© 2003, Guidry News
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© 2003, Guidry News
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Story Links: Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
Port of Houston Authority Commission Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Scholes International Airport at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch News Galveston Independent School District Blood Drive
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The Port of Houston Authority Commission will review 2002 year-end results during its monthly meeting this afternoon. The authority’s total container volume and total tonnage surged to record levels in 2002. Total container volume reached 1,159,789 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), a 10 percent increase over the 1,057,869 TEUs recorded in the previous year. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal accounted for most of the container volume – 1,063,076 TEUs in 2002 compared to 911,903 TEUs during the previous year. The PHA’s total container tonnage in 2002 was 10,858,068 short tons compared to 10,119,938 short tons in 2001. BCT’s 2002 portion totaled 9,992,136 short tons, up from 8,833,183 short tons in 2001. Additionally during 2002, the PHA’s Bulk Materials
Handling Plant handled a record total of 3,846,720 short
tons compared to 2,979,139 short tons in 2001. “These results show that despite rising costs and a weak economy, the port authority’s operations are efficient, our facilities are in excellent shape, and our people remain committed to our customers,” stated Chair Jim Edmonds. “Still, despite the increased container volume and tonnage, the rate of growth in the port authority’s container traffic is actually slowing because we are running out of space. We simply do not have the capacity to serve everyone who wants to come to the port." Edmonds said the need for the proposed Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal "is abundantly clear.” The Bayport project remains under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected to issue a final environmental impact statement in March. PHA projections are that the Bayport facility will triple the port’s container handling capacity and create more than 39,000 new jobs. This afternoon's report also will say that during 2002, PHA continued to feel the impact of U.S. trade sanctions on steel imports, which declined to just under 1.94 million short tons, an 18 percent drop from the nearly 2.37 million short tons the PHA recorded in the previous year. Citing the volume and tonnage increases in bulk
materials, general cargo, auto imports and exports, and
bagged goods, the PHA posted record-level operating revenue
of nearly $108.5 million in 2002, an increase of one percent
from operating revenue of $106.9 million in 2001. METRO
Board of Directors Metropolitan Transit Authority Vice President of Planning and Engineering John Sedlak reported to the METRO Board of Directors last week that METRO employee bus passes will now be fully subsidized, and that the marketing department is now offering direct payroll deductions for employee bus passes to some private companies. He also had kudos for a nationally recognized METRO facility. “Hats off to the Northwest Transit Center,” Sedlak said, reporting that the Northwest Transit Center has won the Automotive Service Excellence Award. The METRO board tabled action on a contract with A&T for a frame relay data communications circuit as part of a Regional Computerized Traffic Signal System. The board tabled action on a contract with CES Network Services to supply and install traffic signal wireless communications equipment for the RCTSS. The board approved all other agenda items unanimously. Several citizens addressed the board to complain about reduced bus service on several routes, the lack of bus service on the northern portion of Highway 6 and the proposed elimination of bicycle lanes in the street-rebuilding project on West Alabama. Board
member Janie Palomo Reyes was absent, as was President and
CEO Shirley DeLibero. Historic Downtown Strand Partnership The Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Tremont House Davidson Ballroom. The fourth group of inductees into the Downtown Renaissance Hall of Fame will be presented. "The Hall of Fame was established in 1999 by the Partnership to recognize individuals and organizations instrumental in the he rebirth of Galveston's central business district over the last quarter century," said Fred Wichlep, executive director of the HDSP. Awards also will be presented in the categories of Downtown Development, Creative Storefront, Downtown Promotion, Downtown Beautification and the Edwin J. Weiss Spirit Award. Reservations
