2004 Archives

2003 Archives

Tuesday              November 30, 2004

Galveston City Council

Galveston City Council is meeting today to satisfy the City Charter requirement that the city council meet at least two times a month.  Last week's regular meeting was postponed because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

This morning the city council held an extensive workshop discussion of the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual and Handbook.  The manual changes a section on nepotism by eliminating the word "nepotism" and expanding the discussion to include several areas of personal relationships in the workplace.

"If employees are in or become involved in a dating relationship who are in a reporting situation...it is the responsibility and obligation of the supervisor involved in the relationship to disclose the existence of the relationship to management," the policy states.  "The individuals concerned will be given the opportunity to decide who is to be transferred or, if necessary, terminated from employment."

The policy also requires that "employees in a close personal relationship should refrain from public workplace displays of affection or excessive personal conversation."

The city council meets in formal session at 5:30.  Chuck Lawrence is covering the meeting.  Listen

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Pasadena City Council

Correction:  There was a misspelling in the name of the consulting firm of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. in Monday's edition of Gulf Coast E-news.

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Galveston Chamber of Commerce

The Galveston Chamber of Commerce has developed a program
called Operation Education designed to connect Galveston Independent School District schools with Galveston businesses to fill various needs including in-kind donations, in-kind services, and volunteer/mentor opportunities throughout the school year.  

To launch this effort, the chamber is hosting a Holiday Party for its membership benefiting Operation Education on Thursday, December 9 at Moody Mansion Museum, 2618 Broadway, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  During the event, the chamber will invite its members and interested individuals to help fill GISD's wish list. 

"Our chamber members can provide tangible items, expertise and even manpower to assist our schools," said Interim President Gina Spagnola.  "It is essential that the Galveston Chamber of Commerce partner with our schools to support the education of our community's children."

The chamber has posted a GISD Wish List on its web site at
www.galvestonchamber.com.  For more information call (409) 763-5326.

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Galveston Independent School District

The Galveston Independent School District Teen Health Center will open its newest clinic on Monday, December 13 at Weis Middle School, 7100 Stewart Road.  

The clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on school days.  The clinic is open to anyone 22 years or younger.  Patients under 18 years of age must have signed consent by a parent or guardian.  

A physician's assistant, nurse practitioner as well as pediatricians and therapists will staff the clinic.  The Teen Health Center will diagnose and treat minor illnesses like sore
throats, asthma and other conditions as well as provide physical exams, health screenings and shots.  

Sports physicals are $5 while all other services are free.  For more information call (409) 765-2114.   

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Clear Creek Independent School District

Bobbi Capwell, a teacher at Wedgewood Elementary School , has departed for Tokyo, Japan as a participant in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.  Capwell was selected from a national pool of more than 2,000 applicants by a panel of educators.

"The program allows distinguished elementary and secondary school educators in the United States to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations," said a news release.  "Upon their return, the educators share what they have learned about Japan with their students and communities through a variety of outreach projects."

Capwell is part of a group of 200 educators traveling through Japan .  The program is sponsored by the government of Japan and was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program, which has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the U.S. on Fulbright fellowships for graduate education and research. 

The program is administered by the Japan-United States Educational Commission. 

Clear Creek High School’s online student paper, "Uniquely Creek," (http://texas.ihigh.com/clearcreek/) has been designated one of the Top 100 School websites in the iHigh.com Network for the first quarter of the 2004-2005 school year.

Uniquely Creek is the only Texas school publication to make the list.  It also ranked number four in the top ten websites in the country.  There are more than 5,000 schools currently in the ihigh.com Network.

”It is a great honor for the students and the school,” said Wynette Jameson, CCHS journalism and newspaper teacher.  “We work very hard to maintain this news site and we do it for the students, parents and community. When we became the official website for Creek, we knew we had to be the best.  We have at least 1,000 people looking at us each day. That says a great deal about our meeting the needs of the community.  We will strive to continue our tradition of excellence.”

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City of Friendswood

The northbound lanes of FM 518 in Friendswood will be closed at 6 p.m. on Friday in order to install a box culvert beneath the road.  

"The two northbound lanes of traffic will be diverted to one of the southbound lanes during this time," said a news release.  "Once the pipe has been installed under one of the northbound lanes, the northbound traffic will be diverted back to one lane of the northbound side while work continues on the second northbound lane."

The pipe installation should be complete by late afternoon Saturday, December 4.

