CHANNELCHATTER

COMMUNITY PROFILEIs there anything ArianaMontelongo de Valdivia can’t do?

Issue #136 of the STAR Carter Funeral Home, P. 8

VOLUME 4, NO. 33 (#136) www.northchannelstar.comWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016Serving all of the North Shore -- Channelview, Sheldon, Galena Park, Jacinto City

NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

COMMUNITY CLUBSNorth Shore Rotary donates toChannelview ISD Foundation

Galena Park Mayor donatesbackpacks to DeZavala

Cell phone storerobbers wanted

The Galena Park Mayor’s Office donated backpacks to DeZavala Elementary in ChannelviewISD on the first day of school, August 22. Celebrating the donation are, from left, RushaDavis, DeZavala counselor; Stephanie Green, assistant principal; Esmeralda Moya, Mayor ofGalena Park and DeZavala principal Manuel Escalante.

Crime Stoppers andJacinto City Police De-partment's Investigatorsneed the public's helpidentifying two male sus-pects responsible for anaggravated robbery at acell phone store in Har-ris County, Texas.

On Saturday, July 23,2016, two suspects en-tered a cell phone storelocated in the 11000 block

The Channelview ISD Education Foundation recently received an $8,000 donationfrom the North Shore Rotary Club. Pictured from left are Bill Hendrix, North ShoreRotary member and CISD Foundation President; Darcy Blackstock, CISD FoundationExecutive Director; Greg Ollis, Channelview ISD Superintendent and Adam Lund,North Shore Rotary.

San Jac graduate buildsimpressive résumé

PASADENA, Texas -Ariana Montelongo deValdivia started her stud-ies at San Jacinto Collegewith a choir scholarshipand a passion for people.She later turned that pas-sion into a 10-year careerin public relations, experi-ence as a television pro-ducer and her very ownreal estate business.

After graduating fromSan Jacinto College withan associate degree in com-munications, Montelongode Valdivia went to theUniversity of Houston toearn her bachelor’s de-grees in art and public re-lations. It wasn’t longbefore she started workingfor the world’s largest pub-lic relations firm, EdelmanCommunications and Mar-keting Firm.

“I managed multiple cli-

San Jac sets openauditions formelodrama‘Lorna’s LoveLost’

PASADENA, Texas – The SanJacinto College Central theatreand film department will holdopen auditions for “Lorna’sLove Lost,” a family melodrama,on Saturday, Aug. 27, and Mon-day, Aug. 29.

Auditions will be held at 6p.m., on both dates, at the Jer-ry Powell Arena Theatre locat-ed on the Central Campus at8060 Spencer Highway in Pas-adena, Building 13. Auditionsfor the show are open to any-one in the community and en-rollment at the College is notrequired. The cast will includefour men and four women andthe show might be double cast,depending on auditions. Peo-ple who audition need not pre-pare anything and should bedressed to move.

“This will be a family-orient-ed show and it’s the type ofplay that encourages audienceparticipation and throwingpopcorn,” commented Dr. Jer-ry Ivins, the Central Campus the-atre and film department chair.

The setting for the melodra-ma is 1880. Preston Dove is arich and ailing landowner try-ing desperately to protect hisonly child, the innocent andpure Lorna Dove. But in theshadows, the mischievous mas-ter of disguise, the villain of allvillains, Uriah Blackstone, hasother plans. Can the hero, Le-roy Prince, save the day? Canthe evil villain be stopped? Onlythe audience knows.

Performances wil l takeplace in the Powell Arena The-atre on Sept. 21, 22, 23 and 24with a 7:30 p.m. curtain, andon Sept . 25 wi th a 2 :30p.m.curtain. General admissionis $10 per person at the door,with a discount price of $8 perperson for all who purchasetickets by Sept. 20 by callingthe box office at 281-476-1828. San Jacinto College em-ployees and students are ad-mitted free.

To find out more abouttheatre degrees and courses atSan Jacinto Col lege, v is i tsanjac.edu/career/theatre-film.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Ariana Montelongo deValdivia turned a passion forpeople into a 10-yearpublic relations career.

ents with Edelman, butmy primary account wasthe City of Houston,” saidMontelongo de Valdivia,who worked as a senior ac-count executive for the

firm. “My biggest job was tolaunch the first ever socialmedia campaign for the2010 census.” The cam-paign she created andlaunched won a Gold Excal-ibur Award from the Pub-lic Relations Society ofAmerica (PRSA) HoustonChapter.

However, as she spentmost of her years in publicrelations working withnonprofit organizations,Montelongo De Valdiviafelt a calling of sorts.

“I spent most of my 10years in public relationsworking with nonprofit or-ganizations such as TheAmerican Heart Associa-tion, Life Gift, and Neigh-borhood Centers Inc.,” shesaid. In her role as senioraccount executive, Monte-longo de Valdivia ran me-dia and public relations,

See San Jac Graduate,page 2

Surveillance cameras captured suspects during robbery.

of Market Street in Har-ris County, TX. The sus-pects asked theemployee/victim to lookat a cell phone. The vic-tim went into a backroom to retrieve the cellphone. When the victimreturned, suspect #1 re-moved brass knuckles

See Robbers Wanted,page 3

Harris County: “OK to drink well water”New lab testsokay well water &Highlands WaterCompany water

Jackie Young explains water wells and groundwater atTuesday’s meeting.

EAST HARRIS COUN-TY – Several dozen resi-dents of the area attendeda meeting at the CommunitCenter in Highlands Tues-day night, when local envi-ronmental activist JackieYoung explained the bestpractices for maintainingprivate wells.

The audience alsolearned that Harris CountyPublic Health had sent asecond letter to homeownerswhose wells had been test-ed for contamination, tellingthem that a second round oflab tests indicated theirwater was now safe to drink,or use to wash and cook.

These homes totalledabout 100, in Highlands,Lynchburg, and Channel-view. Of the 100 that hadagreed to have their well

water tested, 71 had origi-nally been told not to drinkor bath with their water.However the second letternotified them that an errorin the laboratory was thereason for their test results,and a retest by a differentlab had indicated pollutantswere below an acceptablelevel, and their well watercould now be safely used.