must be made by 5 p.m. today. Call (409) 763-7080. Scholes International Airport at Galveston Scholes International Airport at Galveston is hosting a special celebration at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 4, for the completion of the first major capital improvement project at the airport since 1946. City, state and federal dignitaries will participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception to mark completion of the $500,000 improvement project to reconstruct taxiways Bravo and Charlie. The celebration will begin on the airport tarmac. A special highlight will be a dramatic flyover by aircraft from the Lone Star Flight Museum. Following the brief ceremony, guests will gather in the airport terminal lobby for refreshments. Parking will be available in the north lot adjacent to the main terminal building. Shuttle transportation to the event area will be provided at the terminal building. The reconstructed taxiways, which were built in 1943 by the U.S. Army Air Corps, were cracked and uneven after years of use. Taxiway Bravo runs north-south and is 2,000 feet long and 50 feet wide. Taxiway Charlie runs east-west and is 350 feet long and 50 feet wide. Design and reconstruction have taken 15 months and approximately 500 truck-loads of cement. Airport Director Hud Hopkins explained that the taxiway project, which was funded through the U.S. Congress, will be followed by a $2.3 million state-funded project to reconstruct taxiway Delta. Additional funding is projected for other taxiway, apron and drainage improvements. "Today, the airport is busier than ever with 104,000 take-offs and landings annually," Hopkins said. "One of the airport's strengths is that it accommodates a full range of aircraft from the smallest fixed-wing Cessna to some of the largest jets, including a Boeing 737." "Scholes
has been an economic engine for this city for more than 70
years and was critical to our nation's war effort during
World War II," said Galveston Mayor Roger
Quiroga. "We must invest in Scholes so that it
can serve the public, our city and our nation for another
century." San Luis Pass, at the western tip of Galveston Island, has been identified as a unique natural area worthy of protection, according to the Galveston and Lone Star chapters of the Sierra Club. San Luis Pass is among the areas featured in the Lone Star Chapter’s annual publication “Special Places of Texas,” intended to highlight significant areas of Texas in need of conservation. One of the last unaltered tidal passes on the Texas Gulf Coast, San Luis Pass provides natural habitat for rare and endangered species of plants and animals, as well as habitat for migratory wildlife, according to the Galveston Sierra Club. It also is an area of scenic beauty with high recreational value. “Thousands
of black-necked skimmers, a variety of terns and sandpipers
make their nests amidst the salt grasses and salt pans,"
the publication
states. "The Houston Audubon Society cordons off
extensive reaches of this property every spring to protect
the nesting birds from constant vehicular traffic along the
beach. The privately owned San Luis Pass is threatened
primarily by vehicular traffic.” University of Texas Medical Branch News Dr. John D. Stobo, president of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, has been elected to a three-year term to the national Institute of Medicine Council. The IOM Council is the governing board of the Institute of Medicine, a private, non-profit organization that advises Congress and various federal agencies on issues relating to medicine. The IOM is composed of more than 1,300 members who are elected to the organization based on their contributions to the field of medicine, ranging in areas from hospital administration to medical research. It is one of three related organizations, along with the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, that are widely sought by lawmakers and others as objective, credible sources of information on issues of science and technology. In addition to Stobo, new members of the IOM Council include Dr. Catherine D. DeAngelis, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association; Enriqueta C. Bond, president of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund; and Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general and director of the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine. Stobo was first elected to the IOM in 1986 and has served the group in various leadership positions, including as chairman of the Board on Health Sciences Policy from 1993-1999. In 2000, he chaired an IOM task force that prepared a report addressing the training needs for health professionals who respond to family violence. In addition to serving in an advisory capacity as needed by U.S. policy makers, the IOM also works to identify issues of national importance facing health care today. These include reimbursement, medical errors and safety, the future of academic health centers and bio-defense. "I felt it was a distinction to be elected by my peers to the institute, and now I feel especially honored to be chosen by the membership to serve on the governing council," said Stobo, who serves in many national leadership positions. Two University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston scientists who are examining the human nervous system’s role in the development of arthritis have received a $300,000 grant from the Dana Foundation.Drs. Terry A. McNearney and Karin N. Westlund High are studying how neurotransmitters—chemical messengers released by nerve cells to communicate with other nerve cells—also communicate with cells in the joints to cause inflammation and arthritis. McNearney, an associate professor of internal medicine, has discovered that arthritis patients have increased levels of neurotransmitters in the fluids of their joints.“We
have found that neurotransmitters play an important part in
inflammation,” McNearney said. “We’re very hopeful
we’ll be able to develop new, effective arthritis
treatments based on this novel mechanism.”
