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Take One! It’s FREE!April 22, 2014 Our 20th Year of Publishing(979) 849-5407 . mybulletinnewspaper.com

LAKE JACKSON • CLUTE • RICHWOOD • FREEPORT • OYSTER CREEK • ANGLETON • DANBURY • ALVIN • WEST COLUMBIA • BRAZORIA • SWEENY

BulletinThe Weekly

Shelter from the storm: Safe rooms and tornadoes mix

See 1

Brazosport College class registrations now under way

See Page 16

Adopt-A-Beach Spring Clean-up set for Saturday

See Page 12

Park brings out best in grandkids

(Continued on Page 16)

By John TothEditor and Publisher

The granddaughters stayed with us over a recent weekend – one in diapers and another a 6-year-old live wire. What should we do other

than watch Disney Junior?

I’ve had my fill of the kiddie shows after raising three children. But the girls were mesmerized.

I could see why. The shows were color-ful, in HD on a 55-inch screen, and they told a good story with a happy ending. I can’t blame them for wanting to watch it, not even Diaper Girl, who had to be fasci-nated by the colors alone.

Gone is the tiny TV with the fuzzy screen I grew up with and the tiny sound coming out of the speakers. This is the new world of giant picture and programming that will grab any kiddo.

ROUNDABOUT

Take-A-Child Fishing at Freeport Municipal Park

See Page 8

Sweeny Pride Day & Free Lake Jackson concerts

See Page 9

THE BULLETIN April 22, 2014 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com

ABOUT US

John and Sharon Toth, Owners and Publishers

Since July 4, 1994THE BULLETIN is distrib-

uted each Tuesday by J&S Communications, Inc.. E-mail letters and press releases to [email protected]. Faxed or mailed announcements are no longer accepted. For advertising information, call (979) 849-5407. Advertising and news release deadline is 5 p.m.Tuesday.

Our 20th year of publishing!

Owner Operators-Flatbed, Pipe Hauling. 80% of load, Top drivers avg. $6k/wk! Weekly Pay. 23yoa, 2yrs exp, CDL-A. www.adamsii.com Adams Trucking: 800-525-6958 x3

OH YES, I’M VERY INTERESTED; NICE JACKET BY THE WAY: Four teenagers broke into a woman’s house in Denver, and stole her portable gaming system and some clothes. When the victim came home, she called the cops, arranging to meet them at a nearby McDonald’s parking lot because she was afraid to stay in the house. While she waited, the teens approached her to see if she was interested in buying a gaming system. One of them was wearing her jacket.

WOMEN! AM I RIGHT, GUYS? A millionaire businessman installed his new girlfriend into his London mansion, and told his partner of 30 years that she didn’t have to leave, suggesting instead that she stay on as “a sort of housekeeper.” He told the court, which awarded her half his fortune, that he couldn’t understand why she became “so aggressive.”

SO THAT WAS HINT NUMBER ONE: A man was stopped for an illegal lane change by Oregon State troopers and was subsequently arrested because he had six pounds of marijuana in his car. He was wearing a black beanie displaying the word “weed.”

OLD HABITS DIE HARD: A woman, who needed a liver transplant because she drank a bottle of vodka a day, showed up for the operation at a hospital in Gottigen, Germany, with a bottle of vodka in her bag.

LADIES, WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS!? A barn in Rasdorf, Germany, caught fire when the methane gas from 90 flatulent cows built up, and ulti-mately ignited from a spark of static electricity, causing an explosion.

YEP, IT’S ME; CHANGED MY MIND AGAIN: A man bought a first-class plane ticket at the airport in Shaanxi, China, then went to the VIP lounge, where he had a free meal and free drinks, available to all first-class custom-ers. He then canceled the ticket and got his money back. He did this more than 300 times in a year before he was caught.

OK, I’LL ADMIT IT; WE WERE VERY CLOSE: A couple was convicted of fraudulently receiving welfare benefits for four years after the woman claimed that her boyfriend, with whom she was cohabiting in Liverpool, Eng-land, was her landlord. Authorities discovered the scam when they saw that he had tattoos of the names of their children all over his body, something a landlord rarely does.

EXACTLY WHEN WAS “MOE” APPOINTED? A woman tried to make a purchase at a store in Greensboro, N.C., with a counterfeit hundred-dollar bill, but was caught because the signature of the treasurer on the bill was “Moe Money.”

ACC Spring Student Art Show features abstract of campus by famous alumni The Spring Student Art Show at

Alvin Community College includes a painting crafted by a familiar face from the past.

The painting depicts the ACC campus when it was known as Alvin Junior College in a stark, abstract form by late Alvin artist Robert McKinney.

“This year there is a unique oppor-tunity to see a distinguished former student’s conceptual painting of Alvin Junior College in an expressionistic

modern style, which for him represented a move away from his traditional landscape paint-ing,” President Dr. Rodney Allbright said.

Like many students who will have their works on display during the Student Art Show, McKinney painted his work while taking courses at the college in the 1960s.

“It’s an interesting expressionist concept of Alvin Junior College,” ACC Art Department Chair Dennis LaValley said.

McKinney would later go on to open his own gallery in Alvin as well as travel through the Western United States and parts of Mexico for inspi-ration. He passed away in 1993.

ACC Regent Karlis Ercums III spotted McKinney’s painting recently in his father’s office at Alvin Decorat-

ing and asked about its history.

“That paint-ing has been in my dad’s shop as long as I can remember,” Ercums said.

The regent then asked his father to donate the painting to the college to be hung in the Fine

Arts Gallery. While it will be featured in the art show from April 7-29, McKinney’s red, black and white painting will remain permanently at ACC.

“That really means a lot,” Ercums said.

Aside from the McKinney painting, the annual Spring Student Art Show will feature many works in ceramics, painting, drawing, jewelry and more, all of which were produced by ACC students during their art classes throughout this semester. Many of the pieces will be for sale.

The show will be from April 7 to April 29. A reception for the show will be on April 9 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

All of the student works are on exhibit in the ACC Fine Arts Gallery.

