Last week, you could find many of the Bay Area Houston region’s top community leaders enjoying the fresh taste of grilled cheese-burgers and cold cherry colas at the newly-restored Tookie’s res-taurant in Seabrook. The lunch served as a celebration of disaster recovery, economic development and business confidence. “Three years ago, hurricane Ike damaged 76% of our city’s homes and destroyed eleven businesses,” stated Ernie Davis, President of the Seabrook Eco-nomic Development Corpora-tion. “However, with a partner-ship between a quality proprietor and city personnel, our organiza-tion was able to help a treasured dining establishment re-open its doors to area citizens.” “I remember many great times at Tookie’s when I was a child,” said Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX). “Coming here was the highlight of the day after our lit-tle league baseball games.” Orig-inally opened in 1975, Tookie’s sustained more than three feet of water during the hurricane in 2008. Restaurateur, Barry Ter-rell, rebuilt the infamous eatery and began operating again this August. Leading the celebration was Seabrook Mayor, Glenn Royal, who presented a formal proclama-tion to Terrell. “Today, I declare September 29 as Tookie’s Day,” stated Royal. A self-proclaimed cheerleader for the region, the mayor is excited to see the en-tire Clear Lake area bounce back from the storm and withstand the more recent tough economic times. “What is good for one city is good for the whole area,” said Royal. “We must work together to develop and grow the vitality of our entire community.” Also in attendance at the gath-ering were State Senator Mike Jackson; Galveston County Com-missioner Ken Clark; leaders

from the Houston Port Authority, Bay Tran, the Economic Alliance and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership; and Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman. “Those of us in Precinct Two look forward to helping this re-gion thrive,” said Morman. Patrons can visit Tookie’s at its original spot, located at 1202 Bayport Blvd. The City of Sea-brook and the Seabrook EDC are also working on many other de-velopment projects, including the revitalization of The Point, a wa-terfront district primed for fresh seafood markets, restaurants and businesses.

By The BaySenior Dance Norman L. Malone Senior Center La PorteOctober 6, 7:00-10:00 PM

The Senior Dance is Thursday, Oc-tober 6, 7:00-10:00 PM at Norman L. Malone Senior Center, 1322 So. Broadway, La Porte. Doors open at 6:15 PM. Admission is $7.00/ person. Door prizes and refresh-ments included. The October band is Country Now and Then.

AARP Chapter 13La Porte Community ChurchOctober 10 • 10:30 a.m.

AARP Chapter 1973 (La Porte) meets Monday, October 10, 10:30 AM, at La Porte Community Church, First and “A” Streets. A potluck luncheon follows the meet-ing. The October program is a sur-prise presentation. It will be a lot of fun. Guests 50 + are welcome.

PUMPKIN PATCH Oct. 1 - Oct. 31First United Methodist Church in La Porte9601 W. Fairmont Pkwy281-478-4673Mon - Fri 10-6Sat - 8:30-6:00Sun - 12:00-6:00

LPHS Class of 1971 ReunionSat. October 8thCall Don Davison for information 409-944-1311

Fall FestivalCreekmont Baptist ChurchLa PorteOctober 31, 20116:00 pm - 8:00 pmDon’t go knocking on doors..Come join us for our “Fall Festival” Octo-ber 31, 2011 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Games, door prizes, candy, and lots of fun. Creekmont Baptist Church, 401 Myrtle Creek Drive, La Porte, Texas 77571. 281-470-1176, Pastor: Danny Mendoza, 281-476-0058. Contact Diana Poole

Free Internet Basics II Class At Evelyn Meador LibraryThe Evelyn Meador Library, a Harris County Public Library, will offer a free Internet Basics II class on Mon-day, October 10 from 1:30 pm until 3:30 pm. Learn how to use Internet Explorer, Google search, favorites bar and other features. This is a two-day class. Students must attend Part I in order to register for Part II. This class is limited to 12 people and requires registration. Please call or visit the library to register. The library’s phone number is 281-474-9142. Harris County Public Library will make reasonable accommoda-tion for persons with disabilities. To make a request, notify the Branch Librarian at 281-474-9142.

Free Microsoft Excel I Class At Evelyn Meador Library

The Evelyn Meador Library, a Har-ris County Public Library, will offer a free Microsoft Excel I class on Friday, October 14 from 1:30 pm until 3:30 pm. Come to learn how to use Microsoft Excel 2007. It is a spreadsheet application. This is a two-day class. Students must attend Part I in order to register for Part II. This class is limited to 12 people and requires registration. Please call or visit the library to register. The library’s phone number is 281-474-9142. Harris County Public Library will make reasonable accommoda-tion for persons with disabilities. To make a request, notify the Branch Librarian at 281-474-9142.

INDEXCommunity.......................2Editorial/Opinion..............3On The Water....................4Editorial/Opinion..............4LPISD Newsletter..........5-8Sports...............................9Classifieds..................,,..11In The Garden.................12Cuisine............................12

VOLUME 2, NO. 40 LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

The Bay Area ObserverCommunity News For The Galveston Bay Area

Area Leaders and Officials Celebrate Re-opening of Iconic Seabrook Restaurant

By Rebecca Collinseditor@bayareaobserver.com

SpringHill Suites by Marriott brought art and inspiration to the Seabrook and surrounding communities during “ArtNight” this past Thurs-day evening. The hotel was hosted an evening featuring original pieces including sculptures, paintings and drawings while providing a relax-ing space for artists and guests to network and appreciate great art. Sales Manager for SpringHill Suites-Sea-brook, Diana Burney, called the first time event for the hotel a success and said, “Even with the “much needed” rain that evening, we had over 100 people attend “ArtNight”. Indeed the crowds turned out to what proved to to be an elegant event with a wide variety of the Galveston Bay Area’s most talented artists. Burney said, “The participating artists Kim Christensen, Richard Coberly, Bob Fuller,

Andy Gonzalez, Kelly Halbach, Gay Paratore, James Phillips, Julie Ranna, Stela Stelly, Brian Sterling & Mark Westerman were all different in style and concept, and each one unique and truly amazing”. The Economic Alliance displayed six of their framed EPIC ART portraits; it was quite im-pressive (these are the historical pictures on the tank containers on Hwy 225 and Independence Parkway). Lakewood Yacht Club brought a fan-tastic framed photograph of Keels & Wheels and the Seabrook Association supplied two pel-icans from the “Pelican Path” (Elton-Seabrook Rotary Club & Cowboy-Bosone Automotive). Haute Flowers & Finds had an unbelievable 4’ floral arrangement and U of H Clear Lake brought a slide show regarding their upcoming Art Conference in April 2012. LaBella Cello (Della Grigsby) played beautifully throughout the evening with not only classical music, but

Springhill Marriott In Seabrook Hosts An Impressive “Art Night”

812 S. 8th St.La Porte, TX. 77571

281-471-1430

Continued on page 3

Diana Burney, Sales Manager For SpringHill Suites-Seabrook and Marcy Fryday of Lakewood Yacht Club.

Seabrook Economic Development Summit celebration includes (L to R) Port Commissioner Jimmy Burke, Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal, Congressman Pete Olson, Seabrook EDC President Ernie Davis, Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, and Tookie’s Owner Barry Terrell.

Congressman Pete Olsen and Council Member Kim Morrell

President of Seabrook EDC Ernie Davis and Council Member Laura Davis

In early November, NASA will seek applicants for its next class of astronaut candidates who will support long-duration missions to the International Space Station and future deep space explora-tion activities. “For scientists, engineers and other professionals who have al-ways dreamed of experiencing spaceflight, this is an exciting time to join the astronaut corps,” said Janet Kavandi, director of flight crew operations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. “This next class will support missions to the station and will arrive via transportation systems now in development. They also will have the opportunity to participate in NASA’s continuing exploration programs that will include missions beyond low Earth orbit.” The first U.S. astronauts were selected in 1959, before human spaceflight operations began. NASA asked the military services to provide a list of personnel who met specific qualifications. Af-ter stringent screening, NASA announced its selection of seven men, all pilots, as the first American astronauts. NASA has se-lected 20 more groups of astronauts since the “Original Seven.” NASA selects astronauts from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds. From the thousands of applica-tions received, only a few are chosen for the intensive Astronaut Candidate training program. Including the “Original Seven”, only 330 astronauts have been selected to date. A bachelor’s degree in engineering, science or math and three years of relevant professional experience are required in order to be considered. Typically, successful applicants have significant qualifications in engineering or science, or extensive experience flying high-performance jet-aircraft. After applicant interviews and evaluations, NASA expects to announce the final selections in 2013, and training to begin that August. Additional information about the Astronaut Candidate Program is available by calling the Astronaut Selection Office at 281-483-5907.