A
link between neurotransmitters and arthritis has long been
acknowledged, as stroke patients are often spared arthritis
on the paralyzed side. The clinical studies were inspired by
High’s basic science experiments over the last 10 years,
suggesting a neurotransmitter-arthritis connection. In
High’s and McNearney’s recent studies, the addition of
neurotransmitters to cell cultures taken from the lining of
knee joints produced inflammatory substances known to be
important in causing arthritis. High, UTMB’s
Mary and J. Palmer Saunders Professor for Excellence in
Teaching,
suggested that neurotransmitters may also be an important
contributor to other inflammatory processes in the body. “We
are most grateful to the Dana Foundation,” said High,
explaining that the grant will enable the
pair to accelerate their research, thus increasing the
likelihood of producing results more quickly. “The
generous support of the Dana Foundation will amplify our
current laboratory efforts to develop novel arthritic
treatments.” Lobbyist Howard Marlowe reports that after a week of intense and hurried political wrangling, the Republicans and President Bush claimed victory as the Senate passed the omnibus $390 billion spending bill and sent it to the House of Representatives, who will consider the bill this upcoming week. "With
the fiscal year almost a third...over, and large amounts of
beach money already lost in the process of the Continuing
Resolution, the remaining 11 spending bills passed 69-29
after hundreds of amendments were offered and over 90 were
accepted," Marlowe reported in his email newsletter Coastal
Connection. "The Republicans boasted that
they stemmed heavy Democratic spending, while Democrats
charge that Republicans hid over $10 billion in additional
expenditures in an attempt to make the budget seem less
weighty (and closer to the administration’s desired $385
billion price tag). Similarly, Democrats claim the
package “shortchanged” domestic security, healthcare and
many other domestic issues." The San Jacinto College South Campus continuing education department has received $15,000 in Texas Public Education Grant funds that will assist students in workforce development programs. The TPEG funds are available for classes such as Computer Technician, Small Engine Repair, Certified Nurse Aid, GED Preparation, and ESL in the Workplace. Students may be funded up to 100 percent of training costs, depending upon their eligibility. All classes are available during the spring 2003 semester. The TPEG funds, previously awarded only to credit-seeking students, help students cover tuition and fees when course-related expenses exceed the amount that a family could be expected to contribute. Eligibility is determined by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The cost of books or other instructional materials is not covered by the grant. For
more information, call (281) 922-3440. Galveston Independent School District Galveston
Independent School District is encouraging staff and Interested donors must weigh at least 110 pounds be 17 years of age or older. All donors must present a photo ID. Johnna Johnston is no long affiliated with Guidry News Service, Gulf Coast E-news or The Online News Station. We want to thank the subscribers of Galveston Fax and Clear Lake E-news for their acceptance of our expansion into Harris and Jefferson counties with the publication of Gulf Coast E-news. We want to thank the elected officials and others in Jefferson and Harris counties who have welcomed our publication into their communities. We are currently seeking additional reporters to help cover our expanded areas. Drew Gilbert, who has been assisting with the coverage of Galveston City Hall and meetings elsewhere on Galveston Island, has been reactivated into the Coast Guard. Thus, we are seeking a reporter to fill that gap. We need a reporter to cover regular meetings of Port Arthur City Council on Tuesdays. We need a reporter to cover meetings along Highway 6 in Galveston County. We need at least one additional reporter to assist with our coverage of the Clear Lake area. We need a reporter to cover meetings and special events on the Bolivar Peninsula. Gulf Coast E-news is also soliciting new subscribers. Two-week complimentary subscriptions will be provided to anyone interested in the newsletter. Please send names and email addresses to subscribe@guidrynews.com. As the number of new subscriptions increase, we plan to expand our coverage of meetings in all areas of the Gulf Coast region. Thank you again for your support, Jim and Lynda Guidry Scheduled
Meetings Today,
January 27 Tuesday,
January 28
Wednesday, January 29
Thursday, January 30 Friday,
January 31
Saturday, February 1 Sunday,
February 2
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Story Links, on the left side of this page, is composed of "bookmarks" to the stories in the newsletter. Click on the link to go directly to the article. Print individual articles by first clicking on the "Print Version" link, then using your regular print program. On The Online News Station, if you click on an audio cut and the photos stop loading, click on Refresh or Reload and they will resume. Gulf Coast E-news, published by Guidry News Service, provides comprehensive coverage of posted public meetings in Galveston, Harris and Jefferson Counties.
This electronic newsletter replaces, and expands on, the mission
of Galveston Fax, established by Jim and Lynda Guidry on
Galveston Island in Galveston County reporters, covering the city council meetings of all 13 municipal governments plus several school boards and special utility districts, include Jinelle Boyd, Shannon Hall, Kristina Weaver, Tom Foster, Jo Ann Gowing and Dedra Kratts. Weaver, Foster, Gowing and Kratts also cover the Harris County entities surrounding Clear Lake. Scott Nowell covers Harris County Commissioners Court, Houston City Council, and meetings of organizations in downtown Houston. Carl Guidry, representing Guidry News Service in Jefferson County, covers Jefferson County Commissioners Court, Beaumont City Council and Port Arthur City Council. We are seeking additional reporters to expand our coverage in Jefferson County. Gulf Coast E-news also will continue coverage of regional organizations in the Gulf Coast area. Gulf Coast E-news is interactive with The Guidry News Service Online News Station, providing coverage of special events and public meetings with photos and audio. Terry Arnold and Barbara Ward are marketing representatives for The Online News Station. Marketing representatives are being recruited in Harris and Jefferson counties. Subscriptions to Gulf Coast E-news are $300 per year, or $75 per quarter, plus sales and use tax. A fax-only version of the newsletter is available for $350 per year or $87.50 per quarter, plus tax. Current subscribers to Galveston Fax or Clear Lake Area E-news will automatically receive Gulf Coast E-news.
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