INSIDE Community news from the City of La Marque and La Marque Economic Development Corporation
Summer 2022
Red, White & Blue On The Bayou Save The Date:
RED, WHITE & BLUE
La Marque’s First Ever Independence Day Celebration
on the BAYOU15 Screen-Free Summer Activities
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Juneteenth June 19 Independence Day Bash July 2 Bayou Fest October 15
Shine On La Marque Shine On La Marque is a video spotlight series featuring local businesses.
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FEATURES 4
New City Manager Meet Cesar Garcia
Catch our next episode on Youtube. Shop Local. It Matters!
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Red, White & Blue on the Bayou
To nominate your favorite biz, call/text (409)240-2912 or email m.woodburn@lmedc.com
Celebrate Fourth of July
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Digital Magazine
New Business : Sweet Treats Mom & Daughter Duo
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Never Forgotten - Fire Dept. Honoring Captain “Turbo”
La Marque EDC 1130 1st Street La Marque, Tx 77568 2
cityoflamarque.org
FOLLOW US TO STAY UPDATED ON IMPORTANT LA MARQUE NEWS
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Friends, Summer is here, which means spending more time with family, having fun in the sun and barbecuing. It also means being prepared for the upcoming hurricane season. Inside, you'll find helpful tips on how you can help keep your family and home safe during a storm. Let's stay smart, stay prepared and stay safe! I am also excited to report that the downtown streetscape improvements are under construction. With wider sidewalks, more lighting and green space, this project will create a beautiful destination for locals and visitors of La Marque. All totaled, 12 roads will be repaired to make La Marque streets smooth for your daily travels. Stay tuned for more positive news to come! 3
Message From The Mayor
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City Manager
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Economic Development
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Mayor Keith Bell
CONGRATULATIONS!
Due to the continued safe and best practices by the Fire Department, our Summer Activities ISO Rating has been upgraded to a No. 2. Through this increased safety Health & Safety rating, residents may see additional discounts on their home owners Fire Department insurance. The Fire Department encourages everyone to contact their New Ice Cream Shop Mayor Keith Bell insurance provider for further details.
11 City Improvements
Inside La Marque Summer 2022
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NEW CITY MANAGER
esar Garcia has accepted the position as our new City Manager. Mr. Garcia is a resident of La Marque and has been a part of our community for about a year. He has professionally served in South Miami, Salvation Army, City of Westpark, and the City of Galveston. Mr. Garcia has a master's in business from the University of Miami and has previously worked in sports business and hospitality. He enjoys spending time with his wife and children watching movies and exploring La Marque and surrounding areas. Mr. Garcia is a very faithful person and says that drives him in his decisions. Mr. Garcia's passion for educating children influenced his decision to leave the world of sports to become a math teacher. After seeing that some of the students lacked the soft skills of development, such as adaptability and communication skills, he decided he needed to reach the kids before high school. He then got into parks and recreation realm, which is how he made his way into the government. After working in government, he realized his clientele went from nine months to 109 years old. He saw the outlet of sports as a great way to work through many different social aspects like social diversity, cultures and backgrounds. Mr. Garcia is eager to get busy working in his new position and serve La Marque's community. Please welcome him as you see and meet him in the community!
I'm really big on making things make sense. That's important to me, along with making very educated decisions. We're public servants, and in our case, we deal under the framework of taxpayer funds, so there's a level of trust that needs to exist from our constituents. So maintaining that and making sure there's a clear line and it is never called into question is very important to me. Accountability is huge.
HURRICANE SEASON June 1st - Nov. 30th
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MAKE A PLAN
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Find the evacuation zone Have a go-bag for supplies Follow evacuation orders Plan several routes Plan for your pets
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Food & water Full tank of gas Cash on hand Medicine & prescriptions Radio, batteries & chargers
cityoflamarque.org
STAY CONNECTED
Scan & Sign up for emergency alerts here:
BUILD A KIT
For more information on how to stay safe during the hurricane season, visit:
LMOEM.ORG
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Downtown La Marque Revitalization Plan is Underway!
uly of 2019, Council approved a preliminary budget for a streetscape plan for Laurel and 1st Street intersection in La Marque's downtown Renaissance District. After many hours of surveying and engineering, the project broke ground in March 2022.
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This Revitalization Plan will include wider sidewalks, green space and attractive lighting, making downtown more pedestrian-friendly. Along with streetscaping, which La Marque Economic Development Corporation will primarily fund, significant road improvements are planned as part of the $80 million Galveston County bond approved by voters in 2017. Although the COVID-19 pandemic set back construction by a few months, the project officially started in March and will continue through June with crews installing asphalt, signage, backfill curbs and ramps, among other things.
SCAN FOR MORE DETAILS
Inside La Marque Summer 2022
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SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Red, White & Blue on the Bayou "Mac" McGaffey
Highland Bayou Park July 2, 2022 For details and updates, visit:
15 Screen-Free Activities For Kids This Summer un F r o tdo
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er *Und g n i h is h • F o To Beac G ng • ampi halk • C dewalk C s n i • S aterballoo nt u • W avenger H and c St • S monade e e L a Bik • iding R •
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cityoflamarque.org
La Marque Public Library Ocean of Possibilities Computer Learning Science Activities City Reads Anime Club Teens Honey Hut Saturday Movie Matinee Visit ci.la-marque.tx.us/359/Calendar-of-Events for dates and times
DIY Milk
Carton 1. Grab Birdhou a recyc se led milk 2. Cut a hole f carton o r 3. Pain t any co the door lor or d 4. Fill esign the bot tom wit 5. Han h h g your b irdhous ay or grass e in a tr ee!