NASA To Seek Applicants For Next Astronaut

Candidate Class

PAGE 2 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

COMMUNITY

P.O. Box 305 • Seabrook, Texas 77586Phone: 281-907-3140 • Fax: 866-596-8973

Email: editor@bayareaobserver.com

Opinions in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the newspaper. Any erroneous statement which may appear will be corrected if brought to the attention of the publisher. Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Sub-missions are encouraged by mail, by fax, or by email to editor@bayareaobserver.com.

Editor & Publisher.................................................Rebecca Collinseditor@bayareaobserver.com

Associate Editor.....................................................Carolyn Collinscarolyn@bayareaobserver.com.

Contributing Writer......................................................Jay Dunhamdataz33@yahoo.com

Contributing Writer................................Stennie Stirling Meadoursstenmed@aol.comSports Writer.................................................................Keith Schullpbulldogblog@yahoo.com

Aerospace Writer.......................................................Robert Swainrswain91@yahoo.com

Sales Representative..........................................Beverly LawrenceLa Porte/Pasadena/Baytown • 281-793-7961 • blawrence506@msn.com

Sales Representative................................................Charlotte HornLa Porte/Pasadena/Baytown • 281-507-8257 • charlottehorn53@yahoo.com

Sales Representative.................................................Ann BrunkowSeabrook/Kemah/Bay Area • 832-434-3363 • abrunkow@bayareaobserver.com

The Bay Area ObserverServing the communities along Galveston Bay.

Visit us on the web at www.bayareaobserver.com

or join us on

FACEBOOK

Sally, a beautiful border collie mix, has been kenneled for Sec-ond Chance Pets for over a year. She is in need of a foster home with no children because she is very afraid of them. Otherwise she does very well with teenag-ers and adults. Please consider fostering her. Foster parents are urgently needed for Second Chance Pets, reports Jan Smith, dog coordina-tor for SCP. “Many dogs and cats are turned away every week because we

have no homes for them to stay in until they are adopted,” she said. “Truly, our greatest need is foster parents.” The responsibilities of SCP foster parents are to: provide food, cat litter, flea prevention, and socialization of animal. Foster parents are also asked to drop off animals at Petco (Bay Area Blvd. At Space Center) every Saturday at 11 a.m. and pick them up by 4 p.m. It’s helpful, but not necessary, to transport animals to vet appoint-ments for shots and spays or neutering. SCP pays for vet visits as long as authorization has been obtained from an SCP Board member prior to the visit. For more information on fostering contact SCP at 281-286-3535 or email petstoadopt@yahoo.com. “By fostering, you actually do save an animal’s life,” Smith said.

Second Chance Pets

Visit us on the web at www.bayareaobserver.com or join us on

FACEBOOK

Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman To Host Sylvan

Beach Pavilion DicussionWe challenge you to Get Involved!

Notice of Community Engagement MeetingSylvan Beach Pavilion Restoration Project

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman will host a Community Meeting and Conversation to discuss the proposed restoration of the Sylvan Beach Pavilion.

When: Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Time 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Where: La Porte High School-Student Center,

301 E. Fairmont Pkwy., La Porte, TX 77571 The historic Sylvan Beach Pavilion has been many things to many people since it opened in 1956. The Pavilion has hosted Beauty Pageants, Weddings, Retirements, Quinceaneras, Ball Room Dancing and Community Meetings just to name a few. By restoring the Pavilion, Harris County will give back to the community a rejuvenated structure that has earned a place in the hearts and memories of many citizens of La Porte. Kirksey Architecture will give a general review and assessment of existing conditions. Historical designation requirements will also be discussed. Your ideas are welcome, valued, and an important part of this exciting project. Bring your old photos showcasing memories with your family and friends at the Sylvan Beach Pavilion. Color photos that show original colors and finishes are especially de-sired. Staff will be onsite to scan and catalog photos for a fun addition to the project and your photos will be returned to you before you leave the meeting.For more information, please contact Stacy Giuseppetti by email at stacy.giuseppetti@hcpid.org or Gail Miller at gail.miller@pct2.hctx.net or by phone at 713-455-0062.

Houston We Have A Mission Parkinson’s Fund Raiser

The “Houston We Have a Mission, Parkinson’s Fundraiser” will be held on November 5th at the League City Civic Center. The evening will combine a serious purpose with enjoyment and fun. Former As-tronaut Michael “Rich” Clifford will headline the KiMe Fund’s first fundraiser in the Bay Area. Having flown three shuttle missions, Clifford’s current mission is helping to find a cure for Parkinson’s. A short address will include remarks by Steve Hodges, the KiMe Founder. Dinner will be catered by Tamara Vogt, owner of Grand Finale Catering and Mario’s Flying Pizza. Music for dancing will be provided by the popular PRP Entertainment Company. The evening will also include a live and silent auction. The KiMe Fund was established in 2010 with a mission to find a cure for Parkinson’s by funding research that have the best chance for a cure. Hodges, who grew up in the Houston area, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 48. KiMe is shorthand for his two daugh-ters, Kim and Megan, and is symbolic of the drive to find a cure before the next generation of children everywhere is diagnosed. KiMe’s non-profit status is established through the East Tennes-see Foundation, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, as well as its association with the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. Kim’s Board of Directors is comprised of nine members located in four states with specialties in Medicine, Business, Finance, and Fundraising. Donations for dinner are $50 per person. Sponsorship for a table of eight is welcomed at $500, or tables of ten at $750 or $1,000. To order tickets or get further information, contact Betsy Hodges at 281-538-3180 or holbet0525@verizon.

Kemah Art WalkOctober 15 & 16

The Kemah Merchants Association will be hosting the Kemah Art Walk October 15 & 16. Artists from across Texas will be showcasing and selling their art, in the Kemah Lighthouse District. Along Bradford, Kipp and 6th Street will be fine art including paintings in oil, acrylic and pastels and also photography and sculptures. Art will be displayed Saturday October 15 from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday October 16 from Noon -5:00 p.m. This art walk is free to all attendees. A first time activity during the Kemah Art Walk will be a children’s area. Children will be able to paint on a mural scenes reflecting Kemah. From lighthouses and seagulls to boats and the Kemah Boardwalk, all we ask is the children to bring their imagination! This painted canvas, “Kids Love Kemah” will be displayed during the Christmas in Kemah days starting November 19 – December 18. This mural painting activ-ity is free to all children. Sponsors of the children’s art project are Bay Area Observer, Boardwalk Fudge, and Aroma Gardens Creations. Booth fees are only $25. for both days and artists will be responsible for bringing a tent if needed. An open house for the artists, sponsors and merchants will be October 14, Friday evening from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Kemah Visitor Center at 604 Bradford. For more information or to reserve a booth, call Kemah Merchants Association President Sandra Williams from Boardwalk Fudge, 281-538-4165 or Domino Taylor at the Kemah Visitor Center at 281-334-3181. Websites are www.kemahmerchants.com or www.kemah-tx.gov.

1520 S. Shaver • Pasadena, Texas 77502

Store Hours: Tuesday -Thursday 8:30 - 5:30 • Friday & Saturday 8:30 - 6:00 • Closed Sunday & Monday713-472-0997

www.pasadenahabitat.org

Come Relax With Friends In La Porte’s Historic Main Street District!

