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County Record The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas

Vol. 51 No. 25

Week of Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Internet crime prevention recognized Nicole Gibbs

For The Record

Detective Richard Fergon with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department was recognized in Monday’s Commissioners’ Court meeting for all of his hard work to stop and catch internet predators that target children. The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations presented Fergon with a rarely given Partnerships for Public Safety Award. This national award recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the DSH-HSI’s child exploitation mission. Nathan Curry with the Department of Homeland Secu-

rity presented Detective Fergon with the Award because Resident in Charge Agent Ed Silva was not able to make it to the Commissioners’ Court meeting on Monday. “We nominated Detective Fergon because he’s become vital contributor to Operation Safety Net, a multi-agency enforcement initiative sponsored by ICE-HSI office of the Resident in Charge in Beaumont,” Curry said. “In support of Operation Safety Net, Detective Fergon conducts online, undercover investigations, participates in search warrants and conducts digital forensic examinations in support of HSI Child Exploitation Investigations, both in SAC Houston area of responsibility as

well as nationwide.” Fergon has identified numerous child exploitation suspects and is relied upon in support by HSI in the execution of search warrants, most

importantly providing digital forensic analysis. Forensic analysis is critical to the HSIBeaumont mission, where the office lacks the requisite personnel with such a unique and

specialized background. Fergon has become a tremendous asset to HSI. In January 2010, the Orange County Sherriff’s Department began working with Hous-

ton’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help catch COUNTY BUSINESSY PAGE 2A

‘Show Down On The Sabine’

Bridge City Heritage Festival set for Saturday Mark Dunn

For The Record

The count down is on for the first Bridge City Heritage Festival to be held Saturday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the Community Center grounds. The event will feature carnival rides, performances from area bands headlined by Bridge City’s own Britt Godwin, arcade games, food, contests, arts and crafts, bingo and a full slate of activities. “We’ve planned something for everyone no matter what their age,” said Paige Williams, chairwoman for the event, “Blue skies are in the forecast and it’s going to be a beautiful day for a festival.” The Bridge City Heritage Festival is being hosted by the Historical Museum of Bridge City, a nonprofit charitable organization formed in 2009 to help preserve local history and enhance tourism. Proceeds raised from the festival will go toward the future waterfront

Inside The Record • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page..................... 4A • Obituaries Page......................7A •Dicky Colburn Fishing..................5B • Kaz’s Korner Joe Kazmar...........4B • CHURCH NEWS Page......................7B • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................8B

park on Cow Bayou in Bridge City. A big attraction is sure to be the dunking booth where festival goers will get the chance to sink some of their favorite dignitaries. They include Bridge City Cardinal athletic director Cris Stump and coach Josh Smalley, Bridge City Mayor Kirk Roccaforte, First Baptist Church WILLIAMS Pastor Bob Boone and Julie Kayla team manger for the World Series contenders Bridge City Junior League softball team. Also to be dunked is Rev Paul Zoch of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Norman Gaspard, Jason Beuhler and others. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held just prior to the start of the festival to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the 1941 dedication of the Cow Bayou Swing Bridge. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the bridge. The carnival will begin on Thursday, Sept. 29 and run throughout the festival. Thursday is ‘bargain night’ from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. entry bracelets for unlimited rides are $15 or just $10 with two nonperishable food items to be donated to the Bridge CityOrangefield Ministerial Alliance. Friday and Saturday carnival bracelets are $20.00. Craft and exhibit vendors will be within the Community Center with performances by local dance studios, a tai kwon do exhibition, and style shows by area clothing retailers. There will also be an ongoing slide show of photographs from Bridge City yesteryear. Food booths will be outdoors. The festival spills over to the Knights of Columbus Hall where an antique and classic car show and judging will be held. Art, jewelry, sports memorabilia and collectibles, antiques and an acoustic guitar autographed by Lady AntebelBRIDGE CITY PAGE 3A

It was an exciting weekend in Orange for Showdown on the Sabine. The annual tunnel boat races always attract a crowd at this free event. Food vendors, arts and crafts booths and activities for the kids where also on hand at the Orange Boat Ramp on Simmons Drive. RECORD PHOTO: Albert Moreno

St. Mary educator becomes principal Darla Daigle

For The Record

For 88 years St. Mary Catholic School has reached across racial, religious and even state boundaries to continue excellence in education as well as traditional values. For the new principal, Denise Willingham, this is a coveted place to be. “We are a family here,” Willingham said. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else, or having my children anywhere else.” Though a transplant to Southeast Texas, she has been with St. Mary as an educator for eleven years. She is now the principal as well as an active classroom teacher teaching Algebra and Math. She is also a parent of a fourth grade student. Though hers may sound like a unique story, for St. Mary’s this is highly normal. Many of the students are second or even third generation students at the facility. Once a full graded school, K through 12, it now runs with approximately 175 students Pre-K three – eighth grades, it is currently located in Orange at 2600 Bob Hall Road. An alumni and board member, Glenda Lucia explains, “There are grandparents who went through this school that now are seeing their grandchildren go here.” She, herself, was a student that went K through 12th grade at St. Mary. “Once you go here you want to see your children and grandchildren go here as well,” Lucia said. With the school year now in full swing, there are a lot of activities. St. Mary participates in sports with the SAPL, an athletic league that has inter-

One of the various forms of community service taught at St. Mary would be gardening. Pictured above, Junior Master Gardeners work under the supervision of Steve Draughn, a Master Gardener of Orange County to build a rose garden. The schoolchildren worked with Draughn last year growing vegetables and flowers. This year they were given a grant from the Stark Foundation to continue nurturing their farming proficiencies.

private school competitions. There are field trips planned and academic camps to attend. The small school atmosphere is welcoming to students and parents. The smaller class sizes assure great teacher/student interaction and relationship for better learning. This in no way, however, means they are behind the times technologically nor in their security. “We have be proactive when it comes to security,” Willingham said. “We have a new security system and teach our children about awareness.” She goes on to explain the security cards issued to each parent similar to those in hospitals and plants that allow only certain individuals to enter the building. There is also a very deliberate effort to maintain a safe atmosphere for teachers and students that may stay late, even after dark. ST. MARY PAGE 3A

Angel Food Ministry closing Darla Daigle

For The Record

When she returned home from a week away, Cris Anderson found an unexpected and most unwelcomed email in her inbox. The head of a local Angel Food distribution ministry chartered through McDonald Memorial Baptist Church in Orange was informed the national food distribution ministry was immediately shutting down giving no specific details or warning to their affiliates that depended on them for food acquisition and delivery.

“It shocked me terribly. There was no warning. I had no clue. I read all emails I got from them when they came in but there was no hint of this,” Cris said, who has, for the past four and a half years made the met the monthly quotas and fulfillment of orders required to be a part of the program. “I didn’t set up the program at our church, it was a Missions minister, but I have been running it,” Cris explains. The Angel Food Ministry has been a national food distribution organization that was dedicated to bring whole-

some, high quality foods to people at low cost. Running since 1994, there were no qualifying specifics required to get to participate in the program. All anyone was required to do was to pay from $40 to $50 and place their order. In return they would receive box (or boxes) of high quality foods that would have retailed at twice what they paid. Food stamps were even a pay option. In the beginning weeks of September, Angel Foods ceased its operations and let ANGEL FOOD PAGE 2A


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