Serving the Friendly West Brazos Area Since 1962
[CLASSIFIED][COLUMNS][HAPPENINGS][HEADLINES][INFORMATION][LETTERS][OBITUARIES][SPORTS]
|
CBISD trustees approve new budget for next school year Columbia-Brazoria ISD trustees approved the budget for the 2009-10 school year excluding salary increases. Salary issues will be addressed later after the final impact of the recently completed legislative session is determined. Business Manager Dee Ann Ogburn said the state may fund salary increases for the next two years with stimulus funds from the federal government, but the concern for school district is what happens after that point – whether or not the districts will have to pick up that extra salary increase out of their budget. Even without the stimulus funds, Ogburn said, there may be some additional state funding. The $28,844,925 budget approved Tuesday does include over $920,000 in federal stimulus funds for other uses, said Ogburn. Superintendent Carol Bertholf said these funds would be used for expenditures such as upgrades to the life skills classrooms and the expansion of the pre-k program. What the money can be used for is very specific, she said. “I have a feeling these three funds will require a lot of time and energy in compliance paperwork,” she said. The budget shows total state funding of $12,373,303. Tax revenue is anticipated to be $7,254,888. Debt service funds will be $2,616,714. The tax rate has not been calculated yet, Ogburn said. The district is at the maximum rate for the maintenance and operations rate, she said. The debt service rate will be whatever the Brazoria County Tax Assessor-Collector’s office determines it has to be to fund the district’s debt. The adopted budget for 2008-09 was $27,619,235. The final amended budget, after all changes, including salary increases, was $31,367,049.80. The final changes were approved Tuesday. Drainage District seeks applicants for vacancy The West Brazoria County Drainage District #11 is asking anyone who may be interested in filling a position on the board to contact them. The District 5 position is currently open following the resignation of Opal Vollbaum. District 5 approximately covers the area south of the railroad tracks in Brazoria. Those interested must live in the area covered by the district. Vollbaum resigned at last month’s meeting, and the remaining commissioners are to have the position filled within 60 days, said President Mark Ducroz. For information on applying for the position call Ducroz at 345-4184. Fireworks ban extended Brazoria County Commissioners have extended the order passed last week banning the sale of certain fireworks. The order bans the use and sale of “skyrockets with sticks and other pyrotechnic devices that have 1-12 fins or rudders for the purpose of achieving aerodynamic flight, and devices that would be considered a missile or rocket.” This includes rockets, things with fins, and anything that sends burning embers back to the ground. Fireworks with sticks or fins will be confiscated from residents or sellers, and people caught using them face a fine of up to $500. The original order on June 23 only banned the sale of bottle rockets. The ban also makes outside burning of any kind illegal unless the fire is in a container that is capable of containing flames and/or sparks. Only household garbage or yard trimmings can be burned. Burning any other material is prohibited whether a burn ban is in effect or not. News seeks The Best The Brazoria County News is looking for the Best of the West Brazos. The annual Welcome to the West Brazos edition will publish August 13, featuring helpful information on local governments, organizations, etc., and this year we want to highlight what residents tell us is the “best”. We have printed a ballot on Page 13. Residents are encouraged to fill out any or all of the categories and follow the instructions for returning it to The Brazoria County News. If you have photos that would apply to any of the categories, you may submit them as well. Deadline for ballots is Friday, July 31. Vote for your favorites and watch for the Welcome to the West Brazos edition on August 13. |
