BEST FISHING IN TEXAS
SPORTS NEWS
Kaz’s Korner
Record Columnist Roy Dunn See Page 9A
Capt. Chuck Uzzle Page 4B
Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1B
Page 1B
Down Life’s Highway
OUTDOORS WEEKLY
H H H H H Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1958 H H H H H
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Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield
Vol. 56 No. 4
Week of Wednesday, May 5, 2014
Republican runoff candidates debate David Ball
For The Record
Voters received one last chance to hear from candidates before they cast votes in the May 27 run-off. The Orange County Republican Party Runoff Roundup took place Tuesday night at the Orange County Expo, Hospitality and Convention Center on FM 1442. De-
BC resident appeals for help
Steve Bisson, a 1974 Bridge City High School graduate, is on a waiting list. A waiting list for people that can’t wait, but still have to. He knows the folks at St. Lukes are working really hard to find a liver to transplant into his body. But now he is not only running out of time, but also, running out of money. Steve has to drive back and forth to Houston all the time for his medical needs. He has no one to help him and now he cannot afford to pay his doctor bills. Please, if you can donate to help Steve, go to Firestone Credit Union where an account has been set up under Steve Bisson.
Tiger Rock Martial Arts of BC Free Seminar Sat. Free women’s protection seminar for ladies 12 yrs. and older. from 3 to 5 pm, May 10. at TigerRock Martial Arts of Bridge City at 1955 Milller. Dr. on FM 408. Ca.. 409-920-1462
H • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page...................... 4A • Obituaries Page.......................6A •Dicky Colburn Fishing...................1B • CHURCH NEWS Page................ ......8A • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................8B
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bates were for the Orange County judge, District 36, U.S. representative and Precinct 2 commissioner run-off races. John Dubose and Brint Carlton are facing each other in the run-off election for county judge. Each candidate made opening statements. Dubose told how he moved to Bridge City in 1972. He began working at the Port Arthur News at age 12 with a newspaper route which lasted until he was in college. He then became manager of the mail room and then the youngest circulation manager in the history of The Orange Leader. He earned an MBA at McNeese State University and became general manager and then controller at The Port Arthur News. He earned his CPA license and taught at Lamar State College-Orange and at Lamar State CollegePort Arthur. He was elected to the Bridge City City Council where he learned to work with others to not be disagreeable. He was elected mayor the second time he ran for the office where he restructured the city’s debt and left finances in much better shape. As a county commissioner for Precinct 3, he made contacts with other governmental agencies and he was in-
strumental in building the fishing pier on Bailey Road in Bridge City. Carlton spoke about his family and his wife who is 8-and-ahalf months pregnant with their first child. He graduated from Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Florida where he earned an MBA and a law degree. He served in Kuwait as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He practiced family law before joining the Orange County District Attorney’s office. Carlton said he’s an avid volunteer, an active reservist and a Christian. He added his professional background and military experience have suited him to be a county judge. He said the county has a $3.1 million deficit while taxes and the median age in the county have been declining. Carlton said the county has everything a business would want, but they’re not locating here. The first question was what is the current state of the budget and how would they eliminate budget spending. Dubose said the county is deficit-free. There is no problem today but there may be a larger deficit at the end of the year due to road work projects
that won’t be reimbursed until the fall or winter. Carlton referred to Dubose’s “Experience Counts” campaign slogan. He said Dubose should had been in the best position to stop a budget deficit. Dubose
replied he made the best decisions he could with the information given to him. He added the county judge is the chief financial officer and some of the revenues didn’t come in as planned, though the judge
didn’t lie to the commissioners. Carlton was asked how he could participate in the reserves serving as county judge. REPUBLICAN Page 3A
BC residents’ street problems resolved Student artists honored
Bridge City High School senior Wade Howard receives a first place and $100 from Bridge City High School art instructor Deborah Gregg during art awards at Bridge City High School on Thursday. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
David Ball
For The Record
Some residents who complained about the condition of their streets received some welcomed news at the regular meeting of the Bridge City City Council on Tuesday night. Some residents who live on Jennette, Nancy, David and Calvin said their streets were left with rock and gravel after street work instead of being repaved. Residents said vehicles were being scraped by the rocks, flooding was an issue after a pouring rain and drainage was an issue. Rhonda Whitaker lives on Jennette and said if her home floods, her insurance company will drop her and she won’t be able to sell her home. City Manager Jerry Jones responded four of the streets in the addition will be reworked: Jennette, Calvin, East and West Darby and Billeaud. The work will be paid with existing street funds while contractors are still working in the city. “Eighty five percent of our streets have been redone. This is a one-time opportunity for us. We can either redo these streets or turn the money back in,” he said. Jones said it costs the city twice as much to use hot-mix method to pave streets, so the streets will be paved using the chip-seal method. The streets
will be increased four inches in height. In other council business, James B. Scales III, municipal court judge, reported on a resident in violation of the City Code of Ordinances, Part II, Chapter 5 pertaining to the leash law. This resident has 41 violations since September 2010 where it is rare for a resident to have more than two violations. Scales said it’s an ongoing problem. The resident will be in court this Wednesday and charged with six more violations. The resident has plead guilty to all charges. Scales said at this rate, he will be paying the city a certain amount every month for the rest of his life. His dogs have also bitten a police officer and a pregnant woman. He lives four blocks away from city hall. “He’s not willing to do anything about it,” Scales said. “Neighbors call us all the time. We can only fine him and set up a payment plan.” Residents are charged $5 per day for dogs placed in the city pound. Mayor Kirk Roccaforte said the resident could move his dogs out of the city. Paul Davis, Bridge City police chief, said there are no provisions for repeat violations. Paul Fukuda, city attorney, said the resident can pay a civil fine or reach an agreement with the city.
at ‘Pop Art’ exhibition
Mark Dunn
For The Record
Andy Warhole would have been proud. On Thursday Bridge City art students went retro in an exhibition of works dedicated to Pop Art. More than 500 pieces of art created by over 100 students from every grade level were on display. The theme paid tribute to the Pop Art era in the 8th Annual Art Exhibition and Open House held at Bridge City High School. “Pop Art started in the late 1950’s, a movement that is attributed to Andy Warhole who launched the trend by painting the Campbell soup can and famed images of Marilyn Monroe,” said Deborah Gregg, art instructor at Bridge City High School, “Simply put, Pop Art depictes what is popular.” A feature of the exhibition was a mural sized collage of “selfies” by high school art students. The student “selfies” face photos were printed on block linoleum and then printed on bright colored pa-
Among the students receiving art awards was Art II student Cadelyn Hartman seen here with instructor Deborah Gregg. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
per. “Once we put them all together it mimicked what Andy Warhol was doing in the 1950’s and 1960’s,” Gregg said, “And what could be more ‘Pop’ today than selfies.” “It’s was my favorite student project of all time,” said
Gregg who is beginning her 27th year at BCHS. In addition, the event paid tribute to BCISD performing arts. Students of the Spanish Club paired up in a traditional dance, the Strutter officers
STUDENT Page 3A