The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 189, Ed. 1 Sunday, June 1, 2003 Page: 1 of 165
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See LEGISLATURE on Page 8A
Ross S. Sterling Class of 2003
I V
See TAX on Page 7A
Hurricane season begins today
game, not the juniors,” she said to the
area into new dormitory
provided $10,000 in seed money for
SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS
THI BAYTOWN
UH
i 4
JUNE 1, 2003 • $1.00
Bush seeks to end divisions
among allies over Iraq
Nation/3A
ed people across the board -- funding to find new revenue sources.’
"But Texas will be able to maintain for the elderly, nursing, homes,
however, characterized the 78th as “a against the budget bill
“It was a good session overall,” said session that has not been beneficial to
Members of the 78th Texas
Legislature, rushing to meet the mid-
hotel activity.
In essence, funds must be
used in the promotion of con-
ventions and events that will put
“heads in beds,” said Scott
By KEN FOUNTAIN
The Baytown Sun
forte of the effort is Joe Cheben, a
chemical engineer at ExxonMobil.
“But if you remember only one thing
from my speech tonight, remember that
City exploring
bed tax options
Exxon volunteers continue work at shelter
an estimated $25,000 in
costs through the ExxonMobil
Foundations Volunteer Involvement
Hurricane forecaster William Gray said that this storm season %
there Is a better-than-average chance a hurricane will reach land.
Gray has predicted 14 named storms and eight hurricanes, twice
as many as last year. Three of those were predicted to evolve into
intense hurricanes with winds of at least 111 mph.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and '
2.3 intense hurricanes per year.
Hurricane season starts today and runs through Nov. 30.
Bay town plans to launch a $50,000
promotionalWeb site within the year
thing. “Now I want to give some-
thing back.” -----
Cheben said the project began as
By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS
The Baytown Sun
BAYTOWN — Visitors can
mean an influx in Baytown
business revenue so city offi-
cials here, like many across the
state, have a fund built on
tourists’ stays in area hotels and
motels in an effort to perpetuate
these profitable visits.
Changes could be on the hori-
zon as city officials plan a sec-
ond look this summer at how
more than half of the proceeds
from the hotel/motel occupancy
tax are spent. ,
Revenues from the 7 percent
tax Baytown assesses on room
rates may be spent to establish a Mstorfcal sites and" $10,000
goes towards arts.
At $318,000, the largest
expense is the interest and pay-
convention or visitor informa-
tion center, advertise and pro-
mote, fund arts programs or his-
toric restoration facilities that ments on for con.
structlon of a convention center.
Fund revenue comes from a
seven percent tax the city
assesses on all hotel and motel
room bills in the city.
directly promote tourism, cover
administrative expenses for reg-
istering convention delegates.
In small counties, the tax can
fund some costs for holding
sporting events that increase . Revenue this year is projected
to be $523,000. The more than
$200,000 budgeted in addition
to that revenue comes from an
Peny’s
power
Governor tries
to make mark
on session
State/6B
Joslove, director of the Texas
Hotel Motel Association.
Texas cities create trouble
when they direct funds away
from the promotional items
state law mandates.
“Avoid spending on general
Infrastructure or programs that
have no ability to promote
tourism,” Joslove warned.
No time limit exists for a city
to expend all of its hotel occu-
pancy tax funds.
Baytown’s hotel/motel fund
budget in fiscal year 2003 is
more than $730,000. About
$303,000 goes toward a variety
of promotions, $20,000 goes
towards maintenance of city
J
side of the aisle they sit on, area law-
makers have markedly different views
on how well the session went.
“It was a good session overall,” said session that has not been beneficial to Asked if he could see any positive
night Monday deadline to pass bills Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Texans.” aspects from the session, Gallegos said
j “A lot of services are going to by cut “At least the state agencies can contin- made even mortf contentious by the
Olympic bomb suspect
Eric Rudolph arrested
NationMB
Reps debate effectiveness of legislative session
And, perhaps depending on what its core services, and we didn’t have to Medicaid, children’s programs. ’ said Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston.
- raise taxes,” Williams said. “It’s been real gloomy,” Gallegos "I’m disappointed we had to cut ser-
Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said, adding that he plans to vote vices. But I think we did a fair Job with
' Baytown Sun photo/Ken Fountain
Ross S. Sterling High School graduates anxiously await the start of commencement ceremonies Saturday night at Stallworth Stadium.
The school's graduating class numbered 499 students.
