T Y N E W S ✯

CROSBY, Texas - Cros-by High School Junior,Kaitlyn Carr, has qualifiedfor the UIL 5A StateChampionship in the 50meter and 100 meter Fre-estyle.

“Qualifying for state isa huge accomplishment.Kaitlyn has done it 2 yearsin a row. We are so proudto have any athlete repre-sent Code Red at the statelevel. She has put in thework and has competedwell all year. It is all pay-ing off now! We wish herthe best of luck this Fri-day,” said Jeff Riordan,Crosby ISD Athletic Direc-tor.

Currently, Crosby ISDdoes not have a natatori-um within the district. Allswim team athletes aretransported out of districtfor practice to BaytownSterling High School andare not able to begin prac-tice until after BaytownSterling athletes havecompleted their practicesession at around 5pm.Considering these less-than-desirable conditions,the Crosby Cougar SwimTeam placed 9th out of 31schools, with all 5 relayteams advancing to finalsat the Regional Meet. TheCrosby Cougar Swim Teamconsists of 24 swimmersand 2 divers.

Other Crosby CougarSwim Team members whoperformed well at the Dis-trict and Regional meets

Crosby ISD student advancesto UIL Swimming State Meetsecond year in a row

Kaitlyn Carr has qualified for the UIL 5A StateChampionship in the 50 meter and 100 meterFreestyle.

include the following:Johnny Gomez de Leon

earned a 3rd place medalat the Regional swim meetand is currently ranked27th in the State of Tex-as.

Kaleigh Salge placed13th in the Region in the200 Individual Medley.

Sidney Carr placed 1stat the District Dive meetand later placed 7th in theRegional ChampionshipDive Meet.

“The dedication of theseathletes, their families,and Coach Thadis Peguesis something that we are

extremely proud of and isindicative of accolades tocome,” stated Viviana Kil-lion, Director of Communi-ty Relations.

In preparation for herappearance at the StateChampionship, Kaitlyn istraining daily at the Uni-versity of Houston Campus.She will make her first ap-pearance at the Lee and JoeJamail Texas SwimmingCenter in Austin this Fri-day for Preliminaries. IfKaitlyn places in the top 8in the State Friday, she willswim again Saturday in theFinals.

Jenny Hinson, Theresa McDermott, Donna Haynes, Jodie RoaneJack Noonan

CRI FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COMPANYA DIVISION OF CORPORATE RECOVERY, INC.

TAX PREPARATION & CONSULTATIONAll Federal, State & Foreign Individual, Partnerships,Trusts, Estates, Corporations (C,Sub S & Limited Liability)

& Payroll Tax Returns,Intuit Pro-Advisors,Service All Businesses & Individual Taxes

Specialists in getting late filers into I.R.S. ComplianceBusiness Solutions for New Tax Rules, Regulations and Tax AuditsDebt Consultation and Bankruptcy Protection as a Solution to your Debts

Other Services RenderedBookkeeping, Computer Systems, Financial Management,

Investments, Payroll, Property Rendition,Real Estate & Business Brokerage

Normal Business HoursMonday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to Noon – 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday By AppointmentASK FOR YOUR FREE COPY OF OUR INCOME TAX ORGANIZER

JACK NOONAN, B.B.A., TREB, E.A. & STAFFIRS Enrolled License # 2017 – 65282

6400 FM 2100 North Main, P.O. Box 1428, Crosby, TX 77532-1428Telephone (281) 328-1755 Fax (281) 328-5280

E-mail: cri.tax.jhinson@gmail.comSERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1979 - OPEN ALL YEAR!

Maximum Tax Savings

281-328-5869

Home Health Care

CROSBY’S HOME

TOWN HOME CARE

Skilled Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy,Speech Therapy, Medical Social Worker, Home Health Aide

*Physical Therapy Position Available

CALL TODAY TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR MEDICAREFUNDED HOME HEALTH CAREPhysical Therapy Position Available

Locally owned and Operated by Tabatha and Jonathan Brady

Non-Discrimination PolicyNo client shall be, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability or handicap,

sexual orientation, marital status, religion or status with regard to public assistance or veteran status,excluded from admission to services through Omnix Health Care Services, Inc.

Judge Stephens presents Boys Life Skills CampJudge Joe Stephens pre-

sents Boys Rock 2 LifeSkills Camp! Experienceand studies show thatmentoring youth early inlife leads to positive youthdevelopment. The event isscheduled for Saturday,February 17, 2018 from8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at

Northshore MiddleSchool. Attendees do haveto register for this event athttps://boysrock2.plan-ingpod.com/.

In the courtroom set-ting, Judge Stephens seesthe need to reach out toyoung men to give them adifferent setting to ad-

dress some of their nonac-ademic needs. Hence, thebeginning of a life skillcamp on the east side ofHouston. This one-day funpacked workshop will ad-dress topics such as appear-ance, handling money, so-cial skills, and more.

Crosby-Huffman Chamberhosts Business Expo Saturday

The Crosby Elementary High Steppers were a delightful entertainment forattendees last Saturday between 10:30 and 3:00 p.m.

Eastside Veteran Celebration with the Crosby Lion’s Club at the ChamberBusiness Expo last Saturday. The Eastside Veteran are having a Chilli Feaston February 20 and invite the public to come out and try their chilli, meettheir membership and learn what they are doing to honor veterans on theEastside of the lake and river. Once per month they host a bus trip toCasinoes in Louisianna. The Lion’s Club fights blindness worldwide andbestows glasses to those that need them.

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STAR Page 3THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

✯ C O M M U N I T Y P A G E ✯

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234

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

www.jerry4cash.com

713-455-7111

DEER PARK – TheMonument Inn housed theHighlands-LynchburgChamber of CommerceCommunity Awards andInstallation Banquet onFebruary 8.

Opening statementswere from Beverly J. Fer-guson from CongressmanBrian Babin’s, R. 36th U.S.Congressional District Of-fice. “We say incredible sto-ries of bravery, compassionand resiliency. The High-lands-Lynchburg Chamberof Commerce continues toadvocate for and supportour local businesses andthe economy.” she opened.

Ferguson also presented

each award winner with aCertificate of Appreciationfrom the Congressman.

