The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 34, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 21, 2021 Page: 3 of 16
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Uhe Wavtolun Sun 3A
Sunday, March 21, 2021
p
bying. District 23 Rep. Mayes Mid- allow corporate and special interest
A
Joan Estes
city to purchase the Evergreen Point said due to COVID-19, it may take
CDC: Schools can
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The new city hall will honor the
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281-433-2281
kopryshek@cbunited.com
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REALTY
Baytown, county cities vote to
oppose Middleton lobbying bill
For economic development and
workforce, Wemple said they have
launched a high-speed internet ac-
cess program to bring better services
to urban, suburban and rural area
across the county. Wemple said they
are seeking funding opportunities to
Wemple said for public safety and
transportation, H-GAC has provid-
ed funding for various activities and
trained hundreds of officers across
the region. There is also a special fo-
cus on elderly abuse, Wemple said.
On hurricane evacuation, Wemple
Baytown was one of several cities
that voted to oppose some bills filed
in the 87th Texas Legislation they
feel are against taxpayer-funded lob-
Broker/Associate - ABR,
ASR, CNAS,CNCA, CRS,
MCNE, MRP, NHS
BILL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
short by technical issues.
Chambers County Sheriff Brian
Hawthorne and Baytown attorney
Dan Linebaugh also testified.
Hawthorne said that he was famil-
iar with commercial vehicle regula-
tions and compliance. Not only does
the county have heavy commercial
traffic, but before he was sheriff,
18 of his 28 years with the Texas
Department of Public Safety was in
commercial vehicle enforcement.
He said he opposed the law as writ-
Mont Belvieu Mayor Nick Dixon, City Manager Nathan Watkins, Mont Belvieu city council members, and many dignitaries
gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new $15.2 million city hall. The new facility is expected to be complete in
August. (Baytown Sun photo by Matt Hollis)
new COVID-19 deaths reported Friday
raised the state’s pandemic death toll to
47,193. The researchers also said the roll-
ing average of daily new cases had fallen
by almost 3,003 cases over the past two
weeks, decreasing about 41%.
HALL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
to dominate government.
Mayes was reached for comment
but did not respond immediately.
Later in the meeting, Capetillo
Case reports
Harris County Public Health report-
ed 368,582 confirmed COVID-19 cases
through Friday, up from 367,414 through
Wednesday. There have been 3,518 deaths
through Friday, up from 3,493 through
four-times the fuel, buses, and driv-
ers to evacuate people safely.
H-GAC is also looking at poten-
Golf Course was thwarted by voters
in 2015.
In January, the city voted unani-
VACCINE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Wednesday.
The Harris County portion of Baytown
has had 6,280 cases through Friday, up
from 5,855 through Monday, the coun-
ty reported. There have been 79 deaths
through Friday.
The Highlands-area ZIP code, 77562,
has had 594 cases through Friday, up from
588 through Wednesday. There have been
12 deaths.
The Crosby-area ZIP code, 77532, has
had 2,583 cases through Friday. There
have been 33 deaths.
Chambers County reported 4,515 cas-
es through Thursday. There have been
46 deaths through Thursday, up from 44
through Tuesday.
OBITUARIES
Forinformation, call 281-422-8302
dleton filed one bill.
Baytown and members of the Har-
ris County Mayors’ and Councils’
Association voted unanimously to
approve an emergency resolution to
oppose HB 749, filed by Middleton,
Senate Bill 234 and HB 2319. The
association also unanimously voted
to add SB 10 to the list. District 2 Sen.
Bob Hall filed SB 234 while District
26 Rep. Jacey Jetton filed HB 2319.
District 7 Sen. Paul Bettencourt filed
SB10.
Mayor Brandon Capetillo, who
hosted the event, agreed the bills are
trying to limit city voices as well as
opportunities in Austin.
A vote was held to declare an
emergency with the resolution so the
association would not have to wait
until the next meeting to send it out.
SB 10 was also added at the meet-
ing, held Thursday at the Evergreen
Karla Opryshek, Broker/Associate
2017-2018-2019-2020-2021
COVID
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
BY MATT HOLLIS
matt.hollis@baytownsun.com
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2021 A
FIVE STAR I
REAL ESTATE AGENT
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IEINDjAHOME
Yta«i
Karla
a.Opryshek
special interest legislation.”
The resolution also states the bills
E-
. ■ sv
the shadow of Fred Hartman Bridge.
And if that all occurs, then certain-
ly the conversation on a golf course
(could happen).”
