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WEDNESDAYJuNE 23, 2021VOL. 114 • NO. 25

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P. O. Box 817 • 310 Fifth St.Palacios, TX 77465

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BY ALAN C. SCHULMANPalacios Beacon - Reporter

City coffers boosted by April sales tax revenues

Palacios ISD dicusses timetable for bond issuance

CofC bestows awards at Banquet

PEDC approves 21-22 budget

April sales tax rebate fig-ures show a huge improve-ment over this time last year as all but one of 13 area cit-ies received more than in the same month in 2020, and 11 of the 13 received more year-to-date than 2020. East Bernard received less in both categories while Ganado was down year-to-date, with nei-ther city off by much.

Palacios had a nearly 25 percent improvement for the month and was up almost 15

The 2021 Palacios Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet will be one to remember - for most, and perhaps not so much for a handful of brave volunteers.

Prior to the bestowing of the night’s highest awards - Palacios CofC Man, Woman and Busi-ness of the Year awards - guests at the Palacios Recreation Center were mesmerized by the hyp-nosis act of The Hypnomeister, Jonathan Yeager.

Yeager welcomed a moderate group of volun-teers from the crowd on stage. The group slowly whittled away until a final six were left on stage and under Yeager’s ‘spell’. As he worked, the au-dience roused into laughter and jeers at the site of deep sleep, sour and muscle faces made upon his command.

Once the tears of the crowd stopped flowing from laughter and breath was caught, the night resumed with the the pinnacle of the evening fes-tivities, the presentation of the Chamber’s high-est awards.

The following are the introductions as read at last week’s Banquet:

Woman of the YearOur Woman of the Year was born on February 3, 1919

in Houston, Texas and was an only child. She attended Reagan High School and her family lived in the Heights area. Her grandparents owned an ice cream factory in

After raising $125 million in the recent bond election, the Trustees of Palacios ISD must now decide when and what portion of the bonds to issue.

At last Monday’s Palacios ISD Regular Board Meeting, Victor Quiroga, of Special-ized Public Finance Inc., presented a Bond Financing Report outlining a timetable for issuing $9.5 million in August 2021 and the remaining $115.5 million in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2022.

Quiroga stated that he believes interest rates will remain relatively low, and PISD Superintendent Dr. Bill Chapman voiced his support stating, “ We can minimize the

tax impact because if we sell next February, we’re not raising the tax rate until the follow-ing year.” The trustees approved the Financ-ing Plan for the 2021 Bond Program.

Good News for TeachersThe trustees approved Staff Compensation

and Dr. Chapman commented that “every teacher will see at least a $3,500 raise over what they made this year.”

Dr. Chapman to Remain at PISDDuring Executive Session, the trustees

evaluated Superintendent Chapman and his contract and, after returning to open session, voted to extend his contract.

PresentationsDr. Julia McMains presented the SHAC

Annual Report and reported that PISD has re-ceived $1,197,056 in ESSER III Funds from

the American Rescue Plan (ARP) intended to help safely reopen schools. McMains com-mented, “We have been open for a very long time.” She also reported on the Triennial Wellness Review and stated, “We were very pleased with what we were actually doing.”

Approved ItemsThe Consent Agenda, consisting of Meet-

ing Minutes, Changes in the Tax Roll, Staff Resignations, and Jackson County Contrac-tual Agreement, was approved. Also ap-proved were Selection of Program Manager, Rice & Gardner Consultants Inc., Appoint Delegate, Karyn Botbyl, and Alternate Del-egate, Fabian Marroquin, for TASB Conven-tion, and Staff Technology Order, which will complete replacement of all laptops.

Competition Gym Roof Repair was ap-

proved for a new Duro-Last roof from Par-son’s Roofing, with a 20-year warranty, at a cost of $70,515, to be followed by gym floor repair this summer. Also approved were New Positions, the two main positions being CCMR Coordinator and Tutor, and Deposi-tory Contract with First Financial.