Jim Wadzinski present-

Harris County AttorneyVince Ryan was speakerof the evening.

ed Community Awards andthe first to receive one wasFirst Baptist Church ofHighlands as OrganizationOf The Year, on Sundaymorning, August 27 theyopened their door to evac-uees being brought in byHighlands Volunteer FireDept. by Sunday eveningabout 60 were stayingthere, numbers continuedto grow until there werewell over 100 dwellingthere for almost two weeks.The Church providedmeals, shelter and coordi-nated disaster relief towell over 250 families allover Highlands.

The Harris CountySheriff ’s Office was award-ed due in part to theirNorthstar initiative thattargeted violent offenders,834 arrests, confiscation of

55 guns, 28 pounds ofmarijuana etc... DuringHurricane Harvey thedepartment conductedover 10,000 rescues.

The Precinct 3 Con-stable’s Office estab-lished an Are You Okayprogram to check on theelderly in communities.The department estab-lished an Environmen-tal Division thatanswered over 100 com-plaints resulting in 46criminal charges. AfterDecember of last yearthey started A CrimeInterdiction Unit with 4fully trained K-9 Unitssince its inception theyhave 112 hours of sur-veillance, made 89 ar-rests, 183 traffic stops,seized 23 weapons, filed62 charges, and seizedthousands of dollars in

currency, and a wide assort-ment of illegal drugs. Eagle-ton’s administration added awide assortment of rescue ve-hicles without using a dimefrom the tax payers. The de-partment conducted over5,000 rescues during Hurri-cane Harvey.

The Firefighter of the YearAward went to the entireHighlands Volunteer FireDept. that logged 653 rescues,lost track of Highlands hoursof rescues at 34, one structur-al fire during Hurricane Har-vey. Highlands Volunteersfilled four boats covering fromHaddon Villa, Rio Villa andsurrounding areas during thestorm. They ran calls fromdaylight until dark and someat dark but only in brushtrucks. The received no helpfrom Red Cross, EOC, orHCEO because Highlandswas cut off.

Justice of the Peace forPrecinct 3 Position 2, DonCoffey was Terry DavisAward winner this year. Itis awarded for distin-guished service over time.

Coffey attended U. of H.Center for Law, graduatedfrom the U. of H., is a grad-uate of Lee College and amember of the Lee CollegeHall of Fame. He was elect-ed in 2010 after getting79% of the votes. Born ofraised in Baytown haspracticed since 1993, be-fore entering Law Schoolhe worked for Exxon. Hehas worked for severalboards and services andcharity organizations since1993 and is a member ofFaith PresbyterianChurch. He loves fast cars,two Vipers, two Mustangsand a Dodge Hellcat.

Above are most of the new Highlands-Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce members including thenew officers.

Above Beverly Ferguson bestows a Certificate ofAppreciation to the Highlands First BaptistChurch in adjuct to their community award fromthe Highlands-Lynchburg Chamber of Commercefor their efforts on a regular basis and especiallytheir efforts during Hurricane Harvey.

The Highlands Volunteer Fire Dept. in totalityreceived the Community Award for Firefighterof the Year as due to their extra-ordinary effortsthroughout the year and especially duringHurricane Harvey recognition was due to eachfirefighter for an outstanding job of helping theircommunity.

Sherman Eagleton Constable of Precinct 3 accepts a Certificate ofAppreciation from Beverly Ferguson of Congressman Brian Babin’s Office.

Constable Eagleton receives the Constable’s Deputy Award of the Year forhis entire department with his command staff. At right is Major Rick Larkin,Assistant Chief Deputy Antonio Ford, Chief Deputy Kirk Bonsal, ShermanEagleton and Jim Wadzinski President of the Highlands Chamber ofCommerce.

Terry Davis AwardCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STARPage 4 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

✯ O P I N I O N P A G E ✯

STATE CAPITALHIGHLIGHTS

By Ed Sterling

✯

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.

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: grafikstar@aol.com

Member Texas Press Association

and theUSPS 244-500

C R O S B YH I G H L A N D S

Barbers Hill✯ Dayton PRESS

Star✯ CourierStar✯ Courier

JUDGEEMMETT:Passage ofCongressionalDisaster ReliefFunding

Harris County Judge EdEmmett’s statement onCongressional passage of abudget agreement contain-ing funding for local disasterrelief and flood mitigationprojects:

“I am relieved andgrateful that Congress hasfinally acted on our manyrequests to assist HarrisCounty and Texas inrebuilding from one of theworst weather catastrophesin American history,” saidHarris County Judge EdEmmett. “Unfortunately,recovery is a long, ongoingprocess, and I hope that thefunds approved by Congresscan be made availablequickly.

“And now that Congresshas acted, we move on to thenext stages, which is torequest action from theState of Texas on our jointcity-county request for atleast $200 million in aid toshore up our damagedflooding infrastructure.With that in hand, thecounty can finally moveforward in funding its ownmitigation and buy-backprograms.”

AUSTIN — Gov. GregAbbott on Feb. 9 laudedCongress’ passage of bud-get legislation that con-tains nearly $90 billion inhurricane and wildfire di-saster relief funding forTexas, Florida, Californiaand Puerto Rico.

H u r r i c a n e H a r v e ypounded Texas from Aug.25-31, resulting in disasterstatus for some 60 coun-ties. The federal Office ofCoastal Management hasestimated the total cost ofHarvey at $125 billion.Cost estimates by variousother organizations havereached as high as $200billion.

“Today’s passage of di-saster funding marks an-other crucial step forwardas Texans continue to re-cover and rebuild in theaftermath of Harvey, andI thank the Texas delega-tion and leaders in Con-gress for taking action topass this critical recoverypackage,” Abbott said.

“ T h e m u c h - n e e d e dfunding included in the billf o r f l o o d m i t i g a t i o nprojects, housing and in-frastructure repairs willprovide a meaningful ben-efit to Texas. While Texanswill continue to struggle inHarvey’s wake long aftertoday’s vote, our resilientspirit remains strong, andwe will continue workingat the federal, state andlocal levels to ensure weemerge from this disasterstronger than ever,” Ab-bott added.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn,R-Texas, commented, say-ing: “While long overdue,this bill is a big step for-ward for Texans impactedby Hurricane Harvey upand down our coast. Weknow the recovery processis far from over, but theseresources will go a longway for Texas families,small businesses and com-munities who are still re-building. I will continue tostand shoulder to shoulderwith Gov. Abbott and ourcongressional delegation toensure Texans impactedby this once-in-a-lifetimestorm aren’t left behind.”

