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Published for Orange Countians by Orange Countians
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County Record
TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 57 No. 30
The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas
Week of Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Church makes ready for Toy Coffee event Tommy Mann Jr.
PHOTO: A Christmon Tree, decorated by church members, stands near one of the many beautiful windows of First Presbyterian Church in Orange. The church will be the host site of the 59th Annual Toy Coffee event, sponsored by the Service League of Orange, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3. RECORD PHOTO: Tommy Mann Jr.
For The Record
Guests of the annual Toy Coffee holiday event will have the opportunity to experience something a little different this year. The Service League of Orange will hold its 59th Annual Toy Coffee event from 10 a.m. 2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3, at First Presbyterian Church, 902 W. Green Ave. in downtown Orange. Admission for the event is a new, unwrapped toy or a cash donation. The event will feature a mix of holiday decorations with the many wonderful and breathtaking architectural designs of the historic facility. The church was established in 1878, according to information provided by First Presbyterian Church. Construction of the Lutcher Memorial Building at First Presbyterian Church was completed in 1912 and features classic Greek Revival architecture. It is also credited
‘Light of the World’ program Staff Report For The Record
Project GLOW will host The Light of the World presentation Dec. 3, at 7 pm in the Bridge City High School cafeteria. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door the night of the program. Those scheduled to perform are the Bridge City Strutters, several Bridge City school choirs, the BCHS drama department, local businesses and the BC Police Department and BC Fire Department. Local businesses Amy’s Elite Dance Force, Studio C and Tiger Rock Martial Arts will perform. All proceeds from the program will be donated to the Bridge City/Orangefield Ministerial Alliance.
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with being the first air-conditioned public building constructed west of the Mississippi River. The church is also known for its beautiful opalescent stained glass windows, such as “The Good Shepherd,” “The Holy Family” and “Jesus in the Temple,” among others.
“A normal tour of the church takes about 45-minutes,” said Cara Love of First Presbyterian Church. “The tour for the Toy Coffee will only be about 10 minutes, but it will give the guests a glimpse of so much of the beauty that is located here. The focus will be on the windows and architecture, along
with the decorations.” One unique feature is The Chrismon Tree, located on the second floor. A Chrismon Tree is slightly different than a typical Christmas tree in that they are always white and gold. The purpose of the tree is to remind people of the life, teaching and ministry of Jesus. The white of the tree symbolizes Jesus’ purity and perfection, while the gold repre-
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Bridge City lights up Christmas with night parade Dec. 5 Jennifer Clarke For The Record
Repubicans file for March Primary election Tommy Mann Jr. For The Record
The filing period for the March Primary elections has become very active in the past week. Seven incumbents and four new candidates have come forth in the past week to file for a spot on the ballot in the Republican and Democratic Primary elections, which are scheduled to take place in March 2016. The Republican Party in Orange County has basically had all of the activity since filing began on Nov. 14. Two incumbents, Orange County Sheriff Keith Merritt and Orange County Attorney John Kimbrough, have filed for re-election to their respective positions. Both have switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party for the 2016 Primary. All four Orange County Constables, Chris Humble, Precinct 1; David Cagle, Pre-
cinct 2; Mark Philpott, Precinct 3; and Weldon Peveto, Precinct 4; have filed for reelection on the Republican ballot and are currently unopposed. John Banken, Orange County Commissioner of Precinct 3, has filed for re-election and is currently unopposed on the Republican ballot. In Precint 1, new candidates Shirley Zimmerman and Johnny Trahan will face off in March to hopefully fill the seat being vacated by current commissioner David Dubose. Judge Troy Johnson is seeking re-election to the Orange County Second Court at Law seat, while Judge Courtney Arkeen and Judge Dennis Powell have filed for re-election to their positions in Orange County 128th District Court and Orange County 163rd District Court, respectively. Two new candidates have
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BJ Hanneman, an executive for the Bridge City Chamber, is looking forward to her second year working on the Bridge City Christmas Parade, “It is a lot of fun getting to see and meet everyone,” she says. The night parade has been a Bridge City tradition for seven years, but even prior to that, the parade took place during the day. “The parade used to travel down Texas Avenue, the entire street would be closed off,” notes Hanneman. The parade has become an important part of the community because it is “a good way for families to get into the Christmas spirit at the beginning of the season,” suggests BJ Hanneman. The event is free and family friendly and incorporates many of the members of the community. The Bridge City Strutters, High School Band, local first responders including the volunteer fire department, police department, and Constable Mark Philpott all participate. The Bridge City City Council as well as many local businesses usually have a float. And an organization, Jeepers4Jesus, is involved throughout the parade along with Scot. C. Schaffer. All participants provide an entry fee of a toy donation to the Ministerial Alliance. According to Hanneman, “last year the Ministerial Alliance helped over 700 families.” It is
Among the many attractions of the Bridge City Christmas Lights Parade is Santa and Mrs. Clause., seen here during the 2014 parade.
a concerted effort on behalf of all who participate with the help of Bridge City ISD, George Navarro, and First Baptist Church to organize and stage the parade. Granger Chevrolet and Sabine River Ford provide trucks to pick up all the donated toys at the staging areas. “The event is free for families to attend,” says Hanneman. And participants are able to enter the parade through the donation of a toy. In order to enter the parade, Hanneman advises that anyone interested simply visit bridgecitychamber.com and download the application. The parade is December 5, 2015 and begins at First Baptist Church on Roundbunch
traveling to the elementary and ending at the Intermediate school. Judges will be provided for four categories including Vehicle, Dance, Ambulatory, and Float with several awards available in each category. All groups will pause to perform in front of the judges. The narrator of this year’s parade is Michael Hanneman. This year’s Parade Marshall is Mayor Kirk Roccaforte. Directly after the parade this year, Bridge City Bank will be showing an outdoor movie. It is also free and open to the public. BJ Hanneman suggests these are great opportunities to “get in the spirit of the season.”
CCS looking to add gymnasium to educational facility Tommy Mann Jr. For The Record
Community Christian School is growing and its leadership is looking to the future to benefit not only its students, but the community as a whole. Community Christian School, located at 3400 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange, recently announced plans for the construction of a multipurpose gymnasium. Although it would benefit students of the private school greatly, it is not intended to be solely for school or church use. “Our heart is to provide this
opportunity for the community and increase our ministry opportunities,” said Pastor Daniel Rose of Community Church of Orange. “The gymnasium would not only allow us to give our children a complete educational opportunity, but it would allow us to reach out to so many others in the commuThis image is what the proposed new gymnasium and classrooms would look like at Community Christian School in Orange. The proposed $3.5 million project would have 13 classrooms, lockers, showers, weight room, and math and science labs.
nity.” Rose stated the gym could be utilized by local residents for a variety of community activities, such as a summer basketball league and even Little Dribblers. Community groups and civic organizations looking for meeting space could potentially use the gym as well. “God has called us to this community, whether that’s having a child bounce a basketball or a meeting for financial counseling,” Rose explained. According to Rose, the gym-
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