As the former Clinical Operations Adminis-trator for a 400 (+) bed hospital, assuming the role of CEO at Palacios Community Medical Center (PCMC) should be a breeze for her as far as the day-to-day management of the staff and services at the hospital and clinic. But, that’s not the hard part.

PCMC doesn’t depend on taxpayer funding from Matagorda County, and for that reason, the CEO must lead the charge of constantly seeking donations and grants, and that’s the challenge facing Dr. Barbara Hayes in her new role as CEO at PCMC. Funding for the hospi-tal is the main concern, as Dr. Hayes stated the clinic is doing very well on its own.

Recently retired PCMC CEO Claude Man-

ning did a first-rate job of fundraising during his tenure, and maintained a constant presence in the community. He stated, “The medical pro-fession, given the bureaucracy and financial burdens, is an extremely hard thing to manage. My years as CEO/CFO have been very chal-lenging, but they have been equally rewarding. I have been able to see firsthand how essential having medical services available to our com-munity is.”

Now, Dr. Hayes is looking forward to apply-ing her self-professed out-of-the-box thinking to the administration of PCMC.

Dr. Hayes has been a treasured provider at PCMC, and will continue to see patients, but only on Fridays, but now her focus will be turned more toward financial matters, and the challenges facing all hospitals at this time. She summed up the current state of healthcare say-

ing, “Healthcare is ever-changing, and unfortu-nately in today’s climate, healthcare is a really difficult business because there are so many cutbacks and there are so much monies that they used to pay for that they don’t pay for any-more, so we are constantly having to re-eval-uate and re-focus, and sometimes re-structure the way that we do business.” As those realities continue to apply pressure to healthcare provid-ers, she concluded, “So, one of the really diffi-cult questions we’re going to have to look at is how we’re going to continue to provide quality healthcare here, but be able to do it in a way that we can afford. Many hospitals in Texas, and across the nation, are closing their doors.”

But strides are being made in negotiations, with help from Judge Nate McDonald, (anoth-

WEDNESDAYAug. 15, 2018

VOL. 111 • NO. 33

BEACONBRIEFS

P. O. Box 817 • 310 Fifth St.Palacios, TX 77465

(361) 972-3009/Fax 972-2610E-Mail: palaciosbeacon@gmail.com

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Beacon Deadline 5 p.m. Friday

Except for paid advertising, all articles, photos or other infor-mation submitted on Monday will be published on a space available basis only.

Open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.Beacon Closed Wednesday

Observing Our

111Year1907-2018

• Deadline for Articles, Display Ads 5 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. Monday for Classifieds •

BY RYAN WESTPalacios Beacon-Publisher

(See MCND, Page 3)

TISD Superintendent Seigrist talks school safetyBY ALAN C. SCHULMANPalacios Beacon - Reporter

BY TERRY MOSIER

PalaciosPalaciosBEACONBEACONProudly Serving The City By The Sea Since 1907USPS 418460 1 SectiON, 10 PAGES

(See PCMCD, Page 3)

BY ALAN C. SCHULMANPalacios Beacon - Reporter

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ListsSee PAGe 9 See PAGe 9

Area AttendeesTo Boys State,

Girls State

7-11 DonatesTo Boys & Girls Club

Dr. Hayes takes the reigns of PCMC as new CEO

■ Mental Health, Suicide Awareness Town Hall Thursday

A Town Hall Meeting on Mental Health & Sui-cide Awareness will be held on Thurs. (Aug. 16) at 6:30 p.m. at the Pala-cios City Hall, located at 311 Henderson. The Town Hall is sponsored by Dr. Lillian Smith, the Palacios Community Conversation Wellness Council and other men-tal health services.

Seawall talks piers, repairs

& grants

(See SEAWALL, Page 2)

■ 2019 Project Celebration meets today at CLC

Parents and students of Class of 2019 are invited to attend the 2019 Project Celebration meeting on Wed. Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Christian Life Center (CLC) 202 Welch Ave.

MCND#1 will have a race Pos. 2

■ Still time to register for PYFL

The Palacios Youth Football League is still accepting registrations for the upcoming season for the Pee-Wee (ages 5-7) and Junior (ages 8-9) teams. For more informa-tion contact Alex Fuentes at 979-557-1376.