Cornyn said the disasterrelief part of the Biparti-san Budget Act:

— Ensures Texas will

By Cathy K. Hayes

In the 2015 movieThe Intern, RobertDeNiro starred as a 70-year-old widower whoreturns to the work-force as an under-appreciated andseemingly out-of-stepintern working for ayoung boss played byAnne Hathaway.

Initially, Hathaway’scharacter can’t quiterelate to this babyboomer who ditchedretirement out ofboredom, but by thefilm’s finale she comesto appreciate his skillsand experience.

In real life you’reunlikely to encountermany septuagenarianinterns, but it’s notunusual for people tore-enter the labormarket or launch newcareers when they arewell into what wasonce considered retire-ment age.

And that can be goodfor businesses that arewilling to take advan-tage of all those de-cades of hard-earnedexperience, saysAndrew Simon, apartner in SimonAssociate ManagementConsultants(www.simonassociates.net)who himself is in his70s..

“Starting a newcareer after 60 is notfor everyone,” Simonsays. “But it can berewarding for thosewith energy andcommitment levels thatare high, and who arewilling to learn newskills and keep up withthe constantly evolvingtechnology.”

The question iswhether businesseswill balk at hiringworkers who, in manycases, are old enough tobe the parents of thepeople supervisingthem. Sure there aredownsides, Simon says,but the upsides can betremendous when it’sthe right fit for theright person.

He says a few thingsbusinesses should keepin mind as they weighwhether to hire olderworkers include:

• Experience counts.

Legislation passed by Congressincludes hurricane relief funds

have increased access toCommunity DevelopmentBlock Grant Disaster Re-covery funds;

— Ensures that $15 bil-lion of U.S. Army Corpsfunding will go directly to-ward construction in high-priority areas impacted byflooding;

— Provides flexibility tothe U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers to allow them toc a r r y o u t n e c e s s a r yprojects in Texas;

— Includes funding tohelp Texas address linger-ing transportation issuesresulting from HurricaneHarvey;

— Allows the FederalTransit Administration todistribute formula moneyusing 2000 Census data forareas that temporarily fellbelow a population of50,000 as a result of a ma-jor disaster (this applies toGalveston); and

— Authorizes $10 mil-lion for the Ready ReserveFleet port facility in Beau-mont damaged by Hurri-cane Harvey.

On Feb. 8, Texas’ juniorU.S. senator, RepublicanTed Cruz, commented: “Af-ter much consideration, Iwill reluctantly vote forthis legislation. This billcontains major victories; ifhurricane relief and restor-ing vital defense spendingwere the only elements ofthis bill, I would be sup-

porting it energeticallyand enthusiastically. Un-fortunately, in addition tofunding those critical pri-orities, this bill also unnec-essar i ly ba l loons thedeficit.”

Comptroller to sendrevenue

T e x a s C o m p t r o l l e rGlenn Hegar on Feb. 7 an-nounced he would send cit-ies , count ies , t ransi tsystems and special pur-pose tax ing d i s t r i c t s$911.9 million in localsales tax allocations for themonth of February.

The amount is 6.2 per-cent more than was dis-tributed in February 2017.The allocations are basedon sales made in Decemberby businesses that reporttax monthly; October, No-vember and Decembersales by quarterly filers;and 2017 sales by busi-nesses that report tax an-nually, Hegar said.

AG seeks electionsafeguards

Texas Attorney GeneralKen Paxton on Feb. 5 senta letter to state Sen. Bry-an Hughes, R-Mineola,chair of the Senate SelectCommittee on Election In-tegrity, announcing a vot-er-fraud initiative.

The letter mentions theOffice of the Attorney Gen-eral’s “brief investigativesurvey” of four countieswhere “165 unlawfully reg-istered non-citizens hadbeen removed from the vot-er rolls after casting 100illegal votes in Texas elec-tions in the last two years.”

And, after stating thatthe Office of the AttorneyGeneral “is unable to de-termine the scope of non-citizens voting acrossTexas,” Paxton refers to“the lack of safeguards inthe voting system to detectineligible voters.” He sug-gests additional measuresto address mail-in ballotfraud and the use of pub-lic funds for political activ-ity.

Accreditations arereleased

The Texas EducationAgency on Feb. 9 releasedaccreditation statuses forschool districts and charterschools across the state.

These s tatuses arebased on state academicaccountability ratings, theFinancial Integrity RatingSystem of Texas, data re-porting, special programeffectiveness and compli-ance with statutory andregulatory requirements.

Statuses for the 2017-2018 school year for 1,201Texas school districts andcharter schools are as fol-lows: Accredited (1,185);Accredited-Warned (9);Accredited-Probation (2);Not Accredited-Revoked(4); and Pending (1).

Reasons why hiringolder employees is asmart decision

Baby boomers come tothe table with a wholeset of experiences,including 30 or 40years of interpersonalpeople skills that makethem more adept atdealing with uniquesituations or differenttypes of people. “On theflip side,” Simon says,“some of them couldlack the technical skillsthat we take for grant-ed in today’s workforce.So, be careful what youare asking them to do.”

• Self-motivation.The odds are olderemployees will be self-motivated. “If thesepotential workerswould like to join anorganization or start anew career after 60,they probably like theidea of work,” Simonsays. “They need to dosomething every day.Perhaps they viewtheir job as intellectu-ally stimulating.” Youdo need to make sure oftheir motivation,though, he says. Ifthey’re just working fora paycheck, that mightnot cut it.

• Different agegroups have their ownbehaviors. Babyboomers often have avery different set ofvalues than millenni-als. “Different thingsmotivate them,” Simonsays. “The culture of anorganization is veryimportant and can betricky. You want tomake sure these olderworkers have anopportunity to thrive inyour new environ-ment.” While it’s bestto avoid stereotypingthe generations toomuch, in general babyboomers tend to beproductive, loyal to thecompany, willing to putin long hours to get thejob done and prefer tohave conversations inperson.

“Companies thatpass on hiring olderworkers risk missingout on people whocould become some oftheir most valuableemployees,” Simonsays. “Age shouldn’t bethe issue. Instead, aswith any hire, the issueis what skills andexperiences each ofthese people can bringto the workforce.”

Know thebasics aboutvirtualcurrencies

(NAPSI)—The recentrun-up in price for Bitcoinand other virtual currencieshas piqued investors’interest. However, the U.S.Commodity Futures TradingCommission (CFTC) advisesinvestors to understand therisks that go with virtualcurrencies before addingthem to their portfolios.