Hours of Operation

Mon. – 6am to 5pm Tue - Thu – 6am to 9pm

Fri. & Sat. – 6am to Midnight

223 West Main Street • La Porte,Texas 77571 • (281) 867-1700

Gourmet Coffees & TeasMicro-Brewery Ales & Beers

Boutique Wines

Wi-Fi

Fresh Baked Breads, Muffins, and Cupcakes

www.mainlydrinks.com

KARLA MOCHMANKarla Mochman, 54, of La Porte, Texas passed away September 20th, 2011. She was born on December 5th, 1956 in Texas City, Texas to Hubert Jones and Lou Jean Matthews. She was preceded in death by her Mother. Kar-la is survived by her husband Johnny Mochman, children Eric Ward, Adam Ward and wife Victoria, sister Theresa St. Marie and husband Fred, brothers Rodney Jones and Gary Jones, father Hubert Jones and wife Tean, grand-children Aiden Ward and Maverick Ward, and step-daughter Melissa Mochman.

OBITUARIESLa Porte EMS Encourages

Completing “Vial Of Life” Kit The City of La Porte EMS would like to inform residents of one of their community programs called the Vial of L.I.F.E (Lifesaving Information For Emergencies). The “Vial of LIFE” program is in-tended to provide citizens with a method to store important medical information in their homes for access by emergency responders. The “Vial of Life” enables emergency responders (paramedics, firefight-ers, and police officers) to obtain helpful information regarding a patient’s medical history. This is especially important if the patient is unconscious or is unable to speak to the emergency responders. The “Vial of Life” kit includes a large plastic vial, a round decal for the front door, a rectangle decal for your refrigerator, and medi-cal information form with related instructions. A “Vial of Life” kit is available for free and can be picked up at City of La Porte EMS Headquarters during normal business hours or can be requested from any EMS ambulance crew. The completed “Vial of Life” is labeled externally with basic patient information, while completed medical information forms, contained inside, reflect a person’s current health status as well as current medications being taken. Also recommended to be included inside the vial should be a recent photograph or photograph of the person’s Driver’s License, if available. EMS representatives advise the vial should be placed within the refrigerator, along a shelf in the door, as close to eye level as possible, and towards the front for bet-ter visibility, as it has been shown that the refrigerator’s contents are preserved in the event of a fire. There will be a round decal provided in the “Vial of Life” kit and it should be placed on your front door for easy visibility by responding medics. The rectangle decal provided should be placed on the outside of the refrigerator in a prominent location. EMS personnel suggest immediately updating the medical infor-mation provided on the form whenever the information changes, and also advise that it is a good idea to review the information at least twice per year. Additionally, if there are changes to be made, it is best to reprint a new Medical Information Form, which can be ac-cessed on the following website: www.lpems.org and clicking on “Community Programs” and then “Vial of Life.” For any questions, you may contact La Porte EMS’ Jason Peugeot at 281-471-9244.

By Jay Dunham dataz33@yahoo.com

Pot Luck: A hungry group of seniors enjoyed the variety of food at the bi-monthly pot luck dinner Thursday evening, September 1. You may recall this replaces the Senior Dance on the odd month first Thursday. Participants brought an assortment of entrees, salads and, of course, tasty desserts. I’m looking forward to the November din-ner, having my recipe already in mind.

Command Performance: You may recall Mary Lee’s portrayal of Ruth of the Bible at a recent Story Telling Group. Somehow, the word spread and Mary Lee was invited to present her portrayal to the United Methodist Women’s monthly meeting on September 12th, at First United Methodist Church, La Porte. From all reports, her performance was as moving as we saw at the Center. Due to a bus trip on the 15th, that story telling session is cancelled. We eagerly anticipate the next session, though.

The Red’s: At the monthly meeting, the Red Suspender guys laid plans for the September 20th Breakfast For Seniors. Planning the menu isn’t all that difficult, since it hasn’t changed in years. It was also decided October Red’s Lunch Out (date to be announced) des-tination is the newly re-opened Tookie’s in Old Seabrook. Also dis-cussed is hosting a wiener roast for the returning Special Olympians sometime in October. These Red Suspender guys stay busy. If you want to get in on the fun, come join them at 8:30 AM the first Friday of the month at the Norman L. Malone Senior Center.

Harmonizing: Paul McBeth is directing a group of seniors, dubbed The Senior Songbirds every Tuesday at 12:30, immediately after the hot lunch, which by the way, is served daily (except holidays) at the Norman L. Malone Senior Center. The lunch is provided by the Harris County Area Agency on Aging. There are some very accom-plished voices in attendance, and some, like myself, who require a pack horse to carry a tune, but everyone enjoys the session. If you like to sing, ‘Come on down!”

Tell a Story: On Thursdays, 12:45PM, in the living room at the Nor-man L. Malone Senior Center, the Story Telling Group eagerly awaits Mary Lee’s opening story. It may be factual, or may be fanciful, we wait and see. September 22 was different. Instead, a little ol’ white-faced lady dressed in black came to the room entrance, ‘opened’ the ‘door’, entered, closed the ‘door’ and sat down on her bench. She then proceeded to open her ‘satchel’, remove her ‘radio’ and tune into the easy listening station. Getting comfortable, she removed her shoes and discovered a’ hole’ in her sock, which she promptly darned with her ‘sewing kit’. An ‘apple’ with a worm within was quickly discarded, replaced by a ‘banana’ which she deftly peeled and ate. All this, and more, was in silence, as Mary Lee presented her mime act. Surprisingly, or maybe not, she had never performed this before. We never know what to expect, but are always amused. Come join the group.

Not Astros: The first “season” of Bean Bag Baseball has come to an end with the Purple team sweeping the series. The off-week activ-ity was a “shoot-out” among all the players. Each player had three throws per inning and the total number of base hits was recorded. It was no surprise that the winner, Leo Saenz, racked up nearly twice the number of anyone else. Way to go, dead eye! The new season will consist of 4 teams and be a round robin format. Everyone, even the on-lookers, are having a good time. Come join the fun Wednes-days after lunch.

Movie Buffs: Mondays at the Movies has been popular, mainly be-cause our new audio-visual equipment make the afternoon enjoy-able. Being in cool comfort with freshly popped pop corn doesn’t hurt at all. Great care is taken to select movies that are of interest to all. Check the News Letter for upcoming schedules

Coming Up:Senior Dance

Explore Main Street TourHealth Fair, flu shots

Family DinnerScarecrow FestivalHallowe’en Party

Check the Senior Sizzle newsletter for schedules. Don’t miss out by being out of touch.

The Senior Class

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 3

“ArtNight”Continued from page 1

ART NIGHT AT THE MARRIOTT

EDITORIAL /OPINIONRusty’s Corner

Let’s Talk About PoliticsBy Rusty Cates

Religion and politics are two topics we are taught to avoid in ca-sual conversation. In my family there were legendary fist fights between uncles to reinforce the taboo.Often the rule is a sign of resignation: “No one is going to change their mind so why bother.” Sometimes the discouragement is more cautionary: “It just makes people mad.” Other times pri-vacy is invoked: “It’s nobody’s business what we believe.” The saddest argument is futility: “It doesn’t matter what we believe anyway.” With regard to religion, these arguments make sense. Reli-gious doctrine is a core belief supported by faith. Faith is more a matter of assumed or revealed truth than a conclusion subject to argument. More importantly, because of the magic of the first amend-ment one person’s religious beliefs only impact another by con-sent. That amendment says flatly, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” and frees us of any need to agree on or com-promise our faith. Politics, however, is a different matter. If I am wrong about my religion, that is between me and God but if I am wrong about my politics you may suffer the consequences. There is no separation protecting us from the political views of others. By the act of voting we seek to impose our political will and even those who don’t vote simply delegate that power. Democracy requires that we trust each other with power over our hopes and dreams. That places a responsibility on each of us to earn that trust. We do not need to agree with one another but we are obligated to be certain that the judgments we make are reasonable and, to the best of our abilities, wise.