“Alvin Community College’s student art show has always been

a special event for the display of student work through the College Art Department,” Dr. Allbright said.

For more information about the show or the Art Department, call (281) 756-3605, or visit www.alvincollege.edu/art.

www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 April 22, 2014 THE BULLETIN

Strange but True By Bill Sonesand Rich Sones, Ph.D.

E-mail your community announcements to [email protected]. We run all e-mailed notices, but do

not accept faxed notices or notices sent by regular mail. Email photos as is. We’ll convert them here for publication.

UNEARNED OLYMPIC FAME Q. What were two wholly antitheti-

cal paths to Olympic fame – at least up until 1988?

A. Superior performance or unrivaled incompetence, answers “Mental Floss” magazine in “The Eagle Has (Barely) Landed.” When British downhill skier Michael Edwards decided to compete in the 1988 Calgary games, he studied the list of sports and competitors, noting that there were already many well-qualified Brits going for his event. So he aimed instead for the sport of ski jumping, becoming the sole British contender and making the team by default.

Never mind that Edwards was no good at ski jumping after only 18 months of practice and a broken jaw along the way, besides having poor vision and being 20 pounds overweight. Joking to the press about his “perpetually fogged” glasses, he quipped: “My glasses clear up enough for me to see where I’ll land and on which part of my body.”

Naturally, he finished dead last, his score not even half of what the medalists earned. Though the rules were quickly changed “to keep such hopeless cases out of future Olympic competitions,” “Eddie the Eagle” became a fan favorite, even garner-

ing a parade upon his return home! Ever humble, Edwards told the media, “I’m not letting this go to my head ... I’m determined to keep my feet on the ground. Except when I’m ski jumping, of course.”

BABY ILLUSIONQ. What’s the “baby illusion,”

and how does it make things even tougher for some youngest family members to avoid being overshad-owed by their siblings?

A. When Jordy Kaufman of Swin-burne University in Melbourne, Aus-tralia, asked 77 mothers to mark on a wall how tall their children were, the mums underestimated the height of their youngest child by 7.5 centime-ters (3 inches) on average but were almost “spot on for the height of any older children” – defining the “baby illusion,” from “Current Biology” as reported in “New Science” magazine.

If mothers and perhaps fathers tend to see their youngest as shorter than they really are, they may treat them differently than elder siblings, which may help explain the existence of birth order effects. Birth order dif-ference is “one of the great mysteries of child development,” adds Andrew Whitehouse of the University of West-ern Australia in Perth. “Perhaps we tend to see our youngest child as the baby, and that never changes,” just

another example of how our percep-tion of the world is different from the way the world really is.

TOPONYMSQ. “Toponyms” are derived from

place names, such as “bohemian” (unconventional) from Bohemia in the Czech Republic. Can you name the places of origin and meanings of a few more: damask, perse, campanol-ogy and stellenbosch?

A. “Damask” is a reversible fabric with a pattern woven into it, from Damascus, circa 1325, where the fabric was first produced, reports Anu Garg’s A.Word.A.Day website. The word is also short for “damask rose,” a grayish red or pink color. Also “colorful” is “perse,” grayish blue or purple, from “persus” (dark blue) of Persia, now Iran.

For “campanology,” the study or art of bell-ringing or bell-making, give credit to the Campania region of Italy, known for the bronze used to cast bells. In general, Garg explains, the simpler “bell-ringing” is preferred by people involved in the activity.

Finally, “stellenbosch” means to relegate someone incompetent to a position of minimal responsibil-ity, taking its name from a town near Cape Town, South Africa, which housed a British military base during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Originally, officers who had not proven themselves were in effect demoted and sent to the base, or stellenbosched, where they were given relatively insignificant tasks such as looking after horses. “Eventually, the term came to be applied when someone was assigned to a position where he could do little harm.”

(Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at [email protected])


In observance of the 17th annual Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, Brazosport Regional Health System and Dr. Stephanie Herrera at Lake Jackson Ear, Nose, and Throat are offering free oral cancer screenings.

The free oral cancer screen-ings, which take approximately 10 minutes to complete, will be held on Thursday, April 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Classroom C at Brazosport Regional.

Oral, head, and neck cancers claim approximately 13,000 lives per year. However, if diagnosed early, these cancers can be more easily treated without significant complica-tions, and the chances of survival increase greatly.

Every adult should get screened. Tobacco and/or alcohol users tradi-tionally have been considered the populations at greatest risk for these cancers. However, oral cancer cases are on the rise in younger adults who do not smoke, and recent research indicates this development is due partly to the increase of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV-related oral, head, and neck cancers are more difficult to detect because these cancers usually occur on the back of the tongue or on the tonsils, providing even more reason to get

Free screenings for oral, head, and neck cancerscreened regularly.

The signs and symptoms of oral, head and neck cancer often go unnoticed. However, there are a few visible signs associated with these cancers that require immediate attention, including:

• A sore in your mouth that doesn’t heal or that increases in size

• Persistent pain in your mouth• Lumps or white or red patches

inside your mouth• Difficulty chewing or swallowing

or moving your tongue• Soreness in your throat or feel-

ing that something is caught in your throat

• Changes in your voice• A lump in your neckIf you have any of the above warn-

ing signs, do not wait for the free screenings. Seek medical attention immediately.

For additional information about the oral cancer screenings, please call (979) 285-1822.

A swarm of about 25 small earthquakes in central Idaho during the past three weeks has prompted scientists to bring in additional seismographs in hopes of finding a cause, an official said.

“We have our theories, but we need more data,” Idaho Geological Survey research geologist Bill Phillips told the Los Angeles Times.

A University of Utah engineer drove to Challis with portable seismometers that will be deployed around the epicenter of the recent earthquakes, three of which have surpassed magnitude 4. The largest, a 4.9.

Scientists want a better sense of how deep the earthquakes are occurring and whether they might be connected to a fault in a nearby valley.

Why so many earthquakes in Idaho?