What is Bitcoin?Bitcoin is a convertible

virtual currency. Virtualcurrency is a digitalrepresentation of value thatmay function as a medium ofexchange, a unit of account,and/or a store of value.

Is Bitcoin a commodity?Yes, Bitcoin and other

virtual currencies have beendetermined to be commodi-ties under the CommodityExchange Act (CEA).

Does the CFTC overseeBitcoin?

The CFTC’s jurisdictionis implicated when a virtualcurrency is used in aderivatives contract, such asfutures or options contracts.The CFTC’s oversight overcommodity cash markets islimited. The CFTC main-tains general anti-fraud andmanipulation enforcementauthority over virtualcurrency cash markets as acommodity in interstatecommerce.

What risks come withvirtual currencies?

While virtual currenciesmay have potential benefits,purchasing virtual curren-cies on the cash market—spending dollars to purchaseBitcoin for your personalwallet, for example—comeswith a number of significantrisks, including:

• Most cash markets arenot regulated or supervisedby a federal governmentagency.

• Platforms in the cashmarket may lack systemsafeguards, includingcustomer protections.

• Cash market manipula-tion.

• Platforms selling fromtheir own accounts andputting customers at adisadvantage.

• Price volatility risks.

• Cybersecurity risks.What do I do if I suspect

fraud?

To report suspiciousactivity, contact the CFTCat (866) 366-2382,consumers@cftc.gov, or visitSmartCheck.gov/Submi-taTip.

For more information,visit www.cftc.gov/bitcoin.

VOL. 23, NO. 07 – 40¢ © Copyright 2018 P.O. BOX 2351, MONT BELVIEU, TEXAS 77580THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

ROUND-UP

Barbers HillDayton PressBarbers HillDayton Press✯

Serving Mont Belvieu, Dayton, Baytown and surrounding communities since 1995

Don Coffey, P. 10 Turner Chevrolet, P. 10 Weight Loss Event, P. 10

Black HistoryMonth displayat the library

The Sam andCarmena GossMemorial BranchLibrary in Mont Belvieuwill be hosting a BlackHistory Month displayon Monday Feb. 26, 8-5and Tuesday Feb. 27, 8-6. Tina Smith will besharing her display inhonor of her familyancestry and BlackHistory Month. She is a1983 graduate ofAnahuac High andbelieves that BlackHistory is a part ofAmerican history thatneeds to be told toeveryone.

Jones LibraryFebruary events

February StoryHours

•February 21, 2018Book: President’s

DayScience

Experiment: SelfPortrait as a President!

Synopsis: It’sPresident’s Day! Join usas we list all of ourPresidents throughouthistory. We will spend alittle more time onGeorge Washingtonand Abraham Lincoln,the two Presidents theholiday was createdfor. In our book we willread about howPresident’s Day cameto be. For our craft wewill see what we wouldlook like if we were thePresident! Please bringa picture of your childfor this activity!

•February 28, 2018Book: I Can Read

with My Eyes Shut!Activity: Birthday

Party!Synopsis: Happy

Birthday Dr. Seuss! Youare invited to join us incelebrating Dr. Seuss’Birthday! We will startoff by reading I CanRead with My EyesShut! Then, we willcreate a Cat in the Hatmask. After we havefinished our craft wewill let them dry and goplay some gamesoutside on the lawn.After our party games,we will end our daywith snacks inspired bythe world of Dr. Seuss.The staff will bedressed up as Seusscharacters, and wewould love to see youdressed up as yourfavorite Dr. Seusscharacter as well!

Jones Public Library801 S Cleveland St

Ste A. Dayton, TX77535.

The ManeEvent

The Mane eventreturns to Baytown onMarch 3, 2018 at HiltonGarden Inn. Tickets areavailable to the public.Call the shelter office at281-425-2140 to reserveseat at this event. Allproceeds benefit BayArea HomelessServices, Inc.

One Stop Patriot Shop serves many purposes

Photos by Carrie Pryor-NewmanFrom left, Hannah Brown, ninth grade; Tanner Sewell,11th grade and Damon Deramus, 10th grade, orga-nize canned goods to be given to people in need. Thestudents take pride in working in the One Stop PatriotShop at Goose Creek Memorial High School.

Goose Creek Memorial High School students sort do-nations in the One Stop Patriot Shop. Pictured are(from left) Tanner Sewell, 11th grade; Hannah Brown,ninth grade; Damon Deramus, 10th grade and SergioSegoviano, 12th grade.

By Susan Passmore

The One Stop PatriotShop isn’t always open, butwhen it is, some amazingthings happen there. Theshop, housed in two class-rooms in portable build-i n g s a t G o o s e C r e e kMemorial High School, isrun by students in the LifeSkills program and theirteachers. During the pastyear and a half, it has pro-vided clothes, food, toilet-ries and cleaning suppliesfree of charge for numer-ous families in need.

“Mrs. Jackson, our prin-cipal, gave us the Back-pack Buddies (HoustonFood Bank) project so thatstudents could learn voca-tional skills, such as sort-ing and reading labels, butshe had heard about thistype shop at anotherschool, so we tried it, andit just exploded fromthere,” said teacher Tiffa-ny Aguilar.

Fifteen students in theclass work in the shop atleast three times eachweek. When clothing dona-tions come in from the staffor the community, theycheck them to make surethey’re clean and in goodshape, and they decide ifthe items could be worn atschool. The class has ac-cess to a washer and dry-er, so sometimes evensoiled items may be sal-vaged. Students and fami-lies are referred to theshop by teachers, counse-lors and social workers forvarious reasons.

“One time we had a stu-dent who needed a pair ofshoes because the sole ofher shoe had come loose.At the end of school lastyear, we helped severalkids who didn’t have whiteshirts, ties or dress shoesfor graduation. If studentsviolate the dress code andcan’t reach a parent, wecan usually find themsomething to wear,” saidRichie Lawrence, a para-professional who helps thestudents with the shop.

The aftermath of Hurri-cane Harvey resulted inincreased business for theworkers. Not only did moredonations come in, includ-ing backpacks and schoolsupplies, but community

members took advantageof the opportunity to re-place a few items they hadlost in the flooding. Theshop opens primarily forGCM families, but no onewas turned away duringHarvey.

“Harvey was a hugepush for us. We had theroom, but we had to orga-nize everything coming in.We helped 200-300 fami-lies during that time,”Aguilar said.