One of the common problems in social psychology is “group think.” Group think is the tendency of groups to make remark-ably bad decisions. It happens when a group shares assumptions; they tend not to check them or even consider the possibility that they are wrong. People who share a common vision have a ten-dency to be uncritical of each other’s ideas and reinforce rather than challenge mistakes. As a result, group think tends to push us to extremes. Modern communications can promote group think even when we are alone. With talk radio, cable news, and Internet blogs, it is easy to sink into a powerful echo chamber where we only hear what we already believe. We can study an issue all day and never be exposed to a single discordant fact or opinion. There is so much available to support our prejudices that we can eas-ily dismiss any information that requires us to understand things differently. No one, no matter how smart or well educated, can think in an echo chamber. The clamor of reinforcing messages overrides critical thought. The echo chamber promotes paranoia and dis-respect for those who disagree. This is a common problem with our increasingly bitter political discourse. The cure is distinctly low tech and personal. We simply must step out of our comfort zone and listen to those who view the world differently. (I recommend conversations over coffee with several people with varied perspectives at your favorite coffee-house; but that could be a personal prejudice.) We owe our fellow citizens well considered political judg-ments. We need to test our politics in respectful conversations with people who disagree with us. We do not have to agree with one another but it is important that we listen, seek to understand, and incorporate the insights of others into our own reasoning. It is our duty as citizens. It’s just a thought.

Rusty Cates is the owner of Coffee Oasis at 4650 NASA Parkway (At Kirby) in Seabrook. He can be reached at Rusty@coffee-oasis.com or better yet, stop by Coffee Oasis , find a cozy corner and enjoy a great cup of coffee or wine.. Visit www.coffee-oasis.com for a list of the great entertainment that can be seen almost any day of the week!

jazz, blues & country. Along with the SpringHill Suites-Sea-brook, food & beverages were provided by Executive Catering, Villa Capri, Chick-fil-A & The Cake Place. It was an incredible wonderful event”. SpringHill Suites by Marriott introduced “ArtNight” in 2010 and the event was designed for their hotels nationwide to gener-ate visibility for local artists. “ArtNight” events provide an im-portant connection between SpringHill Suites hotels and the art communities in their neighborhoods. The initiative is an exten-sion of SpringHill Suites’ core element that focuses on smart de-sign. From layout to décor, the brand offers a reenergizing place for travelers that enhance their experience on the road. SpringHill Suites plans to expand “ArtNight” to multiple cities next year, al-lowing guests to explore the local art scene right in the hotel. “ArtNight” takes the guest travel and discovery experience to another level,” said Callette Nielsen, vice president and global brand manager for SpringHill Suites. “Embracing the local art scene allows us to connect with our communities and helps make hotel stays more inspiring.” Along with generating visibility for local artists, “ArtNight” provides business and leisure travelers a great opportunity to get a taste of what the destination has to offer. When asked about the the local community, Diana Burney ex-plained, “The Bay Area is a special part of Texas and is definitely an “artist” community. We are hopeful “ArtNight” will become a Marriott annual event. But, due to the fact so many people en-joyed the art, music & camaraderie, the SpringHill Suites-Sea-brook may decide to do another evening showcasing local artists in the Spring of 2012”.

Wood Sculptor Jim Phillips

Artist Andy Gonzalez

Artist Julie Ranna Artist Brian Sterling Artist Kelly Halbach

LaBella Cello (Della Grigsby) played beautifully throughout the evening

Photographer Mark Westerman

PAGE 4 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

The Galveston Bay Foundation (“GBF”) worked with residents from several com-munities along Galveston Bay this summer as part of GBF’s community-based oyster reef restoration program. The program was reinstated as a result of the devastation to native oyster populations from Hur-ricane Ike in 2008, when sediments were deposited across reefs, suffocating 50% of Galveston Bay’s oysters. Volunteers in San Leon, Bayview, and Kemah, Texas, joined together to restore Galveston Bay’s oysters and became “oyster gardeners”, raising oysters that will be used to seed nearby reef restoration sites. On Saturday, September 17, 2011, com-munity members in San Leon will remove the oyster gardening bags from their piers and place the live, gardened oysters on several adjacent constructed reef pads in an effort to expedite colonization by oys-ters. This particular reef restoration site is five acres and extends along the north shore of Eagle Point. The Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department constructed the reef pads, and GBF is aiding with community involvement. On the reef pads, the oysters become mature within their first year and will quickly begin spawning to further the reefs’ development. For the past three sum-mers, volunteers in the community of San Leon have been gardening oysters to help restore reefs and have witnessed the re-sults firsthand—better fishing and cleaner water. This summer, Kemah and Bayview residents have joined the oyster gardening effort. Residents who participate in oyster gar-dening first hang bags of reclaimed oys-ter shell from their piers over the summer months. They then monitor the growth of baby oysters, called spat, which naturally attach to the shells inside the oyster garden-ing bags. As part of their monitoring and maintenance of the bags, volunteers also remove algae and predators from the bags. After months of growth and development, the oysters are removed from the piers and their bags, and are distributed across artifi-cially-constructed reef pads nearby where they will flourish as part of a restored oys-ter reef. Because these restored oyster reefs are located within 200 feet of the shoreline, they are not for consumption, but only for ecosystem services such as water quality, habitat creation, and shoreline protection. A recent study of the state of oyster reefs found that about 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have been destroyed, making them the most endangered of all marine habitat

types. We are fortunate to have some of the world’s remaining healthy oyster reefs in Galveston Bay, but it is imperative that we tend and nurture these reefs to ensure their survival across Galveston Bay. Oyster reefs are critical for Galveston Bay’s health—they filter the water, provide habitat for numerous bottom dwelling fish and inver-tebrates which in turn are food for larger game fish, they protect our shores, and pro-vide economical benefits to the region. Galveston Bay Foundation’s Communi-ty-Based Oyster Reef Restoration program is made possible through various grantors and supporters, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas Coastal Management Program, Re-store America’s Estuaries, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, ConocoPhillips, ERM Foundation, Hillcrest Foundation, KBR, Samson Lone Star LLC, and The Dow Chemical Company. About Galveston Bay FoundationThe mission of the Galveston Bay Foun-dation is to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system and its tributaries for present users and for posterity. The Foun-dation was incorporated in 1987, and is a non-profit organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. GBF is located at 17330 Highway 3 in Webster, Texas. For further information, contact GBF at 281-332-3381, or visit the website at www.galvbay.org.

Galveston Bay Foundation Works With Local Bay Residents to Restore Near-shore Oyster Reefs

ON THE WATERHarvest Moon To Celebrate

Silver Anniversary

Lakewood Yacht Club’s Harvest Moon Regatta Co-Chairs Andrea Todaro and Past Commodore John Broderick have an-nounced that the 25th Annual Harvest Moon Regatta will begin on Thurs., Oct. 13, 2 pm and will sail 150 nautical miles across the Gulf of Mexico to end in Port Aransas. Over 225 sailboats are expected to participate in this silver anniversary event.Founded in 1986 by three member racers, John Broderick, John Cameron, and Ed Bailey, the founding spirit of the regatta was to be “fun for all”, giving all area yachts the perfect reason to come sail off shore under the full and colorful “harvest moon”. Racers will be arriving in “Port A” at varying times on Fri., Oct. 14, depending upon the wind conditions over the Gulf of Mexico. The popular Welcome Sailors Rum Party will take place on Sat., Oct.15 during the late afternoon at the City Pavil-ion. There will be musical entertainment during the afternoon in the pavilion while Harvest Moon Regatta volunteers set up the decorations and trophies for the Awards Ceremony held that night after the bar-b-que dinner. The overall winner of the race will earn the famous Bacardi Cup, so named for Bacardi Rum U.S.A., the founding sponsor of the regatta. The regatta is a Category 3 Open Regatta for all racing cruis-ing spinnaker and non-spinnaker sailing yachts with a minimum length of 27 feet. Close to 2,000 racers, friends and family will be attending the dinner and awards ceremony. The regatta is organized by Bay Access, a charitable organiza-tion supporting amateur racing. It is hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club, a 56 year old premier facility located in Seabrook, TX, 20 miles southeast of Houston. Sponsors, in addition to Bacardi Rum U.S.A., who make this regatta possible include Nautic Yacht Sales, West Marine, Banks Sails, Sea Lake Yacht Sales, Texas Coast Yachts, the City of Port Aransas and Houston Magazine. New sponsors this year are O.J’s Marine and KO Sailing. “Through the support of these enthusiastic sponsors, we are able to provide a first-class event for our racers,” explained Todaro. For further information, or to register to race, please go to the website: www.harvestmoonregatta.com

