Do You Need a Yearly Eye Exam?

Transcription

From the Managing Editor
The Magazine About Life on the Water’s Edge
table of
CONTENTS
January 2012
12
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! WOW! I
can’t believe it’s already 2012, can you!
It seems like just a month ago I was
swimming in the lake, saying how hot it
is, and now I’m wrapping up with Mom
at night so I don’t get too cold.
So what’s my New Year’s resolution
you ask? I’m not sure. Last year, it was to
lose a few pounds because I was having
a hard time getting through the doggie
door, but with my Mom and Dads help, I
can now run right in without hitting my
sides.
Did you know that traditional New
Year’s foods are thought to bring luck.
Many cultures believe that anything
in the shape of a ring is good luck,
because it symbolizes “coming full
circle,” completing a year’s cycle. For
that reason, the Dutch believe that eating
donuts on New Year’s Day will bring
good fortune.
So... if you need some luck this year
I would suggest stopping at a donut store
before heading to your party.
Until next month have a happy and
safe New Year, and thank you to all our
advertisers and readers!
20
26
On the Cover
Buster
5
Eye Spy
6
Aesthetic Family Dentistry
8
Fox Talk
10
Baytown Little Theater
12
Goose Creek Proud
14
Community Corner
16
City of Baytown
17
Business Line
18
Know Your Finances
20
Boat Road Marking Planned for Lake Conroe
22
Learn The Law
25
Go Green Pest Control
26
Alaska’s playground is officially open
28
Get Up, Get Out, Get Fit
29
Your Real Estate Today
30
Capture The Moment
31
The Baytown Chamber
Aesthetic Family Dentistry
For advertising
information call Tom Cook
at 281-812-4775 and he will
be glad to assist you.
Visit us on the Web!
www.docklinemagazine.com
Dock Line Magazine - Baytown & Mont Belvieu Area Edition January 2012 3
The Magazine About Life on the Waters Edge
Thomas J. Cook
PUBLISHER
Buster
Managing Editor
Gordon Gallatin
advertising Director
Robert Kasprzak
editor
Lindsey Kasprzak
Art Director
Janine Williams
Sales
Fabian Sandler
writer
Kimberli Smith
Cover Photographer
Contributors:
Community Toyota
Dr. Timothy Planty
Anikke Ayala-Rodgers • Surina Harshaw
Gary Clemmons • Kimberli Smith
Weston Cotten • Tracey S. Wheeler
John Shrader • Kelley Savage • Jace Houston
DOCK LINE MAGAZINE
is published by:
TJ Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 2634, Humble, TX 77347-2634
Telephone: 281-812-4775
E-mail: tom@docklinemagazine.com
Subscriptions to DOCK LINE MAGAZINE
cost $20.00 per year. To subscribe, mail a check
with your name and address to:
P.O. Box 2634
HUMBLE, TX 77347-2634
Dock Line Magazine welcomes reader correspondence. We reserve the right to edit or reject
any material submitted. The publisher assumes
no responsibility for the return of any unsolicited
material.
DOCK LINE MAGAZINE © 2011, all rights
reserved. All editorial and advertising copy
belongs solely to DOCK LINE MAGAZINE
Reproduction in whole or part without express
written permission is strictly prohibited.
Articles are the opinions and experiences of
other people and we do not necessarily approve, agree with, and/or condone those
opinions.
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4 Dock Line Magazine - Baytown & Mont Belvieu Area Edition January 2012
Do You Need a Yearly Eye Exam?
Most doctors recommend a yearly eye
exam, although some people feel that an eye
exam every year is excessive. Is having your eyes
checked every year really necessary? Below, are
some real life answers and explanations regarding the importance of having an annual eye
exam.
An Eye Exam Every Year?
A yearly eye exam is a good idea. Some
people actually have concerns that warrant exams or office visits more often than once per
year. One must understand that an eye examination is not only a simple vision check. A comprehensive eye examination is a fairly complicated series of tests that not only checks your
eye sight, but also neurological function, eye
pressure, eye muscle coordination and health of
the external and internal eye structures.
Do Kids Need a Yearly Eye Exam?
Children are not exempt from the annual
eye exam. At around six months and again at 3
years of age, most pediatricians screen children
for potential eye problems. If you are concerned
about something or have a family history of
childhood eye problems, then your child should
be seen by a pediatric optometrist or ophthalmologist. Otherwise, a full comprehensive eye
examination should be performed between
the ages of 4 and 6 years of age. At this point,
children are entering school. Undetected vision
problems at a young age can set a child up for
learning disabilities, bad behavior and poor
grades.
Annual Eye Exam for Adults?
Adults that have no family history of eye
disease and have good vision, an eye exam every two to three years is recommended for patients under the age of forty. In today’s world,
however, technology has increased our visual
demand tremendously. If you begin having eye
problems using your IPhone or while surfing
the internet, you may want to schedule your
eye exam a bit sooner. At 40 years of age, a
baseline eye examination is definitely recommended. Why 40? Unfortunately, for all of us
approaching this mark, this is the time when
early signs of disease and changes in your vision may occur. If you wear glasses and are
relatively healthy, then an eye examination
every 18 months is probably sufficient. Once
a year may be a bit too often, and two years
may not be often enough. Obviously, if you
notice anything different or strange about your
eyes or your vision, seek care immediately. If
you have a family history of some type of eye
disease, then annual eye exams are definitely
important.
Annual Eye Exam for Older Adults?
After the age of forty, eye exam every 18
months is generally a good rule to follow. At
around 60 years of age, annual eye examinations
are recommended because of the increased risk
of developing cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and other eye diseases.
Diabetics and Eye Exams
If you have diabetes, an annual eye exam
should be mandatory. Diabetes is the third
leading cause of blindness in the United States.
If you have well-controlled diabetes, a dilated
eye examination is mandatory every year. If
your diabetes is not under control, your doctor
may recommend an examination every three
to six months. Diabetic patients have a higher
risk of developing glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Early detection is critical in
the treatment of diabetes-related eye disease. (If
you have other chronic medical problems such
as hypertension, allergies, arthritis or other
health conditions, you really should schedule
an eye exam annually.)
Contact Lens Wearers Need an Annual
Eye Exam
If you wear contact lenses, an annual eye
exam and contact lens evaluation is necessary.
Don’t give your doctor a hard time about having to come in once a year for your contact lens
examination. There are very good reasons why
this is common practice. Besides making sure
your prescription is up-to-date, eye doctors
check the health of the eye, the curvature of
the cornea and inspect the eye for microscopic
complications related to wearing a contact lens.
Abnormal blood vessel growth related to a lack
of oxygen to the cornea is another thing that
your eye doctor may check for at your annual
contact lens examination. Remember, contact
lenses are medical devices regulated by the
FDA.
Vision is one of our most precious of senses. Having good eyesight greatly improves quality of life. Make an effort to keep your eyes in
their best condition by scheduling an eye exam
every year.u
Aesthetic
Family Dentistry
By: Fabian Sandler
Drive down North Main Street, and one encounters a potpourri of Baytown life. Small farms
and homes with large yards are mixed in with
small businesses. Gas stations anchor many intersections, while side streets take residents home to
their apartments, condos and houses.
Heading farther south on North Main,
one begins to encounter older, established business strips and centers, as well as older neighborhoods. One relatively new building on North
Main on the east side of the street looks more like
a large house than a dental practice.
Walk inside Aesthetic Family Dentistry, and
one feels like they’ve stepped into a nice home. The
waiting area isn’t called that – it’s the guest area.
Painted in hues of beige and green, the interior is
bright and airy. There’s no clinical smell sometimes associated with dental practices.
Dr. Dean Hutto and his wife, Gena, own the
practice. Dr. Hutto earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in 1992. Right away, he went
into practice by buying out Dr. Donald Brunson’s
practice. “They were going into practice together,”
Gena explains. “Dean was going to be his associate,
but about a month before Dean got out of school,
Dr. Brunson had a stroke and died.” Several years
later, Dr. Hutto bought Dr. Morris Wolfean’s practice, too.