With 700 people in attendance at the Bluebonnet Social Club, Brazo-sport Health Foundation excitedly announced they profited $150,000 in the midst of Clay Walker’s perfor-mance on Friday, April 11.

The funds raised are designated for the Cornerstone of Caring Capi-tal Campaign and the construction

of the new Mike and Leslie Lowrey Emergency Services Pavilion.

The multi-platinum country music recording artist, Clay Walker, again rocked the stage as community members two-stepped to many of his classic hits. Before the show, attendees enjoyed hot-off-the-grill food from Pappas Catering, fulfilled

their sweet tooth cravings with desserts by Talk About Good, and satisfied their taste buds with a selection of beer and wine.

Raffle prize winners were announced. Joan and James Bell won the Texas Two Step Hunting Trip, donated by the Infinity Group and Freeport Welding. Diane O’Callaghan won the Custom Boot Weekend Trip, donated by Nalco Champion. The last raffle prize, the Mystery Dream Weekend, went to Trent Allen.

A surprise guitar signed by Clay Walker was auctioned off to the highest bidder. This year, Clay Walker personalized the guitar after the show. Although it was a battle at the beginning, Julie Verret - Walker won the guitar for $7,000, no relationship to Clay Walker!

As a non-profit organization,

Brazosport Regional Health System greatly benefits from events like the Bluebonnet Social Club. The Lowrey Emergency Services Pavilion is expected to serve

approximately 32,000 people on an annual basis. The Level III Trauma Center is based right here in the community to provide essential critical care.

Brazosport Health Foundation Raised $150,000 at Bluebonnet Social Club

Clay Walker was a a big hit at the Bluebonnet Social Club’s fund-raiser, which profited $150,000 on April 11.


Sponsors of this column

(Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.)

Christians want to share their faith - and for good reason!My Answer

By Billy GrahamTribune Media Services

Q: I have my own views about spirituality, but I don’t believe in forcing them down anyone else’s throat. I think people ought to be free to believe anything they want to about the Divine. Why do you Christians insist on forc-ing people to believe exactly the way you do? -- A.L.

A: Jesus certainly didn’t force people to believe in Him; many, in fact, openly rejected Him. Nor did Jesus ever tell His followers that they ought to force people to believe in Him. On one occasion, He told them, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet (Matthew 10:14).

At the same time, Christians want to share their faith with others, and for good reason. Imagine for a moment that you were a medical researcher, and one day you discovered a cure for cancer. Would you say to yourself, “Oh, well, I don’t think I’ll bother sharing this with anyone. Let them discover their own cure for cancer”? No, of course not. Instead, you’d do everything in your power to let others know you’d found the answer to this dreaded disease.

Cancer is a deadly disease, but even more deadly is the spiritual disease the Bible calls sin. Sin is nothing less than rebellion against God, and not only does it bring us into conflict with others and cause turmoil in our lives, but it also cuts us off from God. The Bible warns, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

This is why we need Christ, for only He can bring us the forgiveness and new life we need. Don’t be deceived into following a road that may seem good at first, but actually leads away from God. Instead, by faith turn to Christ and open your heart and life to Him.

Caregiver support group helps families cope with loved ones’ Alzheimer’s disease“Alzheimer’s disease is life-

changing for both those who are diagnosed and those close to them. Being the primary caregiver for a loved one with a dementing disease is the hardest thing you will ever do, “ Dale Libby, Project Coordinator of the Brazoria County Alzheimer’s Awareness Project said. Participating in a support

group is one of the best ways to maintain sanity and energy while dealing with these terrible and long-lasting diseases.

The purpose of a support group is to provide an opportunity for family members and caregivers to meet and develop a mutual sup-port system that will help maintain the health and well-being of its

members. People come to sup-port groups looking for something. They typically talk about looking for people who “really understand because they’ve been there, too.”

“Having a forum to exchange practical information on caregiving problems and possible solutions, talk through challenges and ways of coping, share feelings, needs and concerns, and learn about resources available in the com-munity, has helped me immensely. I no longer feel like I am the only person going through this,” Libby said.

“In southern Brazoria County, there are four (soon to be five) caregiver support groups, but par-ticipation is poor, “ Libby explained.

When caregivers are over-whelmed and tired, they find excuses for not joining a support group. Some of these excuses (and responses) are: 1) “I’m not a group type of person” (Go anyway. Just hearing that someone else deals with similar problems can renew your energy); 2) “I can’t leave my loved one” (Find a sitter or ask a friend or relative to watch the person for a couple of hours. You may just have to ignore your loved one’s objections); 3) “I can’t talk to strangers” (The people in the support group have faced similar problems and won’t remain strang-

ers long); 4) “I have to work during the day” (Our new Younger Onset group meets at 6 p.m., so you can attend after work).

“When I started down this path with my wife, I was still working at Dow (subsequently retired at age 59). I needed a group that met at night and was dealing with Younger Onset issues,“ he continued. “After

attending a Younger Onset group in Houston, I knew that we needed a similar group here in southern Brazoria county.”

“If you are a caregiver, I know that you will benefit from attending a support group. I know I have,” Libby concluded.

For more information, call Dale Libby at (979) 236-5393.


Brazosport Choral Union to finish season with soprano Emily Newton-Mattice, baritone Kenneth MatticeThe Brazosport Choral Union will

finish its 2013-14 season on Sat-urday, April 26, with “The Baroque Concert.” The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. at The Clarion at Brazosport Concert.

The show will feature guest artists soprano Emily Newton-Mat-tice and baritone Kenneth Mattice, along with the chamber orchestra.

Emily Newton is from Lake Jackson and is currently develop-ing her career in Europe after a critically acclaimed debut in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s “Anna Nicole” in 2013 with Oper Dortmund in the continental premiere of the work.

She most recently appeared in Beethoven’s “Fidelio” as Leonore at Theater Aachen in Germany.

She has performed a wide variety of opera and concert repertoire and worked at theaters, such as The Metropolitan Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Saratoga, Opera New Jersey, Opera in the Heights, and Amarillo Opera.

