FISHING ORANGE COUNTY
Sports
OUTDOORS
Kaz’s Korner
Capt. Chuck Uzzle
Commentary
Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1B
Page 3B
Hunting & Fishing
RELIGION & LOCAL CHURCH GUIDE Page 7B
Page 6B
The Record TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 57 No. 52
Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield
Week of Wednesday, April 27, 2015
BC voters hitting the polls early for May 7 election Tommy Mann Jr.
For The Record
Early voting is now underway for the May 7 uniform election and turnout for the Bridge City races is off to a quick start. Early voting began Monday, April 25 and continues through this Friday, April 29. It resumes on Monday, May 2 and concludes on Tuesday, May 3, with varying hours depending on the location. The City of Bridge City and Bridge City Independent School District are sharing the Bridge City ISD Administration Building, located at 1031 W. Roundbunch Road, for early voting. Hours are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., through Friday, April 29; and 7 a.m. - 7 p.m., Monday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 3. Election day is Saturday, May 7. The City of Bridge City has three races on the ballot this spring and voter turnout was
very steady with 106 ballots submitted on Monday and 71 ballots submitted on Tuesday for a two-day total of 177 ballots. Mayor Kirk Roccaforte and Place 2 councilman Mike Reed have reached term limits and cannot seek re-election for those respective positions. Roccaforte has filed for the Place 2 council position and is being opposed by challenger Carl Harbert. In Place 4, incumbent Eric Andrus is seeking re-election and is opposed by candidate Phillip Todora Jr., while Place 6 councilman Danny Cole is opposed by former Bridge City councilmembers, Lucy Fields and Kevin Mott, in his bid for re-election. Current Place 1 councilman David Rutledge has filed for the open position of Mayor and is unopposed. In the Bridge City Independent School District election,
there were 151 ballots submitted on Monday and 116 ballots submitted on Tuesday for a two-day total of 267 ballots.
The races on the ballot include Rebecca Rutledge, the Place 3 incumbent, who is being opposed by Bryan Gremil-
lion, and Place 4 incumbent, Thad Hill, who is opposed by challenger Bryant Champagne. In Place 5, incumbent
Jerry McInnis is opposed by candidate Brandy Slaughter.
EARLY VOTING Page 5A
Undefeated Lady Cardinals head to playoffs
Work set to begin Orange Train Depot Tommy Mann Jr. For The Record
Months of hard work and dedication have finally come to fruition as a historic structure will soon be returned to its former glory. The Friends of the Orange Depot have spent countless hours and numerous months attempting to acquire $650,000 in donations to restore historic Orange Train Depot, located in the historic district in downtown Orange at Green Avenue and 11th Street. The group held a special groundbreaking ceremony this past Saturday (April 23, 2016) to commemorate the occasion of reaching its preliminary goal of $450,000 and to signal the next phase of the project. “These funds will let us begin the work on the interior, exterior and do some of the painting that we need,” said Carrie Woliver, president of the Friends of the Orange Depot. “The museum will not be
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outfitted yet, until we reach the rest of our fundraising goal, but we could possibly use it as event space until we get the museum going.” The purpose of the project is to convert the train depot, which was built in 1910, into a museum and educational attraction. The facility will pay tribute to railroad transportation, timber, shipbuilding and the petrochemical industries of the city which have been so vital to its growth and history. According to the official website, the Orange Depot Museum will include exhibits about the industries of Orange and the significance of each to the area, replicas of ships and boats built in Orange, model trains and other interactive exhibits to educate local school students and guests. “Traveling by train was the main mode of transportation before automobiles and the development of roadways,” Woliver added. “That’s really how people got from town to town back then.” Work has already begun on preparing the facility for its renovation and an abatement company will be arriving in the next two weeks to begin removing lead paint and other items from the building. “Once the abatement company takes care of our lead issues, the contractor can get started,” she said. “Our plan is to restore the windows and doors as best as we possibly can and to leave some of the details of the building as they were designed.” Architect for the project are Rob Clark with Architectural Alliance, Inc. in Beaumont, whom Woliver stated has previous experience with renovating historical projects, including other train depots. Jack Elliott of Jackbuilt, which is located in Orange, will serve as the general contractor for the Orange Depot Museum project and is expected to begin the renovation