HIGHLANDS WATERTESTS OKAY

In a similar series oftests, Mark Taylor of theHarris County Water Con-trol & Improvement District#1 (Highlands Water Com-pany) informed the Star-Courier that they had theirwater tested by an indepen-dent lab, and it had testedwell below the safe thresh-hold of 30 parts per picoli-tre. In fact the resultsshowed less than 5 parts perpicolitre. Highlands getstheir water only 20% fromwells, and the other 80% is

purchased from the Bay-town Water Authority,which purchases water fromthe City of Houston WaterDepartment. Baytown fur-ther treats the water beforeproviding it to Highlands,Taylor said.

A PRIMER ON WELLS &GROUNDWATER

Jackie Young handed outa fact filled manual, show-ing statistics and definitionsrelated to well water, whichcomes from groundwater.

She first discusseddrilled wells, and the threetypes of wells:

-- Bored or Shallow, up to100 feet deep

-- Consolidated or Rockwell, up to 250 feet deep, andbedded in layers of solidrock

-- Unconsoidated or Sandwells, the deepest whichreach the water in soft soil,clay, gravel and sand.

Which ever type of wellyou might have, she empha-

sized that the top of the wellbore needed a Concrete Sur-face Seal, or cement collar,to keep pollutants fromdropping into the well bore.

See Quality WaterApproved, page 8

See a copy of theLetter that HarrisCounty sent to

well owners lastweek.

SEE PAGE 8.

Page 2 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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SCHOOL NEWS

Town Hall MeetingCongressan Gene Green invites the community to attend the

upcoming town hall where he will discuss current legislation andother issues of importance to the district. Wednesday, August 31,2016, 6:30 pm at HPD East Freeway Storefront, 12001-A East Free-way, Houston, 77029.

North Channel Library Programs-Mon., Aug. 29, Family Night, 6 pm.-Tue., Aug. 30, Toddler Time, 10:30 am; Preschool Story Time,1:30 pm.-Mon., Aug. 29, Intermediate Excel, Lecture, 1 pm.-Tue., Aug. 30, Excel Intermedio, Lectura, 10 am - 12 pm.-Wed., Aug. 31, Intermediate Excel, Practice, 1 pm.-Wed., Aug. 31, Tween Time: Back in School, 4:30 pm.-Thur., Sep. 1, Excel Intermedio, Prácticas, 10 am - 12 pm. Library is located at 15741 Wallisville Rd., Houston, 77049. Formore details on tese and other programs, please call 281-457-1631.

The Buckshot Jamboree Enjoy Classic Country music every Saturday night from 7 pm - 10pm with The Buckshot Jamboree at 7414 Hartman near OldBeaumont Highway. More info, call 281-458-0729 or 832-444-5000.

Galena Park Senior Dance Senior Dance is every Monday at the Alvin D. Building, 1302Keene St., Galena Park. 7 pm - 9 pm. No cover charge. Live bandCountry music. Call for more information: 713-455-7335.

North Shore Senior Dance North Shore Seniors holds a dance every Thursday from 1 - 4pm at the Grayson/Baldree Building, Corpus Christi street. Livebands and refreshments. Cost is $ 5/per person. For moreinformation call 713-455-3660.

San Jacinto Pilot Club meetingThe Club meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Mr. Gatti’son Uvalde at noon.

Jacinto City Library programs-Frid., Aug. 26, Clases de Inglés Usando Mango, 1 pm.-Sat., Aug. 27, Family Movie Theater, 12:30 pm.-Tue., Aug. 30, Tables & Smartphones, 11 am.-Wed., Aug. 31, Baby Time, 10:30 am; ESL Class, 12:30 pm.Jacinto City Branch Library, 921 Akron, Jacinto City, TX. 77029.For more information on other programs, call 713-673-3237.

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Chief Warrant Officer 4 JohnStauffer will join the Collegeon Sept. 12, 2016.

PASADENA, Texas –Over the course of 22 yearsin the U.S. Army, Chief War-rant Officer 4 John Staufferhas sailed on every U.S.Army ship and assisted inthe reopening of Port-au-Prince following Haiti’s di-sastrous 2010 earthquake.His next mission will be tomove more military veter-ans into a maritime careeras the new associate vicechancellor and superinten-dent of maritime at San Ja-cinto College.

Chief Stauffer will beginhis position on Sept. 12,2016. He will oversee boththe credit and non creditmaritime programs andhead the San Jacinto Col-legeMaritime Technologyand Training Center on theMaritime Campus.

“I’m an advocate for themariner,” said ChiefStauffer, who currentlyserves as director of theMaritime OperationsBranch with the U.S. ArmyTransportation School atJoint Base Langley-Eustisin Virginia. “The maritimeindustry is already at thepoint of a shortage; the per-fect storm is brewing. TheUnited States MaritimeAdministration estimatesthat 70,000 seafarers will beneeded by 2022, and univer-sities will not be able to pro-duce this amount by thattime. This is why the SanJacinto College maritimeprogram is so important.”

Chief Stauffer plans tohelp more military veteranstransition into maritime ca-reers by earning maritimetransportation associate de-grees. He also plans to growthe maritime pipeline fromhigh school to college.

“There’s a necessity formore education when itcomes to the maritimeworkforce,” said Stauffer.“You have to be able to com-municate when entering for-eign ports. You’ve got to have

San JacGraduate, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

which involved writingspeeches, press releasesand managing press con-ferences. “I felt fulfilledworking for these nonprof-its, because I got to influ-ence a lot of positivechange in the community.”

Montelongo de Valdiviahas always wanted to be anentrepreneur and start herown business. She felt thatreal estate was the perfectplace to do this because ofher love for people and be-cause she is able to utilizeher extensive public rela-tions background. “Publicrelations is a skill that isneeded in any job,” saysMontelongo de Valdivia. “Ithink that working in pub-lic relations for so long hasreally helped me run myreal estate business.”

San Jacinto Collegehelped Montelongo deValdivia realize her lovefor people could turn intoa successful career. “I tooka lot of mass communica-tion classes at San Jacin-to,” she said. “I just knewthen that I wanted to workin public relations.”

“Don’t underestimatethe power of a two-yearcommunity college,” Mon-telongo de Valdivia con-cluded. “I highlyrecommend going to a col-lege like San Jacinto Col-lege, because it’s great wayto transition from highschool. I was able to reallyenjoy the classes in asmaller environment andget to know my professors.”

San Jacinto College names new associate vicechancellor and superintendent of maritime

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Chief Warrant Officer 4 JohnStauf fer has been namedassociate vice chancellor andsuperintendent of maritime atSan Jacinto College. He willoversee both the credit andnoncredit maritime programsand head the San JacintoCollege Maritime Technologyand Training Center on theMaritime Campus.

an understanding of math,know the basics of geome-try, and as you progress,know basic trigonometry.”

