A recent article in the Palacios Beacon revealed rumors of a possible deal between El Cam-po Memorial Hospital (ECMH) and Palacios Community Medi-cal Center (PCMC). In response to outcries from local residents, the Board of Directors of the PCMC held a special meeting last Tuesday to hear residents’ concerns.

The article detailed how ru-ral hospitals across Texas have been closing at an alarming rate due to cuts in Medicare and Medicaid and other sources of

funding, and that PCMC has been struggling to keep the doors open without taxpayer funding for many years. It was confirmed by PCMC that nego-tiations with ECMH are taking place.

As stated by PCMC Chair-man of the Board of Directors Bob Van Borsum in that article, “Since PCMC was forced to go it independently 15 years ago, it has been an annual struggle to keep the hospital and clinic open to serve Palacios resi-dents. The Board will continue to research any means to keep PCMC open.”

A standing-room-only crowd was present and about a dozen residents took to the floor to plead with the Board to keep the doors open at PCMC, and to keep the facility here in Pala-cios, as part of the rumor is that ECMH could take over PCMC and move the operations it to a location of their choice. Many other undesirable scenarios were presented, including the lack of retention of current healthcare providers and staff.

Written questions to the board were submitted by several resi-dents, and the Board asked ev-eryone to submit any additional

questions they may have, but stated that they could not an-swer any of them due to a con-fidentiality agreement that must be adhered to during these nego-tiations. The deadline for a deci-sion on this deal with ECMH is November 1.

While the Board has asked for input from the community, this is ultimately a decision they will have to make, based on their years of service and experience. All of the board members have a stake in the community, and local residents will have to trust that they won’t make a decision

WEDNESDAYOCt. 24, 2018VOL. 111 • NO. 43

BEACONBRIEFS

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

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

Website: palaciosbeacon.com

The OnlyNewspaper In The

World Published Just For The Palacios Area.

PALACIOS,

•

TEXAS

th

Beacon Deadline 5 p.m. Friday

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

Observing Our

111Year1907-2018

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

BY RYAN WESTPalacios Beacon-Publisher

Proudly Serving The City By The Sea Since 1907USPS 418460 1 SectiON, 14 PAGeS

PalaciosPalaciosBEACONBEACON

(See FORUM, Page 4)

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

BY ALAN C. SCHULMANPalacios Beacon - Reporter

BY RYAN WESTPalacios Beacon-Publisher

(See PEDC, Page 3)

Early voting underway & clarification on voting straight ticket on the ballot

(See PISD, Page 3)

BY ALAN C. SCHULMANPalacios Beacon - Reporter

See PAGe 2

Disaster DeclarationAfter Heavy Rains,

FloodingSee PAGe 5 See PAGe 11

PHS BandEarnsAll 1’s

Scenes FromLibrary’s

Harvest Moon

BY RYAN WESTPalacios Beacon-Publisher

(See PEDAL, Page 5)

(See PCMC, Page 5)

■ Fish & Shrimp lunch, garage sale Sat. at FOEC

The Friends of Elder Citizens will be holding a fish & shrimp lunch and garage sale on Sat. (Oct. 26) from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Senior Center, located at 705 Commerce. Plates are $10 dine-in or take-out. Proceeds benefit the FOEC home delivered meal program in Pala-cios.

Candidates for Co. Judge featured at

political forum

PCMC Board hears questions, provides no answers

PISD wants to hear your input on the next Superintendent

■ BBQ Turkey & Dressing Sun. at St. Peter’s

St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Blessing will be holding its annual BBQ turkey & dressing dinner on Sun. (Oct. 28) at the Parish Hall, located at 306 Hickory, beginning at 11 a.m. dine-in or take-out. Plates are $10. Live auction set for 12-noon.

The Palacios Indepen-dent School District (ISD) Board of Trustees has em-ployed Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)

Executive Search Services to assist with the search for a new superintendent.