Dates announced for PISD’s

Meet the TeacherCentral Elementary

and East Side Interme-diate will hold “Meet the Teacher Night” on Monday, August 20th. The Central Elementary campus will be open from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. The East Side campus will be open from 5:30 – 7:00. Students will have an opportunity to meet their teachers and tour the campuses.

Palacios Junior High and Palacios High staff will greet their students and families on Thurs-day, August 16th from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Secondary Cafeteria.

Classes for all stu-dents will begin on Wednesday, August 22nd.

Hundred Club of Matagorda County 41st annual Law Enforcement Awards Dinner Friday

The Hundred Club of Matagorda County will host the 41st Annual Law En-forcement Awards Dinner on Friday, August 17. The din-ner will be at Eagle’s Hall (North Highway 60) in Bay City at 6:30 p.m.

“This event permits our en-tire community to show sup-port for peace officers across the county,” according to project chairman Bill Aber.

“Awards will be presented after the meal,” said Aber, “and the public is invited at no charge.”

“County-wide law enforce-ment officials, officers, and

their families are special guests,” according to co-chairman Richard Morales. Morales is a sergeant with the Bay City Police Department.

“We hope to see new and renewing members of the Hundred Club and their fam-ilies as well as the general public come for this highly-anticipated annual event,” said Hundred Club President Steven Reis.

Aber said “support for offi-cers across Matagorda Coun-ty is the whole point of the Hundred Club.”

“The organization estab-lished a fund to aid families

of officers lost in the line of duty,” said Reis. “Member-ship dues and interest from investments are dedicated to that purpose,” he explained.

“Costs of the dinner and the purchase of life-saving equipment for agencies are paid through fund-raising activities and by gracious donations from many friends of the Hundred Club,” said Aber.

Outstanding officers from all Matagorda County law enforcement agencies are identified by their peers, ac-cording to Morales. “We then present these officers with a

monetary award and a token of recognition,” he said.

Aber said that the dinner includes several randomly-drawn door prizes of $100 for officers of the agencies.

“Memberships in the Hun-dred Club are still available,” said Reis, “and applications will be available at the din-ner. We look forward to see-ing strong support for our of-ficers.”

For additional information about the dinner or member-ship in the Hundred Club, contact Bill Aber at 979-863-7510 or Steven Reis at 979-244-7657.

DR. BARBARA HAYESNew CEO of PCMC

School shootings have become more and more common in recent years, and with the new school year upon us, it is incumbent on local school districts to fi-nalize plans for school safety.

Dr. Andrew Seigrist, Superintendent at Tidehaven ISD, fielded questions and shared his thoughts regarding the imple-mentation of school safety measures

in his district. The following are ques-tions submitted to Dr. Seigrist and his responses.

Elaborate on what Congress is doing to ensure the safety of our children.

Gov. Abbott has released his 40-page School and Firearm Safety Plan after the tragic shooting in Santa Fe ISD. His plan is a public document and is avail-able for anyone to see. His plan covers many topics and is worth reading. The document covers topics such as harden-

ing of school facilities, school marshals, mental health awareness and interven-tions, and many more.

Do the schools have procedures in place for defending against shoot-ers or terrorists? Do the pupils have regular “training sessions?” Is there armed personnel on campus?

Tidehaven ISD has adopted the state School Marshal program passed by the

Piers, repairs and grants took the reins of the discus-sion at last week’s monthly meeting of the Commission-ers of the Matagorda County - Palacios Seawall Commis-sion.

As we inch closer to the one year anniversary of Hur-ricane Harvey’s landfall in Palacios, the piers damaged by the tropical cyclone are nearly fully repaired. The East Bay Pier is complete with new LED lights, First Street Pier is complete with lights now operational and Fourth Street Pier has all its decking in place, electrical conduit roughed in with grab

■ Joshua Guerra at LWC Sunday

Joshua Guerra will be ministering at Living Word Church, located at 1405 12th St. on Sun. (Aug. 19) at 10 a.m. in English at at 6 p.m. in Spanish.