After developing a strong musical foundation at Brazoswood High School, Brazosport College and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Newton went on to complete degrees at University of North Texas and University of North Caro-

lina School of the Arts.Praised by Opera News for his

“handsome baritone (voice) display-ing a glistening edge”, baritone Kenneth Mattice continues to gain accolades in his young career.

This Wisconsin native recently made his German operatic debut with Oper Dortmund as Larry King in the Continental Premier produc-tion of “Anna Nicole,” created the

title character in the World Premiere of Carson Kievman’s “Hamlet” at the SoBe Institute of the Arts in Miami; performed Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas for the Macau International Music Festi-val; and was in Bergamo, Italy to sing the role of Petruccio in Efrain Amaya’s World Premiere-produc-tion of “La Bisbetica Domata” at the Festival Internazionale della

Cultura.The choirs are under the direc-

tion of Rodney Mason, Director of Choral and Keyboard Activi-ties at Brazosport College. The Choral Union is made up of the BC Chamber Choir, Singers and the Brazosport Civic Chorus. Emily and Kenneth will be teaching vocal master classes at Brazosport Col-lege on Monday, April 28.


Brazosport College’s Psi Psi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society recently inducted 51 new members at a ceremony at The Clarion at Brazosport College.

New Phi Theta Kappa members pictured include Katherine Bermea, Alyssa Cantu, Joni Cavazos, Yannelyz Covarrubias, Gabriella Cuevas, Nathan Dowlen, Kathryn Gadbois, Theresa Guidry, Jackson Kimbrough, Jessyca Krueger, Ytzamar Lara, Kylie Leger, James Mclure, Viviana Morales, Erica Palasios, Claire Pate, Otoniel Resendez, Emily Rogers, Angel Shaddock, Char-ity Thurman, Sabra Wright, Denise York and Maribel Zavala. New members are pictured with current President Molly Wilson, kneeling left, and Vice President Joseph Taulbee, right.

New members not pictured are Garry Anderson, Matthew Billen, Anthony Blount, Chyna Bond, Desiree Bonilla, Marcus Brow, Jessica Campbell, Allison Divine, Carrye Funk, Jeff Hart, Ethan Hickman, Stephanie Kozak, Kendall Kulhanek, Morgan Logue, Matthew Massey, Fernando Montes, Daniel Munoz, Erica Palasios, Allison Pasztor, Shannon Peterson, Donna Phillips, Timothy Poe, Bradley Poulsen, Debra Pugh, Cassidy Schultz, Nicholas Swanson, Sydney Travis and Philip Wohllaib.

To learn more about Phi Theta Kappa or Brazosport College, call (979) 230-3000.

Phi Theta Kappa honors new members at BC

At a recent meeting two new members were inducted into the Asa Under-wood Chapter NSDAR District V. Marie Greenwalt Hill and Pam Hill Massin-gill, having verified their linage to an American Revolution patriot, became official descendants. Pictured are Alice Carmichael Royalty, Secretary; Dona Lee Rust Hatthorn, Registrar; Hill; Massingill; Grace Hopkins Collins, Regent.

Local DAR inducts new members

Brazosport College will be hosting a Healthcare Professionals Job Fair on Tuesday, April 22, for students and community members interested in securing careers within the healthcare industry.

The job fair will be from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at the Dow Academic Center on the college campus.

This event can be beneficial for those seeking employment in the healthcare fields, with a variety of companies on hand looking to fill job vacancies and prepared to answer applicants’ questions.

A number of healthcare industry professionals will be represented at the fair, including emergency medical technicians, pharmacy technicians, home healthcare, LVNs, CNAs and many more. Local healthcare companies will be in attendance, as well as companies from Houston, Galveston and other cities throughout the region.

To learn more about the Healthcare Professionals Job Fair on April 22, call (979) 230-3153.

Brazosport College to host job fair for healthcare professionals


Fruit flies make blazing fast-rolling, pitching turns like fighter jets, study saysBy Amina KhanLos Angeles Times (MCT)

Fruit flies could make some tal-ented fighter pilots.

Scientists who had the insects wing it through two laser beams watched the bugs make hairpin turns at blazing fast speeds, by banking in the same way that fighter jet planes do.

The findings, published in the jour-nal Science, shed light on these tiny critters’ remarkable ability to evade predators (and fly swatters).

When trying to escape from a threat, the Drosophila hydei flies turn at a speed that’s five times faster than their normal turning speed, according to researchers from the University of Washington.

That’s because, instead of turning right or left on the “yaw” axis, like a boat in the water, the flies execute banked turns, by rolling and pitching their bodies at the same time, which supercharges their turns. They can execute one of these within less than one-hundredth of a second after

seeing a threat, the scientists said. That’s 50 times faster than the blink of an eye.

“A lot of other people working in the field … would not have predicted the fly could rotate itself so quickly,” said study co-author Michael Dickin-son, a neurobiologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Dickinson and his colleagues captured 3,566 wing beats involved in 92 separate fruit fly escapes, which was no easy task.

To capture such infinitesimally tiny movements, the scientists had to use high-speed cameras that took 7,500 frames per second — that’s nearly 40 frames for each wing beat. They also needed to flood the flight area with light to capture the motions in high detail — but all that light would blind the flies, which wouldn’t be able to maneuver.

Instead, they had to use infrared light, whose wavelength is too long for human or fly eyes to pick up on.

All the circuitry in those lights generated so much heat that the sci-

entists had to run an air conditioner in the laboratory, forcing the research-ers to dress warmly in already chilly Seattle weather.

The scientists watched the flies fly through two crossing laser beams, causing their own shadow to loom large like an impending threat. In response, the flies quickly executed

their escape maneuvers, which the scientists were able to capture on camera.

The videos showed that the flies could roll to one side by 90 degrees or even more as they made these turns, almost bringing them upside down. And they could make these turns in less than two wing beats

— which is pretty remarkable, given that they typically flap their wings at 200 times per second, the scientists said.