The Board has requested

Hazardous Waste Collection at County Fairgrounds Sat.The 24th annual Matagorda County House-

hold Hazardous Waste Collection Day will take place from 8 a.m. – 12 noon Sat. (Oct. 27) at the Matagorda County Fairgrounds.

What is household hazardous waste?Household hazardous waste is any product

labeled toxic, poison, corrosive, flammable, combustible or irritant that you are ready to dispose of.

Things to bring: used motor oil; anti-freeze; brake/transmission fluid; old diesel/gasoline; pesticides/herbicides/insecticides;

pool chemicals; paints/thinners/ household cleaners; drain openers; stain removers; furniture polish/wood preservatives; cook-ing oil; batteries; old appliances; tires (limit of 8 and NO semi/tractor tires); products labeled “Warning/Caution/Poison”; e-waste (computers/printers/cellphones).

There will be free paper shredding by Bay-cel FCU to avoid identity theft, with a limit of six boxes (15x12.5x10) per household.

For more information about the Hazardous Waste Collection Day call 979-244-2717.

Monstrous 5k Glow by the Bay Saturday

Start planning what you will wear for the “Monstrous 5K Glow by the Bay” scheduled for Sat. (Oct. 28) at 7:30 p.m. The start and finish line is at the city park in Palacios.

Enjoy the music filled course , wear a glowing

costume, and light up the night in support of the Boys & Girls Club of Pa-lacios.

The whole family is sure to enjoy this fun filled nighttime experi-ence by walking, stroll-ing, jogging, racing,

10th annual Pedal Palacios Sat.The 8th Annual Pedal

Palacios Bike Ride will hit the streets of Palacios, Blessing and Matagorda County on Sat. (Oct. 27).

Hundreds of cyclists from throughout Texas will gather on South Bayshore Drive in Palacios to travel the route along Tres Palacios Bay. The event offers rides of 12, 36, and 60 miles of quiet scenic roads excellent for team training or for a family outing.

All routes are supported with numerous volunteers

and law enforcement officials to promote a safe and enjoyable ride.

Rest stops are strategically placed along all routes at intervals of 8-12 miles offering homemade baked treats, fresh fruit, snacks and drinks. Various school and civic organizations generously man the rest stops that are sponsored by local area businesses.

Following the ride, from 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. participants will be treated to some real Palacios flavor as they take part in a shrimp boil in the downtown Palacios City

- 2018 -BP MS/150 Recommended Ride

A political forum held Oct. 15 was sponsored by VFW Post 2438 which saw 16 candidates in local and regional races vying for po-sitions ranging from Coun-ty Clerk to Congressman.

Three political parties, Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian were represent-ed by 15 candidates, with

Early voting for the No-vember 6 general elections began Mon. (Oct. 22) and runs thru next Fri. (Nov.

2). Locally, early voting in Palacios will be held from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Matago-rda County Courthouse An-nex, located at 405 Com-

After years of tireless work, the Palacios Eco-nomic Development Corp. (PEDC) effort to bring a new hotel to the Palacios waterfront inches closer to the long awaited horizon.

“We have submitted the

PEDC ready to execute land transaction for hotel site

(See VOTE, Page 3)

Shark sinks his teeth into a Cardinal...

Disaster declaration after coutnies hit by heavy rains, flooding

(See 5K, Page 3)

■ World Mission Breakfast Sat.

The Church of God of Prophecy, located at 808 9th St., will hold its October World Mission Breakfast on Sat. (Oct. 27) from 8 - 11 a.m. For $8 patrons can enjoy an all-you-can-eat break-fast featuring pancakes, sausage, bacon, scram-bled eggs, grits, cof-fee, juice and famous breakfast strudel. To reserve dine-in space or to place a to-go order, please call 972-6262 on the day of the event.