Dr. Sally Landon is the associate doctor, who
came on board in 2008. She earned her bachelor’s
degree in science and her DDS degree from the
University of Texas Health Science Center. She has
recently achieved the status of Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, a designation earned
by only 7% of general dentists nationwide. She’s
received advanced training in occlusion, esthetics,
and comprehensive care at the world-renowned
Pankey Institute and the Kios Center for Advancing Dentistry through Science.
There are 10 employees, including Nicole
Gwinnup, who is the hygiene coordinator, Dorothy Trevino, who is the treatment coordinator, and
Afton Dickson the Insurance coordinator. There
are three dental hygienists, Lisa Cochran, Nicole
Torres and Lien Dao, each of whom sees eight to
10 patients a day. Gena calls herself the gopher,
but her official title is office manager.
Lilia Renteria is the top dental assistant
and has been with Aesthetic Family Dentistry for
10 years. The other two dental assistants are Jennifer Clevinger and Chrissy Thomas. In fact, many
of the people there have been with the practice for
many years. Gena attributes longevity of their employees to the fact that they understand that the
practice lives for its patients. “The girls realize
that Dean has the patients’ best interest at heart,”
Gena says of her husband. “He’s here to improve
patients overall health, he’s very conservative, and
they take on that philosophy too.”
Dr. Hutto and Gena have been married
since 1984. They began dating in school, when
they were 14 years old, and got married at 21.
They’re both from Baytown. They have two sons,
Blake, a 21 year old college student at the University of Houston, and Brandon, a Lee High School
student who will turn 17 in February. Dr. Hutto’s
father was a mayor of Baytown and his two brothers are local eye doctors.
One of Dr. Hutto’s special interest is called Six
Month Smiles. Explains Gena, “Dean is real big in
continuing education [CE]. He’s a CE junkie. He
keeps up with the latest technology because dentistry is constantly changing. He found out about
it through a group called ACE. They’re a top group
of dentists that converse back and forth and they’ll
have meetings once or twice a year and they’ll
bring in the latest and greatest.” For those who
need braces, with this method, teeth are straightened out a little more quickly without a lot of pain.
Aesthetic Family Dentistry has recently gotten into the treatment of sleep apnea, for those
who are cPAP intolerant. The practice makes an
appliance that helps patients with snoring, a leading cause of sleep apnea. Dr. Hutto wears one himself when he sleeps. “It’s an appliance for your upper and lower teeth,” Gena relates. “It holds your
lower jaw to where the airway stays open. Patients
seem happy with it. Their spouses are really happy
with it.” Gena laughs heartily.
Most people aren’t aware that migraine
headaches can be caused by grinding teeth at night
while one sleeps. Aesthetic Family Dentistry has
an appliance using a small acrylic mouthpiece, the
NTI-tss device, to combat migraines.
For those patients who aren’t especially fond
of having dental work done, Sedation Dentistry
is a form of allowing the patients to relax easier.
Pills and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) are given to
patients, which knocks them out for a few hours.
“You’re conscious, but in your own world,” adds
Nicole Gwinnup. “We have a lot of things for our
patients to make them comfortable.” For instance,
pillows, blankets, and headphones are just a few of
our amenities.
“The Sedation Dentistry is for relaxing you
more, to kind of knock you out to where you really
don’t remember it,” Gena states. “Some people are
just terrified of the dentist.”
Aesthetic Family Dentistry’s doctors and hygienists both are certified on the Medical Diode
Laser System. It’s a laser system used to desensitize teeth, and can be used on fever blisters, cold
sores and ulcers. In the old days, tissues were cut
with a knife and sutures were needed. The laser
treatment avoids all that and it heals much more
quickly.
Another service is Cosmetic Dentistry. “Cosmetic Dentistry deals with something as simple
as changing out a silver filling for a white one, or
veneers, or porcelain crowns,” says Nicole. “Some
people have a mouthful of teeth that they want to
get rid of and get dentures. Why?” asks Nicole.
“What God gave you is the best that you’ll ever
have and the dentist can’t give you any better than
that.” That’s where Aesthetic Family Dentistry’s
conservative business philosophy comes into effect. They won’t do any unnecessary work.
“When you come here, you’re not going to be
treated like you will in any other place. You don’t
wait in our office,” Gena pronounces.
“We run on time constantly,” Nicole adds, interrupting Gena, meaning that people in the guest
area don’t have to wait for very long at all before
they’re seen.
“There are no surprises,” Gena continues. If
we’re doing a restoration or a filling on you and he
has to add an extra surface, we’re not going to get
you to the front and go, ‘Oh, by the way, he had to
add this. You owe X amount more.’ He’s just going
to throw that in. It’s different than what you’ll find
in most places these days.”
Aesthetic Family Dentistry also offer hope to
people who have ill fitting dentures. Dr. Hutto offers implants and mini implants to secure dentures
that constantly want to move around. He can also
make it so you never have to remove your denture
again.
One of their newest procedures is extracting
the remaining teeth and the patients leaves the
same day with a set of non-removable dentures.
The practice is anchored on service. If a patient isn’t sure if their insurance will allow them to
come to the practice, one of the associates will call
the person’s insurance company to check for them.
The practice offers affordable payment plans for
those who have major work performed, but whose
dental insurance coverage leaves them with a sizable balance.
The people at Aesthetic Family Dentistry are
so dedicated to their patients that they willingly
refer those who need more specialized care to dentists who offer them.
When asked what was meant by atypical dentistry on their web site, almost timidly, as if she’s
walking on eggshells but is only trying to be diplomatic, Gena begins to explain the practice’s business view. “There are a few dentists out there these
days that aggressively diagnose. It’s amazing to me
when people just come in for second opinions, and
they’ve diagnosed them with full mouth of scaling.
When we see them they only need a really good
cleaning.” The associates at Aesthetic Family Dentistry will not stoop to those levels. That’s one of
the reasons that Gena says they’re a conservative
dental practice.
Dr. Hutto is a long-time member of the Rotary and is on the American Diabetes Board. “Dean
is going to be the president of The Greater Houston Dental Society next year, which is a big deal,”
the dentist’s wife beams. “He’s been on the Board
for probably the last 10 years, and he’s worked his
way up. Not every dentist is a member. I would
guess there are probably 1,500 members. He’ll
be inducted in May.” Gena smiles broadly, pride
evident on her face. “He’s very giving of his time
and tries to better the community in any way he
can,” she summarizes. In addition, he is a member
of The American Dental Society, The Texas Dental
Association, The Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics, The Southwest Oral Medicine Society, The
International College of Dentists, and the Society
of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Aesthetic Family Dentistry is located at 3800
N. Main in Baytown. The main phone number
is 281-422-8248. The practice’s web site, www.
drhutto.com, is incredibly detailed, showing all
the services offered, as well as information on the
practice.
“Dean’s philosophy is so down to earth,” Gena
extorts. “He treats his patients like he would treat
his family. You just don’t find that anymore. Come
and experience the difference.” u
Fox
t a l k
By: Surina Harshaw
Front of House Manager, Red Fox
Christmas At The FoxTales
So far, Christmas on Texas Avenue has
been fantastic. The parade this year was really
nicely done – all of the floats were neatly put
together, and there were more people than
ever before. The City did a great job on the
decorations, and the newly renovated block
gave the entire Avenue a more festive air.
At my office, which fronts on Texas Avenue, we opened the house and invited as
many of our friends as we could get in touch
with by email to come and watch the parade
with us. Isn’t email something else? Both a
bane and a blessing: If I don’t have you on
email I may have fallen out of touch, but if I
do have your address, you’ll likely never hear
the end of me. And Facebook! That’s a total
blessing, I think! Do you know, I have relatives I never would have known but for Facebook?
Back to Christmas on Texas Avenue!
Besides the parade, the market day First Saturday celebration was also well organized
and attended. I think that Scott Sheley, our
councilman, did a bang-up job. Of course, he
didn’t do all the work himself, but he sure did
assign the tasks to the right people. I understand that Liz Caldwell and the Photo Club
and Art League were pretty involved. Thanks
to all of them for the extra effort.
Meantime, the Red Fox has been right in
the middle of Christmas celebrations! We’ve
especially enjoyed the variety of parties that
have come our way. The easiest one for me
to talk about was the Wine Maker’s Dinner
held last week, because I got to help with it a
little. We had a wonderful meal and delightful company. Let me tell you about the menu
Chef Leslie served us:
Appetizers
Herbed Shrimp Skewers
Spinach & Mozzarella Stuffed
Mushrooms
Salad Course
Baby Spinach Roquefort & Toasted
Walnuts with a Champagne Vinaigrette
Main Course
Tenderloin of Beef with Creamy
Horseradish Sauce on Crispy
Potato Pancakes served with
Honey Orange Baby Carrots and
Haricot Verts
Dessert
Poached Bosc Pears in a Cabernet Sauce
with Marscapone whipped cream
I had to look some things up! Haricot
Verts for example: these are a particular kind
of long and thin, stringless bean. They can
be prepared in garlic butter with almonds,
or maybe with shallots, butter, and tomatoes.
The poached Bosc pears have a crunchy consistency with a tangy sweet taste. Bosc pears
are a European variety that grows well in the
Northwestern part of the States. Marscarpone is an Italian cream cheese hand made
from cream and citrus juice.
I love it when Chef adds something different to our blend of Texas steaks and seafood, and what she did to complement the
Flat Creek vineyard wines selected by winemaker Rick Nabors was truly a culinary pleasure – right here in Baytown and on Texas
Avenue – just like downtown.
Merry Christmas, y’all! But you probably won’t see this ‘til next year, so Happy New
Year, too! u
“A Chorus Line” to Open BLT Season
The Baytown Little Theater will open its 51st
Season with one of the most popular Broadway
musicals ever produced. “A Chorus Line”, with
book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante,
lyrics by Edward Kleban, and music by Marvin
Hamlisch, opened on Broadway in July of 1975
and closed in April of 1990, a total of 6,137 performances. At the time, it was the longest running
Broadway production in history.
Not only popular but critically acclaimed, “A
Chorus Line” has won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama
(1976), and a total of 10 Tony Awards. Based in
fact, the show sprang from workshop sessions with
several Broadway dancers (also known as “gypsies”), in which several of the attendees gave taped
interviews which recounted not only their experiences as a dancer but the life experiences that took
them into that world. Interestingly, 8 members of
the original Broadway cast came from these sessions. The stories were so compelling that Kirkwood, Dante and Bennett decided to turn them
into a show, and Broadway history was made.
The show recounts a demanding audition for
the chorus of an upcoming Broadway show. Zach,
the demanding director and his assistant Larry are
putting 24 dancers through their paces. After the
first cut, 17 remain. Zach tells them that the chorus
will consist of 4 boys and 4 girls, and that to help
him make his final decision he’d like to learn a little
about them personally. He begins to call them out
one at a time, and we hear from characters such as
Mike, who recounts how, when his sister refused
to go to dance class, he stole his sister’s tap shoes
and took her place in class at 5 years old; Val, a
newly buxom young lady who explains the reality
of how talent is great, but looks and plastic surgery will get you a job; Sheila, an aging dancer who
explains (along with Bebe and Maggie) that ballet
was her escape from a terrible home life; Kristine,
who laments her inability to sing; Richie, and exjock who wanted to be a kindergarten teacher; and
Paul, who recounts how he moved from working
as a drag queen to working on Broadway.
The main internal story line revolves around
Cassie, who had been a show – stopping featured
dancer for Zach in previous shows. There is also
a personal connection: Cassie and Zach had lived
together for several years before she left him and
moved to Los Angeles to make it big. Having
failed in Hollywood, Cassie is back and just wants
to dance. Zach tries to explain to her that she
doesn’t belong in the chorus, she’s too good and
she just won’t fit in, but Cassie insists that she can
do it.
“A Chorus Line” features musical numbers
such as “I Hope I Get It”, “I Can Do That”, “Hello
Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love”, “Dance, Ten;
Looks, Three”, “What I Did For Love”, and the iconic “One”. The BLT production opens on February
17, with subsequent performances on February 18,
19, 24, 25, 26, and March 2, 3, and 4. Tickets will
be available online at www.baytown.littletheater.
org on January 16, or reservations can be made by
calling the theater at 281-424-7617.u
Highlights
F o r This Mon t h
Goose Creek CISD schools honored for sending Christmas cards to troops
Congressman Ted Poe recently presented the students and staff
at Alamo Elementary School with a trophy for collecting the
most Christmas cards for U.S. troops in Poe’s congressional
district. In the front row, from left, are Baytown councilman
Bob Hoskins, Student Council President Wendy Giang, Student
Council Vice Presidenrt Nayeli Galvez, and Congressman Poe.
In back are Goose Creek CISD Superintendent Dr. Toby York,
Sgt. 1st Class Steven Thibodeau, Sgt. 1st Class Saul Aguayo Sr.,
Alamo PE teacher and Capt. in the U.S. Army Reserves, Joe
Camp, and Alamo Principal Dr. Ron Wyatt.
The program is called “Christmas Cards for Our
Troops.” Its mission: to put smiles on the faces of as
many of our U.S. troops from Texas as possible. And
no school district in U.S. Rep. Ted Poe’s 2nd U.S. Congressional District accomplished that mission better
than Goose Creek CISD. “I want to thank all those
who made this year special for our troops – it means
the world to them,” Poe said. “It’s a job well done.” On
Monday, Dec. 12, Congressman Ted Poe presented three
trophies to the top “Christmas Cards for Our Troops”
schools — Sterling, Horace Mann and Alamo. For the
second year, Ross S. Sterling earned first place for high
schools by collecting/creating 5,184 cards for the troops.
Horace Mann Junior School won the junior school title
by collecting 6,861 cards. Alamo Elementary School, in
their first year to collect cards for the troops, was tops
among elementary schools with 2,252 cards. “The troops
appreciate your hard work like you appreciate their hard
work,” Poe told the student body at Alamo. And for the
third year in a row, the staff and students at Highlands
Elementary won the “Most Creative” award in the program. A trophy presentation for Highlands Elementary
will be done at a later date. The 25,161 Christmas cards
collected by the school district, is far and away the most
of any school district in Poe’s congressional district that
stretches east from northern Harris County, through
Liberty County, and encompasses all of Jefferson County
to the southeast Texas border. The congressman said
that it is something to see a rough and tough soldier tear
up when he reads a card made out of construction paper from a child at home. He also remarked that there
is no way anyone else could ever touch the numbers collected by students in the Baytown and Highlands area.
More than 25,000 cards, more than doubles last year’s
total of 10,000 plus. “The response to this project has
been overwhelming,” said Poe. “I would like to give a
special thanks to all those that took time to remember
our troops and recognize the sacrifices this Christmas.”
Michelle Bitterly of Awards & Engraving donated the trophies given to the schools.u
Congressman Ted Poe recently presented the students
and staff at Horace Mann Junior School with a trophy
for collecting the most Christmas cards for U.S. troops
in Poe’s congressional district.
Congressman Ted Poe recently presented the students
and staff at Sterling High School with a trophy for
collecting the most Christmas cards for U.S. troops in
Poe’s congressional district.
Academy donates 20 bikes to Carver Elementary students
As part of its 10th annual bike giveaway, Baytown’s new Academy store donated 20 bicycles and helmets to Carver Elementary School students. Pictured with the lucky students are
store director Natalie Colquitt, left, and Tammy Goodwin, operations manager.
Christmas came early for some students at
Carver Elementary School. As part of its 10th annual
bike giveaway, Baytown’s new Academy store donated
20 bicycles and helmets to Carver Elementary School
students to help deserving students have an even better Christmas. The eligible students were based on
perfect attendance through the first semester this year.