“So it’d kind of be like a jet fighter pilot with a stick in his or her hand, only had to make a little bit of tiny change in the stick and pshooo, the plane goes off,” Dickinson said.

THE BULLETIN April 22, 2014 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com BRAZORIA COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT MONTHLY SECTION

sNine County Parks.sA group campground with air-con-

ditioned dormitories, cabins, lake & bayou fishing, swimming pool & wooded trails.sTwo full-service RV campgrounds

with air-conditioned cabins, lighted fishing areas, covered pavilions, playground on the coast.s23 miles of sandy beaches.s20 public boat ramps.sHistorical homes.sCoastal ecology center.sBird watching.sShelling (peak season Dec.-Feb.)sYear-round Adventure Programs.sYear-round special events.

Administrative offices313 W. Mulberry

Angleton, TX. 77515(979) 864-1541

Brazoria County Parks Director Richard Hurd

Board of Park CommissionersMeta Kirby, Chairman

Paul Wofford, Jr., Vice ChairmanJoyce Peltier, Secretary

Dorman DavidsonWayne Shaw

Rex LloydJohn Stanford

SPONSORSPlatinum ($2,000)

Freeport LNG; Town of Quintana; Dow Chemical Company; BASF Corporation

Gold ($1,500)Silver ($1,000)

DSM Nutritional Products Inc.; Wal-Mart, Angleton; Warehouse Associates (Pirates Alley Café, Ocean Village Hotel, Beach

House Associates); Meyerland Custom Home Renovation LLC

Bronze ($500)Texas Gulf Bank; DM Petroleum Opera-

tions; Mary Ruth Rhodenbaugh; and Waste Connections of Texas.

We also thank the many volunteers who help clean the beaches, stake out trees and sand fencing, lend a hand with programs, and add so much to the county’s parks and to our communities. To become a sponsor or to volunteer in our programs, call 979-864-1541 or email jamesg @brazoria-county.com.

The Adopt-A-Beach Spring Clean-up is Saturday! We’re expecting a good volunteer turn-out, so join in the fun as we get ready for the summer beach season.

On-site registration begins at 9 a.m. at Surfside’s Stahlman Park and at Quintana Beach County Park. Clean-up supplies will be issued at the registration points. The event concludes with a volunteer meal at noon.

Several groups have pre-regis-tered from a wide area, including Spring, Manvel, The Woodlands, Rosharon, and Houston. Corporate groups, individuals, and families, will gather alongside school and civic groups to participate in this effort to clean Brazoria County beaches of

winter’s debris. Pre-registration is not required; volunteers can register upon arrival.

Spring clean-up coincides with the start of sea turtle nesting season. Volunteers are encouraged to be on the look-out for turtles making their way from the surf to dune nesting areas and are asked to report any sightings either at the registration areas, or by calling the sea turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5 (1-866-887-8535).

As always, wear clothing suited to the day’s weather conditions, bring drinking water for your beach adven-ture, and exercise caution when pick-ing up debris. If it’s too heavy or of a questionable nature, such as sealed drums, leave the items in place and

report them to the coordinator at the registration area. They will take care of reported items after the clean-up. Bags of collected beach debris are to be left near the blue barrels along the beach for pick-up by county crews, following the volunteer meal.

The Adopt-A-Beach program began in 1986 with the efforts of one young lady. Over the years, the program has grown to include more than 42,000 volunteers from the Sabine to the Rio Grande, all gather-ing on the same day with the same goals in mind. Volunteers annually remove about 500 tons of refuse from Texas public beaches, enrich-ing our beaches and helping protect our wildlife. The program has spread and now includes 13 countries. Your

efforts count! For more information, contact

local coordinators James Glover, for Surfside, Folletts, and San Luis beaches, at (979) 864-1541 or Patty Brinkmeyer, for Quintana and Bryan beaches at (979) 233-1461.

Come join your neighbors, and keep our beaches clean

Saturday also is the start of turtle nesting season. If you sight any turtles while cleaning the beach, please call the number in the photo.

Parks Department crews installed an orderly line of blue trash barrels, con-veniently spaced for use by beach-goers, in an effort to keep Brazoria County beaches clean. Volunteers at the Spring Beach Clean-up will deposit bags of beach debris near the barrels for pick-up later in the day.

New trash cans


Nature CampRegistration is on-going for Nature Camp at Camp Mohawk

County Park. Nature Camp is a half-day camp program on four consecutive

days, June 23-26, for area children ages 7-12. The camp features hands-on sections on wildlife, ecology, and nature studies, con-ducted by the Brazoria County Master Naturalists.

Registration is open only through May 30 and is limited to 30 campers. The cost is only $30 per child, making it one of the most affordable summer camp activities in the area. Spaces are filling fast.

For information, or to register, call (979) 864-1541, or e-mail [email protected].

BRAZORIA COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT MONTHLY SECTION

THE BULLETIN April 22, 2014 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com BRAZORIA COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT MONTHLY SECTION

You can now visit Parks Dept. on FacebookThe Brazoria County Parks Department is using Facebook as an interac-

tive means of getting the word out about our programs, updates, and activities. Visitors to the popular social networking site can post photos, comments, and

reviews and catch up on some of the latest happenings in the county parks.

For those without a Facebook page of their own, simply visit www.brazoria-county.com/parks and click on the Find us on Facebook link.

Of course, we all know that the best source for information on your parks department is The Bulletin!

Brazoria County Parks Department 2014 events scheduleThursday, May 15-18 - Third Annual

Fishing Tournament at San Luis Pass County Park. Starts at noon on Thursday and runs through 9 a.m. on Sunday. Registered campers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Monday, May 25 - Happy Memo-rial Day! Enjoy free chili cheese dogs all day at San Luis Pass County Park. Registered campers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Saturday, June 14, 2 p.m. - Fish Print at San Luis Pass County Park. Learn the ancient Japanese art of Gyo Taku (literally fish impression). Bring your own T-shirt, towel or similar item to print; all other materials provided. Reg-istered campers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Monday-Thursday, June 23-26, 9 a.m. - noon - Nature Camp at Camp Mohawk County Park. Outdoor nature-

related programming with the Brazoria County Master Naturalists. Ages 7-12. $30 per camper; limited space available. Pre-registration required. For information or to register, call (979) 864-1541 or e-mail [email protected].