VARSITY Sharks Kade Sanchez (70) and Josh Post (74) sink their jaws into Columbus Cardinal Brock Schobel and force a fumble on the first snap of last week’s 42-6 loss to the redbirds. See more on the action on Page 13. (Beacon Photo by Ryan West)

As of 11:45 a.m. on Mon-day, Oct. 22, the Palacios Bea-con was notified by Matagorda District Attor-ney Steven Reis, that Matagorda County Precinct 3 Commissioner James Gibson was arrested at Matagorda Coun-

Co. Commissioner Pct. 3 James Gibson arrested Monday

Co. Commissioner James Gibson

(See GIBSON, Page 5)

DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAYPage 2 - Palacios Beacon - Wed., October 24, 2018

WHILE the wet stuff continued to soak the City by the Sea, it didn’t damped the City’s effort at last week-end’s annual Fall Clean-Up. City crews braved the drizzle to dispose of waste and junk. (Beacon Photo by Ryan West)

Palacios Dental Center & Palacios Wellness Center Invites you to Yoga by the Bay

Relax Restore RenewA sunrise introduction to Yoga featuring

Christin Marie StaszeskyYoga teacher to the Houston Astros

2017 World Series Champions

Saturday, November 10, 2018• Texas Baptist Encampment • Palacios,TX

**No yoga experience needed!****All fitness levels welcome!**

• Door prizes • Refreshments • T-Shirts • Swag Bags

Included with Ticket Purchase of $70For tickets and information on the event contact:

www.feelgoodlivewell.com Palacios Dental @ 361-972-2222 or visit Yoga by the Bay on FaceBook

8 a.m.- 12 Noon

Library’s annual Harvest Moon Dinner & Dance a bounty of fun

CROWDS packed the Palacios Recreation Center for the Palacios Library’s annual fundraiser Harvest Moon Dinner & Dance last weekend. Attendees were treated to a bountiful helping of shrimp alfredo for dinner before dancing the night away to the tunes of The Azul Experience. Miss Ethylene Keel (below) was honored for her years of service to the Palacios Library.

Palacios Beacon - Wed., October 24, 2018 - Page 3DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAY

VOTE (Continued From Page 1)

ARRESTSBenito Abad Diaz Jr., 45 2206 Hwy

35 S., was arrested in the 1100 block of Henderson Ave at 1:03 a.m. on Oct. 14. Public Intoxication.

John Michael Garcia, 29, 906 Hen-drson Ave, was arrested in the 800 block of Perryman Ave at 2:58 a.m. on Oct. 14. Driving While Intoxicated.

Gary Allen Gann III, 62, 804 Moore Ave, was arrested in the 300 block of Greene Ave at 12:00 p.m. on Oct. 16. Public Intoxication.

Cindy Taylor, 49, 804 Moore Ave, was arrested in the 800 block of Moore Ave at 7:00 p.m. on Oct 16. Assault Against Public Servant.

Victor Davila Diaz, 41, Taylor, was ar-rested in the 1100 block of Henderson Ave at 11:06 p.m. on Oct. 16. Unauthor-ized Use of Motor Vehicle.

Aaron Jermain Nixon, 39, 1705 Ruth-ven Ave, was arrested in the 1500 block of Ruthven Ave at 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 17. Arson.

Orlando Lopez, 44, 1438 Hart Rd., was arrested in the 1000 block of Main St. at 8:35 p.m. on Oct. 17. Driving W/O Lights When Required, No Operator/Drivers License.

INCIDENTSDuty on Striking Unattended Vehi-

cle: Officer met with complainant at the Police Annex at 1:45 p.m. on Oct. 15 in reference to damage to his truck.

Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon: Officer was dispatched to 138 Sandpiper Circle at 9:42 p.m. on Oct. 13 in reference to a domestic assault.

Criminal Mischief Graffiti: Officer was dispatched to the 1500 block of 1st St. at 10:24 p.m. on Oct. 17 in reference to shots fired.