By Rod Santa Ana Texas AgriLife News Team

PORT ARANSAS -- They may look like bunk beds on steroids, but a new shrimp pro-duction technology developed by a Texas AgriLife Researc-scientist near Corpus Christi promises to revolutionize how shrimp make it to our tables. The patent-pending technol-ogy, known as super-intensive stacked raceways, was created by Dr. Addison Lawrence at the Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory at Port Aransas, who says the sys-tem is able to produce record-setting amounts of shrimp. “We’re able to produce jumbo size shrimp, each weighing 1.1 ounces, known as U15 shrimp, which gives us world record production of up to 25 kilograms of shrimp per cubic meter of water using either zero water exchange and/or recircu-lating water,” he said. At this rate of production, Lawrence said commercial

shrimp producers will have the potential to vastly increase their profit margins. A world-wide license for the new tech-nology has been awarded to Royal Caridea, headed by Dr. Maurice Kemp, president. Sub-licenses are being considered for other countries, includ-ing Ecuador, Chile, Colom-bia, Mexico, Canada, People’s Republic of China, Germany, Czech Republic and Russia. Lawrence is convinced the indoor system will decrease this country’s dependence on foreign shrimp and could even help alleviate world hunger. “Order a plate of shrimp at any U.S. restaurant, even along the coast, and chances are you’ll be served shrimp farmed in South-east Asia and frozen two to four times before it got to your table,” Lawrence said. “That’s because the U.S. imports about 90 percent of the shrimp it con-sumes, with a value of about $4 billion annually.” In addition to contributing to a foreign trade deficit, imported shrimp also bring with them

environmental and quality control issues, he said. “They are grown in open ponds and treated sometimes with anti-biotics banned in this country, creating a negative impact on wetlands and human consump-tion,” Lawrence said. “About 90 percent of sea life in the world spends some portion of their life in the wetlands, thus making wetlands essential for the sustainability of food from the oceans. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics creates its own problems for the wetlands and consumers. But because Thailand, India, Vietnam and other countries in the tropics can grow two or three crops of shrimp per year compared to just one crop in the U.S., it’s hard to compete.” Until now, Lawrence added. A prototype of the new sys-tem has been constructed in a darkened room just feet from its creator’s office. The shrimp grow in four columns of race-ways stacked four high. These raceways are long tubs with circulating water of only 5- to

7-inches average depth. As the shrimp develop, they are trans-ferred to a racewaybelow. Baby shrimp are added to the top raceway, while the more mature shrimp in the lower raceways are harvested. “Simplicity is the key here,” said Lawrence. “Some of his-tory’s most creative, innovative inventions are based on very simple logic. Keep itsimple.” But the results of these simple tanks -- the amount of shrimp that can be harvested -- are astounding, Lawrence said. “These tanks require stringent control and supervision, 24/7 monitoring with computers tracking the shrimp,” he said. “But properly run, these sys-tems can produce up to 1 mil-lion pounds of shrimp per acre of water, or two acres of land per year,” he said “That’s far superior to traditional shrimp farms in the U.S. that can pro-duce only up to 20,000 pounds of shrimp per acre of water per year. In tropical countries that have year-round growing sea-sons, they can produce up to 60,000 pounds ofshrimp per year.” Developing the stacked race-way system is the culmination of Lawrence’s 50-yearcareer in aquaculture, he said. Along the way he’s developed various components of the new system, including the patent-pending feed (co-inventor) for growing the shrimp, the closed water system using zero ex-change and recirculating, a unique raceway bottomdesign and aeration system and other technologies. The vision for his creation includes stacked race-way facilities near major met-ropolitan areas throughout the country, producing live, fresh, never-frozen or fresh-frozen shrimp to be available every day of the year. “Most Americans have never tasted fresh shrimp,” he said. “There is a huge demand for high-quality shrimp. At a near-by IGA supermarket, we test-marketed shrimp produced in these raceways and they sold out in a matter of hours. They would surely bring premium prices at supermarkets and restaurants in New York, Chi-cago, Las Vegas and other large cities. But more importantly, these systems could provide the protein that a booming world population desperately needs.” Lawrence said that the world’s population is expected to increase significantly in the

next 20 to 30 years. “Where will the necessary protein come from?” he asked. “The only way to feed the world, I think, is with aquacul-ture. We can’t catch more fish or shrimp; we’re at a maximum sustained yield, so these sys-tems would not compete with fishermen.” China, currently a shrimp exporter, will soon become a net importer of shrimp, which will push shrimp prices up-ward, said Kemp, president of Royal Caridea. The world’s first commercial application of Lawrence’s stacked raceways will break ground just miles from his office in Port Aran-sas, according to Kemp. His company will own and operate the project. “We’ll construct a facility of about 70,000 square feet, hire 15 to 20 people, some of them with advanced degrees,

and produce shrimp year-round. We expect to produce some 835,000 pounds of shrimp per year,” he said. “Also of significance is that this technology will allow shrimp farms to be built inland in proximity to major metro-politan areas and provide live, fresh-dead and fresh-frozen shrimp on a daily basis,” Kemp added. Lawrence said based on high growth rates and high survival and production lev-els, economic data shows an estimated rate of return of 25 percent to 60 percent. “There are no disease problems; it’s biosecure. So, with predictable high internal rates of return, the system is economically viable. But the best part is, it’s totally organic with high-quality pro-tein available every day of the year.”

Dr. Addison Lawrence, left, points to the lower section of his super-intensive stacked raceway shrimp production system to Dr. Maurice Kemp, president of Royal Caridea. (AgriLife Research photo by Patty Waits Beasley)

New Shrimp Technology Could Speed Up Race To Feed The World

Salon La RougeHair, Nail, Massage & Facials

Salon La RougeLet me design you a

new look for Summer!

Lisa K. Cook: Owner/Master Styl ist281.474.2528 • 902 Hardesty • Old Seabrook

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 5

www.eatatlaredos.com

Homemade TortillasFresh Local SeafoodOld Family Recipes

For To-Go Orders Call

281-291-8080

2119 Bayport Blvd.(Hwy. 146)

Seabrook, Tx. 77586Hours:

Monday - Saturday10:30 - 8:00

Sunday - Closed

Serving homemade Mexican food in the Bay Area since 1969

LAREDO’STEX-MEX CAFE

PAGE 6 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

5953 Fairmont ParkwayPasadena, TX. 77505

(281) 487-9333www.gcefcu.org

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 7

Does Your Business Want To Support The LPISD Newsletter?Your Ad Could Appear Here! Call Us Today For Details & Rates.

The Bay Area Observer • 281-907-3140 21620 Gulf FreewayWebster, Texas 77598

281-332-3111 • Fax: 281-332-7696

PAGE 8 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

informing. improving. participating.

©

Powered by

Federally insured by NCUA

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 9

SPORTS

By Keith Schul

Preseason is over and it’s time for district play. 21-5A is really turning into a gauntlet with 5 out of 6 teams with one loss or fewer. Only four teams can make the playoffs, so every game will be very im-portant and affect playoff positioning. I will preview the teams in the order of La Porte’s schedule.

District Standings:5-0 Port Arthur Memorial Titans4-1 North Shore Mustangs4-1 La Porte Bulldogs4-1 Beaumont West Brook Bruins4-1 Channelview Falcons0-5 Baytown Sterling Rangers

La Porte Bulldogs -The Bulldogs were taken down by a very tough Klein Forest team for their only loss so far.-La Porte’s defense has been very stout and disruptive with 10 turnovers caused through five games.-On offense La Porte is very young and will need to find their rhythm in district play to get into the playoffs and make some noise.-The kicking game with Junior Kicker Eric Medina and Senior QB/Punter Josh Vidales has been a big key to field position and has helped La Porte’s defense create short fields for the Bulldog Offense.

Channelview Falcons (at La Porte 10/7 7pm)-Senior Quarterback Averion Hurts has put up shocking numbers with 1800 yards and 20 touchdowns through five games. Last week against Dobie he threw for 496 yards and 5 touchdowns.-It’s been a long time since the Falcons were last in the playoffs (1993). This is their best chance and with all of their seniors it’s playoffs or bust this season.-The defense will need to improve for the Falcons to survive 21-5A and battle for a playoff spot.