HEALTH & SAFETY Important Facts About Firework Safety • According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks started an estimated 19,500 fires in 2018, including 1,900 structure fires, 500 vehicle fires, and 17,100 outside fires. These fires caused five deaths, 46 civilian injuries, and $105 million in direct property damage, and these are just the incidents reported. • Firework safety is extremely important in our community due to the subdivisions’ layout and the houses’ proximity. Not to mention the stress it causes our pets and citizens with PTSD. • A citation or ticket can be issued for a fine of up to $2,000. More importantly, fireworks burn at extremely high temperatures and cause significant fire damage.
La Marque Fire Department Offers Free Car Seat Checks Every 2nd Thursday of the Month 10AM - 1PM According to The Texas Department of Transportation, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children. Texas law requires that all children under the age of 8, unless taller than 4 feet 9 inches, must be secured in a child safety seat when riding in a vehicle. A properly installed car seat can reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.
We are the first and currently the only place in Galveston County to offer car seat checks. -LMFD Fire Chief David Merryman
This is why La Marque Fire Department has teamed up with Texas Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids to ensure that all car seats are installed correctly. LMFD is the first and only establishment in Galveston County to offer car seat inspections. “60 percent of the time, car seats are misused,” says La Marque Fire Chief David Merryman. Every second Thursday of the month, LMFD can show expecting parents how to install a car seat correctly, check if car seats already installed are adequately secured, and if the car seat’s expiration date has passed.
For appointments, visit safekidsgreaterhouston.org or call 409-938-9267 Inside La Marque Summer 2022
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FIRE DEPARTMENT La Marque Fire Department Names New Fire Chief & Fire Marshal Fire Chief, David Merryman Chief Merryman started volunteering for the Channelview Fire Department when he was 15 years old. He enrolled in paramedic school, and at age 23, Merryman was promoted to paramedic supervisor for the City of Pasadena, where he served for 16 years. In 2013, Merryman joined the La Marque Fire Department, where he worked his way up the ladder. Merryman used his Child Safety Seat Technician certification to start the first and only place to offer child car seat checks in Galveston County.
Fire Marshal Brennan Briggs Fire Marshal Briggs has been in the fire service for 14 years. Briggs got his GED in 2008 after being homeschooled while onboard his parents 50 foot sailboat while traveling around Mexico, Central and South America. Briggs attended the League City Volunteer Fire Academy in 2008 and is currently attending the Peace Officer Academy at the College of the Mainland. Before taking the La Marque Fire Department position in 2019, Briggs was Deputy Fire Marshal in La Porte. 8
cityoflamarque.org
NEVER FORGOTTEN
Fire Dept. Honors Captain “Turbo” On August 5, 2021, at the age of 31, Jesse "Turbo" Turrubiate, a La Marque Fire Dept. Captain, passed away after battling COVID for over a month. The father of three joined the LMFD in 2019. "He had a smile that was infectious," Fire Chief David Merryman said. "He just excelled at all the traits of a company officer." The plaque and tree were a project that Jesse's wife Randi Turrubiate developed. After working with the County, Randi decided to have the monument in Carbide Park next to the playground where Jesse often took their kids to play.
The LMFD patch displayed on Engine 2 is now hanging in the main hallway at Fire Station 1 as a daily reminder of their gone but never forgotten brother.
"As Jesse's Fire Department family, we were present the day the dedication was made along with his close family members and friends," says Fire Marshal Briggs.
Inside La Marque Summer 2022
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SWEET TREATS
Summer | 2022
The Scoop On The New Ice Cream Shop In Town
We really wanted a shop where people can come and sit with each other and enjoy some ice cream.
A new family-owned and operated ice cream shop and bakery has become a new local favorite among residents in La Marque. Since she was young, Lisa Marie Zarate dreamed of owning an ice cream shop. When Zarate's father passed away in March of 2021, she decided to follow up on her dream and asked her mother, Linda Marie, whom she noticed was spending a lot of time alone, to join her in making her dream a reality.
The shop offers handmade ice cream and waffle cones, cookies, cupcakes, turnovers, and more. And if that doesn't sound good enough, their toppings are free. That's right! Free! "We want everyone in your family, whether you have two or five kids, to come in, get what they want, and have a great experience while they're here," says Zarate.
After opening its doors in February 2021 at Gulfway Plaza, Sweet Treats has become a popular spot for families to get ice cream and delicious baked goods as well. "For as much ice cream as we sell, that's how many pastries we sell," says Zarate.
S w e e t Tr e a t s 11001 Delany Rd. La Marque, Tx (409) 316-4282 10
cityoflamarque.org
Sweet Treats is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm
CITY ENHANCEMENTS Various Roads Project Summer | 2022
*Estimated Timeline
Starting in Spring until the end of this year, crews will work hard to make your streets smoother! The project consists of constructing an asphalt overlay with isolated base repairs for twelve different roads. Be prepared to use alternate routes while crews work hard to make your city beautiful. The attached graphic shows an estimated timeline of the streets that will be worked on along with the projected start and finish dates.
Inside La Marque Summer 2022
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1111 Bayou Road La Marque, TX 77568 1111 Bayou Road La Marque, TX 77568
Register fornews city Register for city at news at connect.cityofflamarque.org connect.cityofflamarque.org