Reports to the BoardBusiness Reports, including Tax Office

Reports, Monthly Financial Reports, and Monthly Summary of Bills, and Superin-tendent’s Reports regarding continuing edu-cation opportunities were presented to the board.

Next MeetingThe next Regular Board Meeting will be on

July 12, at 6:30 p.m.

Palacios 12u Softball All-Stars win District 18 Championship

BY ALAN C. SCHULMANPalacios Beacon - Reporter

RECIPIENTS of the Palacios Chamber of Commerce’s highest awards at last week’s annual Banquet were: (left to right) Woman of the Year - the Hazel Montgomery, represented by Colleen Claybourn and Jerry Purvis; Business of the Year - Subway and manager Brandi Duran Proctor; and Man of the Year - Clyde Oliver. (Sub-mitted Photo)

FAST asleep was the group of volunteers after coming un-der the ‘spell’ of The Hypnomeister, before hijinx ensued.

THE Palacios 12u softball All-Stars captured the Dis-trict 18 tournament cham-pionship with a two-game sweep of El Campo on the diamond last week, with an 11-3 victory, followed by a 15-3 win via 10-run rule. Members of the team are: (left to right) coach Bri-anna Serna, Audrey Oben-haus, Adria Flores, Anahi Perez, Greenlie Jasek, Ali-cia Kacer, Jahanna Star-rett, Makena Bowers, Madelyn West, Macy Pena, Riley Crittendon, Tatiana Deleon, and coach Brittany Serna. (Beacon Photo by Brandi West)

The directors of the Pala-cios Economic Development Corp. (PEDC) held their monthly meeting last week and approved the 2021-2022 budget.

The Palacios Lions Club request for a Hotel-Motel Tax Grant in the amount of $1,500 was approved.

Directors agreed to accept the Bert West Business En-hancement Grant application in the amount of a $10,000 for Pirate Queen Designs.

The directors discussed maintenance issues needed at the front of the PEDC Office, along with discussions over the need to have the back door replaced.

No action was taken on the Airport Hangar project, with both items tabled.

Brief reports were given on activity in the immediate area and on the countywide front.

The next meeting of the PEDC directors will be held at 1:15 p.m. on July 21.

■ Live Music at Outrigger Event Center Sat.

The Outrigger Event Center welcomes The Heath Spencer Band, to the stage on Sat. (June 26). Doors open at 6 p.m., concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $30. For more info call 361-920-6513 or visit www.outriggereventcenter.com

Inside ThisWeek....

Palacios Beacon

Police Reports.............Page 3Early Files...................Page 4Classifieds................. Page 9Youth.......................Page 8-9Lifestyles...................Page 10

•The Palacios Beacon • Serving the City by the Sea since 1907

DEADLINE 4:30 P.M. FRIDAYPage 2 - Palacios Beacon - Wed., June 23, 2021

CHAMBER (Continued From Page 1)

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Houston and sold fig ice cream to the Rice Hotel in the 1920s.

Our woman of the year married in 1943, just as her husband joined the air force.

She was recognized by the American Rosie the Riveter Association for her service as a working woman during World War II. She was a great support as her husband worked full time and attended college graduating from University of Houston. Because she and her husband loved fishing and the Palacios community so much, they moved to Pala-cios when they retired in 1980 and built their home on the bay. Her husband sadly died in 2003 of leukemia.

Our woman of honor had a great sense of humor a quick wit and a very caring nature which endeared her to so many people. She was a very talented artist and creator of many amazing paintings. Just for fun, she painted a mural of Noah’s Ark and all of its many crit-ters across the nursery wall at her First Pres-byterian Church. Even when she could no longer attend church, in her 90’s, she hosted an email prayer ministry on her computer, keeping the congregation and friends up to date on current prayer concerns and of course the latest funny items.