(See TIDEHAVEN, Page 3)

Sharks gearing up for football season...THE Palacios Shark football team donned full pads for the first time in 2018 last Saturday under new head coach Chad Graves. The Shark coaching staff has been working tirelessly at installing the new Shark offensive and defensive schemes for the 2018 season during the first week of practice. As is typically the case with a coaching change, there have been a few bumps in the road but Graves said his squad of gridiron gladiators have taken to the coaching in stride. The Sharks will get their first taste of action in a three-way scrimmage with Flatonia and St. Joseph beginning at 5 p.m. with the junior varsity followed by varsity at 6 p.m. For more on the Sharks see Page 10. (Beacon Photo by Ryan West)

There will be a contested race for Pos. 2 on the Matago-rda County Navigation Dis-trict #1 as incumbent Greg Seaman filed for a re-election bid, joining challenger D.C.

DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAYPage 2 - Palacios Beacon - Wed., August 15, 2018 DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAY

SEAWALL (Continued From Page 1)

Bitcoin replacing Rockdale smelterROCKDALE: Strike up the band and have it play

“Happy Days Are Here Again.” Loudly! In what can only be rivaled in Rockdale’s business history by the 1951 “Alcoa’s coming” announcement, work is well underway at the former smelter site to accommodate a high-tech business which is estimated to bring 300 to 500 jobs to the area. While a formal announcement has not yet been made, multiple unimpeachable sources have confirmed the project. BITCOIN—It’s called “bitcoin mining.” Bit-coin is a cryptocurrency which uses an electronic mes-sage as payment for something. The company is Bitmain, headquartered in Beijing, China with offices in many world cities. It has leased a substantial amount of acre-age encompassing the smelter footprint, apparently for about a decade with an option for an additional decade. The former smelter is an attractive location for a bitcoin mining operation primarily because the infrastructure is in place to conduct massive amounts of electricity used by its servers. - The Rockdale Reporter

MEHOP to jump start operations in WhartonWHARTON: A familiar face in healthcare is coming

to the city as early as September - MEHOP. The acro-nym stands for Matagorda Episcopal Health Outreach Program, and its Marketing Director, Donna Huitt, came to New Hope Community Church to speak about the ex-pansion into Wharton. There’s still not a defined date, she said. MEHOP, which will employ at least five people at the beginning, will be located inside the old cancer cen-ter where OakBend Medical Center-Wharton is now lo-cated. Huitt said the Wharton office will be a first-rate operation and she said “throw away any misconception of what MEHOP physicians are.” The Wharton office will employ the following: physician assistant, LVN, medical assistant, front desk receptionist, licensed practitioner, eligibility specialist and an office manager. - Wharton Journal-Spectator

EC Council annexes new RV Park EL CAMPO: With a limited Labor Day opening hoped

for, a soon-to-be built RV resort officially became a part of El Campo Monday night. City Council approved the voluntary annexation request for El Campo Lost Lagoon, the CR 451 development by Stephen and Kenna Lucas of Gonzales. “This has been a really great place. I’m over-whelmed with the people being gracious and friendly — It’s been heartwarming,” Kenna Lucas told business leaders Thursday at the local Rotary Club meeting. The 45-acre, 255-lot RV resort will feature an already-existing $3 million pool, dubbed the largest backyard swimming pool in the world, as well as an assortment of amenities to travelers. - El Campo Leader-News

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGNotice is hereby given that the City of Palacios will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 to receive citizens’ comments regarding the fiscal year 2018 - 2019 Annual Budget. The public hearing will be held during the 7:00 p.m. Regular City Council Meeting at City Hall, 311 Henderson, Palacios TX 77465

THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES MORE THAN LAST YEAR’S BUDGET BY $0 OR 0.0%. THE PROPERT TAX REVENUE TO BE RAISED FROM NEW PROPERTY ADDED TO THE TAX ROLL THIS YEAR IS $8,049.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS

BUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATEThe Palacios Independent School District will hold a public meeting at 6:00 PM, August 31, 2018 in the Board Room of the Administration Building at 1209 Twelfth Street, Palacios, Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district's budget that will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the

discussion is invited.