ORANGE TRAIN Page 5A
The Bridge City Lady Cardinal softball team put the finishing touches on district play with an 8-4 victory over Hardin Jefferson on Saturday. The reigning Dist. 24 champions now embark on the path to the Class 4A state softball playoffs. Ranked No. 3 in the state, the Lady Cardinals will take on the Cleveland Lady Indians in Houston on Friday. Above: The Lady Cardinals finish off the Lady Hawks and head off the field (L to R) Maggie Garcia, Faith Kaufman, Peyton Trapp, Caitlin Dennison, Baili Thidodeaux, Hannah Faulk, Megan Sourdelia, Bailee Bacon, Abby Faulk, Ashton Sezer, Lauren Groomes. See Page 1B For More. RECCORD PHOTO: Tishy Bryant
Rebecca Rutledge one of 95 honored by TASB Tommy Mann Jr. For The Record
Rebecca Rutledge of Bridge ISD was one of 95 school board members who is developing the legislative program of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). Rutledge was elected to the TASB Legislative Advisory Council during a regional grassroots meeting of the public school board members earlier this year. The Council met in Austin on April 16 to consider the regional legislative properties identified by school board members across the state and develop one statewide list of priorities to guide the Association. The TASB Advocacy Agenda, reared through direct input from Texas school board members, guides the legislative and advocacy efforts from the Association on behalf of public school students. The Council discussed issues related to school finance, governance and accountability during its meeting, which is the first of three. The priority statements finalized by the Council during its next meeting on June 16 will go to TASB’s Legislative Committee and Board of Directors for review before they are sent to TASB’s Delegate Assembly for final adoption in September. TASB is a voluntary, nonprofit association established
BCISD school board member Rebecca Rutledge is one of 95 school board members who is developing the legislative program of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).
in 1949 to serve local Texas School districts, Its membership includes every public school district in the state, as well as county school boards, junior colleges, tax appraisal districts, cooperatives and education service centers. TASB represents the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. Rutledge was nominated by Region Five, which consists of 34 school districts. She has earned over 300 continuing education hours in school governance. She was chosen to participate in the leadership TBSB programs. Her participation took her all over the
sate touring schools and interviewing great educators. She earned the designation of “Master Trustee.” Rutledge said “The State of Texas will face a budget crisis in the next two years, which will seriously jeopardize school funding. You might be surprised to learn that property taxes only provide about 47% of our funding. Some of our other funding comes from the State’s general fund.” “We have so much to celebrate in BCISD. Our test scores are up, our children are engaged and good things are happening in every campus. In every program, our kids are not only able to compete, but
they excel. These achievements don’t happen by luck. They happen because we have dedicated teachers and administrators committed to bringing out the best in our kids. It happens because of dedicated board members willing to step up and make hard decisions from the betterment of our schools. I am very proud of all that we have accomplished during my time on the Board, especially in creating opportunities to show our appreciation for the dedication and hard work of our employees.” Rutledge added, “I am also thankful for the TASB recognition.”
Bridge City Chamber host 14th annual golf tourney Staff Report- For The Record
The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce & Historical Museum will hold its 14th Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 16. The tournament will take place at Babe Zaharias Golf Course located at 3500 Jimmy Johnson Blvd., Port Arthur. This will be a four-person scramble and the cost is $60 per person. The players package includes: green fee, cart, food, beverages and door prizes. Hole sponsorships are available for $100 and include a tee box sign as well as event and post-event recognition. Sponsorships are open to Bridge City Chamber members and non-members. All proceeds will benefit the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce and Historical Museum (former Prairie View Teacherage). For more information, call 735-5671 or visit www.bridgecitychamber.com.
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