Baytown Sterling Rangers (at La Porte 10/14 7pm)-After an 0-5 start, it’s a dire situation for Baytown’s only 5A school. They would need to pull off a titanic upset to win a game this season.-The Rangers may have settled on a Quarterback with Jaime Acosta taking over and getting some good yards on the ground. He is not listed on their roster, so I assume he is a freshman or sophomore.-The Rangers utilize the old Clear Lake triple option attack and are still learning the system.-Explosive playmaker and Texas A&M recruit Jamar Gibson has had a tough season fitting into the offense.

North Shore Mustangs (at North Shore 10/21 7pm)-After a disastrous season opener against Katy, the Mustangs have reeled off 4 straight victories against some decent competition.-North Shore began the season with a two quarterback system, but Tyrone Newsome was injured week 1 and the keys to the Mustang offense have been handed to Micah Thomas who has impressed with a mix of run/pass.-The Senior combination of deep threat receiver Larry McDuffey and running back Davonte Milton has been great and both players have racked up six touchdowns through five games.-North Shore’s defense has been great as usual and the defending 21-5A champs will continue to be the best until someone knocks them off.

Port Arthur Memorial Titans (at La Porte 10/28 7pm)-Five games and five blow outs for the Titans. Three of those games were against 4A competition and the others were against a couple of 5A teams in down years. -The real season starts in game one this week against North Shore.-Senior Quarterback and Baylor Commit Terrence Singleton has been a force this season with over 1000 yards passing and 500 yards rushing with a combined 19 touchdowns-Senior Running Back and Arkansas Commit Nate Holmes has kept opposing defenses off balance with 562 yards and 10 touchdowns.-The Titan defense appears to be improved and will be an important part for a good run in the playoffs and in district play

Beaumont West Brook Bruins (at Beaumont 11/5 (Sat) 7pm)-West Brook was also a victim of the powerhouse Katy Tigers for their only loss of the season.-A stingy defense has been the key with Senior Defensive End/Linebacker and UT commit Caleb Bluiett leading the way.-Senior Quarterback and coaches son Joshua Stump has shown poise and leadership leading the Bruin offense, however he did pick up an injury against Katy. He should be back in charge for district play.-Senior Running Back Percy Johnson is a small back, but he has put up good numbers with 533 yards so far including 121 yards against a very strong Katy D.

La Porte Orange & White ReportDistrict 21-5A Preview

Keith Schul is the owner and writer for La Porte

Bulldog Football Blog at http://lpbulldogs.blogspot.com.

You can also follow along on Twitter @lpbulldogblog

Week 5 La Porte vs Channelview PreviewBy Keith Schul

Back to football and more importantly week 1 of district play this week as the La Porte Bulldogs take on the Channelview Falcons Friday 7pm at Bulldog Stadium in La Porte. La Porte comes into district play with a 4-1 record after a huge victory over rival Deer Park in overtime 34-31. Channelview begins district play also at 4-1 after beating Dobie 51-43 to finish out their pre-district schedule on a four game winning streak. This game has major playoff implications as the winner of this game will have the inside track on one of the four available playoff spots out of district 21-5A. The Falcons offense has become a juggernaut over the last four games. Senior Quarterback (and coaches son) Averion Hurts has put up video game numbers with over 1800 yards passing and 20 touchdowns (only 2 interceptions. He is completing passes at a 66% clip. His targets have been equally great with Senior Wide Receivers Stanley Wesley (45 catches 761 yards and 5 tds) and Marquise Johnson (24 catches 520 yards and 7 tds) combining to provide a target for Hurts. At running back Senior Terrell Williams (413 rushing yards, 197 receiving yards, 5 total tds) has provided enough threat to open up the passing lanes. Channelview has not faced a defense like La Porte this season, but could do some serious damage after Deer Park threw for 340 yards last game. The key for the Falcons will be their offensive line and giving Hurts time to throw. The Bulldogs will be coming after him this week. Channelview’s defense will be trying to slow down La Porte’s multi-back running game. The last two weeks the Falcons have given up over 40 points in victories and has relied on the offense to outscore their opponent. They are lead by Junior Defensive Back Robbie Miller (2 interceptions) and Senior Defensive Tackles JaMarcus Dorsey and Toddrick Cane. La Porte’s offense got the tough yards playing a physical game against Deer Park. Playing most of the game with a two score lead played into their grind it out offense. Once the Deer got 10 men in the box (the safety was also headed that way) a pass over the top loosened it up again. With better overall athletes up front for the Bulldogs they will be looking to dominate the Falcons up front and grind the clock. A couple of stops on defense and the time of possession advantage could dominate the game. Junior Running Back Keith Whitely (377 yards, 6 touchdowns) leads the Bulldogs in rushing, but I expect to see more of Sophomore Jonathan Lewis (215 yards, 6.4 yards per carry) this week as Whitely should see an increase of duty on defense. Senior Quarterback Josh Vidales will look to keep the Falcons defense honest with Senior Wide Receiver Aaron Nance-Garrett (11 catches, 162 yards, 2 tds) and Sophomore Taejon Wearen getting loose. The Bulldogs must control the line of scrimmage and the offensive line lead by Juniors Maurice Morris and Tony Briones will be looking to open up the running lanes. The Bulldogs defense will be stepping into the spotlight this week against the Falcons surprising rise in the passing game. They will need to force Channelview and Hurts into bad throws by not giving him time to throw. Hurts can scramble, but La Porte should have a better time containing him than they did against Klein Forest and Matt Davis. The defensive line will need to eat up blockers and the linebackers will need to get to Hurts quick before he can get comfortable and complete easy passes. Senior Linebackers Chad Sutherland, Cameron Whilley and Chris Hickey along with Sophomore Hoza Scott will be disguising blitzes and trying to confuse the Falcons into making mistakes. Through five games the Dark Side has caused 10 turnovers and will be looking to add to that total this week.

Keys to La Porte Victory:

-Control the clock, keep the Falcon offense off the field

-Win the turnover battle

-Get pressure in the backfield before Channelview can get their passing game going.

The Bulldogs need a big crowd this week at home! Come on out and fill up the stands. A win this week will greatly increase La Porte’s playoff chances.

SJC Volleyball To Host Dig Pink Oct. 8 To Raise Funds For Breast Cancer Research

The sixth-ranked San Jacinto College (SJC) volleyball team will host its Dig Pink matches on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Central Campus An-ders Gymnasium. The schedule includes SJC vs. Coastal Bend at 1 p.m., Coastal Bend vs. Hill College at 3 p.m., and SJC vs. Hill College at 5 p.m. This is San Jacinto College’s fourth year to partici-pate in the Dig Pink initiative. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in which Dig Pink is held each year by middle school, high school, and collegiate teams across the nation to in-crease awareness and raise donations to support research to find a cure. Donations for this year’s SJC Dig Pink event can be made online at www.side-out.org/appli-cation/ous/fundraising_page/2786, as well as at the door and during the matches. The first 40 people to attend this event will receive a free Dig Pink T-shirt. The Central Campus’ First Year Experience organization will also join in to coordinate festive activities for the event. The San Jacinto College volleyball team and coaches will wear pink in support of the cause, and spectators are encouraged to wear pink as well. A moment of silence will be held prior to the

start in honor of survivors and those who are battling the disease, as well as those who have lost their fight with breast cancer. “This event is an avenue to show support for breast cancer survivors and to promote contin-ued research and development of a cure,” said Sharon Nelson, SJC volleyball head coach and Central Campus athletic director. “Using the large crowd of this year’s tri-match event with SJC, Coastal Bend, and Hill College, we hope to reach out to more people to increase aware-ness through this year’s Dig Pink Foundation Event.” San Jacinto College Central is located at 8060 Spencer Highway in Pasadena. For more infor-mation about San Jac athletics, visit www.san-jacsports.com. About the Side-Out Foundation: The Side-Out Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organiza-tion that was established in 2004 to unite vol-leyball players and coaches and to have them work toward the common goal of making a sig-nificant and identifiable difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families. The organization’s goal is to advance clinical trials, increase compassionate support services and educate communities. Side-Out supports teams nationwide in their volleyball tourna-ments, clinics and other fundraising efforts. The foundation offers practical support for fundrais-ing in addition to educational material for par-ticipants in order to help them become effective advocates for breast cancer. It contributes the funds to organizations that serve breast cancer patients, whether it be in the form of research, medical services or compassionate support. The term side-out refers to a situation in vol-leyball when one team wins a point while its opponent is serving, thereby regaining serve or control of play. It is hoped that Side-Out will do the same for breast cancer patients, providing them with the support, education and best avail-able treatments to regain control of their lives.