The tax rate that is ultimately adopted at this meeting or at a separate meeting at a later date may not exceed the proposed rate shown below unless the district publishes a revised notice containing the same information and comparisons set out below and holds another public meeting to discuss the revised notice.

Maintenance Tax $1.04000/$100 (proposed rate for maintenance and operations)

School Debt Service Tax

Approved by Local Voters $0.14500/$100 (proposed rate to pay bonded indebtedness)

Comparison of Proposed Budget with Last Year's Budget

The applicable percentage increase or decrease (or difference) in the amount budgeted in the preceding fiscal year and the amount budgeted for the fiscal year that begins during the current tax year is indicated for each of the following expenditure categories.

Maintenance and operations 3.75 % increase

Debt Service 46.58 % increase

Total expenditures 6.52 % increase

Total Appraised Value and Total Taxable Value

(as calculated under Section 26.04, Tax Code)

Preceding Tax Year Current Tax Year

Total appraised value* of all property $1,439,761,921 $1,395,403,124

Total appraised value* of new property** $14,798,088 $11,334,034

Total taxable value*** of all property $1,234,492,629 $1,188,202,432

Total taxable value*** of new property** $5,590,220 $5,930,486

*Appraised value is the amount shown on the appraisal roll and defined by Section 1.04(8), Tax Code.** "New property" is defined by Section 26.012(17), Tax Code.*** "Taxable value" is defined by Section 1.04(10), Tax Code.

Bonded Indebtedness

Total amount of outstanding and unpaid bonded indebtedness* $5,735,000

*Outstanding principal.

Comparison of Proposed Rates with Last Year's Rates

Maintenance &

Operations Interest &

Sinking Fund* Total

Local Revenue

Per Student State Revenue

Per Student

Last Year's Rate $1.04000 $0.09500* $1.13500 $9,192 $2,511

Rate to Maintain Same Level of Maintenance &

Operations Revenue & Pay Debt Service $1.40961 $-0.00191* $1.40770 $10,088 $934

Proposed Rate $1.04000 $0.14500* $1.18500 $9,526 $934

*The Interest & Sinking Fund tax revenue is used to pay for bonded indebtedness on construction, equipment, or both.The bonds, and the tax rate necessary to pay those bonds, were approved by the voters of this district.

Comparison of Proposed Levy with Last Year's Levy on Average Residence

Last Year This Year

Average Market Value of Residences $113,953 $114,532

Average Taxable Value of Residences $69,833 $71,598

Last Year's Rate Versus Proposed Rate per $100 Value $1.13500 $1.18500

Taxes Due on Average Residence $792.60 $848.44

Increase (Decrease) in Taxes $55.84

Under state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older or of the surviving spouse of such a

person, if the surviving spouse was 55 years of age or older when the person died, may not be increased above the amount paid in the first year after the person

turned 65, regardless of changes in tax rate or property value.

Notice of Rollback Rate: The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voter approval at an election is $1.18520. This election will be automatically

held if the district adopts a rate in excess of the rollback rate of $1.18520.

Fund Balances

The following estimated balances will remain at the end of the current fiscal year and are not encumbered with or by a corresponding debt obligation, less estimated funds necessary for operating the district before receipt of the first state aid payment.

Maintenance and Operations Fund Balance(s) $2,278,685

Interest & Sinking Fund Balance(s) $57,430

PCMC (Continued From Page 1)er out-of-the-box thinker), with Matagorda Regional Hospital and other facilities in the area, and Dr. Hayes stated, “We really feel very encouraged and uplifted by the support they’re giving us. We’re hoping to find a way that we can collaborate and work together for the betterment of the entire community.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Hayes is also thinking of ways to change healthcare itself by making it more available. One idea she has is the train-ing of school personnel to respond medically to tragedies such as school shooters. Prompt-ed by the events in Santa Fe, where she is

from, her idea is a solution for the reported two-hour wait for medical attention after the shooting occurred. Trained school personnel could have rendered first aid while ambu-lances waited outside, and were not allowed in until the school was secured.