Our woman was very independent and did pretty much whatever she decided she want-ed to do even with limitations later in her life. With a big smile on her face, she confessed that at age 98, after she had been advised not to drive, she secretly took herself for rides in her car, just because she could. Her beloved pet cat and partner in crime, Cougar purred

that this was a great idea.Our woman of the year,

had a very generous heart. Secretly and quietly, it was not unusual for Hazel to help individuals and families with money to help in difficult cir-cumstances.

She made significant dona-tions over the years from the Robert and Hazel Montgom-ery Family Trust to many non-profit organizations in the Palacios area and be-yond. She decided that while still living, she wanted to see the benefits of donations she made. There are fond memo-ries of Hazel providing a donation to our Palacios Community Medical Center when times were tight. Hazel contributed gener-ously to and witnessed the completion of two new, very needed facilities in our com-munity, the Rainbowland Day Care Center and the Palacios Medical Clinic. The legacy that Hazel and Robert Montgomery worked to build throughout their lives has and will continue to have a positive effect on our Pa-lacios community for years to come. Because Hazel intentionally left a list of organizations to receive gifts, her generosity continues.

Our honored woman passed away this year in February of 2021, at the age of 102.

This evening, let us celebrate Hazel Hous-ton Montgomery as our Woman of the Cen-tury!

Man of the YearOur Man of the Year was

born August 6, 1955, and was the youngest of 4, two sisters and one brother.

He was raised outside of Cleveland, Texas in a small community called Tarking-ton Prairie. Clyde went to Tarkington ISD from the 3’ grade until he graduated in 1974. Our Man of the Year married his wife of 44 years in 1976. He has three chil-dren David, Jake and Nicole and he has five grandchildren Aydan, Hannah, Brynna, Caelyn and Anna. He went to school nights and weekends to get his certification as a Heavy Equipment Operator and worked for Local 450 for 19 years. During his years with Local 4S0 Our Man of the Year helped build two of the tallest buildings in Hous-ton as a Crane Operator, then went to work for STP as con-tractor in 1983 and went full time in 1991 as the lead Die-sel Mechanic. He retired in October 2017 after 34 good years of service at the South

Texas Nuclear Plant. And now works his own business “Clyde’s Custom Works” doing cus-tom hay, mowing and special projects for in-dividuals.

He is a very quiet behind the scenes man in helping prepare the Thanksgiving Dinner with his church Trinity Baptist for the com-munity, volunteering for several organization in Palacios, hauling decorations, help setting up, taking down, delivering decorations back to their destination, picking up the Seawall Christmas lighting decorations, help set up, take down and deliver them back to the stor-age facility.

Our Man of the Year also helps his wife Pam at the Chamber anytime his help is needed and other organizations she volun-teers with. Clyde being the kind hearted per-son he is helped bury a lady’s special family dog when she would not do it herself after his wife got a call at the Chamber for help. He spends many hours with his grandchil-dren and their friends on Ag Projects and 4-H Projects for the Matagorda County Fair. His grandson has won Grand Champion 5 out of the 6 last years on his wood project and his granddaughter won Grand Champion this year being her first year. Our Man of the Year has built numerous wood projects for several organization for their live Auctions, and he enjoys working his cattle, gardening, and fishing in his spare time.

Please welcome our 2021 Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year - Clyde Wayne Oliver.

Business of the YearOur Business of the Year

is successful due to the man-agement of our one and only manager since the business opened in 2005. This is ex-tremely rare, as a matter of fact, I (these words from the

owner of our Business of the Year) I have never heard of it happening before. This is a testament to her dedication and reliability to her job and her employees. I believe our ded-icated manager has already treated the busi-ness as her own and this is why she and the business have been successful. I, the owner am extremely grateful for her and I am not sure where we would be without her.

We need to tell you about her - she is a life-long resident of Palacios, the oldest of 5 chil-dren. A graduate of Palacios High School, at-tended Bee County College and later Victoria Junior College majoring in Child Develop-ment but married and started a family of her own with 3 daughters. She is a lifetime mem-ber of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Mem-ber of both Blessing and Palacios Catholic Daughters of America, member of Blessing Lions Club, First Book Matagorda and helps out with Operation Santa Claus.