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

Family vio-lence continues to be in the top number of calls we answer. It is a conscious de-cision a person makes to assault a family member. There are other means to settle problems.

St. Peter's Catholic Church Parish Center in Blessing

306 Hickory Street

DINE-IN or Drive Thru @ 11 a.m.$10 per plate

BBQ Turkey. Homemade Dressing, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Dessert & Tea/Coffee

Mass at 9:30 a.m.

Everyone is invited to join the parishioners of St. Peter’s for

a day of fellowship & fun.

Bar-B-Q Turkey& Dressing Dinner

Sunday, October 28th

Live Auction begins at 12:00 (Noon)Country Store & Raffle

1ST ANNUAL LUCKY STRYKES DOG RESCUE

MAYORAL FUNDRAISER• Do you have an amazing dog?

• Is he/she political candidate material? • Do you have a Palacios address?

Interested? Need an application or a copy of the rules?

• Email: info@luckystrykesrescue.com • Call: 361-676-9260

• Send a Facebook Message Candidates accepted until November 16, 2018.

Contest ends December 28, 2018.

Your dog can become the honorary Dog Mayor of Palacios

for an ENTIRE YEAR!

24th Annual

HOUSEHOLDhazardouswastecollection day

Saturday, October 27, 20188 a.m, thru 12 noon

Matagorda County FairgroundsBay City, Texas

ONE DAY ONLYFor more Information, call

(979) 244-2717

CANDIDATELISTINGS

The following have paid to have their names listed as candidates for office in either the General Election on Nov. 6. The cost for the Candidate Listing is $30. The cost for the candidate list-ing plus a one time candidate announcement article is $50. The deadline for inclusion in the Candidate Listing or to submit a candidate announcement article is 5 p.m. Friday.

[Political Ad paid for by Sharyl K. McDon-ald, Treasurer, 206 CR 208, Bay City,

Texas 77414]

NateMcDoNALD

Matagorda Co. Judge

[Political Ad paid for by D.C. Dunham, 312 Henderson Ave., Palacios, TX 77465]

D.C.DUNHAM

MCND#1 Pos. 2

GREGSEAMAN

[Political Ad paid for by Sherri Seaman, 24551 Hwy. 35., Palacios, TX 77465]

CHARLESWRIGHT

[Political Ad paid for by Charles Wright, 3429 Glen Haven Dr., Bay City, TX 77414]

Matagorda Co. Clerk

[Political Ad paid for by Treasurer Paul Hickl, 5121 Holly Lane Bay City, TX 77414]

JANETHICKL

[Political Ad paid for by Treasurer David Wurtz, 3206 El Camino, Bay City, TX 77414]

STEPHANIEWURTZ

Mat. Co. JP Pct. 3

[Political Ad paid for by Amy O. Tapia, 200 E. Texas Ave., Palacios, TX 77465]

AMY oTTINoTAPIA

PEDC (Continued From Page 1)

purchase agreement for the land to the City and its legal counsel. It needs their approv-al and we’ll purchase the land,” reported PEDC Executive Director Mike Ferdinand at last week’s monthly meeting.

“We’ve had multiple meetings and site visits as the developers continue to devel-op the brand or flag.”

Director Paula Whitney, the newest ad-dition to the Board, asked where the funds for the purchase of land, some $300,000 came from.

The funds had been previously designat-ed for a hotel project several years back, explained Ferdinand, and they’ve been held to where the PEDC came to this point in a project to expend the funds for the pur-pose.

While the board still holds the vote pow-er on the project, Whitney expressed con-cern about having yet to see a design for the project.

“In any deal, you hate to wait until the 11th hour to say ‘oh we don’t like this’. Because this deal is proceeding. We’re moving the land around and we haven’t

even seen his design.”Ferdinand replied the reason for no final

design being presented as of yet is the fact the developer is still deciding which fran-chise flag brand hotel the project will be.

“We have once chance to get this right,” Whitney said. “I’ll be waiting to see the design. The sooner the better.”

