The Guidry News
© 1996, Guidry News
Service
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The Guidry News
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© 1996, Guidry News
Service
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Evacuation shelters have been opened along the Texas Gulf Coast for refugees of Hurricane Katrina. "We are all in this together," said Governor Rick Perry. "We will continue to do what it takes, from offering assistance to offering prayers, to get through this together, as one American family." Release Harris County Judge Robert Eckels held a press briefing this afternoon at Houston TranStar to discuss plans for moving the evacuees from the New Orleans Superdome to the Houston Astrodome. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide 475 buses for the transfer, and the Astrodome's schedule has been cleared through December for housing evacuees. Perry noted that the crisis will be especially hard on children who have been suddenly uprooted from their daily routines, including school. Under federal law these children are considered homeless and are entitled to enroll in the school district where they temporarily reside. “I want stranded families to know the doors of Texas’ public schools are immediately open to your school-aged children,” Perry said. “I also want school leaders to know that we realize this will put a strain on their capacity, so I have asked the Texas Education Agency to work them to make sure they have the textbooks they need, funding for transportation and the free-and-reduced lunch program and class size waivers as needed.” Perry also said that the State of Florida has made an urgent request for a two-week supply of gasoline because of a pipeline disruption caused by Katrina. “To meet this need, I have asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to exercise enforcement discretion to allow for the loading of fuel from a refinery site in Port Arthur on marine vessels that will transport this fuel to Florida,” Perry said. “We are coordinating with the Environmental Protection Agency concerning any regulatory waivers needed to meet this urgent need.” Ford Park in Jefferson County began accepting refugees on Monday and the numbers have swelled past 1,000. The American Red Cross in Galveston opened a shelter at Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church. "They need to bring their own bedding, blankets and pillows," said Irma Fortuno director of the Galveston Red Cross office. "We will not have cots for everyone. We will have cots for individuals who have health issues or are elderly." Listen Download Galveston Independent School District officials will register children at the shelter at 9 a.m. on Thursday. "The hotels, as far as I know, have come right up to the table," said Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas. "They have reduced their rates for the evacuees." Listen Download Galveston City Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for 5:30 this afternoon to "consider for approval authorizing the City Manager to purchase needed fuel for city operations in an amount not to exceed $100,000 due to shortage in fuel supplies caused by Hurricane Katrina." Donations of time, money, food, and transportation, are being coordinated by the Galveston Chamber of Commerce. Contact Gina Spagnola at gspagnola@galvestonchamber.com. Clear Lake Rehabilitation Hospital at 655 E. Medical Center Boulevard in Webster is serving as a Bay Area Houston area facility for drop off of supplies (clothing, food, bedding, toiletries, etc.) for the Hurricane evacuees. Call (281) 286-1500. "We will coordinate with our local United Way for delivery of these supplies to the Astrodome," said Tama J. Brantley. The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center is preparing to receive approximately 80 veteran inpatients from the New Orleans VA Medical Center. The New Orleans hospital was ordered closed on Tuesday because of flooding, water damage, and power outages caused by Hurricane Katrina. All 154 patients from the hospital are being evacuated to other VA medical facilities in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Persons who wish to offer support for the displaced veterans should contact MEDVAMC Voluntary Services by email at vhahouvolunteer@med.va.gov. Many other companies and individuals are coordinating their own relief efforts. Tom Hults of Seabrook Seafood has volunteered his time, trucks, drivers and manpower to fill them. Donations of fuel, water, canned goods, clothes, diapers, diaper wipes and insect repellent are being accepted. Hults said his first truck will leave for Mississippi on Friday. Call (713) 545-5246 for information. United State Coast Guard air and boat crews have assisted in the rescue of 1,259 people, and they are continuing to respond to distress calls. The Coast Guard is working with FEMA, and is delivering relief supplies aboard its C-130 cargo planes."There are approximately 4,000 Coast Guardsmen currently in the area working on response and recovery, as well as 15 cutters, 37 airplanes and rescue helicopters, 63 small boats, three maritime safety and security teams, three oil and hazardous material response teams and five aid to navigation teams," said a news release. Release "As part of a committed team, we have been working tirelessly to help those in need and to begin work on the ports and waterways," said Rear Admiral Robert Duncan, the Coast Guard incident commander. "Some of our own people are missing. Many of the Coast Guard personnel responding to this disaster have likely lost their properties. We will be here helping these communities as long as it takes." Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a statement warning against price gouging. “Desperate people have come into Texas in droves, leaving their homes to escape the devastation of Hurricane Katrina,” Abbott said. “We will bring legal action against any business that takes advantage of these citizens and their dire circumstances. My office will work closely with local police and district attorneys to aggressively pursue anyone who violates the law by exploiting victims in the wake of this massive storm.” Persons who believe they have been victimized may file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office by calling toll-free (800) 252-8011, or by visiting the Attorney General’s Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us and clicking on “Consumer Protection.” Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn today announced that businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina's devastation may postpone paying taxes owed to Texas. “I want to do everything I can to help the folks who are affected by this catastrophic storm,” Strayhorn said. “I’m offering Texas taxpayers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama the same opportunity I normally grant when disaster strikes within Texas’ borders—a chance to get their lives, homes and businesses back in order." For more information, or to request a tax filing extension, call the comptroller's toll-free tax assistance line in Austin at (800) 252-5555. There will be an Interfaith Prayer Service at noon on Friday, for the Hurricane Katrina Victims at Trinity Episcopal Church. "Everyone is invited to share in this service for our neighbors on the Gulf Coast who have suffered so tragically," said Trinity Pastor Reverend Ron Pogue. Port Arthur City Council on Tuesday held public hearings on the FY06 budgets for the city and the Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation. Tammy Kotzur complained about a proposed 23 percent decrease in funding for the Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau. Listen Download "A 23 percent cut, first of all, goes against the city ordinance and, second of all, would critically, critically damage our mission," Kotzur said. "That amount of reduction would basically be two of our employees, or 50 percent of our workforce, or it would cut all of our publications out, all of our advertising." "To get more money than the hotel occupancy tax provides, the place you have to take it from is the general fund," said City Manager Steve Fitzgibbons, explaining the demands on his proposed budget. "We've been looking at the numbers, we have been seeing that we are in deficit, we have been talking about the things we need to do to get the general fund in balance." "It's all in the importance of how you see tourism as an economic development tool for the City of Port Arthur and the marketing of this city outside of this area," Kotzur said. The city council voted 8-0 to modify the ordinance regulating the City of Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation. The change recognizes that the city manager or his designee are now operating the EDC and city council approval is no longer required for expenditures under $5,000 "so long as monies are in a line item of the budget" approved by the city council and the EDC board. The ordinance still requires city council approval for "specific projects, programs, and contracts" that are governed by the EDC bylaws. All other agenda items were approved. All votes were unanimous. Houston City Council on Wednesday voted to confirm Mayor Bill White's appointment of Maqrlene L. Gafrick as director of the Department of Planning and Development. The city council voted to confirm last week's appointment of Manuel "Marcello" Augusto Marini, Patty Nilsson, Rodney E. Nathan, J. Allen Provost, Rudy Gonzalez, Terri Bailey Parris, Al Vera and Gilda McFail to the Houston MediaSource Board of Directors. Several items were tagged, or delayed for one week, by individual members of the city council. A request for a variance from prohibition of the sale of alcoholic beverages within 1,000 foot of a school for an establishment at 3520 Old Spanish Trail, near Thompson Elementary School, "under the condition that such location's alcoholic beverage permits remain in good standing with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and that the premises will not be open for business during the hours that school is in session," was tagged by Toni Lawrence. A recommendation by the public works director to decline the acceptance of a project on Washington Avenue and Trinity Avenue, from Brinkman Street to Live Oak Street, and to refuse the dedication of the street, was tagged by Lawrence. A $1,188,200 contract with RWL Construction, Inc. for water line replacement in the Almeda Manor Subdivision was tagged by Carol Mims Galloway. A proposed real estate marketing agreement with Cushman & Wakefield of Texas, Inc. in conjunction with the Fannin Parking Garage at 1112 Clay Avenue was tagged by Galloway. The city council voted to delay for 30 days a proposed ordinance terminating Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 21, the Hardy/Near Northside TIRZ. All
other agenda items were approved. Texas
Land Commissioner
Jerry Patterson today
announced details of what he described as the biggest real
estate investment in Land Office history. Under the agreement announced today, the School Land Board will pay Wal-Mart Stores East, LP $100 million for the massive bulk-storage facility. Wal-Mart has agreed to lease the facility back from the board for 30 years.
"The absolute triple net lease will earn the School Land Board $238,493,555 over the next 30 years," said a news release. "After two years, Wal-Mart may buy back the facility for either $100 million, or market value, whichever is greater."
Patterson
said the School Land Board’s $100 million investment in
Wal-Mart’s Baytown bulk-storage facility is a sign of things
to come for the state’s oldest agency. He said that
the $100 million investment will earn the Permanent School
Fund $338 million over 30 years. As a fringe benefit, he
said the Wal-Mart bulk-storage facility will also add an
estimated 1,900 jobs in Texas, and $66 million in new payroll. “This
is a historic deal for Texas schools,” Patterson said.
“This is the equivalent of the moon landing for the School
Land Board. Investing in Texas real estate earns us a
safe and solid return.” Texas House Bill 823, which becomes effective on September 1, was intended to shore up the right of citizens to carry a concealed handgun while traveling, according to State Representative Terry Keel, sponsor of the legislation. Release "There have been many inquiries to my office from citizens and media regarding the upcoming change in the law and what it means," Keel said. "HB 823 provides for a legal presumption in favor of citizens that they are travelers if they are in a private vehicle with a handgun that is not in plain view, they are not otherwise engaged in unlawful activity nor otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a firearm, and they are not a member of a criminal street gang." Keel said that "in plain terms," the bill provides that a law-abiding person should not fear arrest if they are transporting a concealed pistol in a motor vehicle. "There is no longer the need for a law enforcement officer to apply a subjective definition of what constitutes 'traveling' where the citizen is cloaked with the presumption per the terms of the new statute," Keel said. "Under those circumstances the citizen should be allowed to proceed on their way." Scheduled
Meetings Today, August 31 Thursday, September 1 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. Heath Guidry is Galveston City Correspondent. Carl Guidry covers events in Jefferson County. Anita Donatto covers the education beat in Galveston. Patty Mayeux is editor of Gulf Coast E-news. 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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