Chief Stauffer enlisted inthe U.S. Army in 1994 andsoon experienced his firstmaritime voyage as a deck-hand. Over the next fiveyears, he became a captainand was deployed threetimes to the Persian Gulffrom 2001-2012, serving asCommander of the U.S. Ar-my's largest ship from 2011-2012. Following the Haitiearthquake in 2010, ChiefStauffer assisted in human-itarian efforts and the re-opening of Port-au-Prince asCommander of the U.S. Ar-my’s Harbor Master Team.He served as director of theU.S. Army’s Europe Sea Sec-tion in Germany from 2012-2015 before transitioninginto his current positionwith the Maritime Opera-tions Branch in Virginia,where he oversees 32 U.S.Coast Guard (USCG)-ap-proved courses.

Chief Stauffer’s awardsand decorations include theBronze Star Medal, twoMeritorious Service Medals,four Army CommendationMedals, a Navy Commenda-tion Medal and four ArmyAchievement Medals. Heholds a bachelor’s degree inbusiness administrationfrom Saint Leo Universityand a master’s degree inbusiness administrationfrom Liberty University. Hislicenses and certificationsinclude a Master 200 GRTUpon Oceans, ApprenticeMate (Steersman) of TowingVessels Upon Oceans,USCG Qualified Assessorand Lean Six Sigma GreenBelt.

“Chief Stauffer brings ahost of sterling leadershipqualities to the San JacintoCollege maritime program,”said Dr. Allatia Harris, SanJacinto College vice chancel-lor for strategic initiatives.“He gets to the heart of mat-ters and can form thosetypes of partnerships thatare vital to the growth andsuccess of our program, our

graduates and our region’smaritime industry. He un-derstands that while mari-time companies look formore mariners, they wantthose who meet the increas-ing educational demands ofthe U.S. Coast Guard. Whilehe’s passionate about meet-ing this industry need, healso aims to recruit andtrain so that more peoplecan gain the benefit of hav-ing lucrative and rewardingmaritime careers and bringhome great wages for them-selves and their families.”

Chief Stauffer and hiswife, Melissa, will move tothe Houston region in earlySeptember. They have twodaughters, 2nd Lt. AlliStauffer, 22, a graduate ofSlippery Rock Universitywith a bachelor’s degree insafety management; andAshley Stauffer, 19, a stu-dent at Coastal CarolinaUniversity pursuing herbachelor’s degree in biology.

For more informationabout the San Jacinto Col-lege maritime program,visitsanjac.edu/maritime.

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Galena Park Library Programs-Thur., Sep. 1, Kid’s Creations, 4 pm.-Sat., Sep. 3, Golden Classics Movies, 10 am (adult program). All chidlren programs require tickets. Tickets are free andavailable the Moday before the program at the front desk.Galena Park Branch Library, 1500 Keene St., Galena Park, TX. Forinformation on other programs, please call 713-450-0982.

Page 3WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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The ChannelviewIndependent SchoolDistrict and all of itscampuses earned theapproval rating of “MetStandard” under thestate’s accountabilitysystem for the fourthconsecutive year.

Under the TexasEducation Agency’sState of Texas Assess-ment of AcademicReadiness (STAAR)testing system, districtsand schools are rankedeither “Met Standard,”“Met AlternativeStandard” or “Improve-ment Required.”

Campuses earningthe Met Standarddesignation are AguirreJunior High, AliceJohnson Junior High,

Robbers Wanted, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

from his pocket andthreatened to assaulthim if he did not give himall the cash out of the reg-ister. The victim openedthe cash register drawerand suspect #1 removedall the cash and handedit to suspect #2. Both sus-pects left the store threat-ening to shoot the victimif he tried to follow them.

Suspect #1 was de-scribed as a Hispanicmale, weighing approxi-mately 200 lbs., 5'9" tallwearing sunglasses agray cap, blue jeans,white tennis shoes andblack t-shirt with "Train-ing to Beat GOKU" writ-ten on the front. He alsohad brass knuckles onhis right hand.

Suspect #2 was de-scribed as a Hispanicmale, weighing approxi-

mately 180 lbs., 5'10" tallwith short black hair anda black goatee. The sus-pect was wearing a blackt-shirt, blue jeans, a grayhoodie, white tennisshoes, and sunglasses.

Crime Stoppers willpay a reward of up to$5,000 for informationleading to the chargingand/or arrest of thesuspect(s) in this case.Information may be re-ported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477) orsubmitted onl inea t w w w . c r i m e -stoppers.org. Tips mayalso be sent via a textmessage by texting thefollowing: TIP610 plusthe in format ion toCRIMES (274637) or viaour mobile app (CrimeStoppers Houston). Alltipsters remain anony-mous.

Channelview ISD receives positive stateaccountability ratings

Brown Elementary,Campbell LearningCenter, ChannelviewHigh School, CobbElementary, CrenshawElementary, De ZavalaElementary, HamblenElementary, McMullanElementary, SchochlerElementary and theBarrett-Lee EarlyChildhood Center.

“Our entire CISDstaff has worked ex-tremely hard preparingour students to besuccessful,” Superinten-dent Greg Ollis said.“Based on these results,all of our campuses onceagain experienced highachievement levels.”

“I am so appreciativeto our staff for theirefforts, and more

importantly I am veryproud of all of ourstudents for theiraccomplishments,” headded.

In determiningdistrict accountabilityratings, TEA hasestablished four mea-sures that assess overallachievement andprogress:

•Student Achieve-ment (measures wheth-er all students acrossgrade levels passed inall subjects

•Student Progress(measures improvementfor all students and allsubgroups in reading,math and writing)

•Closing PerformanceGaps (measures wheth-

er all economically-disadvantaged studentsand two lowest-perform-ing ethnic groups metcertain standards)

•PostsecondaryReadiness (examinesgraduation rates andrecommended ordistinguished achieve-ment diploma plans

“When you haveeducators, school boardtrustees and parentswho share the samecommon goal of success,great things happen,”Ollis said. “In ourdistrict, great things arehappening every day. Iknow these accountabil-ity results will serve asencouragement as weenter this new schoolyear.”