MCEDC ReportIn the MCEDC Executive Director’s Re-

port, Ferdinand said his office continues to support the Matagorda County Navigation District #1 on a pair of projects.

On the county front, the Air Liquide project in Bay City has filed it’s tax abate-ment application with the County and the reinvestment zone for for the E.On Wind Farm project has been approved by the County Commissioners.

“We are set to meet again with the rec-reation and leisure project coming up this as part of the due diligence process and it’s continuing to move forward positively,” he added.

His office continues to work with City of Palacios on a 380 Agreement framework

which will allow that type of project an incentive go-ing forward.

Draft 380 AgreementThe board approved a

draft of a 380 Agreement for the recreation/leisure project to be passed on to City Council. Ferdinand noted 380 Agreements are not tax abatements, but the entity pays the taxes, which would be rebated if certain outlined goals were met or attained. Also the stipula-tions in the 380 Agreement do not set a precedent for future agreements as abate-ments would.

Financial ReportCity Treasurer Tammy

McDonald presented the monthly financial reports, and stated the hotel-mo-tel tax collected roughly $6,500 more revenues than expected. McDonald cited the increase in the number of vacation rental properties for the boost in revenues.

On the PEDC financials, McDonald said the rev-enues breached 100 percent budgeted and expenditures were down significantly for the year which left “a nice little balance.”

Asked by Director Whit-ney what the left over fund-ing went to and Ferdinand replied it was remaining funds that were utilized in the purchase of the PEDC office.

Next MeetingThe next regular monthly

meeting of the PEDC board of directors will be held on Nov. 21 at 1:15 at the PEDC Office, located at 420 Main St.

merce.Straight Ticket Voting

Be wary if you plan on voting straight ticket, but also vote for a candidate of a dif-ferent party - as you may just cast a vote for both candidates of the same race.

Citing recent concerns from citizens on straight ticket voting, Matagorda County Clerk Janet Hickl stated some voters have been given wrong information.

Hickl referenced Sec. 52.071 of the Elec-tion Code, and highlighted section B which stated: The following instruction shall be added to the instruction required by Sec-tion 52.070(b):

"You may cast a straight-party vote (that is, cast a vote for all the nominees of one party) by placing an 'X' in the square beside the name of the party of your choice. If you cast a straight-party vote for all the nomi-

nees of one party and also cast a vote for an opponent of one of that party's nomi-nees, your vote for the op-ponent will be counted as well as your vote for all the other nominees of the party for which the straight-party vote was cast." - Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 472, Sec. 15, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.

PISD(Continued From Page 1)that school personnel and the public be in-volved in developing a profile of the leadership qualities desired of the person the Board should seek to become the new superintendent.

Visit the Palacios ISD website, www.pa-laciosisd.org, to access the Leadership Profile Questionnaire, which features the following three questions:

• What do you con-sider to be the tow or three most significant strengths of the district?

• What do you consid-er to be the two or three most important issues / concerns / challenges facing the district?

• What professional / personal characteristics should the board look for in the next superin-tendent?

whichever way works for you. To add to the excite-ment, participants are en-couraged to dress up in cos-tumes that rock and glow.

The Boys & Girls Club along with participating or-ganizations will provide the children an opportunity to “Trunk or Treat” along the 5K.

Cost for adults, 18 & up, is $20 per person and stu-dents, ages 6-17, are $10 per person. Palacios Boys & Girls Club members and children 5 and under are free. For additional infor-mation, call the Boys & Girls Club at 361-972-2642 or email: bgclub@palacio-sisd.org.

5K (Continued From Page 1)

Palacios Pride

Pick it uP

GIBSON(Continued From Page 1)

ty Jail on the morning of Mon. (Oct. 22) on a charge by sealed indictment.

When the Beacon con-tacted the District Clerk Office in regards to the in-

dictment’s unsealing, we were told it was yet to hap-pen. Due to our printing schedule we will provide more information in next week’s Beacon.

