Everybody Reads The Record!

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Dickie Colburn: Fishing See Page 1B

Cooking with Katherine See Page 8A

Derek Jeter has six to go Page 1B

The       Record TheRecordLive.com

Vol. 51 No. 11 Week of Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Penny Record of Bridge City and Orangefield • Founded 1960

Mother uses tragedy to change lives

Surveyors began mapping the boundaries of the future waterfront park on Cow Bayou in Bridge City. The crew of George Anderson Surveying are Glen Wyatt, Matt Degeyter and Mark Anderson. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn

Waterfront park mapped Surveyors take initial steps for future park on Cow Bayou Kathy Richard Hernandez holds a photo of her daughter 2006 Bridge City graduate Casey Hastings. RECORD PHOTO: Darla Daigle

Darla Daigle For The Record There are moments in time that change our lives forever. Decisions made, split-second choice that make the day one in which we wish time could be reversed and horrible events prevented. No doubt this is the case for one Vidor woman. Kathy Richard Hernandez has a moment in her past which not only changed her life forever, it has been a shadow over her life every day since. That moment came on April 29, 2007. On this day, in the early morning hours, her youngest daughter, Casey Dawn Hastings, lost her life on a dark highway in Jefferson County.

Inside The Record • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page..................... 4A • Obituaries Page......................7A •Dicky Colburn Fishing..................1B • Kaz’s Korner Joe Kazmar...........4B • CHURCH NEWS Page......................7B • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................8B

The Record Digital Edition Online Now

Hers is a story that is excruciating to tell and difficult to hear. It is also a fact that many things in life that are difficult to tell are necessary to hear. For Casey’s tragic story is not just her mother’s to tell. It pain and anguish has been shared by many. Casey was a brilliant spot of light in the lives of all that knew her. Her face always carried a smile and her mood always up beat. Though her passion was cheerleading, she excelled academically as well as athletically lettering in cross-county her freshman year and graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bridge City High in 2006. With her sights set on Forensic Psychology, she was finishing her second semester at Lamar University. During this same time she was chosen to be a cheerleader for the Southeast Texas Arena semi-pro football team the Demons. She was nineteen. April 28 during a media type event to introduce the new team members and cheerleaders, Casey consumed an unknown amount of alcohol from an unknown source. She then made the decision to get behind the wheel of her Mustang and drive. She didn’t arrive at her unknown destination but drove into oncoming traffic causing a head-on collision with another teen. “Casey always made such good decisions,” Kathy said. “To this day I have a hard time understanding why. But it was her choice to drink and drive that caused the accident. It’s not easy to say, a mother feels guilty about what their child does even when they are adults.” Kathy looks down, thinking thoughts that have traveled to and from her mind daily for the past four years. Their frequency doesn’t alleviate the hurt Casey’s death has caused her family, friends and Dani WALK LIKE MADD PAGE 3A

Mark Dunn For The Record Mark Anderson is no stranger to the Cow Bayou waterfront. A lifelong resident of Bridge City the 51-year old school board president knows the lay of the land. On Monday, the second generation owner of George Anderson Surveying began mapping out a future waterfront park in his hometown. The waterfront park will be located on Texas Highway 87 on the almost five acres next to the Cow Bayou Swing Bridge. The rare swing bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 adding to the significance of the adjoining property.

Matt Degeyter locates boundaries of waterfront property in Bridge City. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn

Anderson, like most who grew up in Bridge City between the 1940’s and 1980’s, spent time on the Cow Bayou shoreline at the site of the future park. Many still remember Joe Bailey’s Fish Camp that was once located there. Famous for good times, the establishment flourished in the days when operation of the swing bridge was a routine part of life in early Bridge City. The waterfront park project got a huge boost in April when Ms. Gisela Houseman became a partner in the campaign. As landowner, Houseman placed the property within reach of the fund raising efforts of the nonprofit COW BAYOU PAGE 2A

No fireworks in Orange County Penny Leleux For The Record Monday afternoon Orange County Judge Carl Thibodeaux signed a full ban of fireworks in Orange County. THIBODEAUX “It bans all sales of all fireworks and it bans all usage of fireworks in Orange County,” said Thibodeaux. “It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. I know people might think it’s an easy decision, but it’s not. Your affecting some people’s livelihood which is seasonal. It’s kinda like telling everybody they can’t eat apple pie and ice cream on the Fourth of July, the American traditions. It’s something that has to be done to ensure the safety of the citizens.” The ban is in response to the serious drought conditions in Southeast Texas. Jeff Kelley the emergency management coordinator said 66 percent of Texas is considered under an exceptional drought. “We have a KBDI (the KeetchByram Drought Index) average of 736,” said Kelley. “I can’t remember a time in my career

it being that high.” The scale that only goes to 800 measures drought conditions. A burn ban for the county has been in effect since April. A ban on aerial fireworks was put in place June 6.

BCISD announces Media Honor Roll Staff Report For The Record The Board of Trustees of the Bridge City Independent School District named Mark Dunn-Penny Record (accepted by Amber Lingo) on the statewide Media Honor Roll, calling attention to the ongoing responsible and exemplary nature of reporting on this community’s public schools. Dr. Jamey Harrison expressed appreciation for balanced and accurate approach to sharing with this community both the challenges facing schools and the successes achieved by the teachers and students. The work of the media has aided this community in focusing on the goal of providing the best public schools we can for every child who attends them.

Orange and Jefferson Counties were the only regional counties of Southeast Texas not under a full ban. After Thibodeaux signed the disaster declaration the paperwork was sent to Gov.

Rick Perry, who has 60 hours to act open it. Once the governor sends the paperwork back with his okay, the court has seven days to ratify the ban. COUNTY BUSINESS PAGE 2A


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