Lauren Desselle, LifeS k i l l s t e a c h e r , a n dMichelle Cienfuegos, para-professional, also takepride in assisting studentswith the One Stop PatriotShop. Although the stu-dents are willing to do any-

thing necessary to main-tain the shop, each studenthas a favorite job.

“I love putting up thec a n s , ” s a i d H a n n a hBrown, a freshman.

Although both rooms ofthe shop are neater thanmost people’s closets, thestudents are still in needof more clothing racks,shelves and other storagecontainers to keep every-thing organized for easieraccess.

“I’m very proud of ourstudents and all the workthey have done in OSPS.Since it opened, it has pro-vided many vocational op-p o r t u n i t i e s f o r o u rstudents right here oncampus. The students are

able to develop their voca-tional skills while provid-ing a serv ice for ourcampus, students, andfamilies on our campusthat are in need,” Dessellesaid. “We are excited towatch the store and thestudents’ skills continue togrow over the years tocome.”

The success of the OneStop Patriot Shop may bemeasured by the intakeand the outflow of goods,but, more importantly, itssuccess can be gauged bythe smiles on the faces ofthe students as they learnthe importance of givingback to the community.

The Sam and Carmena Goss Memorial Branch Library in MontBelvieu is full of wonderful resources. Many patrons visit the li-brary every day to use the computer, check out books, attend aprogram, or just hang out in a quiet space. But have you everthought about checking out a piano? Recently, a local resident ofMont Belvieu, Rebecca Hall brought the library an unusual dona-tion. Rebecca is a recent student at Purdue University and beganher love of music at an early age. It wasn't until she was in middleschool did she have free access to instruments, which helped shapeher love of music. Rebecca spent time as a part-time worker at thelibrary during a past summer, and saw the number of kids her agefrequenting the library. She saw that the library as a perfect loca-tion to share her love of music by donating a new digital piano.Rebecca and her mother built the piano and it now stands proudlyin the meeting room at the library. Headphones and piano booksare available for checkout to patrons with a valid library card. Wecan't thank Rebecca enough for spreading her love of music to thecommunity. Stop by the library and play us a song. We'd love tohear you!

Mont Belvieu resident donates to Sam andCarmena Goss Memorial Branch Library

Rebecca Hall donates piano to Sam and Carmena Goss Memorial Branch

BAYTOWN — (Feb-ruary 9, 2018) — Hous-t on Method i s t SanJacinto Hospital and theLee College CommunityEducation Program col-laborate to present afree Community HealthSymposium at the Bay-town school’s RundellHall Conference Centeron Friday, February 16from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Houston MethodistSan Jacinto Hospital'steam of surgeons andphys i c ians prov ideworld-class health careand put the patient firstin everything they do.The symposium is de-

Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital,Lee College to host health event

signed to help you meet yourhealth goals and offer valuableinformation that can help youlive a longer, healthier life.

Interventional cardiologist Dr.Rhagunandan Muppidi will dis-cuss the causes, symptoms andtreatments of cardiovascular dis-ease and other structural heartconditions, as well as ways tohelp you stay heart healthy.Urologist Dr. Bayo Tojuola willprovide information on a widerange of urologic conditions, in-cluding prostate cancer, kidneystones, bladder cancer and erec-tile dysfunction.

Breast surgical oncologist Dr.Esther Dubrovsky will share in-formation on a full spectrum ofadvanced breast surgery tech-

niques and the importance of regularmammography. Dr. Karthik Jonna, an or-thopedic surgeon with Houston MethodistOrthopedics & Sports Medicine at Hous-ton Methodist San Jacinto Hospital, willprovide expertise on a variety of orthope-dic conditions including joint replacementsurgery and injury prevention.

Dr. RhagunandanMuppidi

Dr. BayoTojuola

Dr. KarthikJonna

Dr. EstherDubrovsky

A light lunch will pro-vided during the sympo-sium. To register, visitwww.lee.edu/senior andclick “Health Sympo-sium,” or call281.425.6311.

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STARPage 6 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

✯ E N T E R T A I N M E N T ✯

that he wants to put his“Top Ten” projects on a fasttrack, to get action in thenear future. To that end, hehas appointed an overseeron his staff, Albert Kelley,formerly an Oklahomabanker. His job will be tomove the waste pits projectahead faster than the nor-mal Superfund processtakes, according to Pruitt.They said that Kellley willmeet every three monthswith the activist group, toreport on progress.

One of the environmen-tal activists that waspresent at this meetingwas Lois Gibbs, known na-tionally for exposing thetoxins at the Love Canalsite, a landmark environ-mental project.

Young learned that al-though EPA has not hadtheir own funds for clean-up purposes since a pollut-er fee was abolished byCongress in the 90’s, thereis now a bill in Congress toreinstate the “kitty” andhave more money forclean-ups.

Young then showedslides of the court docu-ments that led to the reve-lation that the PRP(Potential ResponsibleParties) of the waste pitshad been funding severalgroups that were claimingto be independent citizensvoices. These included the-San Jacinto Citizens

Waste Pits Update,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Against Pollution, with aKeepItCapped website,and the Galveston Mari-time Business Association.

The GMBA is headed byJ. T. Edwards, who in aninterview with FOX26television newsman GregGroogan, claimed that hisorganization was fundedby independent trial law-yers. When he learnedfrom court documents thatthe PRP had paid for PRwork against the removalof the toxic waste, he alleg- J. T. Edwards

One of the dangers of leaving the Dioxin wastein the river, with a cap, is the power of the riverto change and move the earth. Here is a currentscene, where after Hurricane Harvey the rivertried to change course and cut a new path underI-10, only a few hundred yards farther west onthe other side of the waste pits. Seen in the photois a rubber cofferdam, in the distance.

Famed cartoonist Nick Anderson has contributedthis art to the environmental cause of the SanJacinto River Coalition. It depicts the cardboardcitizens groups claiming they want the waste pitscapped rather than removed, but in reality showsthat the responsible party, Waste Management’ssubsidiary, McGinnes Industrial MaintenanceCorp. was behind the protestors.

edly said he did not see aproblem with that money,and would welcome addi-tional support, presumablyfrom the PRP.