The goal of the giveaway is to help encourage students
to build positive characters. Carver was one of only
two greater Houston area schools to get bikes this year,
said store director Natalie Colquitt. Carver Principal Rachel DeLeon said the eligible students were surprised
when they walked into the school cafeteria on Thursday, seeing 20 bikes lined up in front of them. As DeLeon picked the names out of a Christmas bag, students
cheered and ran to the stage and put their hands on their
new bike. Students -10 boys and 10 girls - winning new
bikes are: Hipolito Aguirre Hermosilo, third grade; Diego
Arredondo, pre-kindergarten; Lizbeth Barrera Campos,
third grade; Brittany Blevins, second grade; Jeremiah
Burrell, second grade; Jose Garcia, fourth grade; Miriam
Gonzalez, fifth grade; Abbigail Grabowski, fourth grade;
Emileigh Grabowski, third grade; Zvi Grabowski, first
grade; Ivan Lagunas, fifth grade; Alizeh Lupian, kindergarten; Sierra McBride, second grade; Montrel Motton,
fifth grade; Nathan Rosas, fourth grade; Stepho’n Seales,
fourth grade; Jeremiah Solomon, second grade; Stephanie Sotelo, fourth grade; Damian Sprague, first grade;
and Darisema Trujillo, fifth grade.u
Goose Creek CISD teams advance in robotics competition
The robotics team “Access Denied” is led by Courtney Hollywood and Sarah Duran. Team members include Jason
Payne, Cesar Valverde, Skylar Kibbe, Danielle Garcia, Austin
Goodman, Shaily Yadav, Utkarsh Sharma, Ashwin Kharat, and
Joseph McRae. Alternates include Jaron Pape, Prince Monroe,
and Sebastian Ruiz. Walker coaches were assisted by parent
mentor, Mike Payne.
All three Goose Creek junior robotics teams are advancing
to the First Lego League Lone Star Regional Finals on Jan. 7 at
Reagan High School in Houston.
The three teams competed with 45 other Lego teams on
Dec. 10 at a qualifying tournament at College Park High School
in The Woodlands. Goose Creek CISD’s three district teams are
each composed of students in fifth through eighth grades from
across the school district.
Each year, First Lego League releases a challenge for the
competition that is worked on by Lego teams from across the
globe. The competition for 2011-12 is “Food Factor” which focuses on food safety and methods to prevent contamination.
Teams build and program an autonomous robot using
Lego Mindstorms technology to score points in 21/2-minute
matches on a themed playing field. Team project presentations
explore an actual problem that today’s scientists and engineers
are trying to solve, develop an innovative solution to that problem (either by creating something that doesn’t exist or building
upon something that does), and share their findings. The Goose
Creek junior Lego robotics team “Performance = Research +
Intelligence Squared” won the trophy for Best Solution to the
Food Factor Challenge through their research and presentation
performance. This team practices at Harlem Elementary and is
coached by Beth Banks and Sheryl Ford. Team members include
Tina Phan, Eileen McCafferty, Vicente Olmos, Victoria Jaramillo,
Brian McCafferty, Leslie Schoonover, Siavash Zamirpour, Sean
McCafferty, and Shawyan Landi. Alternates for the team include
Summer Miller, Cheyanne Mohler, Isabella Garzoria, and Maeva
Flavien.
Students who competed on the team “Access Denied” won
the trophy for Best Robot Design. “Access Denied” practices at
Victoria Walker Elementary under the leadership of Courtney
Hollywood and Sarah Duran. Those students are Jason Payne,
Cesar Valverde, Skylar Kibbe, Danielle Garcia, Austin Goodman, Shaily Yadav, Utkarsh Sharma, Ashwin Kharat, and Joseph
McRae. Alternates for this team include Jaron Pape, Prince Monroe, and Sebastian Ruiz. Walker coaches were assisted by parent
mentor, Mike Payne.
The “Toxic Terminators” team practices at Crockett Elementary and is coached by Rosemary Olsen and Charoal Malak.
This team’s overall performance in all areas qualified them to proceed to the finals competition. Team members include Andrew
Beck, David Rodriguez, Edward Castro, Adulfo Amador Blair
Taylor, Johnathan Costello, Divya Singh, and Christopher Fontenot. Alternates include Shatavari Shinde, Saul Ayuayo, Valon
Simon, and Jaime Chavez. u
Coming in 2012: New test & long-range planning
Dr. York
As the calendar page turns to 2012, Goose Creek CISD
looks forward to the opportunities the new year brings in educating the children of Baytown and Highlands.
While the Legislature has given us less money to educate
students, they have also increased student accountability require-
ments through the implementation of a new, more rigorous state
assessment, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR test. The STAAR test will focus on college readiness and will include 12 high school End of Course exams as well
as new grade 3-8 assessments.
This new test, as mandated by the Texas Legislature, will
focus on increasing postsecondary readiness of graduating high
school students and helping to ensure that Texas students are
competitive with other students both nationally and internationally.
The faculty and staff of Goose Creek CISD are embracing
the new STAAR college readiness standards by casting the college
and career-ready vision into the lives of all Goose Creek CISD
students.
If you are a parent or guardian of a student in the ninth
grade or lower this year, the changes will be significant to your
student.
The TAKS test will no longer be used to measure your
ninth grade student. It will be replaced by STAAR End of Course
(EOC) exams for the core areas of English, math, science and social studies. There will be 12 of these exams administered for
courses including English I, English II, English III, Algebra I,
Algebra II, Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, World Geography, World History and U.S. History.
The tests will be given in May each year your student is
in high school. If you have a child taking high school courses in
junior high school, the testing requirements will apply to them
The robotics team “Performance = Research + Intelligence
Squared” is coached by Beth Banks and Sheryl Ford. Team
members include Tina Phan, Eileen McCafferty, Vicente Olmos, Victoria Jaramillo, Brian McCafferty, Leslie Schoonover,
Siavash Zamirpour, Sean McCafferty, and Shawyan Landi.
Alternates include Summer Miller, Cheyanne Mohler, Isabella
Garzoria, and Maeva Flavien.
The “Toxic Terminators” robotics team is coached by Rosemary
Olsen and Charoal Malak. Team members include Andrew
Beck, David Rodriguez, Edward Castro, Adulfo Amador Blair
Taylor, Johnathan Costello, Divya Singh, and Christopher Fontenot. Alternates include Shatavari Shinde, Saul Ayuayo, Valon
Simon, and Jaime Chavez.
as well.
At the district level, we are learning new things about the
testing program each week so parents need to stay informed as
well. The rigor and level of complexity of the concepts and skills
tested by the new assessments is increasing from that of TAKS.
Students will be required to earn a certain average number of
points on each exam for it to be counted toward a final core
area average.
Successful completion of the English III and Algebra II
end-of-course tests will be a graduation requirement.
Finally, these end-of-course exams will count as 15 percent of a student’s grade in each core course so they will directly
impact grades in a way that TAKS tests did not. This, of course,
has implications for overall grades, earning credits, promotion
and retention, and college/university acceptance.
I encourage parents and guardians to learn as much as
they can about the state’s assessment and accountability processes and how they may impact your student.
For more information about the STAAR program, visit
the Texas Education Agency Student Assessment website at
www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar.
In Goose Creek CISD, we offer a variety of programs that
give students the skills needed to be successful throughout the
year and on state exams. We will continue to keep our expectations high and work within our budget to continue to enhance
the quality of education in our schools.u
Honor Society students wrap gifts for those in need
The National Junior Honor Society from Gentry Junior School
and Highlands Junior School wrapped 2,000 Christmas gifts this
week that will be given to needy Goose Creek CISD students
and their siblings. From left are McKinley Gibson , Kim Baker,
Kristen Moreno, Janely Toledo, Jovonne Ledet, Miranda Garcia,
Zack Razo, Juliana Mason, and Sebastian Aquilera.
The National Junior Honor Society from Gentry Junior
School and Highlands Junior School, under the direction of
Kim Baker and Juliana Mason, wrapped approximately 2,000
Christmas gifts this week that will be given to needy Goose
Creek CISD students and their siblings at the New Journey
Church “Adopt A Family” toy give-a-way. Pastor Mike Breaux,
along with church member Jenni Foxworth, worked with the
counselors and family involvement coordinators of 13 of the
district’s elementary schools. New Journey Church is planning
to hand out gifts to more than 400 students and their siblings,
ages 0 to 12, on Sunday, Dec. 18. u
Be Safe – Take Care With Ice!
You don’t have to live in a wintery climate to
encounter icy roads and hazardous roadways. In
temperatures at or just above 32-degrees, a thin
layer of water can turn to or cover ice, causing extremely dangerous, slippery driving conditions.
1. KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
Not all cars respond the same to icy, slippery
roads. For that reason, knowing how to handle
your vehicle and how it responds in various weather conditions is important. AAA recommends that
motorists practice slow-speed maneuvers on an
empty snow or ice covered parking lot. You should
also page through your owner’s manual, familiarizing yourself with your vehicle’s braking system
and tire traction.
2. DISTANCE FACTOR
The most important thing to remember when
driving on slick roads is that you must travel, steer
and brake more slowly than usual. The distance
needed to stop on ice is twice as long as that you
would need to brake under normal driving circumstances. This means you should keep at least a
three car distance from the vehicle directly in front
of you.
3. BLACK ICE
Black ice is defined as ice that remains on
roadways that are not subjected to direct sunlight.
Black ice commonly forms on roads that wind
around lakes and rivers, in tunnels, on overpasses
and in highly shaded, rural areas. Black ice is almost invisible to the naked eye. Be especially leery
when driving your car into shaded areas, and slow
your vehicle down during your approach.
4. SOME AREAS SLIPPERY
Certain areas of roadways, because of location or lack of direct sunlight, are almost always
more hazardous than others. Use extra caution
when driving on bridges, overpasses and tunnels.
5. Front Wheel Drive
Front wheel drive vehicles handle better than
rear wheel drive on slippery roads because the
weight of the engine is on the drive wheels, which
helps to improve your traction.
6. REAR WHEEL DRIVE
Because there is virtually no weight on the
rear wheels of your car, vehicles that operate by
using rear wheel drive tend to slide from side to
side during turns on icy roads. Cars and light duty
truck owners can place bags of sand or kitty litter
in the bed of the truck or trunk to help balance the
weight, and distribute it equally.
7. KNOW YOUR BRAKES
Your owner’s manual will provide information about your braking system. Not all braking systems are the same. Find out which type of
brakes your vehicle uses and then, follow the safety
steps below.
Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) offer significant advantages on slick roads, if used correctly.
To operate ABS effectively, motorists should apply
steady pressure to the brake pedal during the entire stop. ABS will automatically pump the brakes,
if necessary, to keep the wheels from locking.
Never manually pump ABS brakes yourself. Apply
only steady pressure continuously until you come
to a complete stop.
If you don’t have ABS, you should gently apply pumping pressure to your brakes during slippery conditions. Do not apply steady pressure to
your brakes. Standing on your brakes will only
cause wheel lock, and may result in your car spinning out of control.
8. HANDLING SKIDS
FRONT WHEEL DRIVE: The biggest problem facing most winter drivers is skidding on slick,
icy or snow covered roads. It is possible to steer
out of a skid! Once you feel your car begin to skid,
slowly remove your foot from the accelerator, until
you feel your wheels regain traction control. (Do
not attempt to brake!) As your vehicle’s tires grab
the road, slowly turn the steering wheel in the direction you want your front wheels to go.
REAR WHEEL DRIVE: When you begin to
spin, remove your foot from the gas pedal. Slowly
steer in the direction you want the car to go. If you
are still skidding out of control, counter-steer until your vehicle is pointing in the right direction.
Never apply steady pressure to the brakes.
9. MORE TIPS
You can improve your VISIBILITY by clearing all snow and ice from your vehicle. Be sure to
remove ice and snow from hood, roof, trunk, turn
signal lights, tail and headlights, windows, mirrors
and fenders.
Use your LOW BEAMS when driving in an
ice or snow storm. You’ll have better visibility.
Allow for greater STOPPING DISTANCE
during snow and ice storms. In order to bring your
car to a safe stop, you must allow 8-10 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you.
Remember that POSTED SPEED LIMITS are
only to be followed during ideal weather conditions. Slow down while driving on snow or ice.
When driving UPHILL on ice, pick a path
that will allow the most traction. Monitor vehicles
in front of you and steer clear of areas where they
spin wheels or slide backward. Unpacked snow
will give most vehicles sufficient uphill traction.
To maintain control on CURVES and
TURNS, reduce speed just before the turn. Any
sudden acceleration or deceleration during a turn
will send you into a skid.
NEVER brake while driving on ice. If you are
approaching a patch of ice, brake during your approach. Applying pressure to your brakes while on
ice will only throw you into a skid.
Maintain your TIRES. Tires that are in proper working condition and are adequately inflated
provide better traction.
Travel GENTLY. Everything you do on icy
roads will affect how your vehicle handles the
situation. Move slowly. Turn slowly. Brake slowly.
Sudden changes can cause your car to spin out of
control.
10. EMERGENCY WEATHER KIT
Having a well stocked emergency kit in your
car can help to save your life and make you more
comfortable during breakdowns, accidents and
long waits. Your kit should include:
• Battery jumper cables
• First aid kit
• Shovel
• Basic tools (pliers, wrench, screwdriver
and knife)
• Blankets
• Extra clothing (hats, socks, boots, mittens)
• Flashlight
• Bag of sand
• Cellular phone or CB Radio u
Boilermaker
Tailgate Chili
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions
Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into
the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned.
Drain off excess grease.
Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced
tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion,
celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season
with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic,
oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt,
pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to
blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for
at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper,
and chili powder if necessary. The longer the
chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove
from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve
the next day.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn
chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.
The City of Baytown
Keep Baytown Beautiful Youth Art Competition
Underway
Calling all area youth artists. Here is your
hand-drawn on plain white 8 ½” x 11” paper.
February 17. Late entries cannot be consid-
opportunity to see your own creative design
No digital, chalk, charcoal, or photography
ered.
on a T-shirt. The 3nd Annual TrashOff T-
artwork will be accepted. Accepted media is
Artwork becomes property of the City of
shirt Art Competition is under way, but the
crayon, pen, pencil, markers, and paint. Be-
Baytown and may be used at the City’s discre-
deadline of February 17 will be here sooner
cause the artwork will be reproduced on a T-
tion in future promotional campaigns. Win-
than you know! The City of Baytown Health
shirt, posters must be limited to 5 standard
ning artists will be required to provide the
Department and Keep Baytown Beautiful are
colors: black, red, blue, yellow, and green.
City with a parental/guardian release allow-
hosting the competition to determine what
Artwork may be mailed, but hand-deliv-
ing the child’s artwork and name to be used
artwork will be featured on the TrashOff 2012
ery at one of these City facilities is preferred
with their artwork in promotion of the event.
official T-shirt. Baytown youth from kinder-
(to safeguard the artwork): City Hall at 2401
Only 1 submittal per person will be accepted.
garten through the 12th grade can submit
Market Street; Health Department at 220
All submissions must include (written on the
their original drawing on this year’s theme:
West Defee; or Sterling Municipal Library at
back) the artist’s name, grade level, address,
“Keep Baytown Beautiful.”
1 Mary Elizabeth Wilbanks Avenue. All art-
parent’s name, and contact phone number.
All artwork must be completely original,
work must be received no later than 4 pm on
For more information, call the Baytown
Health Department at 281-420-5384.u
Please join the new
“Lake Houston
Sports & Recreation
Committee”
The committee is being formed from
members of the community who are
interested in the improvement of Lake
Houston. The goal of this committee is
to increase public awareness by hosting several events on the lake with the
proceeds benefiting the fishery, habitat
and various other Lake Houston
projects.
For starters, Lake Houston has not
had an active stocking program in over
10 years and is in need of a regular
program to introduce new fish into the
lake. We have already contacted and
will be working with Texas Parks and
Wildlife about a stocking program and
have plans for a family fishing tournament in the spring of 2012. For the
spring event the main focus will be to
promote the new committee and Lake
Houston, and the tournament will be
for “pros” or the “family”. For the
family, no boat is needed, we will have
fishing stations located in Kingwood,
Atascocita and around the lake.
We believe that “the better the lake is,
the more prosperous the community”.
Anyone who has event ideas or interested in joining the committee should
call David Otis 713-410-1691 or Tom
Cook 281-812-4775.
