Lifestyle

   City council took no action following a lengthy executive session lasting discussing personnel matters June 20.
   The executive session was listed on the agenda as a meeting to discuss mayoral duties and responsibilities as part of Title 5, Section 551.074 of the Texas Government Code.
   The next City council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27.

   Bay City’s annual Sparks in the Park event is from 5 – 10 p.m. Thursday, July 4 at Le Tulle Park.
   “Join us in celebrating our nation’s 243rd birthday,” said Kelly Penewitt, Parks and Recreation Supervisor in a press release.  
   “It is important to remember on this day our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence establishing our inalienable rights; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Penewitt said.
   “Which makes July 4th a great day to celebrate with family and friends and what a better place to celebrate than at Le Tulle Park with the annual Sparks in the Park Event.”
   The evening event will offer something for the entire family. 
   This year KG Williams will kick off the evening’s musical entertainment and followed by the headline band – Phineus Reb!
   Other activities include children’s activities, food, and refreshment booths and fabulous fireworks show choreographed to patriotic music. 

   Hansel, a 2-year-old black lab, has joined the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 Division, Sheriff Skipper Osborne announced.
   Hansel was acquired by a grant through an agency named Dog’s for Law Enforcement.  
   Hansel came to the Sheriff’s Office April 20 and received his certification as a Narcotic Detection Team member June 20. 
   Osborne swore in Hansel June 24 and assigned Narcotic Sgt. M. Tilley as his handler.  
   Tilley and Hansel will be working Narcotic Interdiction and will be made available to all agencies in Matagorda County if needed.  
   Hansel joins Maximus in the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division. 
 

   Bay City High School students Blake Quinn and Garrett Dobbs graduated from American Legion Boys State, Department of Texas, after attending the Texas Boys State program in Austin the week of June 10. 
   Over 1,100 future leaders selected for the program spent the week at The University of Texas learning about government.
   Begun in 1935, Boys State is a unique program that educates future leaders about government, civics, and patriotism in a “learn by doing” environment. 
   Each delegate has just finished his junior year of high school and was hand-picked by teachers, counselors, and local American Legion posts throughout Texas to attend this one week seminar.
   During the week, the delegates were evenly split into fictional parties of the Nationalist and Federalists. 

   WHARTON – As part of the annual Operation Dry Water campaign, the Tri-County Community Coalition (TCCC) will join in the nationally coordinated effort to educate boaters about the dangers of boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs July 5-7.
   The mission of Operation Dry Water is to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related accidents and fatalities on the water. 
Operation Dry Water weekend is the national weekend of amplified recreational boater outreach, education and coordinated enforcement surrounding boating under the influence. 
   Alcohol use continues to be the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths and a leading contributor to boating accidents.
   TCCC is reaching out to our community to encourage those who will be spending time on the water to engage in safe boating practicing, which includes keeping alcohol off the boat for both operators and passengers.

  A $36.3 million fiscal 2019-2020 operating budget with a teacher pay boost cutting the gap between Bay City teacher salaries and those in neighboring districts was approved by the Bay City school board at its regular meeting Monday night, June 17.
   Trustees also agreed to build a new Linnie Roberts Elementary at the old McAllister school site, took no action on a proposed clear-backpack policy, extended Superintendent Marshall Scott III’s contract and approved an agreement with the Bay City ISD Education Foundation in a three-hour meeting.
   In addition, the board heard updates on the Bay City Junior High, Tenie Holmes Elementary and the new BCHS Memorial Stadium construction projects – BCJH and Tenie Holmes are nearing completion, but the stadium work will continue into the fall.
   All BCISD staff will see a salary increase of 3%. 

     Matagorda Beach had a great weekend with no drowning or other incidents, Sheriff Skipper Osborne told the commissioners court at its regular meeting Monday, June 17.
   “It was a great weekend on the beach with very little traffic,” Osborne said, noting there was no drowning.
   There has been a drowning on two previous weekends at the beach.

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