Following the pipe installation, permanent concrete pavement is scheduled to be placed Monday, December 6 and Tuesday, December 7.  Northbound traffic will be diverted during the daylight hours.  All lanes should be open in the evening.  

"All work should be completed by late Tuesday afternoon with no further delays expected," said the release.   "Previously scheduled work was delayed by weather conditions."  

For additional information contact the City of Friendswood Capital Projects Office at (281) 996-3380.

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College of the Mainland

The Classic Film "Double Indemnity" about an insurance salesman who plots with an unhappy wife to murder her husband, will be shown Friday December 3 at 7 p.m. in L-131 at College of the Mainland. 

"The film, which stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson, is one of the classic films in a series shown free the first Friday of each month at COM," said a news release.

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San Jacinto College

The San Jacinto College Foundation raised more than $102,000 for student scholarships and Innovative Initiative grants at its ninth annual golf tournament held in October.  

"Houston Astros pitcher Andy Pettitte once again hosted the event," noted a news release.  "Fellow Astros pitcher Roger Clemens also participated and was joined by teammates Morgan Ensberg, Tim Redding and Lance Berkman.  Astros trainers Dave Labosiere and Rex Jones also joined the list of golfers."

During a reception in Pettitte's honor, held the night before the tournament, six students were named as recipients of the Andy Pettitte Endowed Scholarship.  The students were Chau Nguyen and Michael Hopper of Houston, Tracy Miles of Dayton, Natalie Jordy and Chelsea Carter of  Pearland and Benjamin Casarez of Pasadena. 

San Jacinto College North is offering computer classes in Spanish for local residents who need beginner to intermediate skills in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, Access or PowerPoint.

Classes begin in January 2005.  For information call (281) 459-7119.

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Holiday in the Park

"Holiday in the Park," a presentation of League City Proud, is this weekend, December 4 and 5, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday and 12 noon on Sunday in League Park.  A Grand Night Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“Our event has grown so much that we have incorporated and become a 501(c)3,” said Janice Hallisey, the event coordinator. "And it is rightly named League City Proud because that’s just what we are.  A committee of two handfuls of folks committed to offering to all our families and neighbors a great way to kick off the holidays."

For a complete listing of entertainment or to obtain information on the vendors or parade visit www.holidayinthepark.org.  

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Texas General Land Office

The Texas General Land Office is offering to sell high-quality reproductions of conserved maps in a program known as Save Texas History, a campaign that was designed to combine private and government efforts to preserve the 35 million documents stored at the Texas General Land Office.  Release

Grant Hall, an archaeologist at Texas Tech University, who led a team of researchers that rediscovered the lost mission San Luis de las Amarillas Presidio, or San Saba Fort,  in 1993, said that the historic maps are more than interesting; he contends that they are treasure maps.

"As older generations pass away, knowledge of site locations is often lost," Hall said. "Such was the case for the 'missing' mission, Santa Cruz de San Saba. When memory fails, maps become indispensable records of places and scenes of action across the Texas landscape."

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Schedule of Meetings and Events

Correction: The Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves has not scheduled a meeting on Friday.  The wharves board Finance Committee will meet at 7:30 a.m. on Friday in a budget workshop.

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

Today, November 30
5:30 Galveston City Council
6:00 League of Women Voters of the Galveston Area Elected Officials Reception, Rosenberg Library
6:30 - 10:00 Bay Area Transportation Partnership Seventh Annual State of the Counties Address, South Shore Harbour Resort.  Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough and Brazoria County Judge John Willy will speak. 
7:30 Pasadena City Council
7:30 The Lamarissimo! Concert Series, Julie Rogers Theatre in downtown Beaumont
8:00 Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees Workshop

Wednesday, December 1 
9:00 Houston City Council
12:00 Galveston Housing Finance Corporation/Galveston Property Finance Authority, 2127 Broadway
12:00 Rotary Club of Galveston, Top Gallant Room. 
4:00 Galveston West End Land Use Policy Committee Workshop, City Hall Room 100
5:00 Galveston West End Land Use Policy Committee, City Hall Room 100
5:00 Texas City City Commission
6:00 Annual Lighting of Houston Holiday Tree, Hermann Square at City Hall
7:30 Taylor Lake Village City Council

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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.

Jim and Lynda Guidry are publishers of Gulf Coast E-news and The Online News Station.

Chuck Lawrence is Galveston City Correspondent.  Carl Guidry covers events in Jefferson County.  Anita Donatto covers the education beat in Galveston.  

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

We are seeking to hire reporters & marketing agents to expand our coverage in Jefferson & Harris Counties. 

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