PAGE 10 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

San Jacinto Methodist Hospital Sleep CenterMore than 18 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, though and estimated 85 percent go undiagnosed and untreated, according to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders. The good news is that most sleep disorders can be treated. For most people, treatment of their sleep disorder produces a profound improvement in quality of life. The Sleep Center at San Jacinto Methodist Hospital offers diagnostic and clinical services to treat many sleep disorders. The most common disorder is obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. In addition narcolepsy, insomnia and limb movement disorders round out the spectrum of sleep problems. Understanding Sleep DisordersThe Sleep Center at San Jacinto Methodist Hospital provides technical excellence in polysomnography. Polysomnography is a sleep study. San Jacinto Methodist Hospital’s Sleep Center follows all nationally accepted standards for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, and provides the highest quality of

care. It measures your sleep cycles and stages by recording brain waves, electrical activity of muscles, eye movement, breathing rage, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation and heart rhythm.

FacilitiesThe Sleep Center is located on the first floor of the San Jacinto Methodist Hospital Garth Campus. Our two-bed facility is designed much like a comfortable bedroom. Each room has lighting, a full-size bed and is sound insulated. In addition, the rooms are equipped with televisions. The rooms and bathrooms are handicap accessible.

TECHNOlOGy, CArING & ExPErTISE COME TOGETHEr FOr THE TrEATMENT OF SlEEP DISOrDErS

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women.

Aparajitha Verma, M.D.

Your sleep study will be

analyzed by the Director

of the San Jacinto

Methodist Hospital

Sleep Center Aparajitha

Verma, M.D., a board-

certified physician in

sleep medicine.

Ranked among the top 5% of all hospitals

in the nation by HealthGrades™.

Sleep Center4401 Garth Road

Baytown, TX 77521

To make an appointment with Dr. Verma,

please call 713-441-3961.

www.sanjacintomethodist.com

One of Houston Metro’s Best Hospitals

by U.S. News & World Report

Understanding Sleep DisordersWednesday, Oct. 12th, 6pm-7pmHost Aparajitha Verma, M.D., board-certified physician in sleep medicine

San Jacinto Methodist HospitalCommunity Room4401 Garth Road, Baytown

To reserve your spot please call 832-556-6543

FreeSleep

Seminar

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 11

NY STATE LAND Rivers & Small Lakes for Sale; 27 Acres- Salmon river area -$39,995. Oneida lake prox-imity 16 Acres, $29,995.

Over 100 new properties offered, Call 1-800-229-7843 or visit www.Lan-dandCamps.com

$106 MONTH BUYS land for RV, MH or cabin. Gated entry, $690 down, 90 days same as cash, Guaranteed financing, 1-936-377-3235

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST VIEW Lake Medina/Bandera 1/4 acre tract, cen-tral W/S/E, RV/motor home/house, OK only $830 down $235 month (12.91%/10yr), More information call 1-830-460-8354

Deer, hogs, quail. Private roads, locked gate, $29,500. Toll-free 1-866-286-0199. www.westerntexasland.com

NEW MEXICO- New of-fer lender short sale. Sacri-fice, 140 acres just $59,900. Spellbinding ranch at 6,000 ft elevation. Mature tree cover, beautiful physical characteristics on year-round road with electric. Special financing offered by lender as low as 2.75% fixed. Call NMRS; 1-866-414-0535

HOT DEAL 3 Bedroom, 2 bath repo sale. Bank repo just $17,900 cash price, will consider financing. Call:1-830-755-4922; RBI#33557

WEST TEXAS - Mule

deer, Brewster County, 334+ acres, $88,584. White tail, Terrell County, 240+ acres, shared well, $84,231. Owner financed, 1-210-734-4009; www.western-texasland.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIED DISPLAY RATE.....................$8.50 p.c.i.(Classifieds display ads can contain a border and bolded letters)

CLASSIFIED LINER ADSFirst 20 Words (initial insertion).......................$7.50

First 20 Words (subsequent insertions)........$4.50Additional Words.........................................10 cents each

Classified deadlines are 10 a.m.

Lot For Sale

75 x 110On The 16th

Green - Wildwood Resort. 18 Hole

Golf Course, 360 Acre Lake, 24 Hour Security.

$8,000281-793-7961

LOTS & ACREAGE

REAL ESTATE

Beverly Lawrence

Mary Kay Consultant

Shoreacres281-793-7961

Free Facials & Great Career Opportunities!

Bayshore Humble Construction

Building, Remodeling & Repairs

Handicap tile, shower, bath with tile seats.

Clean or re-grout tile walls & floor.

New stainless steel grab bars installed.

Ray Garcia281-471-4947

SERVICES

LOCAL SERVICE DIRECTORY

www.paululee.com281-471-0123

Paul U. LeeFuneral Home

Family Owned & Operated

Sign up for updates

If you’re looking for good service, please visit these local businesses!

LEOPARD REALTYCOMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

701 S. 8th - La Portewww.LeopardRealty.comHorace - 713-858-4716 Jason - 713-299-2607

800 South Broadway • La Porte281-471-1241

www.medicineshoppe.com

$2 Deliveries

Immunizations

Diabetic Shoes & Supplies

Neal Broussard, R.Ph.

M-F • 9:00 - 6:00 • SAT. • 9:00 - 1:00

P.O. Box 951• Seabrook, TX. 77586713-302-0255

www.roy-alenterprises.com

Sherrie Roy

Let us do your school, company, organization or church shirts in silk

screen, embroidery, vinyl lettering, or

rhinestones. We also offer full service printing.

We Specialize In Custom Rhinestone Apparel

No job is too big or small!

Teen Driving SchoolTeen & Adult Driver’s Education40 Year’s Experience in teaching and Drivers EducationFamily Owned & Operated - Wide Variety of Vehicles to Drive

$10 OFF Any Student Enrollment

$10 OFF Any Six Hour Adult Class

281-479-26445018 Luella Ave.

Deer Park, TX. 77536www.teendrivingschool.com • teendrivingdp@yahoo.com

HOUSE FOR RENT1 Beroom, 1 Bath, 2 Window Units

$400 per month + utilities

$400 deposit

510 1/2 South UtahLa Porte

Call Tony281-704-5480832-267-5122

52 Issues a YearPaid subscribers receive the Bay Area Observer by mail.

FOR ONLY PER YEAR

Fill out the information below and mail in with your payment in the amount of $25.00 made payable to:

The Bay Area Observer • P.O. Box 305, Seabrook, TX. 77586

281-907-3140Name:_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________________________________________________________

City:_______________________________________________ State:__________________ Zip:_____________________

Phone:_______________________________________________________________________________________________

VISA MASTERCARD

Credit Card #:__________________________________________ Exp. Date:_______/_______ CVV #:______________

Signature:_____________________________________________________________ Date:_________________________

3 digit code on back of card

$25

SUBSCRIBE

BAY AREA OBSERVER

TO THE

FOR RENT OR LEASE

Do you love the thrill of the hunt, the rush from getting a great bargain and the excitement of bragging to friends about your sav-ings? Resale and consignment now represents one of the fast-est growing segments in retail. And if customers keep their eyes open, they can find some real treasures as well as quality clothing at a great price. Whether you call it “thrifting”, “going green”, or “reusing and recycling”, it is an old concept reborn into a strug-gling economy. And it just makes good sense.

SHOP RESALE!

VINTAGETHRIFTVintage Emporium

1904 El MarSeabrook, Texas

(Across from Kroger)

HOUSE FOR RENT

IN LA PORTE4 BED, 2 BATH,

1 GARAGE$900 a month / $600 deposit

NO PETS

281-471-4971

JUST 4 KIDZ BOUTIQUEChildren’s Resale • New & Gently Used Items

10814 Hughes Rd.Houston, Texas 77089

(Sagemont Area)

281-464-8050 Consignments Accepted

Judy Tijerina - Owner • just4kidz@mail.com

Ye Olde Clocke ShoppeExpert Repair of Fine Clocks & Watches

Unique Gifts, Clocks, Watches & JewelrySales & Service

281-554-2781 • 800-606-TIMEFax: 281-557-2431

1405 West Main (518)League City, TX. 77573

Hours:Tues - Fri • 10-6

Sat • 10-5yeold@peoplepc.com

HAVING A GARAGE

SALE?