Sterling graduation solemn and spirited
■ Project turning StnragR into a new dormitory facility that brainstorming. The building was Associates (an architectural firm),
will add 16 new beds to the shelter, being used to keep supplies dry, and Stuart’s Pest Control, Cemex, and
bringing the total from 26 to 40. that’s nice, but we thought maybe we City of Baytown building Inspectors.
The project leader and driving can renovate the whole building,” he Saturday’s volunteers ate food pro-
“ * ' said. vided by. Chili’s restaurant and
“We’re engineers, so of course, we Kroger.
Over the last two years of the pro-
what we had to work with.”
The $11 billion shortfall, of course,
- , . . . ~ was the overriding issue of the session,
and send mem to Gov. Rick Per for sig- Woodlands. “Of course, we began with ----— ...—*---—.-------- r . .. -
nature, will also be closing the books a $5 billion surprise. We were expect- by five to 7 percent. There will be cuts ue to run. The budget looks bad, but insistence of Perry and Republican
on what has been one of the most con- fog a revenue shortfall of $5.5 billion, in education and services have benefit- we’re not broke. We’ll continue to fry lawmakers not to raise taxes,
tentious and news making sessions and it turned out to be twice that. ed people across the board - funding to find new revenue sources."
since... well, since the last one. “But Texas will be able to maintain for the elderly, nursing homes, “The budget was our main focus,”
By KEN FOUNTAIN Band and Swing Choir, an invocation by watch the news coverage.
The Baytown Sun graduate Kristin Hill, a welcome to the “I had to ask myself, ’Why? Why did
n avtym attendees by graduate Amanda Magill, this happen to our country?,” Magill said.
BAYTOWN — In a ceremony marked graduate Keisha Harewood shared some But this past year, the class’s senior
by both solemnity and frivolity, 499 mem- “Senfor Reflections” by noting that mem- year, "was the best year for some people,
bers of the Ross S. Sterling Class of 2003 5^ of earlier generation are often This was the year we were no longer chil-
passed into the next phases of their lives in asked, “Do you remember where you dren, but young adults,”
their graduation ceremony at Stallworth were when JFK was killed.” She recalled such events as the
Stadium Saturday night. “Now, people will ask us, ‘Do you “Chicken Fry" and prom night.
The graduates marched proudly from remember where you were on 9/11,” “But if you remember only one thing
one side of the stands to the neat rows of Magill said. “And I do remember.” from my speech tonight, remember that
chairs on the playing field as the sun set Magill said she had been in English the seniors realty won the Powder Puff
brilliantly in the warm Texas sky as fami- class when her teacher told the students game, not the juniors,” she said to the
ly and friends cheered. about the terrorist attacks. Two students approving cheers of her classmates.
Following the honor guard flag presen- affixed paper clips to the back of a televi-
tation, the pledge of allegiance by Sterling sion to act as an antenna so they could See RSS on Page 8A
Services location on Wisconsin
Street. , „
As part of a three-year project, toreroof the building.
volunteers are converting the build- "A bunch of uS were on the roof, BFI, Home Depot, Brand
Ing formerly used only for storage banging nails into shingles and Scaffolding, Busch & Hutchinson
By KEN FOUNTAIN
The Baytown Sun
BAYTOWN—The sun beat down
mercilessly, but several employees of
ExxonMobil spent their Saturday
trying to bring a little mercy to
Baytown’s homeless population by
continuing the renovation of a build- ,.w
Ing at the Bay Area Homeless an outgrowth of the United Way Day the project’s first year to cover the awards $5*(X)6grants to non-profit -----;------------------
« ** * ‘ --- ? < Baytown Sun photo/Ken Fountain
ExxonMobil employees volunteered and individuals that have donated volunteer work performed by ExxonMobil employees Tony Beam, left, and
the site of the building renovation project at the
Home Depot,
“I Just turned 50. All my life I’ve had to come up with a plan and make C
been pulling from the community,” a budget. We made a presentation to Ject, the plan is for ExxonMobil to
Cheben said in the measured tones the United Way Board of Directors, provide
of a man used to planning every- and they of course were very excit-
ed,” Cheben said.
The United Way of Baytown board Program (VIP).
• In that program, the foundations
,f ....... . ....... , l :::: r._:.t
of Caring last October, when 25 cost of materials. Other companies organizations for every 20 hours of
volunteer time and materials are ExxonMobil employees, retirees Charlie Pryor push wheelbarrows full of gravel to
rut > the site of the building renovation project at the
See SHELTER on Page 7A Bay Area Homeless Services facility Saturday
► INSIDE
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 189, Ed. 1 Sunday, June 1, 2003, newspaper, June 1, 2003; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1185190/m1/1/?q=%22~1~1~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.