Saturday, July 12, 2-4 p.m. - Balloon Art with Miss Mai at San Luis Pass County Park. Learn how to twist and tie balloons and make cool stuff! All materials provided. Registered camp-ers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Saturday, Aug. 2 - KidsFest at Bates Park, Angleton. Rack up on school supplies and fun at this FREE back-to-school program for children ages 3-11. For more information, call the Brazoria County Parks Dept. at (979) 864-1541.

Saturday, Aug. 9, 7 p.m. - Dinner and a Movie at San Luis Pass County Park. Join us for a wiener and marsh-mallow roast followed by a relaxing

outdoor movie under the stars. Regis-tered campers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Saturday, Sept. 20 - Texas Navy Day Celebration. Celebrate the Republic of Texas Navy at Surfside. Interact with costumed interpreters and watch period artillery at work. Flag raising at 8 a.m.; infantry drill at various times; 10 a.m. cannon school; ceremony at 4 p.m. For information, call (979) 864-1541.

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2-5 p.m. - Make Wreaths or Gulf Green Luminaries at San Luis Pass County Park. Design a Natural Wreath/Luminary from Basura Bonita (Beautiful Trash) collected off the beach. Registered campers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Saturday, Sept. 27 - Texas Adopt-A-Beach Fall Clean-Up. Volunteers gather at 9 a.m. in Surfside and Quintana for a general beach clean-up. Dress for the weather and bring water. Supplies and lunch provided. Contact James at (979) 864-1541 (Surfside) or Patty at (979) 233-1461 (Quintana).

Saturday, Oct. 11 - Outdoor Adven-ture at Resoft County Park. Family activity including Archery and Kayak instruction and a Survival Skills presen-tation. It also features fishing, wiener roast, and overnight camping. Space is limited. Registration deadline is Sept., 11, 2014. Contact Resoft County Park at (281) 581-1551.

Saturday, Oct. 25 - Food Fair at San Luis Pass County Park. Bring your favorite foods to share and enjoy. It will be held all day in the Tarpon Room. Registered campers only; for information or reservations, call (979) 233-6026.

Monday, Nov.3 - Stephen F. Austin

Birthday Celebration. Bring the family to the Austin Statue at Hwy 288 and Hwy 35 for a celebration with a guest speaker, historical characters, musket volleys, music, and refreshments. This is a free event sponsored by local groups. For information, call the Department Office at (979) 864-1541.

That’s where you can see the trees that caused all the damage. Trees, felled by two years’ worth of drought, lie in sections beneath sections of recently-replaced boardwalk at Brazos River County Park.

Department crews have been diligent in trimming overhanging limbs to protect park patrons and the elevated boardwalks from damage. Recent rainfall softened the earth around the roots of drought-injured trees, allowing one of them to topple against two sections of the boardwalk. Department crews repaired the boardwalk and cut the tree into sections for removal.

The boardwalks at Brazos River County Park are part of a walking trail through bottomland hardwoods, showcasing a variety of local plants and wildlife. The trail crosses three boggy sections with elevated boardwalks.

Under the boardwalk


History of the WorldBy Mark AndrewsTribune Content Agency

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April 22: ON THIS DATE in 1509, Henry VIII was crowned king of England. In 1970, the first Earth Day was held to focus on the need for conservation of natural resources.

April 23: ON THIS DATE in 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced it was changing the secret flavor formula for Coke. Neg-ative public reaction later prompted the company to resume selling the original version as Classic Coke. In 1994, civil war erupted in Rwanda, a horrific conflict in which the Hutu majority massacred a half-million or more people of the minority Tutsi tribe.

April 24: ON THIS DATE in 1898, Spain declared war on the United States after rejecting America’s ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba. In 1980, the United States launched an abortive attempt to free American hostages in Iran, a mission in which eight U.S. service members died.

April 25: ON THIS DATE in 1859, ground was broken for con-struction of the Suez Canal. In 1945 during World War II, U.S. and Soviet forces linked up on the Elbe River in Germany.

April 26: ON THIS DATE in 1607, an expedition of colonists went ashore in Virginia to establish the first permanent English settle-ment in the Western Hemisphere. In 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine, killing 31 people and spewing radiation across the countryside.

April 27: ON THIS DATE in 1861, West Virginia seceded from Virginia after Virginia had seceded from the United States. In 1937, the nation’s first Social Security checks were distributed.

Answer to last week’s ques-tion: This week in 1955, Congress decreed that all coins of U.S. mint-age should bear the motto “In God We Trust.”

This week’s question: What three-time loser in presidential politics did the Whig Party nominate for president in 1844?

TDECU employees as the “TDECU Bike Team” banded together for the BP MS 150, a two-day bike ride from Houston to Austin, April 12 -13. The team of 20 riders and four volunteers raised $10,120 for multiple sclerosis over an eight-month period. Employee volunteerism is a hallmark of TDECU, which has long been known for working to improve the lives of its members and the communities it serves.

TDECU Bike Team raises more than $10K

North Korea complains to Britain over hair salon ad featuring Kim Jong-undpa (MCT)

LONDON — North Korea has offi-cially complained about an ad in the window of a London hair salon that features its leader Kim Jong-un, the British Foreign Office has confirmed.

The advertisement by M&M Hair Academy in South Ealing, west London, showed a picture of Kim above the words “Bad Hair Day? 15% Off All Gent Cuts Through The Month Of April.”

The Foreign Office said it had received a letter of complaint from the North Korean embassy earlier this week and was considering a response.

The ad was put up after a recent news story that all young male North Koreans were being forced to have the same distinctive haircut as Kim, shaved very short at the sides with

floppy curtains on top, salon staff said.

