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Posts published in “Day: May 7, 2014”

Elections will result in new mayor, councils

May 7, 2014
GALENA PARK CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES: (L to R): At the recent Candidates Forum, these Council Candidates presented their qualifications: Position #1 Water & Sewer: Joe DeLaTorre; Position #2 Police & Fire: Lois Killough; Position #3 Parks & Recreation: Maricela Serna, Veronica Garcia; Position #4 Street & Bridge: Mark Groba, Juan Flores, Martha Flores. NOT SHOWN, Position #1 Danny Simms, Position #2 Zenaida Granados.
GALENA PARK CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES: (L to R): At the recent Candidates Forum, these Council Candidates presented their qualifications: Position #1 Water & Sewer: Joe DeLaTorre; Position #2 Police & Fire: Lois Killough; Position #3 Parks & Recreation: Maricela Serna, Veronica Garcia; Position #4 Street & Bridge: Mark Groba, Juan Flores, Martha Flores. NOT SHOWN, Position #1 Danny Simms, Position #2 Zenaida Granados.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Information on GP Mayoral candidates appeared last week in the North Channel STAR.

Election day for Galena Park and Jacinto City will be this Saturday, May 10. Locations to vote are detailed later in this article.

Jacinto City will elect three city council members, with newcomers challenging incumbents in all three seats. These are: Position #1 Parks & Recreation, incumbent Jimmy Rivas faces Diego Lopez; Position #2 Finance & City Hall incumbent Gregg Robinson faces challenger LaGloria Sephus; and Position #3 Police & Fire incumbent Allen Lee faces Raymond Morlock. Voting takes place at the Town Center from 7 am to 7 pm.

In Galena Park, the mayor’s seat and all the council positions are to be elected. To help the voters make a decision, the North Channel STAR and the GP-JC Rotary Club held a Candidates’ Forum last Friday night, April 25th.

Candidates were given an opportunity to present their qualifications and their ideas for their office, and then answer questions from a panel and the public. About 100 people were in the audience for this event, held at Baggett Community Center.

Congressman Green pushes Legislation for LNG exports

May 7, 2014
Congressman Gene Green
Congressman Gene Green

There are fifteen proposed LNG export facilities awaiting permits from the Department of Energy. Under an amendment to the bill proposed by Congressman Gene Green, the Energy Department would have to approve or deny a permit within ninety days of the close of the public comment period.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has passed a bill to speed up the permitting process for facilities to export liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

The committee passed the bill on a vote of 33-18, with bipartisan support. The measure now moves to the floor of the House for a vote of the full chamber.

“Super Heroes” join forces to defeat cancer at North Channel Relay for Life

May 7, 2014
100-year-old Lavoice Smallwood, center, along with her family prepares to lead cancer survivors in the Survivor's Lap. Smallwood was the honored guest at North Channel Area’s Relay for Life May 2.
100-year-old Lavoice Smallwood, center, along with her family prepares to lead cancer survivors in the Survivor’s Lap. Smallwood was the honored guest at North Channel Area’s Relay for Life May 2.

It was a night for celebration, reflection and fun as hundreds of community members joined forces to “finish the fight” against cancer during the North Channel Area Relay for Life on May 2 at the North Shore Ninth Grade Campus track.

The theme of this year’s event was “Super Heroes: Finishing the Fight Against Cancer.” Many of the teams, sponsors and steering committee members wore super hero shirts or their favorite super hero costume as they got into the spirit of the celebration.

“This event was all about celebrating our survivors, remembering those who lost the battle and to fight back through raising funds to provide important cancer research and treatment to bring an end to this terrible disease,” said Darcy Blackstock, event chair for the North Channel Area Relay for Life.

Preliminary totals showed that the North Channel event raised more than $95,000. However, funds will continue to be raised until the end of the Relay calendar year on Aug. 31.

Dedication remembers first Jacinto City woman mayor Nuñez

May 7, 2014
Jacinto City’s current mayor, Ana Diaz, hosted and spoke in memory of Rachel Nuñez, as did the city council persons behind her at the ceremony.
Jacinto City’s current mayor, Ana Diaz, hosted and spoke in memory of Rachel Nuñez, as did the city council persons behind her at the ceremony.

JACINTO CITY – Known for her good works for the people of her community, and an iconic campaign to save the Santa on a Fire Truck program, friends, family and city colleagues gathered last Friday at City Hall to unveil a memorial plaque in her honor.

Rachel Nuñez died on Jan. 4, 2013 after serving the city as its first Hispanic councilwoman since 2000, and its first woman mayor since 2011. She succumbed after a long battle with cancer.