With grants from The Trull Foundation and The Episcopal Health Foundation, and donations from companies and individuals, Dr. Hayes will be guiding the ship at PCMC for the foreseeable future, and with her skills, engaging personality, and passion for health-care, the future looks very bright.

railing still to be completed.The Commissioners are awaiting the Li-

ons Club notification of requirements for a formal presentation of a check for $84,000 for the East Bay Pier repairs. A formal pre-sentation is planned for a future date.

Seawall Splash ApronThe commissioners are expecting a

small amount of FEMA funds for guard rail replacement reimbursement in the first of a hopefully series of checks pos-sibly this next week.

Boat Ramp Improvement GrantThis grant is approved for the South

Bay boat ramp, Carl Park boat ramp and Jensen Point boat ramp improvements. There will be time to work out the final design details as the awaited funds be-come available.

Inspectors ReportThe following reports was presented

by contract inspector, Larry Lanfear:Bay Front Park Walkway: All lights

are burning including pole #15.Yellow Windmill Project: Checked

the guardrail that is in bad shape. There is approximately 2,300 linear feet.

South Bay Boat Ramp: No new info on the bollard replacement. The hand-rail and the 2 x 4 at the edge of the dock need to be repaired. There is an offset (approximately 2 “) in the concrete ap-proach to the boat dock that is a tripping hazard and needs to be addressed. To be painted yellow for now to keep people from tripping over it.

River Road: The wood bulkhead next to the bridge has been repaired.

Collegeport Wood Bulkhead: Lanfear met with Commissioner Kana to discuss the repairs to the wood bulkhead and discuss the scope of work and the meth-

od of repair. We will present the ideals at the meeting.

Pier Repair: East Bay Pier is decked and the lights are working. First Street Pier repairs are complete. Lights are now working. Fourth Street Pier T-head structural repair is complete. Electrical conduit rough-in under the deck is done. We are waiting for the electrical con-tractor to complete the conduit and light installation.

East Bay Pier: Lights are burning dur-ing the day. Homero Zepaea, America Electric, has been notified.

East Bay Groin: Area light is burning during the day.

Fourth Street Pier: The East parking lot light and the flag light are not work-ing.

Groin West of Fourth St. Pier: The area light is out.

South Bay Boat Ramp: The East parking lot light is not burning. The West parking lot light is burning during the day

Approved ItemsIn other business the com-

missioners approved: the minutes of the July 11, 2018 meeting; accepted the finan-cial reports from Ellen Dodd, and paying the monthly bills.

Next MeetingThe next regular meeting is

scheduled for September 12, at 7 p.m. at the Matagorda County Navigation District #1’s Administration Build-ing.

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Palacios Beacon - Wed., August 15, 2018 - Page 3DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAY

MCND(Continued From Page 1)

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TIDEHAVEN (Continued From Page 1)

DPS Reminds Drivers of Traffic Dangers Associated with New School YearARRESTS

Stephen Hunter Smith, 24, 1016 Ritchie Ave, was arrested in the 200 block of 8th St. at 2:39 a.m. on Aug. 3. Driving While License Suspended.

Valerie Michelle Travis, 40, 504 Morton Ave, was arrested in the 500 block of Mor-ton Ave at 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 5. Warrant Service Capias.

LaJames Monta Bryant, 36, Van Vleck, was arrested in the 1000 block of Perry-man Ave at 6:47 p.m. on Aug. 5. Driving While License Suspended.

Lillie Welch Boethel, 59, Rosenburg, was arrested in the 800 block of 10th St. at 12:15 a.m. on Aug. 8. Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Mar-ijuana.

Carmen Carter Aparicio, 44, 701 John-son Ave, was arrested at 138 Sanders Cir-cle on Aug. 9. Criminal Trespass.

INCIDENTSUnauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle,

Theft: Officer was requested to check a residence for a stolen vehicle and firearm at 1:56 p.m. on Aug. 3.

Dog Bite: Officer was dispatched to the Palacios Emergency Room at 4:10 p.m on Aug. 4 in reference to a dog bite.

Towed Vehicle/Traffic: Officer con-ducted a traffic stop in the 700 block of Perryman Ave at 1:38 a.m. on Aug. 6 re-sulting in a towed vehicle.

