Lifestyle

   Bay City police conducted a special operation targeting clerks who illegally sell tobacco products to minors on Monday, Sept. 30.
   The operation’s goal is to promote a healthy, safe environment for the young people of today.
   These operations use a minor between the ages of 14 and 16, who tries to buy tobacco products at various stores within the city limits of Bay City.
   Plain-clothed officers stay in the area with the minor to ensure his or her safety. The minor then leaves the store and notifies the lead officer if a sale was made.
   If there was a sale, the minor then turns over the tobacco product to the officer. 
   The clerk is then issued a citation for the offense of “Selling Tobacco to a Minor” and must appear in court for the charge.
   During this particular operation, 11 of the 13 stores checked refused to sell to our minors. 

   A focus on the positives and figuring out how to be competitive is what Blackcat Head Coach Patrick Matthews is stressing this week.
   “We’re having a hard time how to handle adversity. It’s one of those things we talk about all of the time – like life,” Matthews added.
   The Blackcats (0-4, 0-1) are coming off a 50-6 loss to Columbia in a District 13-4A-1 season opener at the Roughnecks’ homecoming there last Friday.
   “We have to work them on how to focus on adversity, because it will happen at any football game,” the coach said.
   This Friday, Bay City will host another district opponent in Needville (4-1, 1-0), which toppled previously unbeaten El Campo 47-27 last Friday.
   “Needville has a solid running back, a strong-armed quarterback and receivers who can catch the ball,” Matthews said, also noting that the Bluejays also have a strong defensive front.

   Paced by Tiger running back Jose Martinez’s 157 yards rushing and quarterback Blake Garcia 163 yards passing, Tidehaven began District 14-3A-2 play with a 39-8 win over Danbury Friday, Sept. 27.
   “It was a good game for us,” Head Coach David Lucio said.
   “We were able to put the game away early and got to play a lot of our backups,” he added. 
   “We started district play 1-0 and came away with no new injuries.” 
   Tidehaven (2-3, 1-0) had 496 total yards against Danbury – 333 yards rushing and 163 yards in the air. Garcia was 6-12 – the longest throw was 71 yards – with three touchdowns.
   Mason Perales caught three passes for 80 yards and two TDs and Kaden Henry had two receptions for 71 yards and a TD.
   The Tiger defense held Danbury’s rushing game to 70 yards and its passing to 75 yards and a TD.
   Tiger Jerry Johnson recovered a fumble and returned for a TD.

   Trees for Houston and Bay City Parks and Recreation partner to plant 50 trees in parks and give away 500 (3-5 gallon) trees to residents to plant.
   The giveaways are open residents to obtain and plant up to two free trees in a yard or lawn on private property.
   We have selected redbuds, live oaks and loblolly pines for residents to plant and red maples to plant in the parks.
   Fall is the best time to plant trees in Texas – before the first frost.
   The cooler weather allows the trees to adapt to the planting site without the threat of scorching heat.
   Trees planted in the fall have more time to develop their root systems, and with proper planting and care, will have a higher survival rate than those planted in the spring.

   Following reports of slow-to-no mail deliveries throughout Matagorda County following Tropical Storm Imelda, a press release was issued to The Sentinel by the United States Postal Services, Sept. 23.
   A North Houston mail processing plant sustained heavy damage and a roof collapse due to Imelda Thursday, Sept. 19, which is the reason for the delays.
   According to ABC13, all employees in the facility at the time were able to make it out, with only three sustaining minor injuries.
   “The U.S. Postal Service is in active recovery mode, following Tropical Storm Imelda,” said the release.

 Tenaris gathered 100 hourly employees from seven countries for its inaugural Global Industrial Workshop in Bay City this week.
   Those attending include shop-floor employees, operators, technical leaders and maintenance supervisors, said US Industrial Relations Director at Tenaris Jason Gernand.
   “These are high-performance, high-quality employees who show the technical proficiency and strong leadership qualities to get the information back to their countries and to their mills,” Gernand said.
   TenarisBayCity, which started operations in late 2017, is equipped with a high level of automation and as the company’s most technologically sophisticated plant, was a fitting location for the workshop. 
   “We have a unique approach to manufacturing and it starts with our employees whom drive and guide our operations on the shop floor of our mills and our service centers,” said Luca Zanotti, Tenaris President, USA. 

   Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald commended commissioners for their support of the Lower Colorado River Basin Coalition and encouraged them to renew the coalition’s annual $500 membership fee during commissioners’ court Monday, Sept. 23.
   “It’s my belief that the county should always participate in advocating for our own interests,” said McDonald.
   “This is a group that was formed three or four years ago to make the case for water continuing to flow down the lower Colorado River basin.  We have a group up on the reservoirs are known as the Highland Lakes that are called the Central Texas Water Coalition. They raise millions of dollars a year, have an executive director, a full staff and an office up there that advocates not only with the citizenry around those lakes but with the State of Texas legislature.”