Place It In

The Bay Area Observer

Classifieds281--907-3140

PAGE 12 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

2011 Drought Takes Its Toll On Texas Pumpkin Patch

By Steve Byrns s-byrns@tamu.edu

LUBBOCK – Linus of “Peanuts” comic strip fame might be a little disappointed if he waits for the “Great Pumpkin” in a Texas pumpkin patch this year, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert. Dr. Russ Wallace, AgriLife Extension veg-etable specialist at Lubbock, said pumpkins, like all Texas vegetables in 2011, had a hard time struggling through the record-setting high temperatures, low humidity and drought condi-tions. “With only limited rainfall, the quality of the pumpkin fruit itself should be excellent, but I expect the overall production will be much less than normal,” Wallace said. “I visited with Mark Carroll, AgriLife Extension agent in Floyd County, which is normally our leading pumpkin producing county in Texas. He told me he estimates the actual size of the pumpkins along with the yields this year will be roughly half what they normally are.” So what does this mean for the annual trek to the pumpkin patch for Halloween? Wallace said the shortage in West Texas, cou-pled with reduced yields from pumpkin grow-

ers in the Northeast due to flooding from Hurri-cane Irene, will likely result in fewer pumpkins, higher demand and higher prices. Each year, Wallace grows up to 40 pumpkin varieties in replicated trials at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. This year, he had 25 varieties and said each of them struggled to make a decent crop. “Our small pie and mini-pumpkins don’t ap-pear to have suffered much, but the mid- to large-sized varieties grew vines at a slow pace during the high temperatures and really strug-gled to set fruit,” he said. “About the only good news for the High Plains pumpkin crop this year was that the low humidity reduced the in-cidents of disease, especially powdery mildew, which infects pumpkin leaves and reduces yield and quality,” he said. “Severe powdery mildew infections can lead to mushy stems or infected fruit, so when shopping for melons, check out the ‘handle.’ If it’s soft, it may be infected and not last until Halloween. If it’s a High Plains Texas pumpkin though, that shouldn’t be a problem this year.” For more information on pumpkins and other crops, contact Wallace at 806-746-6101, rwwal-lace@ag.tamu.edu or visit his website at: http://lubbock.tamu.edu/horticulture.

Boot Barn Shoe Repair(Crepe, Neoprene, Leather)

112 W. 7th St.Deer Park, TX. 77536

“We Make Them Look Like New”

281-479-6633

Tues - Fri 9-6 • Sat 10 - 1

We clean, shine, recondition and reglaze

Robbie Jobson, Piemaker

281-777-0455

Live, Love, Eat Pie

After 4P.M.

Ingredients

• 1 pound yellow summer squash

• 2 ears corn

• 3 large shallots

• 2 large garlic cloves

• 1 fresh jalapeño chile

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 1/2 cups water

CUISINESummer Squash and Corn Soup

Directions Cut summer squash crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Shuck corn and, working over a bowl, cut kernels from cobs. Halve cobs. Chop shallots and mince garlic. Wearing rubber gloves, chop chile, with seeds if desired. In a 5-quart heavy kettle combine all ingredients (including cobs) except water and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in water and simmer mixture until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Discard cobs. In a blender puree mixture in batches until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to another bowl. Season soup with salt and pepper. Divide soup between 2 bowls and garnish with corn, chiles, cilantro, small dollops of sour cream, and squash. Yield: 2 to 3 servings. Total Time: 35 minutes. From the www.loveandoliveoil.com

Place Your Ad Here!THE

BAY AREA OBSERVER281-907-3140

IN THE GARDEN

Pumpkins ready for harvest (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Russ Wallace)

Fragrant Beauty

Bright red flowers and beautiful light green foliage make pineapple salvia (Salvia elegans) a beautiful addition to any herb or hummingbird garden. Add the aroma of fresh pineapple when the leaves are rubbed and this lovely salvia is also perfect in a fragrance garden. Pineapple salvia is a favorite of hummingbirds and butter-flies as well as gardeners along Galveston Bay. Native to Mexico and Guatemala, pineapple salvia thrives in our part of Texas. It grows best in a partial sun area and good humus amended soil. A mature plant reaches about four feet tall and three feet wide. Pineapple salvia looks best when planted in the center of a bed where it can branch out. Hummingbirds can also zero in on it in that position. Its bright red tubular flowers are arranged in whorls on terminal spikes. This arrangement makes for easy access for a hum-mingbird fueling up for its trip to Mexico. Pineapple salvia wilts down during a drought period but pops right back again when watered. In our area it flowers throughout autumn and

many times into early winter. If we have a bad winter, it will freeze to the ground and re-sprout the next spring. After all winter freezes are over, it can be cut back for re-sprouting. Freshly picked leaves of pineapple salvia can be used in fruit salads and hot or iced tea. The flowers are also edible and add color as well as a mild fruit flavor to salads and desserts. Pine-apple salvia is available in most nurseries in our area. A variety of Salvia elegans named “Honey Melon” blooms earlier in the summer. Another cultivar named “Scarlet Pineapple” has larger flowers than the wild species. The cultivar “Frieda Dixon” has pink flowers. Cuttings are easy to take and can be rooted in water as well as potting soil. If you haven’t tried this beautiful plant in your garden, check your local nursery for it or ask a gardening friend to take cuttings for you from their plant. Gardeners love to share with friends.

The Coolest-Most Unique Consignment/Resale Store in Texas

STORE LIQUIDATING SALETues. October 11 thru Sat. October 22

20-60% off Reliks & Repeats will be closing and relocating to a new location.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic sale before we go!Most everything in store will be on SALE

Bring in this ad for a free GOING AWAY gift!

321 West Main St. • La Porte, Tx 77571 • 713-818-9395

October Planting Chart

Beets..........................................First Two Weeks - Marginally Last two WeeksBroccoli Plants...............................First Week - Marginally Last Three WeeksCabbage Plants..............................First Week - Marginally Last Three WeeksCauliflower Plants.........................First Week – Marginally Last Three WeeksCarrots.........................................................................................Last Two WeeksChard, Swiss..................................................................................All Four weeksChinese Cabbage........................................................................First Two WeeksCollards.........................................................................................All Four WeeksKohlrabi Plants............................................................................All Four WeeksLettuce.......................................................................................Last Three WeeksMustard.........................................................................................All Four WeeksOnion Multipliers.........................................................................All Four WeeksParsley...........................................................................................All Four WeeksPeas, English, Snap................First Two Weeks – Marginally Last Two WeeksRadish...........................................................................................All Four WeeksSpinach.........................................................................................All Four WeeksTurnip ...........................................................................................All Four Weeks

The La Porte-Bayshore Garden Club will meet, October 13th at the First United Methodist Church of La Porte at 9601 West Fairmont. Coffee meet-&-greet starts at 9:30 AM and the meeting at 10 o’clock. Speaker for the day is Liz Pearsall, local teacher & artist, Windale Studio. The program is entitled, “Flowers & Water Drops”. After the meeting, a light lunch will be served. Visitors are welcomed. Call 281-471-0602 if you would like more information.

La Porte Garden Club To Meet Oct. 13th “Flowers & Water Drops”

Herbs - they are not just a pretty face! Come and learn what to plant, how to grow and how to use herbs at a presentation given by Ginia Keene Mattern, Master Gardener, at Seaside Garden Club on Wednesday, October 19th at 12:30 pm at Carother’s Coastal Gardens, 502 Pine Gully Road, Seabrook 77586.For questions: 281-474-4825

Seaside Garden ClubHerbs - They Are Not Just A Pretty Face!

Dustin Young, D.C.Doctor of Chiropractic

Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner™

2100 Nasa Parkway, Suite 100Seabrook, TX 77586

832-247-3025www.dustinyoungdc.com