FORUM (Continued From Page 1)

ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES: • Matagorda County...$30.00 • Outside-County...$40.00 •

ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS STOP AT EXPIRATION DATEPOSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palacios Beacon,

P. O. Box 817, Palacios, Texas 77465.

Advertising & Article Submission Deadline 5 p.m. Friday• BEACON OFFICE CLOSED WEDNESDAYS •

Periodical Class Postage Paid At Palacios, Texas 77465 (USPS 418460)

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PalaciosPalacios

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City by the Sea Publishing, LLC310 Fifth Street • P. O. Box 817

Palacios, Texas 77465(361) 972-3009 / FAX (361) 972-2610E-Mail: palaciosbeacon@gmail.com

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BEACONRYAN G. WEST............................PUBLISHER/EDITORBRANDI G. WEST........ADVERTISING/SUBSCRIPTIONSALAN SCHULMAN.....................................REPORTER

DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAYPage 4 - Palacios Beacon - Wed., October 24, 2018

• Candidate Annoucement •• Candidate Annoucement •

Tapia seeks reelection to bench of Justice of the Peace, Pct. 3

[Pol. Ad. paid for by Amy O. Tapia, 200 E. Texas Ave., Palacios, TX 77465]

20 YEARS AGO-1998MCND #1 Commissioners debated the economic vi-

ability of establishing a new seafood processing plant at the port.

Candidates for 1998 PHS Homecoming Queen are se-niors Lisa Longoria, Brandi Bates, Wendy Freudenrich and LeAnn Duran. Duchesses are freshman Tiffany Seaman, sophomore Christina Hernandez and junior Erica Zepeda.

For the first time since 1996, the Sharks won a district game as they corralled the Edna Cowboys, 10-6. Brandon Bowers kicked a 32-yd. field goal and Jamie Dinh caught a 9-yd. TD pass from Ryan Kubecka.

25 YEARS AGO-1993Senior Cassie Kubecka, escorted by her father, Douglas

Kubecka, was crowned Friday night as the 1993 Home-coming Queen for Palacios High School. Cassie received her crown from 1992 Queen Gaynell Byrd.

30 YEARS AGO-1988The Palacios Sharks celebrated their 20-0 shutout of

Columbus last week. The district opening win gave the Sharks a 4-1 record overall.

The Palacios Area Fund recently completed its seventh year of operation in Palacios. PAF awarded grants totaling more than $19,000.

Dan Morales of Palacios was one of two individuals awarded a scholarship from the Reverend Monsignor Albert G. Henkes Seminarian Scholarship Fund.

40 YEARS AGO-1978The faculty of Palacios High School has selected Edwin

Holsworth as student of the month.Russell Johnson of Lake Jackson, who had many friends

in Palacios, died Sunday after he was stung by a wasp at his ranch near Centerville.

50 YEARS AGO-1968Mrs. Esther Smith, pianist for the Rotary Club since it

was chartered in 1934, was presented a Ro tary International Pin in appreciation of her service.

The Palacios Library Board voted unanimously to give Life Memberships in the library to Mrs. George Barnett, Mrs. Florence Trull and Mr. and Mrs. G.T. Brooking.

Mrs. Charles Luther attended the Texas Federation of Women Club’s yearly board meeting in Austin.

55 YEARS AGO-1963The Earl T. Ward Furniture & Appliance store will

have an official opening Thursday.Over 50 planes and 200 flyers, members of the All-Texas

Tour, were expected to fly in to the local airport Saturday.The Palacios Seawall Commission planned to construct

an extension to the pavilion pier.Karen Bell and Donald Neeley were selected for state

choir while Mary Ann Burke, Linda Johnson and Tommy Ellis won regional honors.

