Softball
Primary pg. 10
pg. 15
Basketball
HILIFE pg. 14
2305 East Main, League City, TX 77573
VOLUME 82
March 2008
ISSUE 5
Mr. Clear Creek contestants light up the stage Jessica O’Neil
On February 23, 2008, the senior class of 2008 held the annual Mr. Clear Creek Pageant to find out who really is the hottest hunk at Creek. The seven contestants and their escorts were as follows: Cori Cornwell and Ashley Albro; Aaron Daniels and Morgan Ruble; Justin Garcia and Kyrsten Garcia; Michael Henry and Shawndell Roberts; Rico Pardo and Kharla Muniz; Daniel Sandoval and Alyssa Littlejohn; and Ben Walker and Meagan Martinez. These handsome guys strutted their stuff on the runway to prove to the judges – Mayor Jerry Shults, Nancy Richards, and Mary Lou Johnson - they deserved the title of Mr. Clear Creek. The first category the contestants were judged in was Clear Creek Wear. The
contestants flaunted their school spirit with Creek Out shirts, sports shirts, and even homemade spirit shirts. The next category was Sun & Fun Wear. The contestants sported swim trunks and duck floaties with the exception of Michael Henry who took to the runway dressed as King Triton in a shell float pulled by his escort. This was truly a unique perspective on the category. The third category was the Formal Wear. The contestants were decked out in fabulous tuxes from Al’s Formal Wear and their escorts were fitted in beautiful David’s Bridal gowns and had their hair done by Cutting Edge Hair Salon. A few contestants tried to sway the judges by throwing out roses. After a short intermission for the audience, the contestants prepared for the talent part of the pageant. A wide range of talents was displayed. From the diverse dancing styles of Cori Cornwell, Justin Garcia, Rico Pardo, Daniel Sandoval, and Ben Walker, to the singing styles of Aaron Daniels and Michael Henry, it seemed the
judges would have a tough time deciding a winner. Cheers went up throughout the auditorium as the audience supported their favorite contestant. The cheering continued until the results were announced by the MC for the night, Mr. Bockhart. Third runner up was Daniel Sandoval. Second runner up was Aaron Daniels. First runner up was Justin Garcia and the hottest hunk at Clear Creek, the winner of the title, the two free prom tickets, a free haircut, and a $50 gift certificate for dinner was Mr. Michael Henry. “I was really shocked and excited that I won. But mostly shocked!” said Michael. Congratulations to Michael and all the contestants that From top to bottom, left to right: Rico Pardo, Justin Garcompeted. cia, Aaron Daniels, Ben Walker, Cori Cornwell, Michael Henry, Danial Sandoval. Photo by Cassie Lee.
Over three hundred volunteer for the ninth annual Clean Up
Cleaning up the Clear Creek “so much fun” Hayley Boultinghouse Citizens of the coast have an obligation to preserve its natural beauty for future generations. Here in the Bay Area, the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation is a champion for that cause. Through education, conservation, restoration, and research the organization hopes to rehabilitate, as well as prevent further destruction of Clear Creek and Clear Lake. One of the many ways the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation reaches out for community involvement is though various clean up events. The 9th annual Clear Creek Clean Up kicked off Saturday February 23, 2008. More than 300 volunteers left their warm beds and reported for duty at the Egret Boat Ramp on FM 270. The volunteers ranged from children to adults and came from various backgrounds. Yet, they all had a common vision: to improve the condition of the environment around their homes, one trash bag at a time. The Clear Creek Clean Up is considered the largest river clean up in the nation. Clear Creek, which snakes through Brazoria County before spilling over into Clear Lake, is endangered. In fact, due to threats posed by development, Clear Creek is in the top ten endangered rivers list in the USA. This is a call for action to the Bay Area community. A large portion of the 2008 Clear Creek
Clean Up volunteers were students and teachers from Clear Creek High School. They gave up their weekend to be change
Students clean up the Clear Creek.
makers. This year, many helped the Clear Creek Clean Up add to their nine year running record of waste disposal. In total, more than 100 tons of trash has been removed from the rivers. “It’s like a treasure hunt,” said Kelsey Burt, a junior who has volunteered for the Clear Creek Clean Up for several years. “[You find] absurd things people throw in the creek like tires, shopping carts and even computers.” A pair of Clear Creek High School students made the Clear Creek Clean Up a family affair. Sisters, Caitlin Holmes, junior, and Meredith Holmes, senior were both at the Clear Creek Clean Up site on Saturday morning.
“Its terrible how people can just throw things now and make the world such a mess. I signed up to help the environment.
Photo by Janie Shultz
All of the trash that was out there was hurting some of those creatures and I just wanted to help,” said Caitlin. The pair both described memories surrounding the trash assembly line towards the end of the event. “I had never done the type of thing where people stand in a long line and pass things down,” said Meredith. “The barge had come in with all the trash,” continued Caitlin. “We all got in two lines going from the barge to the dumpsters. We all worked together passing all the trash down the line.” “I just thought that was so much fun to be a part of,” said Meredith.
“It was so amazing how much people really do care and are willing to get so dirty and stinky to help the environment. You could see in everybody’s faces how good they felt for doing such a good thing,” said Caitlin. The numbers of wildlife in the Bay Area that depend on the marshes run high. According to the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation 90% of the finfish and shellfish caught in Galveston Bay spend a part of their lives in the marshes. When the marshes are tainted with waste, these creatures no longer have a home. Also, six hundred of North America’s eight hundred bird species can be seen in the Bay Area, at different times of the year. Trash has the potential to endanger the lives of these animals and slowly decrease their numbers. Human beings also benefit from these marshes. The prevention of erosion on the coastline is aided by marshes. They are also known for filtering run off water that trickles down from the land. Most importantly, when hurricane season hits marshes absorb excess floodwaters and keep houses and other development from being completely submerged. Events like the Clear Creek Clean Up help to keep these natural phenomena in tact. If nothing else, it’s a way to give back to nature for providing so much to the human race. Without Clear Creek Clean Up and similar undertakings, the coastline would go to ruins. So the challenge is, in the words of Meredith Holmes, “To help clean up the Creek. Somebody’s got to do it.”