Lifestyle

   Matagorda County began the process to consider a tax abatement request from Houston-based Lodestar Energy that’s proposing a $32 million South Texas Rail Terminal near El Maton at commissioners court meeting Monday, Sept. 16.
   The Lodestar transfer station will transfer Gulf Coast oil and gas products from pipelines to rail cars and from the cars to the pipelines.
   The court approved beginning the review process of Lodestar’s tax abatement application and setting a public hearing on Lodestar’s request for a reinvestment zone for tax abatement purposes at 9:45 a.m. Sept. 30.
   Lodestar seeks an abatement of five years – 85 percent in the first two years, and 75%, 50%, and 25%, respectively over the last three years.
   Steven Manchester, president of Manufacturing Future Economies (MFB), told the court Monday that he is the project’s consultant, adding the operation would employ 10 people.

   Bay City school trustees said they were unhappy Bay City Junior High, Tenie Holmes Elementary and the new Memorial Stadium all are behind schedule.
   Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Marshall Scott III drove home their dissatisfaction about the school bond projects’ progress at the school board’s regular meeting Monday night, Sept. 16.
   Aside from a “politically correct” answer about Memorial Stadium’s construction, Scott asked, “We won’t playing any games there this year.
   “My concern is every single project is coming in late. Sports are important for people.
   “You could have been more honest,” Scott said to Francis Zordilla, an architect with Claycomb Associates Architects.
   Noting the stadium and Tenie Holmes’ delays, Scott said those were “unacceptable as a superintendent and as a community member. 
   “It really bothers me. You don’t overpromise things you are not going to give them,” Scott said.

   Van Vleck ISD trustees received construction updates and approved campus improvement plans districtwide during their monthly meeting, Sept. 16.
   “We’re about 30% complete on high school construction,” said Sofia Dusek, PBK architect project executive.
   “We’re installing mold-proof drywall right now and roof installation is ongoing. Parking lots and paving are still happening and masonry should start going up within the next six weeks.”
   Dusek updated the board on the ag shop as well.
   “The ag building is on schedule and we’ll be ready to move into classrooms and the office on Oct. 1,” she said.
   “The processing room should be ready at the end of October. They’re working on installing tile in there right now.”
   Dusek also told the board that the auditorium renovations were on schedule but the elementary was behind.
   “We’re only behind because of a few rainy days and they’re making good time now,” she added.

   The Main Street Program board failed to make a quorum of members, but still held updates for ongoing projects and shared information on future plans during a regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 11.
   Future events include partnering with VFW Post 2438 and the American Legion for a veterans parade Saturday, Nov. 9, and City of Bay City Parks and Recreation Department in December.
   “Main Street is partnering with the VFW and American Legion for their annual veterans parade Nov. 9,” said Main Street Program organization committee chair Elizabeth Hewitt.
   “We’re also partnering with Parks and Rec for their ‘Hometown Christmas’ celebration set for Dec. 7.”
   Hewitt also attends the Historic Downtown Business Association (HDBA) as a Main Street liaison and reported that the annual “Light It Up” fundraiser was canceled this month.

   Mayor Robert Nelson pulled an open session item about Bay City Housing Authority (BCHA) board appointments into a closed-door meeting at council’s regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 12.
   Council’s Thursday agenda included the reappointment of three BCHA board members three members: Danyal Manning, Vidalia Leal and Ronnie Reeves and the appointment of Thomas Battle.
   When the agenda came up, Mayor Pro Tem Jason Childers began to speak, only to be interrupted by Nelson.
   “We’re not talking about that now. We’re going to talk about it in closed session,” the mayor said.
   The Sentinel first asked the mayor and council what provision of the open meetings act allowed council to discuss people who were not city employees as an allowable personnel matter in an executive session.
   City Attorney Anne Marie Odefy said the housing authority appointments were pushed into closed meeting not under personnel, but “legal,” without further explanation.

   Matagorda County’s costs arising from Brazoria County’s separation from the 23rd District Court are about $145,000, County Judge Nate McDonald said at his state of the county address last week.
   A bill was approved earlier this year allowing Brazoria County to form its own district and to split from the 23rd District’s longtime trio of counties, leaving only Matagorda and Wharton counties.
   The additional burden was foreseen, but McDonald said that instead of an additional $10,000 to $15,000, the total so far is $145,000.
   “We have to pay for his staff and for visiting judges. The costs are real and there,” McDonald said of Matagorda County’s new share of the 23rd District costs.  
      The discussion was part of McDonald’s explanation of the county’s recently approved fiscal 2019-2020 budget.

   “Hustlers” is a crime drama film written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, based on New York magazine’s 2015 article “The Hustlers at Scores” by Jessica Pressler.
   The film stars Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, and Cardi B.
   It’s rated R for pervasive sexual material, drug content, language, and nudity and is ranked number two in theaters worldwide, raking in just over $37.6 million last weekend.
   Former New York City-based stripper Dorothy (Wu) is invited for an interview with Elizabeth (Stiles), a journalist working on a story involving Dorothy’s former friend and mentor, Ramona Vega (Lopez).
   In 2007, Dorothy, known by her stripper name as Destiny, is working at a strip club to support her grandmother, but is continually frustrated by her inability to attract paying clients.