Business Line Ad
Only $125!
penses in retirement? As a rule of thumb,
most people need somewhere between 75%
and 85% of their pre-retirement income in
order to maintain their current standard of
living in retirement. By taking your annual
household income and multiplying it by
these percentages you can get an estimate
for your basic living expenses. Once you are
within five years of retirement you should
By: Gary Clemmons
10 Questions to Determine Your Retirement
Readiness
Article 2 of 3
This month is the second of a series of
come from all Sources = Income Needed
three of 10 Questions to Determine Your Re-
from Savings and Investments. Some in-
tirement Readiness.
come sources may be limited to a certain
4) What are your income sources in re-
number of years during retirement. For ex-
tirement? Any income you receive from pen-
ample, you may retire at age 59 but won’t
sions, social security, part-time work, or a
start receiving income from Social Security
business can significantly reduce the amount
until 62. Therefore, you will have to plan for
of income needed from savings. As a result
three years worth of income that will not
it is important to account for this in order
come from Social Security during this ini-
to determine your retirement savings need.
tial phase of retirement.
The Formula is: Total Income Needed - In-
5) What will be your basic annual ex-
move from the rule of thumb method to
the budget line item method. This method
takes a normal annual budget statement
and creates an additional “In Retirement”
column. You then take your current expense items on each line and estimate what
they will be in retirement. For example,
your current $1,600 mortgage payment
may be reduced to a $250 monthly property tax and insurance provision when the
mortgage is paid off.
6) Is your spending under control? If
you are having trouble saving for retirement or are finding yourself with a monthly
balance on your credit cards you may have
bigger fish to fry before considering retirement. Nobody should go into retirement
if they are living paycheck to paycheck or
are weighed down with huge amounts of
debt. It is like trying to swim upstream with
weights strapped to your ankles. As you get
older this becomes harder to do! If you find
yourself in this boat I would recommend
seeking the services of a financial professional to get your spending under control
and your debt eliminated. Once you are out
of these treacherous waters, then you can
begin sailing into the sunset of a secure retirement.
7) Have you taken health care into consideration? Health care is likely to be your
biggest expenditure in retirement. Will you
have an employer-sponsored health care
plan available and if so what will it cost? If
not, what will it cost to get your own plan?
What does your current health look like?
It is important to note that all we are talking about at this point is health insurance
premiums. You will also need to budget for
out of pocket expenses such as deductibles, co-pays, and items not covered by
insurance. Don’t forget long-term care as
well. The average annual cost for a nursing home is over $60,000 and with an average stay of over two years this can put a
big dent in any retirement nest egg. It is
important to assess the impact long-term
care will have on your nest egg to determine whether long-term care insurance
is needed. If it is, you will need to budget
the premiums into your retirement plan.
Health care and long-term care analysis
and planning are critical to a healthy and
secure retirement.
Be sure to read next month’s continuation of 10 Questions to Determine Your
Retirement Readiness.
Texas Capital Management – Serving the Bay Area for 30 Years 407-C West
Baker Road, Baytown TX 77521 (281)
427-8000 www.txcm.com
S.E.C. Reg-
istered Investment Advisor Investment
advice through Texas Capital Management Securities offered through Ceros
Financial Services Inc. Member FINRA/
SIPC. (not affiliated with Texas Capital
Management.u
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Hank!
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B
Boat Road Marking Planned for
Lake Conroe
One of the obvious issues with the
drought on Lake Conroe is safe navigation of the reservoir with through a myriad of obstacles exposed by the low water.
In particular the tops of tall submersed
trees scattered in what is usually open
water can prove hazardous. Currently it’s
easier to find your way in the river channel in the upper end of the reservoir since
the edges of the river channel are generally defined by the timber on the old
river banks, but when the water goes up
a few feet finding the clear channel will
be much more difficult. With these issues
in mind the Lake Conroe Association
(LCA) initiated a project led by Ben Richardson (Palms Marina) and Mike Bleier
(LCA President) to cut the tops of the tall
timber that is now surfacing in deep water to about 8 feet below the current water
level. Standing timber provides excellent
fish habitat so to reduce any impact trimming these trees may cause the large cut
logs will be allowed to sink next to the
submersed portions of the trees. This will
create more complex habitat for largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and other
cover loving species. The initial project
funding from the LCA was about $40,000
including a substantial donation from
Ben Richardson’s family. The plan is for
Texas Parks and Wildlife to match that
$40,000 up to 3 to 1 with boating access
funds that are part of the Federal Sport
Fish Restoration and Boating Access Program giving the project a total budget of
up to $160,000! With this funding the
San Jacinto River Authority plans to contract to not only trim the scattered tree
tops but to mark and enhance boat roads
through standing timber in the backs of
Caney Creek and Little Lake Creek and
in the upper portion of the reservoir to
above the FM 1375 bridge. The boat
roads will probably be marked with either buoys in deeper water or signs on
large wooden posts driven into the lake
bottom in more shallow water. The project should be completed sometime this
spring.
If you have questions you can contact
us at mark.webb@tpwd.state.tx.us or earl.
chilton@tpwd.state.tx.us or by calling
(979) 272-1430 or (512) 389-4652.u
By: Weston Cotten
HO HO HO MERRY CHRISTMAS , says the Grinch
Texas has increased its minimum coverage
amount required by the state’s financial responsibility law to $30,000 for each injured person, up
to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for
property damage. This means approximately a
3% increase in insurance costs if the total cost is
factored into your policy.
Too high you say? Well, the cost of failure
to comply with this law may be even higher and
deprive you of the use of your car in the process.
If you fail to follow Texas insurance regulations, there are penalties: Driving uninsured will
result with a fine of at least $175. If you are fined
again, the fees can increase exponentially, and
you could lose your driver’s license and vehicle if
you commit a third offense. Texas also has a cat-
egory called “surchargeable violations” that can
result in payment of penalties for consecutive
years - it means a single offense could stay with
you and your driving record for several years.
There are very few exceptions, if any, to
Texas insurance laws. If you have a vehicle, you
must insure it. This includes a classic car that’s
never driven and a car for someone who’s overseas for years. Even non-working vehicles must
be insured. In Texas, all road going cars must be
insured constantly. This applies to non-working
vehicles as well.
Let’s put a pencil to the whole “it’s cheaper to
drive without insurance” thing. All vehicles must be insured in Texas. The
penalties for driving uninsured are substantial,
starting with a fine between $175 and $350 for a
first-time offense. Not a quick learner? The fines
skyrocket on the second and third offenses, and
that third offense can result in the suspension of
your driver’s license and the impoundment of
your vehicle.
It can also kick in a nasty little citation labeled “failure to maintain financial responsibility.” This offense is in the category of “surchargeable violations.”
A surchargeable violation means that you
may pay the fine for the ticket - and then pay an
additional penalty each year for up to three years.
This penalty applies even if you maintain your
insurance perfectly from that point on. For more
information on this interesting twist in Texas law,
read about the Texas point system. - “surchargeable violations” that can result in payment of
penalties for consecutive years - it means a single
offense could stay with you and your driving record for several years.
The Driver Responsibility Program is governed by Texas Transportation Code, Chapter
708, which established a system to assess surcharges based on certain traffic offenses that have
occurred on or after September 1, 2003.
A surcharge is an administrative fee charged
to a driver based on the convictions reported to
the driving record. There are two criteria that determine if a surcharge will be assessed. Those two
criteria are: Point System and Conviction Based
surcharges.
Surcharges are in addition to all other reinstatement fees required for other administrative actions and do not replace any administrative suspension, revocation, disqualification or
cancellation action that results from these same
convictions.
Point System
Points are assessed to moving traffic violation convictions. Once the conviction has been
added to the driver record, points will be assigned and will remain on the driver record for
a period of three (3) years. Points are assigned
as follows:
Two (2) points for a Texas or out-of-state
moving violation conviction. Moving violations
are defined by 37 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §15.89.
Three (3) points for a Texas or out-of-state
moving violation conviction that resulted in a
crash.
A surcharge will be assessed when the driver
accumulates a total of six (6) points or more on
the driver record. The driver is required to pay a
$100 surcharge for the first six (6) points and $25
for each additional point. The driver record will
be reviewed annually and if it continues to reflect
six (6) or more points, the surcharge will be assessed. Drivers may be required to pay for one
or more years. Point surcharges may vary with
each annual assessment if convictions are added
or removed from the driver record.