Barber Karim Nabbach said that two men who said they were North Korean officials had approached them about the ad.

“We didn’t realize but the North Korean embassy is a 10-minute walk from the salon,” he said. “The next day we had North Korean officials pop into the salon asking to speak to the manager.

“He said, `Listen, this isn’t North

Korea, this is England, we live in a democracy, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to get out of my salon.’’’

The manager had also reported the North Koreans’ visit to the police, Nabbach said, adding “apparently they went to the police as well.”

“We haven’t had any trouble since then. If anything, the poster has become a tourist attraction. It was just something that had been in the news, and the North Korean officials didn’t even have the haircut,” he said.


Texas Gulf Coast Regional AirportNotice to Bidders

TxDOT CSJ No. 1412ANGLESealed bids for the construction of airport improvements at the Texas

Gulf Coast Regional Airport need to be addressed and delivered to Mr. Jeff Bilyeu, Airport Director, 8000 Airport Way, Angleton, Texas 77515. Bids will be received until 2:00 pm May 15, 2014, then publicly opened and read. Any bid received after closing time will be returned unopened.

In general, the Aviation Construction work consists of construct ter-minal apron, relocate portion of cross Taxiway E and G, Install MITL & signs for Taxiway E and Apron, airport pavement markings and erosion/sedimentation controls at the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport.

Technical questions concerning the specifications should be directed to Mr. Craig Phipps, P.E. with KSA Engineers at 281-494-3252. Please call Sheri Quinlan, TxDOT, Aviation, at 512-416-4517 for questions concern-ing the bid document or further information.

A pre-bid conference concerning this project will be held at 10:30 am on April 29, 2014, Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport, Terminal Building, 8000 Airport Way, Angleton, Texas 77515.

And gone is the physical activity.That’s enough of the princess

landing just the right guy, I said. We are going on a road trip.

Well, not a long one, just about 20 minutes from the house, to Brazos River County Park.

Live Wire jumped out of her skin. Diaper Girl didn’t understand me, but continued grunting. She has been experiencing a case of constipation ever since she got here.

I remember when Brazoria County built and opened this park just a short drive from Angleton, near Holiday Lakes. But it’s been a while since I’ve been out there.

The park resembles a state park with its winding road, except it is smaller and does not have any camping facilities.

I used to take my kids out there when they were little. There was a zip line contraption that they used to love swinging on. I took a lot of pictures of them here.

The zip line is gone now, though. But still, the park is fascinating, relaxing. While the kids played, I sat on a bench and took in all the nature – the smell of spring, the tall trees, the boardwalk that runs along the Brazos River.

If you ever get stressed out on the job and want to get away just for a little while, this is a good place to go.

“I used to bring your daddy out here,” I told the girls.

They had a great time running all around. Diaper Girl only fell once and cried. Live Wire climbed on the playground and ran up and down the lookout tower staircase.

It’s only two stories, but to her it probably looked like a skyscraper.

The county has a lot of nice parks, but this is one of my favorites, along with Quintana Beach County Park, where I often rent a camping spot and park my RV for the weekend while I soak in the beach.

“Your daddy used to run up and down this boardwalk,” I said. “He also walked too close to the edge and made me nervous, like you.”

Live Wire asked if she could run around the playground. Be my guest. The more you run, the more tired you will get, and the easier time your dad will have putting you to sleep tonight.

The park and running aimlessly finally drew it out of Diaper Girl, big

time. She loaded up that diaper. It’s amazing what a little nature and activity will do.

The princess on Disney Junior may have found her prince, but on the Diaper Girl’s level, the emphasis is on less complicated matters.

You won’t have to worry about her for a while. She unloaded at the park, I told the dad on the phone. I hope she didn’t go too much, he replied.

You just can’t please young par-ents who try to go by the book.

It’s not like I haven’t raised children, son. I think I remember when you had this type of a problem

and unloaded on your uncle’s shirt something fierce. I think Diaper Girl is O.K., I reassured him.

Park time had to come to an end. The girls had to get ready to go back home with dad.

Less than a minute after we started driving home, both were asleep. That is the sign of success. They played hard and earned a power nap.

I’m getting better at this grandpar-enting stuff. It’s a lot of fun to enjoy the grandkids and then return them to the owners. Let them worry about everything else.

Park, running around bring out best in grandkids(Continued from Page 1)

View of the river at Brazos River County Park.

email: [email protected] (979) 849-5407 April 22, 2014 THE BULLETIN

MATAGORDA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTERhas the following positions are currently available:

POLYSOMNOGRAPHIC (SLEEP) TECHNOLOGIST – A minimum of 18 months experience in polysomnography. A high school graduate or GED with some post-secondary or college education in a science or health-related area preferred. Must be BRPT (Board of Registered PSG Tech) certified. Training may occur on-the-job in an established sleep/wake center or laboratory. The Polysomnographic technologist must have the ability to integrate a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology with sleep/wake pathology. Some experience with scoring records required.

REGISTERED NURSE – CATH LAB – Current registered nurse license in the State of Texas, Current CPR, A Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing is preferred, National certification is preferred; previous experience working in Cath Lab preferred.Offering competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package consisting of educational assistance/tuition reimbursement, and much more. Qualified appli-cants may send resumes via facsimile at (979) 241-5544 or via E-mail address: [email protected]. Please visit us at www.matagordaregional.org for a full listing of our current openings.Matagorda Regional Medical Center promotes a smoke and drug free environment.

104 7th Street * Bay City, TX 77414979-245-6383

www.matagordaregional.org

Small businesses love our small prices. The Bulletin enables you to keep your business visible all the time. Call today (979) 849-5407 for a price quote.

College Board unveils changes in SAT that make it more practicalBy Kathy BoccellaThe Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT)

PHILADELPHIA—It might be fair to describe the major changes that are coming in 2016 to the nation’s most-recognizable college-admis-sions test, the SAT, as “intense.”