60 YEARS AGO-1958D.W. Marshall Construction Company of Victoria

was setting forms for the foundation of the 60x120 foot structure, the new supermarket for the Curtis family, at the corner of Fourth and Main.

A petition bearing the signature of 8 for and 1 against was presented to the city council seeking the extension of the present city limits to include the territory east of High-way 35 between the present city limits and Foley Village.

65 YEARS AGO-1953Only two ginning days remain, the total now stands at

2919 bales ginned locally for this year.The Junior High Hornets defeated by the Victoria fresh-

men 13-7 last week, will play Clute City here Thursday night. The Sharks, who defeated Port Lavaca 20-12, travel to West Columbia Friday.

70 YEARS AGO-1948Mrs. Glen Claybourn, worthy matron, and John Lynch,

worthy patron, entertained officers of the Palacios chapter of O.E.S.

G.L. Pore became the owner of the R.N. Grant Jewelry business.

Nineteen million pounds of fish were caught by com-mercial fishermen in the coastal area during the period from Sept. 1, 1937 to Aug. 31, 1948.

75 YEARS AGO-1943The sum of $214,625 was collected here in the Third

War Bond Drive.Word was received from the War Department informing

Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Miska that their son, Pvt. John Miska, was killed in action in Sicily on Sept. 16.

80 YEARS AGO-1938The completion of Highway 71 was celebrated in

Columbus.A new weekly paper for Matagorda County made its

debut in Bay City with W.E. Green as editor and publisher. The mechanical work was done in the Palacios Beacon office.

85 YEARS AGO-1933The bus station was moved to the Crescent Drug Store.Miss Ruby Johnson was a new employee in the post

office.Palacios gins had turned out 1247 bales of cotton for

the season and 6917 bales had been ginned in the county.90 YEARS AGO-1928

Clarence Koontz was furnishing the local markets with plenty of home grown vegetables.

Carl Ehlers disposed of his interests in the Queen The-ater to the co-owner Ralph Williams and J.L. Deutsch, Sr.

More than 13,000 bales of cotton were reported for the county and Palacios had more than 2,500 bales.

95 YEARS AGO-1923The Palacios football boys were scheduled to play

Victoria. H.C. Lewis was coach; Joe Deutsch, Jr., was captain and quarterback; Glenn Shuey and Paul Stanford, halfbacks; Gerald Miller, fullback; Clarence Buller and Frank LeCompte, ends; Sterling Smith, center; Lester Dunkleberg, Homer Luther and Ruel Batchelder, guards; Emmett Gibson and Fred Thompson, tackles.

B & S Meat Market Corner of 8th Street and FM 1468 • Markham

979-843-5730

Oct. 24th-Oct. 30th

Like us on facebook for additional WEEKEND SPECIALS!Custom Slaughtering and Deer Processing

Hours: Mon.-Fri./9am-7pm • Sat./9am-5pm • Open Sundays 11am-5p.m.

Beef Cutlets $3.99/lb.Hot Links $3.89/lb.

Oxtail $5.99/lb. Boneless Chicken Breast $1.39/lb.

My name is Amy Ottino-Tapia. I am the Republican can-didate for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3.

For the past six years, I have served as co-coordinator for the Palacios Area Fund Operation Santa Claus Program. I have been an active member of the Matagorda County Emergen-cy Management Team for 4 years. I serve on the Rainbow Land Daycare and Educational Center board as secretary, The Palacios HUB Board, The Har-monie Club. I am a member of the Justice of the Peace and Constable Association. My contributions to my city, com-munity and county are done with integrity, great pride and devotion.

At the age of 19, I was blessed to begin my employment with Matagorda County. I have had the privilege of serving my community and Matagorda County for over 16 years as Chief Clerk and over year as Justice of Peace for Precinct 3.