Conviction Based
Drivers who receive a conviction for one of
the offenses below will pay an annual surcharge
for a period of three (3) years from the date of
conviction. No points are assessed for these offenses because the surcharge is automatic upon
conviction.
Type of Conviction
Surcharge
Per year for 3 years
1st Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Offense
Texas or out-of state conviction $1,000
Subsequent DWI
Texas or out-of state conviction
$1,500
DWI with blood alcohol concentration of
0.16 or more
Texas or out-of state conviction
$2,000
No Insurance
$250
Driving While License Invalid
For example: license is canceled, suspended,
or revoked
$250
No Driver License
For example: no driver license, expired license, no commercial driver license, or endorsement violations
$100
By the time you have paid the fine, possible
towing fees, impound fees and the surcharge for
three (3) years, it is cheaper to buy insurance BEFORE you get the ticket. Afterward, the cost of
insurance goes up and you may have to get placed
in a high risk (translate high cost) pool. If the
car is impounded you will have to provide proof
if insurance anyway before you can move it off
the lot.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas. The
Christmas season has evolved over the years into
a mixed celebration. I hope my practicing Christian friends will take this time to celebrate the
reason this season was adopted. To those who do
not practice Christian religion(s), enjoy the season for its time of cheer and fellowship.
May your New Year be better than the last
and may you always have a glass that is half full.
THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATION
ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON
AS LEGAL ADVICE. This does not constitute the
establishment of an attorney client relationship
between you and this lawyer. Most information
is of a very general nature and cannot attempt to
cover all fact situations. Nothing contained in
this article should be construed to constitute a
recommendation of any product, service, or web
site.
Weston Cotten is admitted to practice in all
Texas Courts, all Federal District Courts in Texas, and the U. S. Tax Court, though not certified
as to any legal specialization. He is a member of
the College of the State Bar of Texas.
Please visit his website at www.westoncotten.com, or call at 281-421-5774. Principal (and
only) office is located at 5223 Garth Road, Baytown, 77521.u
Homemade
Mince Pie with
Crumbly Topping
Ingredients
1/2 cup cold butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups raisins
5 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped grapefruit peel
without white layer
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup apple cider
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 graham cracker, crushed
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 graham cracker, crushed
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of cold butter
with 1 1/2 cups flour and the salt with a fork
until the mixture is very crumbly. Mix in water,
a tablespoon at a time, just until the mixture
holds together. Mix again with a fork, then turn
out onto a floured pastry cloth. Pat the dough
out into a round piece, and roll out into a 10inch circle. Invert a 9-inch pie dish onto the
dough. Flip the dough over, and peel from the
pastry cloth; adjust the crust into the plate if
necessary. Fold the dough over the edge of the
pie dish. Set the crust aside.
Combine the raisins, apples, grapefruit peel,
orange juice, and apple cider in a saucepan,
and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple
pieces are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in 3/4
cup of sugar, the cinnamon, cloves, and half a
crushed graham cracker, and mix well.
Mix together 1/3 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of flour,
6 tablespoons of butter, and half a crushed
graham cracker in a bowl, stirring until the
mixture looks like fine crumbs. Pour the mince
filling into the prepared pie crust, and sprinkle
evenly with the streusel topping.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, and
reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175
degrees C); bake until the topping is lightly
browned, about 30 more minutes. Allow to
cool before serving.
By: John Shrader
Septic Maintenance and Security
There once was an opinion of the establishment of folks that study such things that septic
systems were considered a temporary solution to
the challenge of sewage treatment and the diseases that improper treatment can promote. It can
be said that proper treatment of sewage is one of
the most productive things that man has thought
of, preventing contraction of diseases that were
very common in man such as cholera. For an
example of cholera’s potential harm, research the
aftermath of the plight of the Haitians after last
year’s earthquake. Not only did the above-ground
structures collapse, but all means of collecting,
removing and treating the waste was destroyed.
The result is that the inhabitants of the country
still produced the waste and had no where to
send it. It pooled up, people were exposed to the
micro-organisms associated with wastewater and
cholera has run rampant in their society since.
It is getting better now, but the effects have been
monumental.
Well, time changes things and opinions. The
EPA now states that septic systems are a viable,
long term solution to sewage treatment, particularly in areas that cannot be reached by the big
pipe. It can be argued that septic systems can be
a better solution than the big pipe. Let’s visit that
argument another time.
The most recent counts of known septic
systems in Texas tops at 250,000 units statewide.
There are many technologies available of how
these work. There is the original standard system
that most of us have some conceptual knowledge
of, where sewage is collected and separated in a
tank or tanks, then the wastewater is distributed
by gravity into perforated pipes into the soil in
trenches. Other means of treatment include sand
filters, rotating biologic contact filters, artificial
wetlands, and aerobic treatment systems (ATU).
The most common newer technology is the ATU.
There is some fluctuation in the numbers of
these systems being installed each year that is influenced by economic variables. For instance, in
2005 there were more than 40,000
ATUs installed. America has had a few years
since that were tough economically. In 2008 the
number of new permits issued was down below
25,000. The ATU and other alternative technologies are used in areas where the soil characteristics are not conducive to proper operation
of the standard system. Standard systems work
well where soil conditions promote dispersal of
the wastewater through the soil. Where the soils
conditions do not promote the dispersal well, the
result is emergence of the waste into the environment, exposing humans and animals to the disease
causing organisms. If you were to roughly draw
a line through Texas along I-35, you could essentially divide the state into two areas. West of this
line, many standard technology systems are still
installed. East of this line, most systems are ATUs.
Either way, that is a lot of On Site Sewage Facilities. You can imagine that if you have one of
these systems, it needs to work properly. In 1981,
Texas wrote its first state-wide regulations to address issues related to septic systems. It included
maintenance requirements. Since that time, many
changes to the rules have come along, some of
which softened the requirements of vigilant
maintenance. This relaxation of the rules presents some concerns of disease promotion. IF you
own one of these systems, please be a responsible
owner. Many citizens now are allowed to “maintain” their own system. If you are required or
need a professional to help you, please contact a
provider that you trust. Environmental Health
Specialties is here for that very purpose.
One of the new rules coming our way is in
the form now of HB240. It is being considered
now, with an effective date of September 1, 2012.
It will address security of the systems from unauthorized entry. We still have to see what the
requirements will be, but there will be some new
requirements added to all systems. The reason for
the new obligation is simple - people have died
IN them. In 2009, there were three deaths caused
by someone entering the system that did not get
back out. Too often, that person is a child. Nasty
thought isn’t it.
May 2012 be a happy and HEALTHY one.
Every thing we do at Environmental Health
Specialties is directed to prevent disease and protect our environment. We perform pest management services, teach food safety and perform
all services related to on-site sewage treatment
(septic systems). What can we at Environmental
Health Specialties do to help you? In some way or
another, our work serves you. We look forward
to that day.
Please see our ad on page 21.
To reach Environmental Health Specialties
please call 281 428 2648.u
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Fairbanks gained its renown as a Gold
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Your Cruisetour may include a Fairbanks
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Like a giant
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tional Park, Alaska
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Alaska Cruisetour highlights include:
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• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
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d
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F
y
M
Lily!
By: Kelley Savage
Pump Some Iron in 2012
Maybe you have decided to change up
your exercise routine for 2012, and I want
to make sure that your routine still involves
resistance training. Perhaps some of you
are like me, and enjoy the high that running
gives and dread picking up those weights.
However, though cardio is important, there
are far too many benefits of weight-lifting
to just leave it out of your exercise regimen.
Men naturally tend to gravitate towards the
weights; while some woman can be more
apprehensive when it comes to lifting. So, I
have listed 5 reasons below why, if you are a
female, you should be pumping some iron.
1. BODY FAT WILL DECREASE. As
your lean muscle mass increases, so does your
resting metabolism, allowing you to burn
more calories throughout the day. For each
pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50
more calories each day.
2. YOU WILL GAIN STRENGTH
WITHOUT THE BULK. Compared to men,
women have 10 to 30 times less the amount
of hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy.
So instead of gaining bulk, women will gain
definition and muscle tone.
3. YOUR RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS DECREASES. Research has found that
weight training can increase spinal bone density by 13% in six months!