Baytown once had two golf cours-
es but now has none. A plan to au-
thorize a $12.5 million bond for the
vide a means to communicate effec- on three key areas related to funding
tively with state legislators and other opportunities, economic develop-
state officials, thus saving citizens ment and workforce, public safety
by avoiding the potential costs often and transportation, and hurricane
associated with corporate and other evacuation plans.
Belvieu.”
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7
by her brother Mike and
Sandy Grafe and sister
Camile and Bill Rust;
Her five children, Pat
and Linda Estes, Mari-
beth and Wren Lindsey,
Tere and Bill Schendel,
Tony Estes, and Anne
and Kevin Lowe: Six
grandchildren, Kri steen
and Nathan Craig, Kara
and Chad Thibodeaux,
Michael Wren Lindsey,
Kristel and David Duran,
Will and Dana Schen-
del, and Luke Lawler;
eight great grandchil-
dren, Kylee, Christian,
Carlos, Matthew, Mer-
cedez, Mykee, Lily and
Madison. She also had
many nieces and neph-
ews that were very dear
to her. Frances Mixon is
also included in our fam-
t
our administration, we
will have met our goal,”
Biden said.
He promised to unveil a
new vaccination target
next week, as the U.S. is
on pace to have enough of
the authorized vaccines
to cover the entire adult
population 10 weeks
from now. The U.S. will
also send the vaccine to
Mexico and Canada.
Joan Estes, 91, of
Baytown, passed away
September 20,2020. She
was born in Terre Haute,
Indiana on November
17, 1928 to Strother and
Bess Grafe. She was
married to General Estes
At the time, council believed such history and name of Henry B. Grif-
a project would take 15 to 20 years fith, the first settler on the land that
to complete. became Mont Belvieu. Watkins said
“But here we are today in 2021, a bust of Griffith would grace the
and it is not quite 15 to 20 years area.
city to continue in the vicinity that
meets the needs of our growing com-
munity,” Dixon said. “Not only that,
but it would be the hub of our fan-
tastic new city center. It is my hope
that this city hall is a building that
everyone in Mont Belvieu can be
proud of.”
Some of the town’s history was
lost over time, City Manager Nathan
Watkins said, but they are now part-
nering with Barbers Hill ISD to build
a new museum to remember that his-
tory.
“They are going to build a
great-looking facility that will com-
pliment what we are doing here on
Eagle Drive,” Watkins said. “We are
going to memorialize our great in-
dustrious history with Barbers Hill
and Mont Belvieu.”
$h,
2
1
Watkins said the area was once down the road, and we’re breaking
bustling with blocks filled with ground,” Watkins said.
banks, hotels, and restaurants at the The new city hall will be an anchor
turn of the century. for the new Mont Belvieu downtown,
“You cannot see it now and drive Watkins said.
down the road or even imagine it, but “It will be a traditional Texas
there is a lot of great history that will downtown with a county courthouse
be at the museum,” he said. anchored in the center of the square,
Watkins said the city hall project and we are going to be anchored by
gained legs about 2014-2015. The our city hall here and other great
city applied for a $100,000 grant civic facilities,” Watkins said. “It
through a Houston-Galveston Area will generate a lot of other traffic, in
Council study. commerce, retailers and restaurants,
“We were the first city on the it will be a green (area), and really
east side of Texas to be awarded nice project”.
that study,” Watkins said. "What it The new city hall will house most
did was look at the future of Grand city departments, with the lower
Parkway, Eagle Drive, and city and floors having offices for utilities, per-
see how we could recreate a liber- mits, and other departments visitors
al center and a downtown for Mont frequently use.
a
—4
ten. not really the problem.
“We have the rules now that com- “I feel for these drivers and the
panies don’t follow, so why do we companies and the carriers that find
want to let them out of them?” he themselves being somewhat of a tar-
said. “Let’s make our laws stronger, get of some kind of an accident scam,
not weaker. ” but the maj ority of what we see... it is
Linebaugh quoted another witness the motor carrier that’s going to skirt
at the hearing who said the bill would the regulations, and the motor carrier
lead to more deaths on Texas roads that skirts the regulations is who I’m
and said that would ultimately lead afraid this House Bill 19 supports,”
to higher insurance rates. he said.
Hawthorne said, “I can honest- No action was taken by the com-
ly tell you the major carriers have mittee on the bill, which means it is
robust safety programs—robust. I unlikely to go to the full House for
think there’s got to be a way and a consideration. However, there is an
circumstance in which this bill can identical bill still pending in the Sen-
help those carriers that do have ro- ate that has yet to receive a commit-
bust safety programs because they’re tee hearing.
place desks closer
NEW YORK (AP) — Students can safely sit just 3
feet apart in the classroom as long as they wear masks
but should be kept the usual 6 feet away from one an-
other at sporting events, assemblies, lunch or chorus
practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines.
