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2003 Archives

Thursday              January 15, 2004

United States Congress

Today Congressman Nick Lampson announced that he is filing for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the Second Congressional District that includes Jefferson County and parts of Harris and Liberty counties.     

“For eight years I have had the privilege of representing Jefferson, Galveston and Harris counties in the United States Congress and welcome the opportunity to also serve the people of Liberty as well as other Harris County citizens,” Lampson said.  “I want to express my sincere gratitude to those I currently serve who do not live in the Second Congressional District.  I have been honored and humbled by the confidence you have entrusted in me through the years and want to assure you that I will continue working for you.”

Lampson is the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Space and Energy and the author of the Space Exploration Act currently before Congress. The four-term congressman also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the committee responsible for airports, highways and waterways. 

Lampson is the founder of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus and continues to sponsor legislation to fund law enforcement efforts to stop child pornography and exploitation of children on the Internet.

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Galveston Park Board of Trustees

The City of Galveston Park Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting for 10 a.m. on Friday to consider a paid parking system for the Seawall Urban Park.

The agenda also includes an executive session to consider rules for Moody Gardens Property and Henry Poretto vs. the Park Board of Trustees.

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Houston City Council

Houston City Council on Wednesday voted to appropriate $206,328 to purchase tracts of land in Greenview Manor Sections One and Two for a noise compatibility program at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The city council appropriated $750,000 out of the Homeless and Housing Consolidated Fund and approved a $500,000 loan from Federal "HOME" Funds, to finance a portion of the costs to renovate the former Days Inn Hotel at 4640 Main Street to house low and very-low income veterans and HIV/AIDS affected persons.  

The city council approved a $75,358 contract with Career and Recovery Resources, Inc. for a computer literacy training program.

The city council voted to submit an application for a five-year $6,180,327 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control for the city's HIV Prevention Activities. 

Only one item was tagged, or held for one week, by several members of the city council.

A $4,688,006.43 contract with Wackenhut Corporation for security guard services at George Bush Intercontinental Airport was tagged by Ada Edwards, Michael Berry, Gordon Quan, Adrian Garcia, Ronald Green and Carol Mims Galloway.

The city council voted to delay for two weeks consideration of an amendment to the airport advertising concession agreement with JCDecaux Airport, Inc. at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.

All other agenda items were approved.

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Galveston College

Galveston College President Dr. Elva Concha LeBlanc Wednesday night told the Board of Regents that spring semester enrollment numbers are down slightly compared to 2003, but she is pleased with the numbers. Listen

"The credit student enrollment headcount is 2,405," LeBlanc noted, adding that contract hours are 440,864, also a slight decrease.

LeBlanc reported that she ended late registration on Tuesday, rather than continue it for several days.

"We did that in an effort to make it easier for students to be successful," LeBlanc said.  "When students start a class and they are two or three classes behind, they really have a very difficult time getting caught up."

"I would like to commend Dr. LeBlanc and staff for putting a limit on this registration period," said Janice Stanton.  "It has been very detrimental to some of our students; and it takes  great courage to do that, especially when some of the institutions around us may not be doing the same.  But it will pay off in the end."

English Instructor Michael Berberich reported to the board on the implementation of new learning strategies. Listen

The board voted to authorize Coastal Securities to issue a request for qualifications for a senior managing underwriter in the refunding of bonds.

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Photos and Audio

College of the Mainland

"What Happened to the Dream?" will be the topic of a presentation by the Reverend William Randall of the Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church of Hitchcock, Texas on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Teaching Auditorium at Collge of the Mainland. 

The Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church Choir will sing spirituals in tribute to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

A reception will follow immediately after the program. The public is invited. The COM Multi-Culture Team sponsors the event.

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Clear Creek Independent School District

The Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees recently named Sandra L. Connaster as Director for the Galveston-Brazoria Cooperative for the Hearing Impaired.  Connaster previously worked in Cypress Fairbanks ISD where she served as an auditorially impaired specialist and consulting diagnostician.

The GBCHI is a regional day school program for students through age 22 who have an auditory impairment. Implemented under directives from the Texas Education Agency, the program functions as an education cooperative serving 10 surrounding area school districts. These districts include Alvin, Clear Creek, Dickinson, Friendswood, Galveston, LaMarque, Pearland, Santa Fe and Texas City.

For more information contact CCISD Director of Public Information Karen Permetti at (281) 338-5803.

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Scheduled Meetings
Meetings will be held in the regular meeting place of the city council or other governmental body, unless otherwise specified.

Thursday, January 15
6:00 Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District 12 Board of Directors
7:00 La Marque Independent School District Board of Trustees
7:00 Kemah Community Development Corporation
7:00 Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department Subcommittee
7:00 Galveston County Republican Network, Galveston County North Annex Building on Calder Road

Friday, January 16
10:00 Galveston Park Board of Trustees Special Meeting.
7:00 Mainland United Task Force Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet, Wayne Johnson Community Center, 4102 FM 519, La Marque.
6:30 League City Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Celebration Dinner, South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center
8:00 Agatha Christie's "Black Coffee," Clear Creek Country Theatre, 18091 Upper Bay Road in Nassau Bay, across from the Johnson Space Center.

Saturday, January 17
8:30 Beaumont Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade, Beginning at Victoria and Bolivar streets
9:00 West Galveston Island Property Owners Association, Galveston Country Club.  Ian Hause, Land Development Manager, for Centex Destination Properties  will be the guest speaker.
4:00 Reading of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Speech in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, January 17, Galveston County Historical Museum
8:00 Agatha Christie's "Black Coffee," Clear Creek Country Theatre, 18091 Upper Bay Road in Nassau Bay, across from the Johnson Space Center.  

Sunday, January 18
2:30 Agatha Christie's "Black Coffee," Clear Creek Country Theatre, 18091 Upper Bay Road in Nassau Bay, across from the Johnson Space Center.

Monday, January 19
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday
7:30 Beaumont NAACP Youth Council MLK Breakfast, Douglass Memorial CME Church, 1370 Ewing
10:00 Galveston MLK Day Parade, Starts at Seawall Boulevard and MLK and ends at ILA Hall on MLK and Market
12:00 St. Vincent's House Prayer Vigil, 1817 Postoffice, Galveston
5:30 University Area Association Roundtable, William Temple Episcopal Center, 427 Market Street, Galveston.  Topics are the new entertainment venue at Stewart Beach and Park Board events. 
5:45 Friendswood City Council Work Session
Cancelled 6:00 Jamaica Beach City Council
6:15 Friendswood City Council Executive Session
7:00 Friendswood City Council Regular Meeting
7:00 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, The Grand 1894 Opera House
7:30 El Lago City Council
7:30 "What Happened to The Dream?" A presentation by Reverend William Randall of the Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church of Hitchcock, Teaching Auditorium at College of the Mainland

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Gulf Coast E-news, published by Guidry News Service, provides comprehensive coverage of posted public meetings in Galveston, Harris and Jefferson Counties as well as regional news impacting the Upper Texas Gulf Coast.

Chuck Lawrence is Galveston City Correspondent.  Carl Guidry covers events in Jefferson County.

Robert John Mihovil is a special photographic correspondent for Guidry News Service

Ivan Arceneaux is a special correspondent. 

Drew Gilbert, who covered the Galveston City Beat, was recently reactivated into the Coast Guard for the Iraq war.