In fact, understanding how the word “intense” is used properly in an essay is one of the sample questions that the College Board, which over-sees the SAT, rolled out Wednesday to give students and educators an idea of how the admissions test will change in two years.

In addition to making the con-troversial essay portion optional, in its most sweeping overhaul in years the Princeton-based testing service said its new questions will be more geared toward gauging what students actually learned in high school, problem-solving, and reading comprehension in the real world.

That will mean the elimination of esoteric, polysyllabic vocabu-lary words, such as “propinquity (nearness), that have long been a hallmark of the exam.

New questions will be based on “words that students will use through-out their lives — in high school, col-

lege, and beyond,” the College Board said in posting some of the new sample questions on the Internet.

It added, “Requiring students to master relevant vocabulary will change the way they prepare for the exam. No longer will students use flash cards to memorize obscure words, only to forget them the minute they put their test pencils down.”

Education experts have said the College Board was facing pres-sure to overhaul the SAT because

— while it remains the dominant college-admissions exam in the East — the test is losing ground in other parts of the country to the ACT exam, which markets itself as more closely tied to actual high school curricu-lums.

Just under 1.7 million students took the SAT last year, the larg-est number of takers in history, but about 1.8 million took the ACT, which surpassed the SAT for the first time in 2012.


Solutions on the right side of this page

Bulletin Crossword Puzzle of the Week Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

Solutions

Across1 2012 Ben Affleck political thriller5 Organizes by date, say10 Is able to13 Former Defense Secretary Panetta14 Came into play15 “Mission: Impossible” theme composer Schifrin16 Novelist Tyler17 Most populous city in South

Dakota19 Second-in-command in the kitchen21 Demean22 Baby goat23 Legged it24 Mercedes rival26 Bus. get-together27 Sharp ridge29 Adman’s connection31 Digital camera battery, often

32 Legal thing34 Hoops gp.35 Superficially cultured36 Michigan or Ontario city on the same border river40 Unit of cotton41 Carry a balance42 Yeats’ land: Abbr.43 Land parcel44 Continental border range46 Last Supper query50 Unbarred, to a bard51 Fall mo.52 Marlins’ div.54 ISP option55 Indian dresses57 Canal passage connecting Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes59 “W is for Wasted” mystery author62 Margin jotting63 Gymnast Korbut64 Part of BYOB65 Price66 Low in the lea67 Betsy Ross, famously68 Lodge group

Down1 “North to the Future” state2 Pierre-Auguste of impressionism3 Take it all off4 Small bills5 Barack’s younger daughter6 “Murder on the __ Express”7 Ski rack site8 Lone Star State sch.9 Gender10 Ristorante squid11 “Good Hands” company12 Bouquet of flowers15 Chem class requirement18 Baby deer20 Fishing basket24 Neuwirth of “Cheers”25 Home of baseball’s Marlins28 “You’re right”30 Very big maker of very little chips33 Mall unit35 “Iliad” war god36 Home to millions of Brazilians37 Half a superhero’s identity38 Switch39 Animated mermaid40 Open, as a bud44 KGB country45 Take a nap47 “No worries, man”48 “Shame, shame!”49 Detailed map windows53 Recluse56 Franchised supermarket brand57 Put away58 Almost never60 Sit-up targets61 Opponent (c)2014 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, INC.

Boggle AnswersEMU OWL DOVE HAWK EAGLE ROBIN PENGUIN

In memory of Greg Wilkinson

email: [email protected] (979) 849-5407 April 22, 2014 THE BULLETIN Jumble AnswersJumbles: CYNIC HELLO VICUNA PRIMED Answer: What the boy did when his cousin got stuck in the tree -- CRIED “UNCLE”

Bulletin HoroscopeTribune Content Agency

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Play it cool. It’s far better to roll with the punches in the week to come than to blow your top or enter into new negotiations. Others may calm down quickly if they see that you aren’t going to engage in a battle.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): You

can find fault with anything if you look closely enough, but that doesn’t mean that you should. Avoid being overly critical of someone’s shortcomings this week when a few words of encourage-ment could have a more positive effect.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): No path is without its pitfalls. While everything

might not go as you originally planned in the week ahead, keeping your head in the face of adversity will see you through. Choose your words carefully when in mixed company.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Go the extra mile this week. To please some-one, you may have to go places and do

things that are out of the ordinary. You may be outside your comfort zone for a short while, but the results will be well worth the inconvenience.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Dare to be different. Thinking outside the box in the week ahead could yield the insights that solve a nagging problem. Pull your love life out of a rut by trying a new approach. You’ll find that you can be a rebel without being abrasive.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take the pulse of those around you. You’ll find that you’ll be happier in a group than on your own in the week ahead. Spread your social wings by getting in touch with friends and catching up on current events.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22.): Business and pleasure shouldn’t mix. If a date feels like a job interview, you can safely bet that you haven’t found Mr. or Ms. Right. You may find business and work to be more stimulating than play this week.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t fly off the handle. Conditions are such this week that you can easily be pro-voked into a confrontation or become embroiled in a misunderstanding.

Words spoken in anger could turn an existing relationship frigid.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Compromise makes the world go round. Cooperate with others, even if it means sacrificing your own needs in the week to come. Give a little, pay it forward, and karma will provide what you need later.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Go through the motions. You may not be sure exactly which direction you want to go right now, so it’s best to play it safe and stick with tried and true routines. Quiet contemplation this week may yield answers in the near future.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep moving in the same direction. Don’t get side-tracked by other people’s problems this week unless they impact your ability to achieve your own objec-tives. You can’t please all the people all the time.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Don’t be so sensitive. You may be more self-conscious than usual, but that doesn’t mean that the world has put you under the microscope. Enjoy time with friends and family this week and you’ll soon forget what you were worried about.

MR. MORRIS By Rick Brooks

THE MIDDLETONS By Ralph Dunagin and Dana Summers

ANIMAL CRACKERS By Fred Wagner

BROOM HILDA By Russel Myers

(c) 2014 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

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