Edwards has been a vo-cal opponent of the EPAdecision to remove the tox-ins from the site, saying “Ithink it’s going to be goodfor the community,” refer-ring to a cap instead of re-moval. Edwards issupposedly a former em-ployee of Waste Manage-ment, although that has

not been confirmed.The January 30 meeting

in Galveston was held atthe request of a number ofthe public who had been atthe December EPA meet-ing in Highlands, and feltthat the possibility of tox-ic material washing downthe river to pollute the bayat Galveston deserved con-sideration and explanationin a meeting close to aff-fected people in Galveston.The meeting was well pub-licized, and held at the Old

Galveston Courthousehearing room. However,only about 30 persons werepresent at the meeting,many of them EPA staffand related public employ-ees in other agencies. Itwas noted that only a fewof the public that com-plained in Highlands inDecmeber were present tohear about the informationthey had requested.

At the February SJRCmeeting, Young went on topresent further updatesthat she had learnedabout. She mentioned thatthe river had attempted tocut a new channel west ofthe pits during HurricaneHarvey, showing the pow-er of the river.

She also said that thepublic had been advised ofTxDOT plans to improve I-10 in the area of the pits,with more lanes and a new,higher bridge over the riv-er. If that happens, the pitscould not stay in theirpresent location, she not-ed.

Young reminded thatgroup of the schedule ofworking, saying that Nego-tiation with the PRP wouldtake the next 6-9 months,then Engineering design 6-9 months, and the Clean-up removal of the wasteswould be 12-15 months.

The next SJRC meetingis scheduled for March 13.

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STAR Page 7THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

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

KWIK MART FOODS14443 FM 1409 281-576-5788

OILWELL TUBULAR CONSULTANTSP.O. Box 1267, Crosby, TX

281-328-6220

Open M - F 8 AM - 5:30 PM

A-AUTOMOTIVEChris Arnold-Owner - 281-385-1782

2926 FM 565, Mont Belvieu, Tx 77580

WESTON COTTEN, ATTORNEYBAYTOWN

281-421-5774 5223 Garth Rd.NOT CERTIFIED BY THE TEXAS BOARD OF LEGAL

SPECIALIZATION

Pride only breeds quarrels,but widom is found in

those who take advice.

CallGRAFIKSHOP

for printing jobs

713-977-2555

All of them were filled withthe Holy Spirit and began to

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

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

1-844-938-7663All Roof Types Repairs

Call Mr. Roofer

1-844-WET ROOF

281-452-0000

ENVELOPESPrinted with your Address

1 or 2 colors

Special Rates 250 to 25,000Please call for a Quote

Grafikshop at Star-Courier713-977-2555

Whoever believes in me, asScripture has said, rivers ofliving water will flow from

within them.John 7:38

What we suffer nowis nothing compared

to the glory He willreveal to us later

ROMANS 8:18

God is our refugeand strengh, a

very present helpin trouble

Psalm: 46:1

✯ L I F E S T Y L E P A G E ✯

Denise LynnPhillips

Denise Lynn Phil-lips, 53, of Houston,Texas, passed fromthis life, January 30,2018. Denise was bornJuly 19, 1964 inMansfield, Ohio toparents, Charles andJoyce Johnston. Shewas preceded in deathby her mother, JoyceJohnston-Mortimer.She is survived bychildren, StevenPhillips, and LaurenAranda, by father,Charles Johnson, Sr.and brother, CharlesJohnston, Jr.; as wellas by many otherfamily and friends.

Carter-ConleyFuneral Home

13701 Corpus Christi St.Houston, TX 77015

713-455-5100

Cub Scout Pack 264from Crosby participatedin a nationwide Boy Scoutsof America event on Feb-ruary 2nd called ScoutingFor Food. Each year ,scouts from across thecountry collect food fortheir local food pantry onSuperbowl weekend. Thisyear, Pack 264 collectedover 1,000 non-perishableitems and delivered themto Churches United in Car-

The biblical book of Rev-elation will be the focus ofa study at Northside Bap-tist Church of Highlands.Revelation is the last bib-lical book and deals withend times and the SecondComing of Jesus Christ.

R e v e l a t i o n s a y s ,Blessed is he who readsand those who hear thewords of this prophecy,

Need help on the com-puter? The Stratford Li-brary in Highlands hasone-on-one computer ap-pointments available tohelp with learning aboutcomputer basics, editingyour resume, or learning

Robert ArnoldJurek

Robert Arnold Jurek,69, of Crosby, Texas wentto be with the Lord on Feb-ruary 8, 2018. Robert wasborn on October 6, 1948 inHouston, Texas to Arnoldand Lydia (Dlouhy) Jurek.Robert served his countryduring the Vietnam Warand was honorably dis-charged from the U.S.Army after receiving 2purple heart awards ands e v e r a l B r o n z e s t a rawards, one with the V de-vice for acts of valor ormeritorious service. Rob-ert owned his own tele-phone business in theHouston area for manyyears. He was a long-timemember of St. Dominic’sCatholic Church and pres-ently is a member of Sa-c r e d H e a r t C a t h o l i cChurch. He was a 4th de-gree Knight with theKnights of Columbus andvolunteered numeroushours with the organiza-tion. In his free time Rob-e r t e n j o y e d w o r k i n goutdoors, being in thecountry, BBQing, drinkingcold Lonestar’s, hunting,fishing and spending timew i t h h i s f a m i l y a n dfriends. Robert was a verypatriotic, generous andcaring man who will bedeeply missed by all whoknew him. He is precededin death by his parents,Arnold and Lydia Jurek;sister, Claudine Lewis andnephew, Kenny Lewis.Robert is survived by hisloving wife of 45 years,

OBITUARIES✯

Madelyn Masaryk Jurek ofCrosby; daughter, LarissaWright and husband Ken-neth of Crosby; Son, BrianJurek and wife Amy ofHouston; daughter, Aman-da McBee and husbandJosh of La Porte; grand-ch i ldren , Zoe Dugat -Burge, Madison Wright,K a i t l y n W r i g h t , J a yMcBee, Kaitlyn McBee,Milo Jurek, Louis Jurek;and many other relativesand friends. A visitationfor family and friends willbe held at Sterling-Whiteon Sunday, February 11,2018 from 5pm-8pm witha rosary starting at 7pm.A Mass of Christian buri-al will be held on Monday,February 12, 2018 11am atSacred Heart CatholicChurch in Crosby with in-terment following at Ster-l ing-White Cemetery.Services have been en-trusted to Sterling-WhiteFuneral Home 11011 Cros-by-Lynchburg Rd. High-lands, Texas 77562. Tosend the family condolenc-e s p l e a s e v i s i twww.sterlingwhite.com

Back Row: Mark Owen, Cub Master; Kay Mitchell, CUIC; Andria Ginn, DenLeader. Cub Scouts middle row: Shaun Harvey, Logan Darjean, Erik Hayes.Cub Scouts front row: Etahan Hayes, Noah Murrin.

