Lifestyle

   City Council pushed for TxDOT to install turning lanes at Texas 35 and Texas 60 downtown, and against turning lanes at Avenue G and H, at council’s regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11.
   TxDOT Area Engineer Ryan Simper was at the meeting at council’s request to discuss signal lights along Texas 35 in the downtown area.
   Simper discussed TxDOT’s proposal that began as a Bay City Chamber of Commerce transportation committee request for signal light synchronization to produce a steady flow of traffic through Bay City.
   Before Simper spoke to council, Lisa Morales made a strong plea to council in its public comments session to avoid turning lanes at Avenues G and H because they would eliminate the angle parking on Texas 35 between the two streets.
   In addition, adding a center lane – for left turn parking – along that section of Texas 35 – would widen the street and bring traffic within two feet of the sidewalk, Morales pointed out.

   Classes start bright and early for in-person and digital learners at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at Tidehaven ISD.
   Tidehaven students ages 10 and over, teachers and staff are required to wear face coverings – masks or shields – at all times when social distancing is not available while on campus.
   Parents must screen their children for COVID-19 symptoms each morning before school.
   All campuses let out at 3:30 p.m. this year.
   Van Vleck ISD students start in-person and online classes at 7:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, across all campuses and Google Classrooms.

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   With Matagorda County in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, more annual events are postponing or canceling themselves altogether.
   The latest cancellation comes from the Bay City Lions Club annual Rice Festival event.
   Originally slated for October, the Lions Club issued a press release Aug. 5 about this year’s event cancellation.
   “The Bay City Lions Club has announced that the upcoming 75th Annual Rice Festival, and the associated carnival, Queen’s contest, Rice Dish Roundup, and parade, are canceled,” the release said.
   “Our goal is the health and safety of the public. The ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic doesn’t permit us to hold this fundraiser at this time. 
“This long-standing event has been canceled only a few times in the last 80 years.”

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   There were 67 new COVID-19 cases – plus 58 recovered cases and six new deaths - in Matagorda County last week, according to the weekly report from the Emergency Operation Center issued Monday, Aug. 10.
   The estimated total of COVID-19 cases is 740, with 378 estimated recoveries and 335 estimate active cases.
   Nearly 200 people were tested here last week and more tests are set Aug. 18 and 20.
   “Last week the State of Texas provided free COVID-19 tests to 188 people at the Bay City Civic Center,” said Mitch Thames, Matagorda County Public Information Officer.
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   Commissioners unanimously approved setting a public hearing for the 2020-2021 proposed tax rate during their regular meeting, Aug. 10.
   The public hearing is slated for 9:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24.
   The total proposed tax rate is $0.42223; with $0.41850 in maintenance tax and $0.00373 in debt levy.
   Those proposed rates are a decrease from last year’s numbers.
   “We’re working on being good stewards of the county money coming to us and hope you feel the same way,” said Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald.

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   Tidehaven ISD trustees unanimously approved the public hearing for next year’s proposed tax rate and budget during their regular meeting Aug. 6.
   Board members present included Scott Cheek, Stephen Crow, Lee Pierce, and Eric Saha; those absent were Stuart Lynn, Mike Galvan, and Marty Crain.
   The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, at the Tidehaven High School cafeteria.

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   Continuing with the “summer of horrors/thrillers that never seem to end” theme, I came upon “You Should Have Left” as a Redbox rental last week and scooped it up after reviewing the trailer on YouTube.
   Needless to say, the trailer teemed with unsettling visuals of a drowned woman, unexplained shadows on walls, and a house that’s seemingly “bigger” on the inside.
   Now, the film is a psychological horror film written and directed by David Koepp, based on the 2017 book of the same name by Daniel Kehlmann.
   It has a total run time of 93 minutes and is rated R for some violence, disturbing images, sexual content, and language.
   The movie stars Kevin Bacon, Amanda Seyfried, and Avery Essex.
   Theo Conroy (Bacon) is an older man plagued by nightmares, who is married to Susanna (Seyfried), a young actress, with whom he has a young daughter named Ella (Essex).

   Bay City Police Department held a small ceremony Aug. 5 to swear in two new police officers. 
   Police Chief Robert Lister swore in Officer Jeromy Washington and Officer Blademir Viverosis.
   Washington is a Houston native, born to Nell Washington and Chance Thomas, and graduated from Evan E. Worthing High School and attended Lamar University. 
   He graduated from the University of Houston Downtown in 2019 and eight years working at the Missouri City Parks and Recreation Center and was a truck driver for LOOMIS Armored Truck. 
   He is married with children and enjoys fishing, lifting weights and dogs. 
   Viveros graduated from B.F. Terry High School and attended Wharton County Junior College , ultimately choosing law enforcement as a career.
   He graduated from Wharton County Junior College Police Academy in May 2020. 

   Van Vleck football team’s greatest strengths this season will be experience and its offensive and defensive lines, Head Coach Robert Blackmon said.
   Van Vleck had 61 players show up for two-a-day practices and Blackmon points out that group includes eight starters from both offense and defense from last year’s team.
   That experience will be tested when the season begins with a scrimmage against Edna there Aug. 20 and the first game will be at Hitchcock Aug. 28.
   “Offensively we will run the spread offense and defensively we will be multiple,” Blackmon explained about the different sets the Leopards will feature.
   Blackmon is counting on a group of leaders this year.
   “Sam Bree, Garrett Chambless, Slade Huerta, Wyatt Gobert will be our leaders,” the coach said.
   “They’re all seniors except for Garrett,” he added.