West Brazos area to celebrate the Fourth of July The skies of the West Brazos will be bright this weekend with patriotic fireworks displays. A county-wide ban on aerial fireworks does not apply to large public displays, and residents will have plenty of opportunities to view those displays, with several events going on throughout the area. BOAT PARADE The annual San Bernard River Fourth of July Boat Parade will start at 5 p.m., Saturday, July 4 at the Churchill Bridge, FM 2611, and proceed South to 2J’s Restaurant. Interested boaters are invited to attend a Captain’s meeting at 2J’s Restaurant on Thursday, July 2 at 7 p.m. or contact Vanessa or Nelson Taylor at 964-4402. Suggested viewing areas along the River include 2J’s Restaurant, High Five Bar & Grill, Las Playas boat ramp, and Churchill boat ramp at FM 2611. Visit www.sanbernardriver.com for additional information. CELEBRATE AMERICA The 16th annual Celebrate America will be Saturday, July 4 at Barrow Elementary, in Brazoria. With the theme of “Who’s Your Neighbor”, organizers are asking all Veterans, 80 years or older to call the church so they may be recognized. The group Jazz Sunday will perform at 6 p.m. There will also be other entertainment, food, games for the kids, a patriotic sermon, and conclude with a fireworks display. Call 798-7585 for more information. WEST COLUMBIA West Columbia is planning a backyard fireworks display Friday, July 3 at First Capitol Park. The fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m., but the First Capitol Pool will be open for swimming from 7 to 10 p.m. for $1 admission and hot dogs and drinks will also be for sale at the park. RIVER"S END VFD The River’s End Volunteer Fire Department will celebrates the nation’s birthday by treating the community to their annual fireworks display from the boat ramp at the end of F.M. 2918 on Saturday, July 4, at dark (about 8:30 p.m.). Visitors may park at the boat ramp, or come down by boat to watch the display. Bring the family, lawn chairs, bug spray and refreshments. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety at the fireworks display. For more information, please call Jim Welborn at 979-964-3809, or Al Roth at 979-235-0010. SWEENY It will be an old-fashioned celebration Saturday, July 4 in Sweeny, complete with games, food and fireworks. Businesses, groups and organizations throughout the Sweeny area are contributing to the event, which will be completely free of charge to the community. The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a parade. Line-up is at 4:30 p.m. at the elementary school. Several kids’ games, like three-legged races and tug of war, will be played. West of the Brazos Military Troop Support will hold a homemade pie contest and Our lady of perpetual Help will sponsor a homemade ice cream contest. All pies and ice cream will served to the crowd. Entries must be turned before 5:30 p.m. Judging will be from 5:30 to 6 p.m. There will be booths offering water, lemonade, popcorn, snow cones, watermelon and hot dogs. All are free. A community choir comprised of members from area churches will sing patriotic songs beginning at 8 p.m. Topping off the evening will be a fireworks display beginning at dark. Greater Mount Zion breaks ground on new building A large crowd of parishioners and well-wishers braved the heat on Sunday morning to celebrate the ground breaking for Greater Mt. Zion’s new church building on FM 521, south of Brazoria. The church plans to build a 24,000 sq. ft. facility including a sanctuary, classrooms, office space and full-size gymnasium. Work will be done in four phases and overseen by BBA Architects LP and DaySpring Resources, Inc. Among those who addressed the crowd before earth was turned included descendants of Charles Simple and Henry Simple, who were instrumental in the beginnings of Greater Mt. Zion. Their grandchildren told stories about what courageous and good men they were and how proud they would be of the church today. Senior Pastor Roland Hendricks told his parishioners he was proud of them also. “Our goal was to raise half a million dollars before we turned a piece of dirt,” Hendricks said. “And we have gone over that amount.” “To God be the glory,” said Loretha Edison, a member of the church’s Kingdom Building Project steering team. “The steering team knew our focus was to give God the glory – not to Greater Mount Zion, not to ourselves or any man, but glory to God.” Greater Mt. Zion’s current location at 2924 CR 520 is usually filled to capacity every Sunday. Church members say they don’t usually invite guests because there is no room left. Hendricks told the crowd on Sunday that when he came to the church in 2005 there were 43 members. “Today we have 207. It’s wonderful when people say, ‘I sure would like to go to Greater Mt. Zion today, but they don’t have enough room.’” Hendricks looks forward to the day when the new facility is completed and many more people will be able to come and worship. Phase 1 of construction will begin in the coming weeks, which includes building the 15,000 sq. ft. sanctuary with a capacity for 500 people. Classrooms and administrative offices will also be built in this phase, which will take approximately ten months. The gymnasium and other classrooms will be built in Phases 2 and 3. The project carries a $2.5 million price tag and sits on a 10-acre tract of land at 6437 FM 521 just down the road from the current church. |
| Email:thenews@brazoriacountynews.org P. O. Box 488, West Columbia, TX 77486 113 East Bernard Street Phone (979) 345-3127 Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday |