The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 148, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 31, 2014 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
fl14
T
:d out
Id not
)ut is
he re-
imple
tsion,
ncem
ic ex-
iium,
hting
into
joard
ound
noise
;ite is
used
jnior
min-
cost
ilud-
iool.
r ex-
isted
tten-
up-
mng
Iruc-
r or
lude
vrij-
new
ding
and
e to
ed-
tills
iscd
' re-
the
imy
;en-
thc
su:
res-
yet
fey
II
hat
the
:et-
re-
m-
ing
m-
tee
lad
lie
s,”
ng
alf
iUS
ed
ve
ils
le,
ve
!S-
he
n-
ist
;d
a
ve
THURSDAY, JULY 31,2014
Vol. 94, No. 148 © 2014 • Since 1922
aytownSun
Covering East Harris County, Chambers £ County and Southwest Liberty County www.hnvfnwnMin.rnm
www.baytownsun.com
College eyes 2nd specialty high school
BY MARK FLEMING
mark.fleming@baytownsun.com
Lee College could be affiliated with two
early college high schools as early as fall
of 2015 if discussions with several area
school districts come to fruition.
The new school would take advantage
of a recent change in state rules that allow
for early college high schools to prepare
students for careers as well as for univer-
sity programs.
Dr. Dennis Brown, president of the col-
lege, said the proposed program would be
different fron^jCCISD’s Impact Early
College High School in three important
ways:
• Students would be drawn from several
area school districts
• The curriculum would be based on
technical rather than academic programs
• The program would probably be
housed outside of Baytown, away from
the Lee campus.
“When House Bill 5 was approved by
the most recent legislature one of the
things that was a part of that was that for
some students who were interested one of
the pathways was going to be a career and
technology pathway that would allow stu-
dents to pursue programs
of study that are typically
the associate of applied
science or certificate pro-
grams that would lead
directly to employment,”
Brown said.
Up to this time, Brown
said, early college high
schools in Texas have led '
to an associate of arts or associate of sci-
ence degree in preparation for transfer to
a four-year university. The TEA has now
allowed the option of a program leading
to an associate of applied science degree,
BROWN
gpl
Baytown Sun photo by Christopher James
The City of Baytown continues to look for a traffic engineer in hopes of improving traffic flow and congestion issues such as Garth Road.
City continues search for traffic czar
BY ELEStCA AUBESPfN
eleska.aubespin@bayt6wnsun.com
The City of Baytown is still looking for
a traffic czar. .
A
After posting a job for a traffic engineer
on the city’s website six months ago, no
one has been hired. ,
It seems the city is in tough competition
with the private sector when it comes to
such a specialized area of expertise.
“In terms of general engineers there are
relatively a small number that specialize
in traffic and generally a city cannot afford
those people,” said Baytown City Manager
Bob Leiper.
“We can’t compete with the private mar-
ket for traffic engineers,” said Leiper. “But
I think having one in Baytown would help
us step our game up a bit and I’m not ready
to give tip yet.”
The job posting lists a salary range from
$66,667 to $100,001 annually.
A Baytown traffic engineer would be
able to do in-house studies and fixes with-
out hiring the job out to contractors, some-
thing that would help to save money in the
long run.
More importantly, the city wants a traf-
fic engineer to help with traffic flow and
congestion management, listed as the No.
1 concern in a survey of Baytown city ser-
vices. In fact, residents said it should be the
top priority.
According to the 2014 DirectionFinder
Citizen Survey, when it came to city ser-
vices that residents feel should receive the
most emphasis from city leaders over the
next two years, traffic and congestion led
the pack.
Fifty-nine percent of residents said traffic-
flow and congestion should be the city’s top
priority, and only 35 percent of respondents
are satisfied with the way traffic is handled
now.
Since posting the position, the city has
received eight applications.
“They have not all been disqualified,”
Leiper said. “We are looking for traffic
management training and experience that
would be applicable to traffic challenges
facing Baytown now and in the future.”
The city had a traffic engineer in the early
1990s but did not replace that person once
the job was vacated.
According to the current posting, the city
is seeking “An individual that can assist the
City Engineering Department in design-
ing, coordinating, analyzing and modifying
the city traffic control and transportation
systems, including long range and current
transportation and thoroughfare planning,
design of public facilities, evaluation of
impacts of private development, and coor-
dination with other transportation planning
agencies.”
In that position, preferred requirements
ask that the person be certified as a profes-
sional traffic operations engineer and have
municipal experience. Mandated require-
ments include four or more years of pro-
fessional traffic engineering experience and
bachelor’s of science degree in engineering
or related field from an accredited universi-
ty, among other things.
The city’s engineering director Jose Pas-
trana has said once a new traffic engineer is
hired, the first order of business will be to
properly synchronize the signal systems in
the main corridors in the city and establish
a traffic management center.
In the meantime, the signal timing will
have to be performed by a consulting en-
gineer until the city is able to hire its own
traffic engineer.
“There is no definitive time frame is set,”
said Leiper. “We will continue to try to get
someone on board first.”
Funding for the traffic engineer position
is being provided by money allocated to an-,,.
other vacant position.
Therefore if a traffic engineer is not hired,
the city will proceed to fill the spot with a
general civil engineer.
“And if we need detailed traffic studies
then the city will hire a private consultant,”
said Leiper.
“Either way, we will continue to work on
traffic. It’s not like we cannot do anything
about traffic but I thought it would be ben-
eficial to have a traffic engineer on staff to
take a look at these things,” he added.
For example, the city, Chambers
SEE SEARCH* PAGE 8
leading directly to employment.
While the Lee College District - where
property taxes are levied - only covers
the same territory as Goose Creek CISD,
the college’s service area is defined by the
state as including the cities of Baytown,
Highlands, Mont Belvieu, Crosby, Huff-
man, Anahuac, Dayton, Liberty, Daisetta.
Hardin and Winnie.
Brown said discussions about the new
school include the school districts in those
areas, including Goose Creek, Barbers
Hill, Crosby and Anahuac.
SEE POSSIBILITY* PAGE 8
Waste pits
rally Saturday
at Lee College
BY CHRISTOPHER JAMES
christopher.james@baytownsun.com
The San Jacinto River Coalition
is hosting a community workshop at
11 a.m. Saturday with guest speak-
er Lois Gibbs, a Nobel Peace Prize
nominee, at Tucker 1 lall at Lee Col-
lege.
Gibbs, who is known for her
work at the Love Canal Superfund
site in Niagara Falls New York, will
address the San Jacinto River Waste
Pits and inform residents of what
they can do to help protect their
community from toxic water.
Currently, the San Jacinto Waste
Pits are partially submerged, and
contained under a temporary cap
near the western bank of the San
Jacinto River, immediately north of
the Interstate!0 bridge.
The pits were created in the mid-
60’s by Champion Paper and Mc-
Ginnes Industrial Maintenance,
who filled the ponds with waste pa-
per sludge from a local paper mill
until 1968, when they were aban-
doned.
The Environmental Protection
Agency has proposed six possible
cleanup solutions ranging from no
further action to full removal of the
pits and chemical cleanup.
Gibbs will echo the coalition’s
call to fully remediate the site and
remove the waste pits, and their
contents, from the ecosystem.
Constructed in 1964, the San Ja-
cinto River Waste Pits are filled
SEE WASTE PITS‘PAGE 3
Hwy. 146 S
lane closed
The right lane of Highway 146
southbound continues to be closed
while state highway department
crews complete roadwork relat-
ed to access to Clark Elementary
School at Devinwood Drive, about
2.5 miles south of I-IO. The south-
bound, outside lane of 146 will
remain closed from north of Bay-
ou Bend Drive to Cedar Landing
Drive for the duration of the proj-
ect, which is expected to conclude
by Aug. 7, weather permitting.
Curtains open Friday for musical Oliver!
BY MARK FLEMING
mark.fleming@baytownsun.com
Tickets are still available for all performances of
Baytown Little Theater’s production of “Oliver!” at the
Lee College Performing Arts Center Aug. I-IO.
“Oliver!” is a musical adaptation of the classic Charles
Dickens story “Oliver Twist.” Kim Martin is directing
the show. Music and lyrics were written by Lionel Bart.
The musical features a live orchestra conducted by
Dennis Eichler.
This is the fourth time BLT has produced its traditional
summer musical at the Lee College facility in conjunc-
tion with the college.
The show is underwritten by Lee College, the City of
Baytown, Community Toyota Honda Kia and Houston
Methodist San Jacinto Hospital.
Tanner Files is performing in the title role as Oliver
Twist.
Other cast members include Jim Wadzinski as Fagin,
Michael Tuneberg as Mr. Bumble, Hunter Hall as the
Artful Dodger, Ryan Martin as Bill Sykes and Maegan
Megginson as Nancy.
Also Ryan Marshall as Mr. Sowerberry, Koni Hovater
as Mrs. Sowerberry, Janet Harrelson as Widow Corney,
Chole Anderton as Charlotte and Tyler Padgett as Noah
Claypole.
Also Kendall Merritt-Smith as Charles Bates, Sadie
Aiken as Bet, Tommy Worley as Mr. Brownlow, Rob-
in McDougald as Mrs. Bedwin and Josh Jernigan as Dr.
Grimwig.
The youth chorus includes Damon Butler, Alex Contre-
ras, Christina Cordova, Conner Dean, Jordon Galia, Alex
Harrelson, Amber Hutton, Katia Smith, Emily Thornton,
Orion Munoz, Kellen Solomon and Logan Neely.
The adult chorus includes Katie Reed, Senna Dennis,
Ashley Cressy, Ashley Chapman, Julia Tuneberg, Rich-
ard Shutic, Keleigh Brooks-Muska, Laddy Sanderson,
SEE OLIVER'PAGE 3
WHAT’S INSIDE
Classified............7 Community.........2
Obituaries...........3 Weather..............2
Sports.................5 Stocks................5
Crossword..........6 Viewpoints..........4
Join our
Facebook Page
B_
Scan the QR code to read online
WEATHER
Partly cloudy
High 91
Low 76
Baytown Sun photo by Mark Fleming
The Artful Dodger, played by Hunter Hall, right, instructs
Oliver, played by Tanner Files, in the finer points of picking
pockets in a scene from “Oliver!”
CONTACT US ____
Main office ..............„.281-422-8302
Classified advertising...281-425-8008
Retail advertising.........281-425-8036
Newsroom.................,.281-425-8026
Circulation....................281-425-8066
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Bloom, David. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 148, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 31, 2014, newspaper, July 31, 2014; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1066612/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.