Harassment: Officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Commerce Ave at 5:58 p.m. on Aug. 6 in reference to a subject

requesting advice.Information/Family Violence: Of-

ficers were dispatched to the area of 6th St. and Lucas Ave at 3:13 a.m. on Aug 7 in reference to an intoxicated male on a bicycle.

Criminal Mischief: Palacios PD re-ceived a call from the manager at the Sandpiper Apartments at 7:07 a.m. on Aug. 7 in reference to a broken window in the office.

Fraud: Officer was dispatched to the County Annex at 10 a.m. on Aug. 9 in ref-erence to a walk-in complaining of being defrauded of $2,000 over the phone.

Found Property: Officer was dis-patched to 45 Seashell Blvd. at 6:40 p.m. on Aug. 9 and recovered two fishing poles.

Individuals listed have been arrested and/or charged with an offense. Inclusion in this report does not imply that the person is guilty of any crime. The following are offense and arrest reports submitted by the Palacios Police Dept. to the Palacios Beacon as of noon Friday.

• Palacios Police Reports •

From the Police ChiefBy Police Chief David Miles

In just a few days school will start again. Make sure you pay at-tention to the one-way streets, speed limits and using your cell phone in the school zones. Our officers will be out there to protect the students and staff.

AUSTIN – As the new school year begins, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) cautions Texans to slow down in school zones, and to be aware of children walking to and from school or waiting for buses. Drivers should be especially alert and careful around school buses – which make frequent stops – and always follow traffic laws regarding school buses and school zones. The start of the school year also generates an increase in overall traffic in many areas, and drivers should take extra precau-tions.

“With school districts across Texas returning to classes in the coming weeks, DPS is urging drivers to slow down and be alert in school zones and wherever children are present,” said DPS Direc-tor Steven McCraw. “Motor-ists who disregard the law and illegally pass stopped school buses put our school-children in harm’s way – and that reckless and irresponsi-ble behavior will not be toler-ated by DPS.”

The moments when stu-dents are entering or exiting the bus can be one of the

most dangerous times during a child’s trip on a school bus. Accordingly, DPS reminds drivers to reduce speed and be aware that children may unexpectedly step into a roadway without checking for oncoming traffic.

State law requires that drivers stop when a bus is stopped and operating a visu-al signal – either red flashing lights or a stop sign. Drivers should not proceed until the school bus resumes motion; the driver is signaled by the bus driver to proceed; or the visual signal is no longer activated. Approaching driv-ers do not have to stop for a school bus that is operating a visual signal if the roadway is separated by a physical bar-rier or an intervening space.

(If a highway is divided only by a left-turning lane, the roadways are not considered separated, and drivers must stop for school buses.)

As a reminder, school bus-es, by law, must stop at all railroad crossings.

Drivers who illegally pass school buses face fines up to $1,250 for the first offense. For individuals convicted of this offense more than once, the law allows the individu-al’s driver license to be sus-pended for up to six months. (A ticket for illegally pass-ing a school bus cannot be dismissed through defensive driving.) Additionally, this offense could potentially in-clude criminal charges if they cause serious bodily injury to another.

We are close to home and here to heal!

Palacios Medical Clinic307 Green Ave. • Palacios, TX • 361-972-2000

Joe Vasquez, A-GNP-C

Shanna Bellamy, FNP-C

Dr. Barbara Hayes, DNP,FNP-C

Dr. Alan Barker, DO, MBA

The Palacios Medical Clinic can provide you and your family with a number of health care services all in one convenient location.

Our primary care providers can also coordinate your

care with our specialist who include a dermatologist, general surgeon, allergist and psychotherapist, as

well as diagnostic services that help us to determine the problem and treat it

quickly. The Palacios Medical Clinic, close to home and here to

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The Palacios High School Class of 1968 will be celebrat-ing our 50th Reunion in October . If you are a member of the PHS Class of 1968 and have not received an invitation to the upcoming reunion, call Alta at 361-972-6633. Please leave a message with name and number if no one answers. Class members we are trying to reach: Alan Anderson, Su-san Beaty, Lee Contreras, Chris Frangullie, Juanita Frausto, Irene Gutierrez, Debbie Hunt, Delores Martino, Jackie Mor-ris, Janice Vacek, James Vernon, and Mary Alice Webb.