Cub Scouts help at Food Drive

ing. Cub Master MarkOwen, along with DenLeader Andria Flowers,headed up the event thisyear. Over 20 local CubScouts participated. KayMitchell, a CUIC volun-teer, along with many oth-e r v o l u n t e e r s w e r epresent Saturday, Febru-ary 10 to accept the fooddonations.

CUIC is a Non-Profitorganization run by volun-

teers for residents of Cros-by, Huffman, and BarrettStation. CUIC's ThriftShop is open Mobn-Satfrom 10am - 2pm and alsoaccepts donations of gentlyused items during thesehours. The assistance Cen-ter accepts applications onMon, Wed, and Fri from10am - 11:30am. If you areinterested in joining CubS c o u t s , p l e a s e v i s i twww.beascout.org .

Stratford Library Highlands: One-on-One Computer Appointments

how to use Excel. Have aspecific computer questionthat you need help with?Give the library a call andset up an appointment!More information can befound online atwww.hcpl.net, on our Fa-

cebook page: "StratfordBranch Library" or give usa call: 832-927-5400. Strat-ford Library is located 2blocks behind Foodtown at509 Stratford St in High-lands.

Northside Baptist, Highlandsto Study Revelation

and keep those thingswhich are written in it; forthe time is near.

The study will beginFebruary 21, 2018 at 6pma n d c o n t i n u e e a c hWednesday from 6-7pm.This informal study will beled by pastor David R.Brumbelow, a graduate ofETBU and SWBTS, and

will especially deal withthe Premillennial view-point.

The commentary, BeVictorious by Warren W.Wiersbe will also be used.Dress is casual and snackswill be served. Northside islocated at 317 Barbers HillRoad , Highlands , TX77562.

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STARPage 8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Business DirectorySHOP LOCALLY -- Save Time & Money

✯SHOP LOCALLY -- Save Time & Money

To advertise in the Business Directory, please call 281-328-9605 for details

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATES

38-12

ALVI

YOUR LOCALNEWSPAPERS ARE ONYOUR SMART PHONE!

Follow local news on theInternet, on your browser:

www.starcouriernews.com

Receive theStar-Courier in your

mail box. $28 peryear. Send check to

P.O. Box 405,Highlands, TX 77562.

✯ A S K T H E E X P E R T S ✯

(NAPSI)—Every hearthas a built-in pacemakerthat ensures it beats regu-larly. When that naturalpacemaker doesn’t do itsjob, however, a person mayexperience an irregularheart rhythm, the mostcommon and undertreatedof which is atrial fibrilla-tion (AF). This irregularheartbeat isn’t always no-ticeable at first but cancause chaos over time.

Understanding AFAF, which affects more

than 33.5 million peopleworldwide, occurs whenthe upper chambers of theheart beat significantlyfaster than a normal heart-beat or quiver irregularly.Some people with AF haveno symptoms, while othershave chest discomfort orpain and experience faint-ing or light-headedness, aswell as fatigue, shortnessof breath or weakness.

“When I was young, myheart did funny things. Itfluttered, it skipped a beat,but mostly it resolved byitself,” said Sue Halpern, alifelong AF patient. “Whenit didn’t resolve by itself, Isomehow learned how tomake it stop. I began tonotice in my 20s and early30s that it was gettingharder to make it stop, butI still didn’t know anythingwas wrong with me.”

Because the heart isn’tpumping normally, bloodcan pool in the heart and

13400 FM 2354 Rd.Baytown, Texas 77523

Office: 281-383-3386Cell: 713-898-7413

MARY DUNN REAL ESTATE

Mary Dunn

Fax 281-573-1030www.marydunn.comE-mail: mary@marydunn.com

Atrial Fibrillation: whenthe heart skips a beat

clot; these clots can alsomake their way throughthe bloodstream. If left un-treated, people with AFhave a much higher risk ofstroke and an increasedrisk of heart failure.

AF is typically causedby damage to the heartfrom disease, an abnormal-ity from birth, surgery ora heart attack. However,adopting healthy behav-iors such as monitoringcholesterol and blood pres-sure, avoiding smokingand excessive caffeine, andnot abusing alcohol canhelp prevent disease.

How To Tell If You Have AFAs with so many diseas-

es, early detection of AF isimportant. Physicians mayobtain an electrocardio-gram (ECG) or stress test,or recommend short-termmonitoring with a cardiacevent recorder or Holtermonitor. Unlike theseshort-term methods, asmall insertable cardiacmonitor (ICM) automati-cally detects and recordsabnormal heart rhythmsfor up to three years, whileremaining barely detect-able under the patient’sskin. For example, theMedtronic Reveal LINQICM is approximately one-third the size of an AAAbattery, yet it can accu-rately detect AF.

What To Do If You Have AFOnce diagnosed, living

with AF doesn’t have to bea burden. While treatmentoptions vary, many peoplerespond well to medica-tions. For those whose nat-ural pacemaker needs anextra boost to keep thebeat, treatment may in-clude an implantable car-diac defibrillator (ICD) ora pacemaker that can re-spond to and reduce theduration of AF episodes.An ICD can also detect adangerous and potentiallylife-threatening heartrhythm and send a lifesav-ing therapy to correct it.

Another treatment forparoxysmal (fleeting) atri-al fibrillation (PAF) iscryoablation, a minimallyinvasive procedure thatisolates the pulmonaryveins, which are a sourceof erratic electrical signalsthat cause PAF. The deviceused in the procedure usescold energy to interruptthese irregular electricalpathways in the heart.

In Halpern’s case, cryo-ablation greatly reducedher PAF episodes and hasgiven her a new outlook onlife.

“For someone who washaving episodes every sev-en to 10 days for eight to12 hours at a t ime, Iwouldn’t have dreamed ofhaving a life free of AF,”Halpern said. “My adviceis, if you feel something offwith your heart, do some-thing about it.”

www.facebook.com/StarCourier

www.starcouriernews.com

Crosby ISD bond fundrenovations set to begin

Interim Superintendant Kirk Lewis questions Todd Hicks on the ONRampsdual enrollment courses to be offered at Crosby High School and weightedgrade point (based on the 6.0 scale) be awaded to students who successfullycomplete a course for high school credit in subjects approved by CISDpolicy to receive grade points.