She is known to look out for the younger staff at our Business of the Year like a big sis-ter or second mom. She also looks out for our community and most recently with the win-ter freeze opened the doors of the Business of the Year to fellow Palacians so they could charge phones, take breathing treatments and just get out of the cold while grabbing a meal. She kept our Business of the Year open late during the sports season home games so the youth and leaders could eat after games and even delivers to Tidehaven sports events

Our Business of the Year is owned by Nor-bert Keller of College Station and General

Manager is Denise Dickin-son of Victoria.

The Totto of our one and only local manager is Eat Fresh. Please Welcome our Business of the Year Subway and its manager Brandi Du-ran Proctor.

UPON ‘The Hypnomeister’s command, volunteers either displayed their muscles or struck a pose. The goodnatured contestants were: (left to right) Vikijane Mosier, Michael Hebert, Nellie Lee, Brandi Proctor, Gracie Negrete and Linda Wilson. (Beacon Photo by Alan Schulman)

DPS Encourages Texans to Be Smart in Summer HeatDEADLINE 4:30 P.M. FRIDAY Palacios Beacon - Wed., June 23, 2021 - Page 3

ARRESTSCameron Alexander Cantu, San An-

tonio, was arrested in the intersection of 11th St. and Mockingbird Lane at 10:55 p.m. on June 14. Public Intoxication, Un-lawful Carry of a Weapon, Possession of Marijuana.

Angel Alfredo Vasquez, San Antonio, was arrested in the intersection of 11th St. and Mockingbird Lane at 10:55 p.m. on June 14. Public Intoxication, Unlawful Carry of a Weapon, Possession of Mari-juana.

Jose Luis Martinez Jr., 811 Perryman Ave, was arrested in the intersection of 12th St. and Henderson Ave at 5:26 a.m. on June 16. Possession of Marijuana, Pub-lic Intoxication.

INCIDENTSFail to Maintain Financial Responsi-

bility: A traffic stop was initiated in the in-tersection of 4th St. and Henderson Ave at 3:18 a.m. on June 11 resulting in a vehicle being towed for public safety and a cita-

tion issued for Failure to Maintain Finan-cial Responsibility.

Burglary of a Vehicle: Officers were dispatched to the Palacios Police Depart-ment at 2:21 p.m. on Jun 14 in reference to stolen property.

Criminal Mischief: Officers responded to a call for service in the 400 block of Humphrey Ave at 9:00 p.m. on June 14 in reference to Criminal Mischief.

Possession of Marijuana, Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia: Officer initiated a traf-fic stop in the intersection of 8th St. and Moore Ave at 9:00 p.m. on June 15. No charges have been filed and an investiga-tion is ongoing.

Abandoned Vehicle: Officers were dis-patched to the intersection of East Bay-shore Dr. and McGlothlin Ave at 7:35 p.m. on June 16 in reference to an abandoned vehicle in the roadway. The vehicle was towed and roadway cleared.

Individuals listed have been arrested and/or charged with an offense. Inclusion in this report does not imply that the person is guilty of any crime. The following are offense and arrest reports submitted by the Palacios Police Dept. to the Palacios Beacon as of noon Friday.

• Palacios Police Reports •

From the Police ChiefEach year,dozens of children and untold numbers of pets

left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia. Never leave children, disabled adults, or pets in a car. Heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable.

Restrict activities during hot days. If you need to do chores outside, pick the coolest time of day. Children, se-niors, and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.

Avoid dark clothing; wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat. Try to use some head covering to insulate from heat. Avoid drinking coffee or alcohol and consume plenty of water even if not thirsty.

Excessive heat raises AC use that may cause the power grid to fail. Please have a plan in place. If you need to stay home without power, don’t let the heat in or the inside air go out. Quickly open and close the doors if you need to leave. Take a Cold Bath. Use the cold tap water in your home to cool off in a cold bath or show-er. Air drying yourself and leaving your hair wet will help you to stay cool longer.