Page 4 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

OPINION PAGE

Editor & Publisher..............................Gilbert HoffmanAssociate Publisher.....................Mei-Ing Liu HoffmanAssoc. Editor/Advertising Manager.....Lewis SpearmanAssistant Editor.........................................Julieta PaitaProduction Manager...........................Luis HernandezIT Technical Manager.......................Pedro HernandezEntered as Periodicals Class at Highlands Post Office, Highlands, TX 77562. Under the Actof Congress of March 3, 1879. Published 50 weeks per year, on Thursday, by GrafikpressCorp., 5906 Star Lane, Houston, TX 77057. Opinions in this paper are those of the au-thors, and not necessarily this newspaper’s. Any erroneous statement which may appearwill be corrected when brought to the attention of the publisher. Liability for errors islimited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Submissions are encouraged, in person,by mail, by Fax, or by email, to grafikstar@aol.com.

GRAFIKPRESS is publisher of community newspapers, including Highlands STAR-CrosbyCOURIER; Barbers Hill Dayton PRESS; Northeast NEWS; North Forest NEWS, North Chan-nel STAR. Combined circulation of these newspapers exceeds 50,000, Readership exceeds110,000 according to industry standards. We also print dozens of school, ethnic, andgovernment publications on contract. Call for information to 713-977-2555.

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Star✯CourierStar✯Courier

STATE CAPITALHIGHLIGHTS

By Ed Sterling

✯

Our nation’s refugeeprogram is a clear andpresent danger to theUnited States ofAmerica. Over one yearago, I introducedlegislation in the U.S.House of Representa-tives, H.R. 3314, theResettlement Account-ability National Securi-ty Act of 2015, thatwould suspend theprogram and stop thepresident’s recklessplan to bring in tens ofthousands of refugeesfrom Syria and otherradical Islamichotspots.

America’s refugeeprogram was signedinto law by PresidentCarter in 1980 as aprivate-public partner-ship between thefederal government,the United Nations,and religious institu-tions whose purposewas to help victims ofCommunism. Thepresident had theauthority to increasethe refugees cominginto the U.S. from theU.N.-run refugeeprogram only after fullconsultation withCongress.

Since 1980, Congresshas relinquishedconsiderable controlover the refugeeprogram to the presi-dent, the U.N., and ahandful of privatecontractors who getpaid millions of taxpay-er dollars to settlerefugees in our commu-nities. While we havebeen unable to deter-mine the current cost ofthis program to localand state taxpayers,federal taxpayers payat least $1 billion ayear.

President Obamahas already admitted8,000 of the 10,000Syrian refugees he haspromised to admitbefore leaving office,even while the attacksin Paris, Brussels,Nice, Boston, SanBernardino, andOrlando prove thatterrorists have infil-trated and exploitedthe refugee programsof Western Europe andAmerica, as well as ourinept and porousimmigration, asylum,and visa programs —leaving hundreds ofAmericans dead.Remarkably, HillaryClinton has promisedthat if elected presi-dent, she will increasethis number to 65,000Syrian refugees in herfirst year.

President Obama’sown FBI director haswarned that he cannotproperly screen refu-gees coming fromtroubled terroristhotspots such as Syria.But political correct-ness blinds far toomany in Washington tothis imminent peril.Our first duty aselected officials is toprotect Americancitizens and nationalsecurity — immediate-ly.

We must reevaluateour policy regardingrefugee resettlement toprotect the safety,freedom, and liberty wevalue as Americancitizens. Our currentprogram is a Trojanhorse allowing ISISand other terroristgroups an open invita-tion to immigrate intothe U.S. and establishbases of operationlegally and at taxpayerexpense. It is simply

AUSTIN — A Texas res-ident who recently trav-eled to Miami, Florida, hastested positive for Zika vi-rus disease, the Texas De-partment of State HealthServices reported on Aug.15.

The traveler, an El PasoCounty resident, soughttesting after becoming ill.This is the first Texas caseto be linked to travel with-in the continental UnitedStates. The case will beclassified as “travel-associ-ated” and is being investi-gated for more details, theDSHS said.

While this is El PasoCounty’s first reportedcase of Zika, Texas had 121reported cases of the dis-ease as of Aug. 19. Thecount includes three preg-nant women, two infantsinfected before birth andone person who had sexu-al contact with a traveler.

State health officials areurging citizens to take pre-cautions to protect them-selves from mosquito bitesand to get more informa-tion from the website,TexasZika.org.

Texas adds jobs inJuly

Even with the additionof 23,600 non-farm jobs inJuly, Texas’ seasonally ad-justed unemployment rateincreased to 4.6 percent forthe month, up from 4.5percent in June.

The Texas WorkforceCommission, however, inits monthly report issuedAug. 19, also noted thatTexas’ unemployment rateremained below the na-tional rate of 4.9 percent.

And, according to theTWC, the labor market inthe Lone Star State hasgrown by an estimated173,000 seasonally adjust-ed jobs over the past year.Also, state has added jobsin 15 of the last 16 months.

“Texas employers con-tinued to create jobs lastmonth in a range of indus-tries that are important tothe Texas economy,” saidTexas Workforce Commis-sion Chairman Andres Al-cantar. “TWC will continueto focus on the workforceneeds of these crucial in-dustries and build educa-t i o n a n d t r a i n i n gpartnerships that supportjob creation by Texas em-ployers.”

The Amarillo and Aus-tin-Round Rock Metropol-

MESSAGE FROMREP. BRIAN BABIN

✯

America’s RefugeeProgram: A clear andpresent danger

common sense toprotect what we value.We put our money inbanks, lock our doorsat night, fence ouryards, and protect ourfamilies and communi-ties.

There are currently800 ongoing FBIinvestigations of ISIS-inspired terroristsuspects in the U.S., 48of which are seriousenough to justifyround-the-clock sur-veillance. Last year, 31ISIS terrorists werearrested plotting terrorattacks against Ameri-cans. Documents seizedby the FBI in raids ofIslamic-extremist cellsin the U.S prove thatthere is a written planand strategy to wagejihad “by migration” onthe U.S., by exploitingour immigration andrefugee programs.

We need to look nofurther than WesternEurope to see theresults of unchecked,overwhelming refugeenumbers. Millions ofunassimilated MiddleEastern immigrantsand refugees now livein Europe in what areessentially “no-gozones” where policefear to enter, sharialaw essentially rules —and future jihadists areradicalized to the pointwhere they aim to killthe very people whosegenerosity and culturalliberalism welcomedthem into their countryin the first place.

