Lifestyle

   Matagorda VFD first responders answered two calls for near-drownings on Matagorda Beach Saturday, July 10.
   A child swept out in a rip current was the first call for the responders Saturday afternoon, said Matagorda Fire Chief Clay Bishop.
   A surfer on the beach stopped and went out with a life jacket to rescue the child with his surfboard and brought him back to shore, Bishop said. 
   The 10-year-old child was then taken to MRMC by EMS. 
   “Without a doubt, that surfer saved his life,” the chief said. 
   The second near drowning later Saturday afternoon was a man, 36, who swam out to help a child swept out in a RIP current. 

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   A proposed 52-acre housing development near Schulman Entertainment Center got lots of interest from city and county leaders in a workshop last week that is followed by another discussion Thursday, July 15.
   Woodlands-based Bold Fox Development – with several major projects in the Houston area – projected a housing project here as part of the TIRZ 2 workshop, July 8.
   The discussion centered on about 500 acres within TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) 2 boundaries between Bay City and Van Vleck off Texas 35.
   A key figure in TIRZ 2 development, Arthur Milberger helped develop the SBG entertainment center project and owns several acres around it.

He focused on the main factor in local housing development – it’s needed.

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   Matagorda County COVID-19 cases continue to trend higher, following a higher statewide average of increasing new cases and hospitalizations.
   Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reports the county had 34 new cases in the past 14 days.
   While that represents 0.9% per 1,000 residents, it’s still a jump from the July 8 report with 11 new cases and July 1 with seven new cases.
   Overall, the county has 3,571 confirmed cases, 737 probable cases, 115 deaths, nine active cases and 4,184 recovered.
   With 42% of Texans fully vaccinated, Matagorda County’s numbers show 32% are fully vaccinated, less than surrounding counties, except Jackson County.
   Some 47.3% of the county received at least one dose - 71% of those 65 and older received at least one dose and 62% are fully vaccinated.

   The Lions Club Annual Rice Festival will be the first week of September this year.
   Events start as early as Aug. 28 for the Rice Festival Queen contest, but the festival dates are Sept. 2-5 at the Matagorda County Fairgrounds.
   Usually in October, the festival was moved up due to the carnival company’s timeline.
   “This year was a scramble for carnivals,” said Lions Club member Doc Campbell.
   “When we found a carnival, their only open date was this date which means they kind of dictate to us when we can have our festival.
   “If you don’t have a carnival, there’s no sense in having the festival,” he added.

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   Scores of documents from the early days of the Texas Republic and from throughout the 19th Century were part of the ten-month reorganization of the district clerk’s records.
   District Clerk Janice Hawthorne recently completed reordering her department’s immense storage of civil and criminal records.
   “There was not much rhyme or reason on what was going on,” Hawthorne remarks over the district clerk office’s civil and criminal records.
   “You didn’t know where to go with boxes marked 2003, 1994, 1995 and 2004 in the same area,” she added.
   There was no sense of purpose in the filing that Hawthorne encountered.
   “You could guess where something was.”
   In addition, criminal and civil files were all mixed and “boxes were scattered everywhere,” Hawthorne said.

   The Blessing Hotel car show kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 17, at the hotel.
   Car owners can register for 12 different classes and five special awards.
   Car classes include: antique, classic, low rider, muscle par pre-1980, muscle car 1981-new, open, original pre-1980, original 1981-new, Rat Rod, T-Bucket, truck pre-1980, truck 1981-new.
   There will be three motorcycle classes with custom, foreign, domestic, and two bonus classes for bicycles and kids’ battery-powered cars.
   Awards will be given for cars in first-third place in a given class and People’s Choice, most unique, best of show, most patriotic, kid’s choice, and the hotel & coffee shop award.
   Tickets to vote for the People’s Choice car can be purchased at the registration table for $1 each.
   Car show awards will be presented at 3 p.m.
   The event is free and open to the public.

   The Bay City Historic Commission board unanimously approved four certificates of appropriateness for downtown businesses during their meeting Monday, July 12.
   The COAs went to Tangles Salon, Rosalyn & Co. Boutique, My Life, and Truth Barber Shop.
   Tangles is improving its property overall and adding new signage.
   Rosalyn & Co. Boutique and My Life are a joint venture between Rosalyn White and Alan Rowlins at 2244 Fifth Street, suites A and B, on the square in Bay City.
   White’s boutique will feature clothing, jewelry, accessories, purses, and a selection of handmade décor.
   “I figured that 2021 was the year I could open a new business downtown,” said White.
   “I wanted to expand this time and open the business up to carry everything and go beyond what ‘Baby Bottoms’ carried.”

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   When “Black Widow” was first rumored as far back as 2010, all I can ask myself is how did fans put up with the delay for so long? 
   Out of the decades-long wait, the only thing that made sense was the COVID-19 pandemic pushing it further and further back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU – otherwise known as the Disney agenda. 
   The rest of it was a terrible display of sloppy copyrights changing hands, lack of writers, and the age-old excuse of how a “female superhero” wouldn’t sell. 
   I guess we can thank 2017’s “Wonder Woman” film for blowing that idea out of the water – though it only serves to aggravate me more to know that a Black Widow movie was being written in 2004! 
   Regardless of that, Black Widow tries to flesh out the heroine’s blood-drenched backstory, but seems to barely scratch the surface of it all. 

   The Friends of the Bay City Library are gearing up for the return of their “Library Mini Golf” fundraiser set for Saturday, Aug. 14. 
   Library Mini Golf will be held at the Bay City Public Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $5 per round of golf. 
   The library will be transformed into an 18-hole mini-golf course with greens winding through the stacks and rooms of the library. 
   A few new additions including local food trucks set up in the front parking lot this year. 
   All holes will be sponsored by local businesses and individuals. 
Currently, there are a few remaining holes left to be sponsored. 
   “This is such a fun and unique way to bring awareness of the library while raising funds to support it,” said Friends President Carol Teague.