The Officers of the Palacios Police Department are ready to offer assistance. Please call 361-972-3112.

By Police Chief Milton Rivera

COVID-19 has a�ected Texans across the state. We have

emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay

current and past due rent and utility bills – even if the

landlord has already sued for eviction in their local court.

Households must have incomes at or below 80% of the

Area Median Income and meet other eligibility

requirements. For full details, visit TexasRentRelief.com

LANDLORDS & RENTERS

The Texas Rent Relief Programis here to help.

Texas Emergency Rental Assistance program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community A�airs.Providing false, incomplete, or inaccurate information on application forms or seeking assistance for months in which assistance has been or will be provided, may result in up to 5 years of imprisonment and for each occurrence a fine of up to $10,000. | Other program limitations and eligibility requirements apply, not all households may be eligible. See TexasRentRelief.com for details. | Funds may no longer be available by the time a household applies.

TexasRentRelief.com

For Information and to Apply

Assistance is available in multiple languages.

833-9TX-RENT Toll Free833-989-7368

Behind on rentor utilities?

AUSTIN – As tempera-tures rise this summer, the Texas Department of Pub-lic Safety (DPS) is urging the public to take extra safety precautions to avoid some common heat-related dangers, especially for vul-nerable populations like children and the elderly.

“Texas summers heat up quickly. Children are more susceptible than adults to many things, including extreme temperatures,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We are urging Texans to take every mea-sure possible to have a safe season. Heat-related injuries and deaths are often preventable, and we all need to be vigi-lant in protecting ourselves and others.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in just 10 minutes the temperature inside a vehicle can increase by 20 degrees. Children are more vulnerable to heatstroke, because their body temperatures rise three to five times faster than adults’. Cracking or rolling down a win-dow makes little difference in reducing the rising temperature in a vehicle. You should never leave a child alone in a vehicle, no mat-ter the circumstance.

DPS offers the following tips to prevent vehicular heatstroke, and for staying safe in the heat:

· Never leave a child unattended in a vehi-cle, and always check the back seat or cargo areas before walking away.

· Establish reminders to help ensure you re-move children from the vehicle. This could be leaving your bag, lunch or cell phone in the back seat with the child’s car seat.

· If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 9-1-1 immediately and emergency personnel will provide guidance.

· Teach the children in your life not to play in vehicles, and make sure to place keys out-of-reach when not in use.

· Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty; you may not realize you’re dehydrated until it’s too late. Make sure children stay hydrated, too.

· Avoid alcohol and beverages high in caf-feine or sugar during prolonged periods out-doors.

· Pay attention to your body. Heat-related

illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke can develop quickly. Know the warn-ing signs and seek medical attention if neces-sary.

· Check on others, especially the elderly, sick, very young and those without air con-ditioners.

· Don’t forget about pets and pet safety. An-imals are susceptible to heat-related injuries or death. Pets can die in a hot vehicle in just 15 minutes.

· Monitor local weather updates and stay aware of upcoming changes.

· Limit exposure to the sun. If you can, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day.

· Light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and a hat are recommended while spending time outdoors.

· Wear sunscreen. Sunburns can affect the body’s ability to cool down.

· Be careful when cooking outdoors, build-ing campfires or driving off-road to avoid igniting dry vegetation. Also, stay aware of burn bans in your area, and always abide by restrictions on outside burning.

So far in 2021, two children in the U.S. have died from heat-related deaths, accord-ing to noheatstroke.org. In 2020, 24 children died. Texas has the most pediatric vehicle deaths in the country from 1998 to 2020, with 132.

Additional information on preventing heat-stroke in vehicles can be found by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-tion. Additionally, Ready.gov, the Texas De-partment of Family and Protective Services and the National Weather Service also have helpful tips on staying safe in the heat.

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