Undeniably, thistragic situation is adirect result of Eu-rope’s liberal immigra-tion and refugeeprograms. In fact,recent German intelli-gence reported thisweek in the U.S. shows“irrefutable evidence”that “ISIS hit squads”infiltrated Syrianrefugees; the resultingcarnage has sparkedpublic outrage, result-ing in a drastic reduc-tion of the number ofrefugees accepted intothe EU. This raises anunavoidable question:How can America be sowillfully blind as toinvite the same gravedanger here?

As compassionateAmericans, we can helpdisplaced refugees insafe zones near theirown homeland. Indeed,for the cost of bringingone refugee into theU.S. on a path tocitizenship, we canhelp many more thanthat in safe zones.

In our history,thousands of peoplehave found refuge inAmerica and havecontributed enormous-ly to its greatness.America has alwaysbeen a country ofimmigrants celebratingtheir individual heri-tages alongside theideals of freedom andliberty that bind ustogether as Americans.But the world haschanged, and a refugeepolicy that casts asidethe safety of Americancitizens must alsochange. Innocent livesare at stake. H.R. 3314must be brought to thefloor of the U. S.Congress, passed, andsigned into law. Al-though a veto byObama is likely, itwould be an absolutedereliction of our swornduty not to try.

Rep. Brian Babin

What to dowhen kidscome home‘Hangry’

(NAPSI)—Goodnews for many parentswho wonder what to dowhen the kids comehome from schoolravenous and dinner ishours away: Accordingto the experts at theNational Institutes ofHealth (NIH), it’sperfectly fine to letthem have a snackwhen hunger strikesbetween meals.

Just be sure, theNIH adds, that it’s ahealthful snack andthe portions are right.

That’s just as well,considering thatsnacking is risingacross all ages andgenders—94 percent ofpeople say they snackdaily, according tomarket researcherMintel.

One answer formany busy families is apair of kid-friendlytreats: Mashed Pota-toes and Macaroni &Cheese. Both of thesevarieties are availablein the new Reser’sMain St Bistro 4-Pack“single-serve” refriger-ated sides. These tastysnacks are made withreal dairy (milk, butterand cheese) andcontain around 200calories per cup.

The easy and conve-nient portion-con-trolled cups can beheated in the micro-wave and are ready toeat in less than twominutes. The smalloval-shaped cups areeasy for kids to holdand eat from. Each cupalso has heat-resistantgrips on the side toprotect small handsfrom the heat.

Look for them atyour grocer’s MeatDepartment in therefrigerated case. Theyare not just for kids;empty nesters, singles,young adults and theeat-lunch-at-the-deskbunch will enjoy them,too. In fact, they’re foranyone who wants adelicious, hot dishwithout all the hassle,calories and prep time.

What’s A Parent ToDo?

Other helpful snack-ing hints include:

• Send younger kidson a “veggie hunt” andask them to pick out acolorful or uniquevegetable they find atthe grocery store. Theonly rule: You have tobuy whatever theyselect.

• Remember toinclude portable itemsfor days when you’ll beshuttling kids fromschool to the play-ground or after-schoolactivities.

• Bring your kidsinto the kitchen. Onebonus: Cooking togeth-er offers a great way toteach math skills andmaster fractions.

Texan diagnosed with Zikaillness after returning from trip

itan Statistical Areas re-corded the lowest unem-ployment rate amongTexas MSAs in July, witha non-seasonally adjustedrate of 3.6 percent, fol-lowed by the Lubbock MSAwith a rate of 4.1 percent.

Military helpseconomy

T e x a s C o m p t r o l l e rGlenn Hegar on Aug. 18posted a bulletin with in-formation about his “Goodfor Texas Tour: MilitaryEdition” — an official ex-cursion that included vis-i t s to n ine o f the 15military bases in Texas.

Those bases, he said,generate $136.6 billion ineconomic activity eachyear, add $81.4 billion tothe state’s gross domesticproduct and pay $48.1 bil-lion in personal incomeannually. The militaryhelps support more than800,000 Texas jobs, hesaid.

“It’s an important partof a strong, diverse andgrowing Texas economy,”Hegar added.

Last fall, Hegar trav-eled on his first Good forTexas Tour, visiting withpeople across the state tolearn about strengths andweaknesses of local econo-mies.

Goal is safe, sobertravel

Leading up to the LaborDay holiday, the Texas De-partment of Transporta-tion on Aug. 16 urgeddrivers to make a plan fora safe and sober ride home.

“Drinking and drivingremains a big problem in

Texas,” said TxDOT Exec-utive Director James Bass.“If you plan to drink, youmust plan ahead for a safeand sober ride home. It’s aplan that could save a fam-ily — even your own —from the heartbreak of los-ing a loved one.”

The department’s “PlanWhile You Can” campaignkicked off Aug. 16 in SanAntonio and runs throughSept. 5 to coincide withLabor Day and increasedDWI enforcement in Tex-as. During the Labor Dayholiday period in 2015,there were 359 alcohol-re-lated crashes that led to 12fatalities and 36 serious in-juries.

TxDOT suggested Tex-ans visit SoberRides.org tofind alternatives to drink-ing and driving.

DPS: Watch forchildren

With the start of thenew school year ahead, theTexas Department of Pub-lic Safety on Aug. 17 cau-tioned Texans to watch forchildren who are walkingto and from school or wait-ing for buses.

State law, TxDOT said,requires that approachingdrivers stop when a bus isstopped and operating avisual signal, either redflashing lights or a stopsign. Drivers should notproceed until the schoolbus resumes motion, thedriver is signaled by thebus driver to proceed, orthe visual signal is no long-er activated.

A driver does not haveto stop for a school bus thatis operating a visual signalif it is on a highway withroadways separated by anintervening space or phys-ical barrier. Roadways arenot considered separated ifdivided only by a left-turn-ing lane, and drivers muststop for school buses.

Page 5WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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By Susan Passmore

Magic was in the air asmore than 2500 Goose CreekCISD faculty and staff mem-bers celebrated the newschool year at one of two ses-sions of the annual convoca-tion at Robert E. Lee HighSchool. The event opened withGCCISD’s version of CarpoolKaraoke, featuring RandalO’Brien, superintendent, andAl Richard, Board president.Almost magically, O’Brienand Richard appeared on thestage in a puff of smoke.

