Lifestyle

   County Judge Nate McDonald narrowly won re-election Tuesday as nearly half of Matagorda County’s 21,654 registered voters turned out to vote.
   A total of 10,636 or 49.1 percent of voters cast ballots in early, absentee and election-day polls.
   The JP 1 referendum on the legal sale of all alcohol beverages, including mixed drinks - Proposition A - passed with 2,065 votes or 74.6 percent of the total votes cast.
   Leading off with this election year’s countywide contested races are:

   The tax abatement reinvestment zone for Air Liquide’s proposed $107 million production plant was unanimously approved by Matagorda County Commissioners Court Monday, Nov. 5.
   Noting that Air Liquide’s continued negotiations with the Port of Bay City Authority were in place, Precinct 2 Commissioner Kent Pollard moved to approve the reinvestment zone that will be on 20.64 acres near Oxea of FM 3057.
   Air Liquide is seeking a five-year tax abatement - 100 percent in 2021 and dropping yearly to 55 percent in Year 5 in 2025 - as part of the reinvestment zone designation.
   Air Liquide’s proposed manufacturing plant will produce argon, nitrogen and oxygen.
   The plant will be near Air Liquide’s industrial gas pipelines that run through Matagorda County from Lake Charles, La., to Bishop, Texas.
   Construction on the plant is slated to begin in May 2019.

   Parents, swimmers and BCISD staff members took issue with the swimming pool curfew - prompted by the lack of overhead lighting - at the Bay City Pool at city council’s regular meeting Thursday, Nov. 1.
   Bay City High School Swim Team Coach Bob Button said the curfew caused the cancellation of a recent swim meet.
   The curfew “seems very odd with little notice,” said Robert Vargas, a parent of a BCHS swimmer.
   “Why not notify the team in August when Button schedules meets,” Vargas asked.
   The timing of and confusion from the curfew after sunset came after a lengthy repair process of the pool’s heating system that affected swim team practices.

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   With over a dozen drop-off sites, Toys for Tots Matagorda County is aiming to provide Christmas joy to 1,000 local children of all ages.
   “Our goal is to give every child four toys, four stocking stuffers and a book for Christmas,” said Toys for Tots coordinator James Scardami.
   “Every toy that gets donated here locally, stays in Matagorda County. I started this campaign because I’m a Marine and I believe every child deserves a Christmas gift.”
   The toys will be arranged in age-specific groupings before being given out to registered families.
   “According to the foundation, toys for infants and teenagers are the hardest to come by,” he said.
   “Right now, we’re accepting toys for all ages as well as applications.”
   Applications can be found online at toysfortots.org and searching for Matagorda County when prompted.

    We’ve still got a couple of months left in 2018, but it’s not too soon to start thinking about some year-end investment moves that might benefit you.
   First, put more money into your IRA, if you haven’t already reached the limit of $5,500, or $6,500 if you’re 50 or older. 
   You have until April 15 to fully fund your IRA, but why wait until the last minute?
   Also, if your employer allows it, bump up your contributions to your 401(k) or similar retirement plan.
   And if you experienced a major life event in 2018, such as a marriage, the addition of a child or even a new job, you may need to adjust your investment plans or strategy.
   Finally, review your investment mix to ensure it’s still suitable for your goals and risk tolerance. 
   Over time, the changing values of individual investments can cause your portfolio to become over-weighted in one way or another, so you may need to do some rebalancing.

   I have been a fan of the original “Nutcracker” ballet since it came on TV every holiday season during my childhood.
   Naturally, I went into “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” with high hopes and expectations.
   Outside of the stunning and decadent visuals, there’s hardly any dancing and the story is very confusing.
   That being said, if you don’t know the original story, then you’ll enjoy the film.
   The movie is a retelling of E.T. A. Hoffmann’s short story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” and Marius Petipa’s “The Nutcracker,” about a young girl who is given a locked egg from her deceased mother and sets out in a magical land to retrieve the key. 
   The film stars Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, Misty Copeland, Helen Mirren, Jayden Fowora-Knight, Anna Madeley, and Morgan Freeman.