News

   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.”

   The Matagorda County Museum hosts its annual “Gourmet Guys” fundraiser from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Bay City Civic Center.
   Happy Hour is from 6-7 p.m. with tasting to follow after.
   Tickets are $40 per person available in advance and at the door.
   This year’s theme is “A Taste Trip through South America.”
   “This year’s theme was chosen because we had never done South American before,” said Matagorda County Museum Director Barbara Smith.
   “The committee will pick next year’s theme and announce it Saturday night.”
   Smith added that this was the 15th year for the annual fundraiser.
   “However, this is the first time we’ve had it at the Civic Center,” she added.

   Bay City ISD trustees heard a presentation from engage2learn executive facilitator Dr. Stephen Waddell for the district’s new strategic planning during a workshop, Sept. 23.
   “Our program focuses on beliefs first,” said Waddell.
   “We look for shared beliefs and goals in the community and gear our strategy in the same direction of those goals.”
   The first step seeks to “engage students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members in a dialogue session.”
   “This dialogue leads to the creation of strong systems that support the shift from teaching to learning and the strategic abandonment of programs and systems that no longer serve learners,” he said.
   “There are three major areas of this process; education summits, focus groups and surveys.”
   Waddell advised board members to include as many diverse voices for the “design team” phase of the project.

   Bay City’s September sales tax rebates jumped 13% over the rebate for same month last year.
   That 13% increase came from Bay City’s sales tax allocation of $500,157 in September, compared to the $442,316 rebate from September 2018.
   These allocations are based on sales made in July by businesses that report tax monthly.
   For the year, Bay City has received $4,427,093, a 3.9% increase from $4,257,341 the city got in the same period last year.
   Palacios’ September rebate totaled $64,896, a 16% jump from the $55,625 the city got for the same month last year.
   The city’s year-to-date total of $541,718 is 3.9% lower than $560,610 for the same period in 2018.
   Elsewhere in the area, Lake Jackson September rebate was $816,151 a slight 0.45% from a year ago, while Port Lavaca’s $330,899 September rebate was 27% up from last year.