County Record Vol. 56 No. 19
The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas
New building permits increase in county Penny LeLeux For The Record
Most of Commissioners Court this week was taking care of end of the fiscal year business as they get ready to tackle the budget for next year which begins Oct. 1. One item in Joel Ardoin’s code and compliance monthly report really caught Judge Carl
Missouri Police officer has ties to Orange David Ball For The Record
Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo. police officer involved in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, has ties to Southeast Texas. His father, and other family members live in Orange, and have been advised by legal council not to speak to media until after the legal process has been completed. Wilson’s dad, John Wilson, posted a photo of him recently receiving recognition by his police department. The senior Wilson wrote “Very proud of my son, Darren Wilson on his receiving a commendation from his police department. Congratulations son. John Wilson’s Facebook page has since been deactivated, and he has stated that none of the family is speaking publicly, under the advice of attorneys. Darren Wilson has been placed on paid leave pending results of the shooting.
H • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page...................... 4A • Obituaries Page......................6A •Dicky Colburn Fishing...................2B • CHURCH NEWS Page................ ......5B • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................6B
Thibodeaux’s eye. He seemed really pleased there have been 55 new home permits issued in the last four months. After several years of slowed growth in Orange County, the addition of 55 new homes will mean a future increase in the tax rolls as the homes are completed. During the same time period 76 permits were also issued for mobile home. Ardoin said there has been a steady increase in the last few months. The court also voted on setting the proposed tax rate for the 2014/2015 fiscal year at $0.5440 per $100 valuation. There are two public hearings set: 1 p.m., Monday, Sept. 8 and 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15 before the new rate adoption set for Sept. 22. Commissioners also approved the filling of a Clerk II position that has been vacant in the Tax Assessor-Collector’s office for the six week period commissioners incorporated into hiring procedures last year. The office will have another vacancy Aug. 29 and Lynda Gunstream said it is also coming up on their busy time of the year. Commissioner Precinct 4 Jody Crump asked her if she could bite the bullet and wait until after the first of the year to hire. She said it would be difficult with two vacancies. Even though her employees are cross trained, both positions are counter positions that could make line wait times longer. Commissioner Precinct 3 John Banken said he appreciated her bringing it to the court for approval, because as an elected official she wasn’t required to come to them and it is a budgeted position. She is going to attempt to leave the other position vacant if possible. All members of the court except Crump voted to approve hiring for the budgeted Clerk II position. Commissioner Precinct 1 David Dubose thanked Gunstream for being a team player. .
Week of Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Classrooms await students
Little Cypress Intermediate School teacher Summer Diamond prepares her classroom for fifth grade students as they return to class again for the 2014-15 school year. Diamond teaches Reading and Language Arts at LCI. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
David Ball
For The Record
A new school year. New goals. New achievements. New hopes. Orange County schools administrators, staff, faculty and students are getting ready for the 2014-2015 academic year. The superintendents of Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD, Bridge City ISD, West Orange-Cove CISD and Orangefield ISD offer their perspectives on what they think the upcoming year will offer.
LC-MCISD Dr. Pauline Hargrove said new positions were added to the district for a total of 539 employees. The district, however, still needs bus drivers and cafeteria workers.
Hargrove said enrollment in LC-MCISD was “really good.” She said last year there were 3,201 students on the first day of school and ended with 3,324. This year there is already 3,406 enrolled for the first day of the 2014-2015 school year. Some students names have been removed from the rolls who moved and were reported to the district. Additionally, LC-MCISD has open enrollment for the past four years, but it’s limited with a fee attached with it. Transferring students must also must meet certain criteria, such as a good attendance, academic and behavioral record. “It’s been a fairly popular program for us,” she said.
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Bridge City Elementary para professional Sherry Gauthier prepares the classroom for the return of students to the Pre-K bilingual classes offered by BCISD. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
Trahan publishes third book in series Darryl Brinson For The Record
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a commercial airline pilot? Well now you don’t have to. Local author, Mike Trahan is about to launch his third book, “The Gift Part ThreeThe Delta Years.” “It covers my first sixteen years as a pilot for Delta Air Lines,” said Trahan. “During those years I was a second officer (flight engineer) and a first officer (copilot).” Trahan said he had been sharing some of his flying stories with Facebook friends, and they kept tell him he should write a book. Mike Trahan launches his third installment of “The Gift” 2-4 p.m., Saturday at his home located at 1014 Lansing in West Orange. The newest book chronicles his life as a commercial pilot for Delta Airlines. RECORD PHOTO: Penny LeLeux
“I have been writing for forty-five years, mostly short stories, articles, newspaper columns, etc., but I had never attempted to write a book,” said Trahan. “I think I always wanted to try my hand at it, and I thought, ‘If not now, then when?’’ He started the first book on Thanksgiving weekend in 2012. “When I started out, the plan was to put the entire story in one book, but by the time I reached five hundred pages, and had only covered the first twentythree years of my life, I knew it would take me one or two more books to tell the story.” Trahan went into great detail to describe what life was like in Orange, in the forties, fifties, and sixties; and those details filled a lot of pages. Trahan said he discovered a process, by accident, that allows him to remember events in great detail. “I would think about something that happened. To build on that memory, I would ask
myself questions like: ‘Who was I with?’ ‘Where were we?’ ‘Was anyone else with us?’ ‘What were we doing there?’ ‘What was the weather like?’ ‘What kind of airplane was I flying?’ etc.” He said soon a picture would begin to emerge, and then it would become a mental video of the event. “If I really let myself delve deeply into it, the event would become present to me. In other words, I was there ‘in the moment’ again and I felt all the sensations, feelings, and emotions I felt back then.” He said if it had been a happy event, like his first solo, he would feel that same joy again, but if it was sad, like the death of his father, “I had to experience that grief all over again.” Trahan said it allowed him to transfer those details, and the accompanying emotions, into his writing.
TRAHAN “THE GIFT” Page 3A