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Texas legislature and pro-posed by Gov. Abbott in his School and Firearm Safety Plan. This plan was created and developed in the after-math of the tragic school shooting in Santa Fe ISD. In order to become a school marshal, a candidate must have a current License to Carry from the State of Tex-as, pass the nation-wide FBI background check, pass the state psychological exam for sworn peace officers in the State of Texas, complete and pass 80 hours of required training from the Texas Com-mission on Law Enforcement and then be appointed by

the Board of Trustees. The school marshals are designed to be anonymous and not be revealed to the public for their own safety and the safe-ty of students and staff. One of the intents of the school marshal plan and program was to remain anonymous giving armed intruders pause and realize that school staff may be armed.

How have district pro-cedures/policy/training changed from last year?

The Board of Trustees have adopted local policies that create the school marshal program in Tidehaven. All school staff will participate in

Active Shooter training and other security training that will be on-going throughout the school year.

Are there increased se-curity measures? What are they?

Tidehaven ISD has part-nered with the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office as well as Bay City Police De-partment to review our school campus facilities and provide Active Shooter training to our employees. Local law enforcement has been very good to review our facilities and give recommendations on ways we can harden our facilities and better protect our students and staff in the event of an armed intruder. Some of the increased secu-rity measures will include door locks on the interior doors to prevent someone from simply walking through the doorway to harm students or staff. We have added card readers to some of our cam-pus doors and we have also added security cameras to help us increase our security footprint.

What steps can parents/

guardians take to prepare students for the unexpected on campus?

Have an honest and open conversation with your child. Reassure them and visit with campus administrators and teachers about security mea-sures at school. Teach your child to be observant and aware of their surroundings at all times. This is just good life advice.

How is technology used and does it make a differ-ence?

We use security cameras both inside and outside the school. We are currently de-veloping other technology uses that will improve se-curity for everyone. We are constantly discussing ways we can use technology to im-prove security.

Palacios ISDA submission from Dr. Al-

exandro Flores, Superinten-dent of Palacios ISD, will ap-pear in next week’s Palacios Beacon discussing security measures at Palacios schools.

Bird NotesCathy Wakefield(361)404-1198

International Crane Foundation - Volunteer

Many of us think it is too hot during summer, to do any serious birding…and that nothing will be seen...Wrong! Summertime is when we see the juvenile birds. Little Blue Herons, Common Gallinules, Great Egrets and Black-necked Stilts. During our Feathered Fridays event, last Friday, out at The Nature Conservancy’s Clive Runnells Family Mad Island Marsh Preserve, we saw the above, plus many more birds! Some of these include White-tailed hawk, Black Vulture, Crested Caracara, Bob White, Eastern Meadowlark, Northern Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Boat and Great-tailed Grackles, Red-winged Blackbird, Great Blue, Green and Tri-colored Herons, Woodstork, White Ibis, Rose-ate Spoonbill, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Killdeer, and assorted, shorebirds including Sanderling; Least, Spotted, and White-rumped Sandpipers. Steve Goertz, preserve manager, told us they have been seeing and hearing Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpipers. We did hear Upland Sandpipers.

Out at Schicke Point we have observed Brown Peli-can, Laughing and Herring Gulls, Caspian Terns and a pair of Black Skimmers. Margaret Doughty and Edith Gower have observed Green Herons and a Cormorant recently, in the wetland behind their house.

PHS Class of 1968 making plans for 50th reunion in Oct.

Dunham, who filed the week prior.

Seaman is seeking a second term on the MCND#1 Board, while Dunham, former head of Bay City’s Community De-velopment Corp., eyes a first term.

Filing for the Nov. 6 elec-tion runs thru Mon. (Aug. 20).

Candidate paperwork may be obtained from the Port Ad-ministration office, located at 1602 Main St. All completed filings must be presented in person to the Port Adminis-tration office and must be af-firmed before a qualified No-tary Public.

DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAYPage 4 - Palacios Beacon - Wed., August 15, 2018

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