O’Brien welcomed thegroup, and Marine CorpsJROTC members from GooseCreek Memorial andRoss S. Sterling high schoolspresented colors. The com-bined choirs from Lee, GCMand RSS, under the directionof Michael Grauvogl fromREL, Holly Lewallen and Lor-in Hilyard from GCM, andLevi Duncan and CourtneyHoward from RSS, sang thenational anthem and “ShutUp and Dance.” .”

Phillip Morgan, fine artsdirector, served as master ofceremonies, introducing Rich-ard, who reflected on his firstconvocation as a teacher inGoose Creek CISD.

“Thirty-three years ago Isat in the second row of theSterling Auditorium for myfirst Goose Creek convocationas a new teacher to GCCISD– and yes, I remember exact-ly where I sat because it wasthat special of a day. I wasamazed at the enthusiasm ofthe educators gathered andfelt privileged to be a part ofan organization that exudedgreatness and took pride inall facets of the educationalprocess.”

Richard, who attendedGCCISD convocations for thenext 28 years as a teacher oran administrator, recalledprevious convocations and

Goose Creek CISD Convocations provide amagical start to the New School Year

gave examples of some of the“magic” he has seen this weekduring his visits around thedistrict. He detailed challeng-es faced by educators over thepast 4 _ decades, and startingwith the 1980s, asked thosewho began their careers eachdecade to stand as he thankedthem for working their magicto help students succeed.

“Over the past 35 years,education in Texas haschanged and teachers are con-stantly faced with adversityand challenges. And yet, youalways find the magic to ‘en-gage, inspire and empower’your students,” Richard said.

Kathy Clausen, presidentof the Goose Creek CISD Ed-ucation Foundation, recog-nized teachers who had beenhonored with an innovativeteaching grant by the Educa-tion Foundation’s Grant Sur-prise Patrol or as a StudentsChoice recipient, selected bysenior students for havingmade a difference in theirlives. Both annual EducationFoundation projects are madepossible through donationsfrom generous communitymembers, businesses and in-dustry as well as contribu-tions by employees to the GetOn the Bus campaign. Sinceits inception in 2009, the Ed-ucation Foundation hasawarded more than $700,000in innovative teaching grantsand recognized 105 teachersat the Students Choice Ban-quet. She thanked partici-pants and encouraged themto contribute to the Founda-tion this year. As a slideshowof Grant Surprise Patrol win-ners played, FoundationBoard members carried abanner with a bus on it acrossthe stage to emphasize thecampaign.

“The campaign continuesto grow. In our first year, 32employees participated andthe campaign raised just un-der $5,000. Last year, 1065employees ‘Got On the Bus’

and contributed more than$60,000 to the Educationfoundation through payrolldeduction. A small contribu-tion by many can generatepowerful results,” said Claus-en.

O’Brien addressed thegroup, asking educators toconsider how they would de-scribe what they do in threewords.

“There are three words,that when put together, I be-lieve capture the essence ofwhat we do, in and outside theclassroom. Engage. Empower.Inspire,” O’Brien said.

“You have embraced a ca-reer that will define our chil-dren’s ability to believe in abetter tomorrow. We engageour students and have themactively participating in theirindividual growth. We empow-er them with the tools thatthey will need to be success-ful in this life, including theiracademic, social, physical andemotional well-being. We in-spire them to believe in them-selves, far greater than theirindividual capacities wouldever allow them to, with ourunwavering passion to seethem blossom, to witness theirjourney from the raw clay thatthey come to us as until therefined pottery that they leavewith as we send them out intothe world,” said O’Brien.

Quoting Vince Lombardi,O’Brien said, ‘“Individualcommitment to a group effort– that is what makes a teamwork, a company work, a so-ciety work, a civilizationwork.’”

“I am reminded of whatmy college coach Jim Webbwould say to us when wegathered around the huddle.He said, ‘All that I want fromyou is all that you have.’ Sure,he was referencing diving af-ter loose balls, blocking out toget a rebound, being unself-ish and passing the ball, butI think it is very apropos toleave you with the samethought. All that our parentswant from us is all that wehave to give their children,”O’Brien said.

Curt Miller, Houston ma-gician and comedian, enter-tained with magic tricks andillusions, using volunteersfrom the audience and weav-ing the theme of educatorsworking their magic in theclassroom and on campusesinto his show.

A drawing for door prizes,donated by Community Re-source Credit Union, Bay-town Crime Stoppers, GooseCreek CISD Athletics, Gulfcoast Educators FederalCredit Union, HEB, JMB2Architecture and PatientsEmergency Room, concludedthe program.

DRUMLINE: PHOTO BY SUSAN PASSMORE

The combined drumline from Goose Creek Memorial, RobertE. Lee and Ross S. Sterling high schools got Goose CreekCISD’s convocation started.

Team Eagleton hostsfundraiser success

Phinias Reb led by Crosby’s own Cody Koubaplayed excellent Bluegrass, and Country Rock tunesto close ot the evening.

BAYTOWN – The TeamEagleton Pork Chop Din-ner & Auction Fundraiseron August 20 at BaytownYouth Fairgrounds waspacked from start to finishwith supporters and dep-uties from Precinct 3.

“The most importantthing to me is to thank allthose that came out andcontributed to this event,”said Eagleton.

At the event Tom MoorePresident of the HarrisCounty Fraternal Order ofPolice Lodge 39 said, “Ouralliance voted to supportSherman Eagleton. He isvery honest, very thriftyand I believe what he cando for Precinct 3 constitu-ants is bring a higher lev-el of law enforcement. Heis going to bring the mor-al up of the deputies andfrom a happy employeeyou get better quality andmore work. He is all aboutgiving back to the commu-nity. Sherman is the manfor the job and he hasproven it with his leader-ship in the departmentand within the Fraternal

Order of Police.”Also on hand was Joe

Stephens, candidate forPrecinct 3 Position 1 Jus-tice of the Peace. Accordingto Joe, “Ironically, Sher-man’s grandmother andmy grandmother grew upacross the street from oneanother in Barrett Station.So, I have been knowingthe Eagletons all of my life.I wanted to come out andsupport the next Constableof Precinct 3. Sherman isa great guy that spent alifetime preparing for thisjob under a great Consta-ble in Ken Jones. I am look-ing forward to workingwith him. To serve as ex-amples for the youth ofeast Harris County of whatyou can aspire to be if youdo the right things, workhard, pay your dues andwhen the time is right yourun for office and you win.That really is when thework starts, putting to-gether programs that ben-efit today’s communitywhile continuing the lega-cy of Mike Parrott and KenJones.