The revised recommendations represent a turn away
from the 6-foot standard that has sharply limited how
many students some schools can accommodate. Some
places have had to remove desks, stagger schedules and
take other steps to keep children apart.
In recent months, schools in some states have been
disregarding the CDC guidelines, using 3 feet as their
standard. Studies of what happened in some of them
helped sway the agency, said Greta Massetti, who leads
the CDC’s community interventions task force.
“We don’t really have the evidence that 6 feet is re-
quired in order to maintain low spread,” she said. Also,
younger children are less likely to get seriously ill from
the coronavirus and don’t seem to spread it as much as
adults do, and “that allows us that confidence that that
3 feet of physical distance is safe.”
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the re-
vised recommendations are a “roadmap to help schools
reopen safely, and remain open, for in-person instruc-
tion.” She said in-person schooling gives students not
only “the education they need to succeed” but access to
crucial social and mental health services.
The new guidance:
— Removes recommendations for plastic shields or
other barriers between desks. “We don’t have a lot of
evidence of their effectiveness” in preventing transmis-
sion, Massetti said.
— Advises at least 3 feet of space between desks in
elementary schools, even in towns and cities where
community spread is high, so long as students and
teachers wear masks and take other precautions.
— Says spacing can also be 3 feet in middle and high
schools, so long as there is not a high level of spread
in the community. If there is, the distance should be at
least 6 feet.
The CDC said 6 feet should still be maintained in
common areas, such as school lobbies, and when masks
can’t be worn, such as when eating.
Also, students should be kept 6 feet apart in situa-
tions where there are a lot of people talking, cheering or
singing, all of which can expel droplets containing the
coronavirus. That includes chorus practice, assemblies
and sports events.
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spoke about the long-awaited Hyatt make this happen.
Regency hotel/convention center be- Wemple said H-GAC is also ramp-
ing planned for Bayland Island. ing up its small business loan pro-
“Hopefully, soon we will break gram.
ground on a Hyatt Regency in the “If you know a business that needs
next couple of months,” Capetillo help due to COVID or start-up busi-
said. “It is a 200-room hotel/confer- ness that was turned down by a bank,
ence center on Bayland Island and in let us know,” Wemple said.
5
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Clubhouse. Natalie Picha, Seabrook mously to buy the course for $2.7 tially dangerous 51 intersections
mayor pro-tem, said the bill was not million. It was turned into a disc golf across the region.
as restrictive but is more pointed at course and has held some champion- “It goes beyond studying,” he said,
cities. ship events. “We are going to do an audit to im-
in the resolution, it stated the im- There was also the Goose Creek prove safety and reduce crashes.”
plied and expressed intent of SB 234 Country Club, but it closed in 2014. Wemple said thanks to H-GAC,
and HB 749 is to “prohibit city and “We have a beautiful backdrop, over 500 businesses received more
county funds from being expended and we think we have an excellent than $12 million in loans last year
to join or support organizations that place to go in Baytown and provide despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
provide many necessary services, in- a first-class golf course,” Capetillo As far as Baytown, Wemple said
eluding, but not limited to, training, said. things are looking good.
best practices, and economic devel- Later in the program, Chuck Wem- “I think Baytown is hitting on all of
opment as well as information about pie, executive director of the Hous- the right cylinders for future growth
state governmental action and pro- ton-Galveston Area Council spoke in our region,” Wemple said.
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just 2 months shy of 50 ily as she was especially
years. Joan was a devot- caring and always so full
ed wife and mother from of love for Joan and her
the time she was 19 years entire family. She was a
old traveling all over the precious addition to the
United States following Estes family. We will
the construction jobs as- never forget.
signed to her husband. A memorial mass will
She was a “homeroom be held at 10 a.m., Thurs-
mother” for 30+ years day, March 25, 2021, at
and had a passion for St. John the Evangelist
bridge, golf and espe- Catholic Church, 800 W.
cially cooking for friends Baker Rd., Baytown, TX
and family. 77521.
She was preceded in a NAVARRF
death by her parents, hus- -N hVI
band and sister Patricia g FUNERAL Home
n j Cremation Services
Davis. She is survived
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Bloom, David. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 34, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 21, 2021, newspaper, March 21, 2021; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1468355/m1/3/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.