4. YOU WILL REDUCE YOUR RISK
OF INJURY, BACK PAIN, AND ARTHRITIS. Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but it also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability.
Connective tissue acts as reinforcement for
the joints and helps prevent injury.
Also, a recent 12-year study showed that
strengthening the low-back muscles had an
80% success rate in eliminating or alleviating
low-back pain. Other studies have indicated
that weight training can even ease the pain of
osteoarthritis.
5. YOU WILL REDUCE YOUR RISK
OF HEART DISEASE AND DIABETES.
Weight training can improve cardiovascular
health by lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol,
increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and
lowering blood pressure. Furthermore, research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23%
in four months!
I hope I have you convinced to lifting
weights in 2012, and as you stay committed
to your workout, you will not only lose fat but
also gain some huge benefits! Have a fit and
fabulous year!u
Buster
windows is by using a removable caulking
product which allows for easy removal and
restoration of functionality for windows with
the return of warmer weather in the spring.
Evaluate smoke detectors and related
safety equipment – the ending of daylight
savings time is an ideal time to replace batteries in smoke detectors and any other batterypowered safety or emergency equipment. It is
Preparing for Winter Part 1 of 2
also a good time to evaluate existing smoke
detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and
As winter approaches, preparations
Woodpiles should be located in a dry loca-
should be considered both inside and out-
tion and in an area away from structures to
side your home to protect your investment,
prevent granting wood-eating insects, such as
maintain your safety, and provide comfort
termites, easy access to your home.
throughout the colder winter months.
Inspect windows and door for leaks – re-
Indoor Preparations
placing cracked windows, or sealing air leaks
The most obvious items to address as
around doors and windows will not only
the winter months approach center largely
make the winter months more comfortable,
around ensuring that your home remains
but will also lower the costs of heating your
warm. Regardless of your heat source there
home. One method of sealing leaks around
fire extinguishers in terms of lifespan and
whether they provide an adequate level of
coverage. Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are generally considered to have a
lifespan of 10 years, whereas carbon monoxide detectors have a lifespan generally ranging from 2 to 5 years. Beware that batteries
in the carbon monoxide detectors may still
function after the actual carbon monoxide
sensor has ceased being operational.u
are preventative measures that should be taken to ensure that you remain warm and safe
inside your home. Some of the most important areas to assess include:
Furnaces – regular annual furnace inspections will help keep your furnace in good
repair. Cleaning or replacing furnace filters
monthly during the operating months will
also keep your furnace operating efficiently.
Oil Heaters – like furnaces, oil heaters
require annual inspections and maintenance.
Annual inspections should include: inspecting the chimney, cleaning the pipes to remove
soot build up, replacing the air filter, checking
oil pressure and cleaning the oil filter bowl.
Oil supplies will need to be replenished.
Fireplaces – periodic cleanings should
be performed by a chimney sweep to remove
soot and creosote buildup to prevent chimney fires. It is also a good time to ensure that
woodpiles are sufficiently stocked for the
winter months with well-seasoned wood.
Working through various channels and contacts, I was able to directly reach the Coast
Guard dispatch. I was able to give the Coast
Guard the GPS coordinates, and the Coast
Guard sent two helicopters stationed out of
Alabama. I was determined to get my Mammaw and PawPaw OUT of harm’s way. The
media relayed the message that there was
an evacuation site on High Island and the
By: Kimberli Smith
Memories Printed and Framed
On September 11, 2008 during the 10
diately to tell them what I had learned. My
o’clock news, I called my grandmother who
grandmother assured me that everything was
lives in High Island. They were very much
fine and they were preparing to leave in the
aware of the warnings for the evacuations
next few minutes. Fifteen minutes later my
and were not ignoring them. However, being
heart froze when my Mammaw called to tell
in their late 70s they felt it would be wiser to
me the road was under water and there was
have a solid night of sleep before leaving their
no way out. They would just have to ‘ride it
life long home for possibly the last time.
out’. I didn’t accept this as a final outcome.
Let’s rewind about fifty years. My grand-
From the experience of my husband
parents suffered the total loss of their home
being a Marine, I knew who to contact at
with a house fire. Everything was lost - the
military bases when push comes to shove.
home, the furnishings, and all their clothing.
All that remained after that fire was what my
grandmother could grab - her pictures. Needless to say, when they were preparing to leave
their home for Hurricane Ike, the memories
flooded back. The emotions were strong.
Would they once again lose everything they
had worked hard to rebuild over these past
fifty years?
They assured me that their car was
loaded with the essentials - clothing, medications and for their only granddaughter, the
photographer, their portraits. My Mammaw
knew those memories would never be able to
be replaced. Even though they were headed
inland to stay with family, it was still an effort
to pack and wonder how long they would be
homeless. Would they get to return home in
a few days or would they once again have to
completely start over?
After a restless night, I watched the 6 AM
news to find out that the road just before the
High Island bridge was already under water.
In a panic, I called my grandparents imme30 Dock Line Magazine - Baytown & Mont Belvieu Area Edition January 2012
people responded. The helicopters landed at
High Island High School and approximately
fifteen people and two dogs were rescued.
Because space was minimal, what passengers
could bring was limited. My grandmother’s
only luggage was her memories printed and
framed.
So starting a New Year, if you had to
start over, do not underestimate the value of
pictures. They are your memories and only
a small glimpse of your life. These portrait
memories are time frozen in place, sweetness
relived, breaths retaken, and moments that
you will never get back. u
A LOOK BACK
In October, I celebrated my 39th anniversary of service to the Baytown
Chamber of Commerce. Much has changed over those many years. My first position was
at the front desk of the Chamber, and I then moved to the Membership Director’s position. Leaving
the Chamber after seven years for a very short time (less than six months) to go back into banking, I
quickly realized that I truly love this business and wanted to make it my career. Since that time, I have enjoyed
many opportunities in conjunction with my position at the Baytown Chamber. I served for many years on the board
of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives and served as their President. I attended the six year program in the U.S.
Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management, attended 8 years of post graduate study, taught several courses in that program
and served as the Chairman of the Board of Regents at the SMU Institute. All of these opportunities allowed me to meet people all over
the United States in the Chamber profession and what a great group of people they are.
Chamber of Commerce works allows those of us in the business to work with the citizens and community leaders in our respective
communities. Over the past 39 years, I have worked with approximately 36 Board Chairs and each of them developed into true friends (many
of them no longer in Baytown but each of them left his/her mark on the community). During the year or more that I work with a Board Chair,
we spend a great deal of time together and much of that time is spent discussing, problem solving, negotiating and sometimes laughing at how
serious we are. These individuals and all of those who have served and are serving on the Chamber Board are what make this job worthwhile.
Much has changed in the last 39 years, but it is my belief that I am a much better person for having worked with the caliber of people who have
served and are serving on the Board and on Committees of the Baytown Chamber. These individuals give of their valuable time and often dollars
to ensure programs that make our community better.
Chamber of Commerce managers go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning with one question on their mind, “Are we making a
difference?” This organization has done so much to advance our community over the years. We were the first group to fill two buses to travel
to Austin to lobby for the Fred Hartman Bridge – this project solved much of our transportation problems. Even though many thought that the
bridge would move people out of Baytown and make it easier to go elsewhere to shop, we have proven that to be wrong. This organization also
spent many hours training leadership in the area of economic development in a time when many thought that we didn’t need that effort. From
that training process, we worked to form the Baytown/West Chambers County Economic Development Foundation and look what has happened
from that effort. All you need to do is drive out Highway 99 and turn right on 1405 to see the number of businesses that have been brought to
our community. The Baytown Chamber formed the Crime Stoppers program, the Partners in Education program, the Baytown Business EXPO,
and so many other programs.
On a day to day basis, the Baytown Chamber has involvement in issues that address education,
transportation, economic development, recreation, governmental affairs, small business assistance, marketing
business, networking opportunities, and the list goes on.
We invite you to join us in our efforts in the coming year. It proves to be another successful year for
our community and for our Chamber.
Tracey S. Wheeler, IOM
President & CEO

Do You Need a Yearly Eye Exam?

Transcription

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