Eagletonand

Stephensat the Pork

ChopDinner

andFundraiser.

Rodney Keith Master-son age, 80 went to be withthe Lord on WednesdayAugust 17, 2016.

He was born in High-lands, Texas on December30, 1935 to Ethel OpheliaNorris Masterson andEverett Levi Masterson.

He enjoyed fishing,hunting and going to thecasino, but most of allspending time with hisfamily, especially hisgrandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was agraduate of Lee HighSchool “Class of 54”. Dur-ing his senior year, he wason the Student Counciland was also a cheerlead-er. He attended Lee Col-lege & U of H, was a lifemember of First BaptistChurch of Highlands anda member of MasonicLodge #231 F&AM. Hewas a very honest manwith strict principles,

OBITUARIES✯

could be strong willed attimes and will be loved andmissed by all who knewhim.

He is preceded in deathby his parents, his belovedwife, Shirley JacksonMasterson and his broth-er, Leroy Masterson. Rod-ney is survived by his son,& daughter-in-law Mickey& Charlotte Masterson ofHighlands; his daughter,Melaine Lombard of High-lands; his grandchildren,Tyler Masterson of High-lands, Dustin & Katy

Dagenhart of Dayton,Mark & Cori Dagenhart ofVidor, Andrew Mastersonof Baytown, Levi Master-son of Baytown, and KeithLomabard of Highlands;his great-grandchildren,Lane Dagenhart of Vidorand Cade Lombard ofHighlands and a host of ex-tended family and friends.

A visitation for familyand friends will be held atSterling-White FuneralHome 11011 Crosby-Lynchburg Rd. Highlands,on Friday evening August26, 2016 from 5:00 p.m.until 8:00 p.m., Serviceswill be held in Sterling-White Funeral Home onSaturday morning August27, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. In-terment will be in Sterling-White Cemetery.

Arrangements are en-trusted to Sterling-WhiteFuneral Home 11011 Cros-by-Lynchburg Rd. High-lands, Texas 77562. To offercondolences to the family,please visit www.sterlingwhite.com.

Rodney KeithMasterson

Page 6 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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ASK THE EXPERTBy Edward Jones

NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR5906 STAR LANE, HOUSTON, TX 77057

(713) 977-2555 FAX (713) 977-1188email: northchannelstar@gmail.comwebsite: www.northchannelstar.com

Gilbert Hoffman..................................................Editor & PublisherMei-Ing Hoffman...............................................Associate PublisherJulieta Paita..............................................................Assistant EditorWillie Glasgow....................................................Marketing DirectorLewis Spearman...............................................Advertising DirectorLuis Hernandez.................................................Production DirectorPedro Hernandez.....................................Circulation/Mail DirectorPublished each Wednesday by GrafikPress Corp. Any erroneous statementwhich may appear will be corrected when brought to the attention of thepublisher. Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected ver-sion. Submissions are encouraged, in person, by mail, by Fax, or by email, to:northchannelstar@gmail.com

Member Texas Community Newspaper AssociationMember North Channel Chamber of Commrce

Member Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce HoustonMember Texas Press Association

It ’s almost back-to-school time. If you haveyoung children going topublic schools, your big-gest expenditures may beon pens, pencils and note-books. But if you wantthose same kids to go tocollege someday, you’lleventually face consider-ably larger costs – so youmay want to start prepar-ing soon.

College is costly. For the2015-16 school year, theaverage expense (includ-ing tuition, fees room andboard) was nearly $20,000at a public, four-yearschool, and more thantwice that amount at afour-year private school,according to the CollegeBoard. Of course, cheaperalternatives are available– your children could go toa local community collegefor two years at a very rea-sonable cost, and thentransfer to a four-yearschool.

Still, if your child doesgo on to get a bachelor'sdegree, those big bills willeventually arrive. As youconsider how you can bestdeal with these costs, askyourself these questions:

How much can I af-ford to contribute? Asmuch as you’d like to helpyour children pay for col-lege, you also have to thinkabout your own needs –specifically your retire-ment. Think very careful-l y b e f o r e r e d u c i n gcontributions to your re-tirement plans, such asyour IRA and 401(k), tohelp fund a college savingsplan. After all, your chil-dren may be able to getscholarships and grants,and even if they have totake out loans, they’ll havemany years in which to re-pay them – but you can’tpostpone saving for retire-

Consider All Aspects ofCollege Savings Options

ment without jeopardizingyour ability to enjoy a com-fortable lifestyle. When itcomes to prioritizing yourfinancial goals, puttingyourself first is not neces-sarily a selfish act.

• What college savingsplan should you consider?A number of college sav-ings options are available.For example, you couldcontribute to a 529 planwhich offers potential taxadvantages and high con-tribution limits. You mightalso consider a custodialaccount, such as an UGMAor UTMA, although whenyour children reach the ageof majority, they are free todo whatever they wantwith the money – and theirplans may not include col-lege.

• What will be the effectof a college savings plan onfinancial aid? When colleg-es determine financial aidpackages, they will evalu-ate your child’s assets dif-ferently than your assets.Your child typically wouldbe expected to contribute20 percent of his or her as-sets, while you are only ex-pected to contribute up to5.6 percent of your assets.Consequently, you may bebetter off saving for college

in your name, rather thanyour children’s. Under thefederal financial aid guide-lines, an UTMA/UGMAaccount is classified as astudent asset, while 529plans are counted as pa-rental assets if parents arethe account owners. (Therules on financial aid arenot always so clear-cut,however, so it might beworth your while to contacta financial aid officer at alocal college or universityto ensure that your chosenmethod of saving will stillallow for the greatest pos-sible assistance.)

As you can see, you’vegot several factors to thinkabout when it comes tohelping your kids meettheir higher educationgoals. Study up on theseoptions, so you can find theright answers for yourfamily’s needs.

This article was writtenby Edward Jones for use byyour local Edward JonesFinancial Advisor.

Edward Jones6830 E Sam HoustonPkwy N, Suite 150Houston, TX 77049

281-436-0396

Automotive educatorsexplore latest technology,teaching methods

PASADENA, Texas – SanJacinto College recently host-ed the North American Coun-cil of Automotive Teachers(NACAT) annual conference,attracting automotive tech-nology educators from Amer-ica, Canada, Australia andseveral European nations.