CROSBY – While somewould have us believe thatthe bond’s viability is inquestion, the CRE8 Archi-tects are preparing to ren-ovate the Barrett Primaryand Crosby Elementary’sbathrooms this Summer.

At the school boardmeeting held Feb. 12, theboard of Trustees voted 5 -0 to adopt the bond con-struction delivery methods

as used in 2017. Addition-ally, they adopted the 2017Bond Prevailing WageRates.

The school districtseems to be looking to ac-quire a sizable amount ofland to the North end ofthe district to put in a new6th Grade which would lat-er be a new Middle Schoolbecause what was once thehigh school is running out

of room for students.Much of the growth fac-

tor for Crosby is on theNorth end of the District.In fact much of the newresidents are supplyingstudents of middle schoolage in that sector so as sta-tistics stack up the deci-sion was a no-brainer tobegin the work there for atotally new facility.

TXDOT meetings tostudy changes to I-10

The Texas Department ofTransportation (TxDOT) Hous-ton District will hold a series ofpublic meetings regarding theI-10 East Planning and Envi-ronmental Linkages (PEL)study. The study encompassesI-10 East from I-69 in HarrisCounty to SH 99 (Grand Park-way) in Chambers County. TheI-10 East PEL study is a high-level, early-planning process.The goal of a PEL study is togather feedback during plan-ning to inform the environmen-tal review process, includingthe National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA).

The public meetings will beheld on four separate nightsand will be open house formats(no formal presentations) from5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, February 13,2018, Barbers Hill High School,9696 Eagle Drive, MontBelvieu, TX 77580

• Thursday, February 15,2018, Goose Creek MemorialHigh School, 6001 East Wallis-ville Road, Baytown, TX 77521

• Tuesday, February 20,2018, Channelview HighSchool, 1100 Sheldon Road,Channelview, TX 77530

• Thursday, February 22,2018, Mickey Leland CollegePreparatory Academy for YoungMen, 1700 Gregg Street, Hous-ton, TX 77020

The purpose of the publicmeetings is to introduce the I-10 East PEL study and receivecomments on information col-lected to date. Additionally, Tx-DOT would like to receive inputon issues and ideas for futurecorridor goals.

Maps of the study corridorand exhibits will be available atthe public meeting. This infor-mation will also be available forreview by appointment Mondaythrough Friday from 8:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m., excluding stateholidays, at the TxDOT Hous-ton District Office, 7600 Wash-ington Avenue, Houston, TX77007. To schedule an appoint-ment, please contact Pat Hen-ry, P.E. at (713) 802-5241.Project information can also beviewed at h t t p s : / /www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/hous-ton-pel-i-10.html.

Written comments may besubmitted at the meeting; bymail to the TxDOT HoustonDistrict Office, Director ofProject Development, P.O. Box1386, Houston, TX 77251; orelectronically to HOU-PIOWebMail@txdot.gov or athttps://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/houston-pel-i-10.html. Pleasereference Project No: 0912-00-535. Written comments must bepostmarked or submitted elec-tronically by Friday, March 9,2018.

P.O. Box 914, Channelview, TX 77530Mrroofer@mail.com

= Major credit cards accepted =

Raul Gonzalez Free Estimates

Siding & Contracting

281-452-0000New Roofs • Repairs • Painting • Hardi Plank Siding

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STAR Page 9THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

CLASSIFIED ADSCLASSIFIED ADS Your AD will reach up to 120,000readers in our FOUR newspapers, with acombined circulation of 40,000 copies.Get ACTION on your AD. Rates start atonly $16 for 20 words. A bargain!

Call 281-328-9605

RENT/LEASE

Huffman HollowApartments25000 FM 2100Huffman, TX 77336281-324-45561, 2, & 3 bedroomsNow Available1 & 2 BedroomHandicap AccessibleUnitsSection 8 acceptedRent ranges from$600 to $900.

4-4

HELP WANTED

Crosby, TX:Field representativeat local plant sites forinventory of surplusequipment and mate-rials. Knowledge ofvarious equipmentand materials desir-able. Needs to be de-pendable and withvehicle.Call 281-328-2900.

5-2

LEGAL NOTICELEGAL NOTICELEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

AUTOMOBILE

13 JeepWrangler4door,hardtop$23491. Call Scott(281) 739-9107 Cell 6-2tc

14 Toyota Camry $14691Call Debbie713-459-5986 6-2tc

AUTOMOBILE

16 NissanMaxima$23,791 Call Jason832-216-1630

6-2tc

16 Chevy 2500$24991 Call Troy832-977-3734

6-2tc

AUTOMOBILE AUTOMOBILE

15 Chrysler200 $9,991Call Debbie713-459-5986

6-2tc

12 CadillacSRX. $14991Call Troy832-977-3734

6-2tc

15 HondaACCORD$18,491 call Mark832-926-2595

6-2tc

Classified ADS281-328-9605

LEGAL ADVERTISINGYou now have the option of placing your Legal Ads in a localnewspaper that meets your requirements, reaches morereaders in your area, and costs much less. Rates are $10.00per column inch, plus $10 for an affidavit, or 50¢ per wordplus affidavit. We can give you an exact quote if required.Please call or email for assistance. Thank you for supportingour community and keeping our dollars local.

A GrafikPress Newspaper

281-328-9605 email: starcouriernews@aol.com

LEGAL ADVERTISING

You now have the option of placing your Legal Ads in a localnewspaper that meets your requirements, reaches morereaders in your area, and costs much less. Rates are $15.00per column inch, plus $10 for an affidavit, or 50¢ per wordplus affidavit. We can give you an exact quote if required.Please call or email for assistance. Thank you for supportingour community and keeping our dollars local.

A GrafikPress Newspaper

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

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

RENT/LEASE

MEDICAL/DENTAL SPACE FOR LEASE14700 FM 2100, Crosby, Tx 77532 at Gateway Plaza.Fully Built Out, Move-in Ready; High End Medical Suite.3000 NRSF, 4 Exam Rooms, Dr. Office, Break Area, Reception andLarge Waiting Room. Attractive one story Medical Building centrallylocated across Crosby HIgh School; Excellent visibility andexposure with ample parking. Previously occupied by HCA.Call CHC Investments, LLC 281-328-6108 or 713-898-8816; Email:camille@chcinvestments.com

7-4

Commercial PrintingCall for a Free Quote 713-977-2555

Star✯ Courier / Press / NORTH CHANNEL✯ STARPage 10 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018