Published For Orange Countians By Orange Countians
County Record
TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 58 No. 17
The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas
Week of Wednesday, August 24, 2016
West Orange sets budget, property demolition Tommy Mann Jr. For The Record
City leaders met briefly this past Monday in a regularly scheduled session of city council and moved forward on two important agenda items. City councilmembers in the City of West Orange met at City Hall on Monday, Aug. 22, and unanimously approved the city budget for 2016-2017 and also approved a motion to move forward on the demolition of five properties in the city. The properties, some of which have been vacant and in need of repair or removal since Hurricane Ike, are just the latest in a continued effort to keep West Orange beautiful and moving forward. The structures on the most recent list of substandard structures are located at 1003
Albany, 2019 Bonnie, 2007 Crabtree, 1015 Lansing and 2431 Smith Street. At its June 13 meeting, council approved a motion to allow 30 days for property owners to make contact with city officials if they wished to appeal the order of demolition by making repairs or renovations or establish a reason the property should be removed from the list. Attorney Alan Sanders who represents the City of West Orange in this effort, participated in Monday’s meeting via a conference call and stated no one has contacted him in order to halt any potential demolition. “We sent information by certified mail to all of the property owners of record and to the lien holders of all properties and I have not been given notice of any dispute of any
properties,” Sanders informed council. “No permits have been issued for repairs or renovations, so my recommendation is to go forward on the demolition.” Mike Stelly, chief of the West Orange Police Department and the Public Works Director for the city, stated the property owner for the structure at 1015 Lansing had obtained a permit for demolition
approximately two weeks ago, but no action had since been started at the property. Council unanimously approved a motion to move forward with the demolition process. In other news, city council voted unanimously to approve the city’s 2016-2017 budget of $3.7 million. A public hearing was held prior to the start of Monday’s
council meeting, but no citizens attended to speak in opposition of the proposed budget. The operations portion of the budget is $3.4 million with the largest portion obligated for the West Orange Police Department at $1.3 million. More than $600,000 will be used for sanitation, $521,000 for the street department and more than $435,000 in general
administration. The remainder of the operations budget will be utilized by various other departments including parks and facilities, municipal court and the fire department. Approximately $255,000 will be directed for capital outlay purchases in 2016-2017 for the street department, the police department, fire de-
WEST ORANGE Page 3A
Raising awareness . . .
Businesses step in to fundraise for ‘Meals on Wheels’ Tommy Mann For The Record
Two local businesses with a reputation for supporting their local community are coming together to help bring awareness to the current plight of the Orange Community Action Association. The Orange Community Action Association, also commonly referred to as the Meals on Wheels program, is in the midst of a potential financial crisis as it continues provide meals and transportation for area senior citizens. Sabine River Ford and First Financial Bank are joining forces to help raise awareness of the program and generate support from the community for this much needed service by holding “Lunch on the Lot” from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Friday, Aug. 26 at Sabine River Ford, 1601 Green Ave. in Orange.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
H
THE RECORD DIGITAL EDITION ONLINE NOW
TheRecordLive.com
The fundraiser luncheon will consist of link, chips, drink and cookie, which can be purchased for $5 at the event. Donations will be accepted as well to support the agency. “Meals on Wheels does a phenomenal job for our community, but they have a funding shortage that many people may not be aware of,” said Stephen Lee, president of First Financial Bank. “The service they provide is very much needed because it is probably the only meal and, maybe, the only human interaction some of those people they serve get.” Lee became aware of what the Orange Community Action Association does for the community with his involvement in the United Way of Orange County in recent years and he knows how vital the service it provides to residents of the county truly is. “We want to keep them solvent and serving our community,” he added. “And, hopefully, we will raise awareness about what the organization does for our community.” The Orange Community Action Association delivers as many as 300 meals per day, while it serves approximately 385 meals per day, five-daysper week. Of the meals not delivered to home-based clients, meals are taken to locations in Orange, as well as Optimist Village in Pinehurst, and locations in Bridge City and Little Cypress. The Orange Community Action Association not only provides meals to its clients several days each week, but it also provides transportation to senior citizens are no longer afforded the luxury of driving. For $1 per ride, the OCAA will transport seniors within the immediate local area so they can go shopping, make doctors appointments and various other errands. The Meals on Wheels program delivers meals to senior
MEALS ON Page 3A
Christine Morris, at left, nurse manager for the Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program in Beaumont, accepts a proclamation from Orange County Commissioners David Dubose, Precinct 1; Barry Burton, Precinct 2; and Jody Crump, Precinct 4, at Tuesday’s meeting of Commissioners Court. The Court proclaimed September as “National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month” and October as “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month” and recognized the Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program for its efforts at providing assistance to those in need across a seven-county area of Southeast Texas. RECORD PHOTO: Tommy Mann Jr.
BC water filtration system near completion Tommy Mann Jr. For The Record
A well-known water quality problem, which is on its way to being resolved, received unexpected national attention this past week as a result of a separate problem surfaced. The City of Bridge City has been working to resolve a known water quality problem for its residents for many months as the city purchased a $1.4 million water filtration system earlier this year. The new system is currently being constructed and installed and is expected to be online very soon. However, much of the recent attention to the previous water quality problem stemmed from a letter residents received about a totally separate issue as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) had reported a violation of safe water laws due to increased levels of Trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes (THMs), according to the Water Research Center official website, are a group of four chemicals
that are formed along with other disinfection by-products when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic or inorganic matter in water. “The THMs are an issue at two of our four sites,” said Jerry Jones, city manager of Bridge City. “We have contacted TCEQ about possible solutions. We have completely drained those two tanks and flushed them and reduced the amount of chlorine in order to reduce those THM levels. That should take care of most of the problem.” Jones said the city has sent off water samples to TCEQ and is waiting on results for confirmation of reduced levels of Trihalomethanes. In its letter to area residents, TCEQ stated the water was safe for consumption despite what it deemed to be minor violations. Residents of the city have become accustomed to the issues with the city’s current water system and its intermittent problems, most notably
The new $1.4 million water filtration system is nearing completion and should be up and running within a matter of weeks for residents in Bridge City. The new system will remove deposits of iron and manganese from the water, which were determined to be the culprits for the stained or brown water residents have experienced for years. RECORD PHOTO: Tommy Mann Jr.
the water quality and ireports of brown water, which seemed to peak in 2014 and 2015, spurring the city to purchase the new water filtration system. The brown water issue received national attention this past week when Erin Brockovich, a well-known environmental activist, posted a video on her Facebook page of brown
water running out of the faucet of a Bridge City resident. In a previous interview with Jones earlier this summer, the source of the brown water is excessive iron and manganese, which he stated is “inherent in all deep well applications.” “The new system is about ready,” Jones said. “The tie-ins
BRIDGE CITY Page 3A
BC