The weeklong conferencefeatured 144 sessions thatcovered teaching methods de-signed to train students toperform virtually every typeof automotive diagnostics andrepair work, changing tires,electronic trouble shooting,working on brakes, transmis-sions, hydraulics, exhaustsystems, etc.

Educators at the confer-ence learned about emergingtechnology in the automotiveindustry. Incorporated in1977, NACAT provides re-sources for improving auto-motive education among highschools, colleges and techni-cal schools.

Presenter Jack Rosebro, aveteran automotive educatorand author from Los Angeles,talked about autonomous, orself-driving vehicle technolo-gy. His presentation chroni-cled the evolution ofself-driving cars from theirearly beginnings up to therecent ramp-up in develop-ment, including the develop-ment of Google’s Self-DrivingCar. All major vehicle manu-facturers are working on self-driving cars or commercialvehicles, with 2020 being themost common target date forLevel 4 (fully autonomous)self-driving car commercial-ization. The presentation cov-ered 360-degree 3-D cameraimaging, software, vehicle-to-vehicle communication,cloud-based data and otherdevelopments that indicatedeep shifts within the auto-motive industry.

Longtime Canadian auto-

College hosts internationalauto tech conference

motive educator Alan Nageltalked about new develop-ments in electric vehicle tech-nology, with a focus on theChevrolet Volt, an extendedrange electric/hybrid vehiclethat runs on an electriccharge and generates addi-tional energy through a gas-powered generator when thebattery runs out. GM madesignificant improvementsfrom the first Volt model, in-troduced in 2011, to the new-est 2016 “Gen 2” model.Thanks to innovations in bat-tery technology and other de-velopments, the Gen 2 Volthas a greater all-electricrange, improved gas mileage,more seating capacity andcargo space, a lighter weight,quieter ride and improved ac-celeration. Nagel also talkedabout the Chevrolet Bolt, anew all-electric vehicle thatwill be available in late 2016.A highlight of the Bolt will benew battery technology thatextends the range to over 200miles between charges.

San Jacinto College auto-motive technology instructorsattended the conference, ben-efitting from expertise sharedby industry experts. “Our au-tomotive technology instruc-tors are all skilled, veteraneducators who also have plen-ty of experience in the indus-

try,” commented JeffreyParks, San Jacinto CollegeCentral Campus dean of busi-ness and technology. “Yet, itgreatly benefits our studentsfor our instructors to attendsuch a prestigious event likethe NACAT conference so theinstructors can keep up withthe latest trends and devel-opments in the ever-changingautomotive field, and passalong their knowledge to ourstudents.”

At the conference’s con-cluding ceremony, San Jacin-to College automotivetechnology student CesarHernandez received a $1,000scholarship based on his per-formance in the College’s GMtraining program. Hernandezis on track to earn an auto-motive technology associatedegree from San Jacinto Col-lege next spring, with plansto transfer to Texas A&MUniversity to pursue a bach-elor’s degree in engineering.

Hernandez enjoys automo-tive technology because it re-quires both mental andmanual skills. “I love any-thing mechanical,” he com-mented. “Working on cars isnot a walk in the park. It isnot only challenging, it alsorequires a lot of intuition.”

San Jacinto College offersautomotive technology cours-es and degree plans at theCentral Campus transporta-tion center. To learn more,please visit sanjac.edu/career/automotive-technology.

PHOTO BY ROB VANYA/SAN JACINTO COLLEGE

At the North American Council of Automotive Teachers, longtimeautomotive educator Alan Nagel talkedabout new developmentsin electric vehicle technology.

Page 7WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR

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Letter from the Harris County PublicHealth department about WATERWELL SECOND SAMPLING

She suggested that ho-meowners should have theirwell water tested once ayear, looking for nitratesthat are often present. Shesaid that self-test kits areavailable at hardwarestores, or a sample could besubmitted to a health de-partment lab for investiga-tion.

Jackie also presentedfacts on how to disinfectyour well and water system,if you happen to have beenthe victim of the recentfloods. In addition to flush-ing or draining the system,the disinfacting processused liquid bleach to kill anycoliform organisms thatwere present.

D I F F I C U L T Y O F H A V I N GCORRECT INFORMATION

To illustrate the pointabout how agencies and cit-izens have difficulty identi-fying and sampling problemwells, Jackie presentedslides showing three maps.One was from the EPA (En-vironmental ProtectionAgency), one was from theCity of Houston, and thethird was from HarrisCounty. All three supposed-ly showed private wellswithin a 5 mile radiusaround the San JacintoWaste Pits, but it was obvi-ous that the informationand locations on the mapdiffered considerably, leav-ing investigators with aproblem.

She also showed a City ofHouston MSD applicationfrom Southwest Shipyardsin Channelview, indicatingthey had discovered con-taminated shallow ground-water on their property.Some of this exceeded safelevels, some didn’t.

WaterQualityApproved, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Rep. Ana Hernandez celebrates birthday

Rotary 2015-2016 Interact Clubdonates Breast CancerAwareness bench to city

THIS BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY CAKE DIDN’T LAST LONG, AS THECROWD AT ANA HERNANDEZ’ EVENT WAS LARGE, AND HADA GOOD TIME AT THE CADILLAC BAR ON SHEPHERD DRIVE.ANA IS STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 143, AND ASAPPROPRIATE DURING “BACK TO SCHOOL” WEEK, REMINDSUS SHE FIGHTS FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE LEGISLATURE.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE ANA HERNANDEZ HELD HER ANNUAL BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER LASTTUESDAY, AUG. 23 WITH A LARGE CROWD ON HAND TO HELP HER CELEBRATE. MAYORSYLVESTER TURNER, AT THE MICROPHONE, WISHES HER BIRTHDAY GREETINGS, AS JUDGEDON COFFEY, JANICE COFFEY, CONSTABLE CHRIS DIAZ, JACINTO CITY MAYOR ANA DIAZ,AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO WALLE AND OTHERS LOOK ON.

The Rotary Interact Club of Galena Park High School 2015-16 donated a pink Breast CancerAwareness Bench for the enjoyment of the Citizens of Galena Park, and the many visitorsto the city. The bench was installed at the GP Swimming Pool, for patrons to rest in thewaiting area. Above, Rotarians Maria Rodriguez, Carol Thompson, and Ernesto Paredespose with members of the Interact Club. A percentage of the money raised by the youthclub was donated to the Breast Cancer Awareness program.