My experiences as a clerk have ultimately prepared me to take office; giving me the knowledge and wisdom to achieve my goal of becoming Justice of the Peace. I have the proficiency and expertise of all reports and its entities in submissions to the state and county. I can assume all responsibilities and full functionality regarding budget, re-ports, and routine daily tasks if need be. The Texas Justice Court Training Center has contributed to over 380 hours of training; enabling me to acquire a Criminal and Civil Clerk Certification and a Masters Clerk Certification; requiring extensive knowledge in Civil and Criminal Law and Jus-tice Court Procedures. During the course of my employ-ment, with the progression of technology, I have endured and implemented several transition phases. Each attempt to improve workflow, efficiency, and consistency of our Case Management System, led to the current implementation of Odyssey, our county wide Case Management Program. In preparation of Odyssey, I had the privilege of training and working alongside Tyler Technology Consultants and Team Members, supporting and assisting in the development and implementation of Odyssey into our JP Courts; essentially designated the Lead Subject Matter Expert and Senior Sup-port Staff Member for all Matagorda County JP Courts.

In December of 2016, I applied for the position of Jus-tice of the Peace, Precinct 3, and was honored to be recom-mended as Justice of the Peace to our Matagorda County Commissioners. Taking into consideration of my training and experiences, I felt confident, assured, and well prepared to take office in January 2017.

I was born and raised in Palacios, Texas. I am the eldest daughter of Henry and Lupe Ottino. I am a 2000 Palacios High School graduate. I have been married for 16 years; my husband and I having 3 daughters-Alexandria-14, Jiselle-6, Sienna-5, and a son Luca-2.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve my city, com-munity and Matagorda County. I respectfully ask for your support and vote to continue serving as Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three. Early voting starts October 22, 2018 - No-vember 2, 2018 and Election day is November 6, 2018.

2700 7th St. Bay City, TX

77414

(979) 245-2990

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPTVOTE FOR YOUR FUTURE NOW

VOTE REPUBLICANYOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Election Day- Tue., Nov. 6Early Voting- Mon., Oct. 22 thru Fri., Nov. 2

For voting locations and hours Call 979-244-7680Paid Ad- Matagorda County Republican Party

one Independent. With this being a very tumultuous election season, a large turnout saw most tables filled with politically active citizens.

The format of the fo-rum was that each candi-date would introduce him/herself, and after all intro-ductions were complete, questions submitted by the audience and approved by county Democrat and Re-publican party chairmen would be answered by the candidates.

As might be expected, more questions were tar-geted toward incumbent County Judge Nate Mc-Donald and his Republican challenger Charles Wright than candidates in other races, perhaps because, in Texas, a county judge’s ac-tions can be perceived as having the most immedi-ate and tangible effect on county resident’s lives.

Charles Wright was asked if he would give a 25-year tax abatement be-fore he contacted the court,

to which he replied, “No, I would not. I would research that, I would meet with people. Let me show you this book I’ve been reading. I’ve spent my off-time the last four years studying tax abatements. I’m not going to slam the current people for their positions, there’s been a lot of good come out of it, but we missed the part about the buy-in, and get-ting people together, and getting people educated and communicated to.”

A question that has been looming since Hurricane Harvey was posed to both candidates. “The Hurricane Harvey evacuation order, based on an alarming claim of 10-foot floods in Bay City revealed a lack of the city’s flood elevation, rela-tive to the river. What les-sons did you learn from that and what changes do you propose to prepare for in the future?” Judge Nate McDonald’s response was, “My words were always 8 to 12 feet because that’s what NOAA, The National Weather Service, LCRA, The Texas Department of Emergency Management, and all the meteorological experts that we have at The University of Texas and Texas A&M in Austin that were modeling this inunda-tion for us, told me. I talked with 22 people that evening and not one of them would back away from their pre-diction. So, the question becomes, am I to endan-

ger 36,000 lives or am I to make the hard decision to ask you all to continue the mandatory evacuation that we were already in.”

Three candidates for U.S. District 27 Representative were present, along with a representative for Repub-lican Michael Cloud, who won the special election to replace Blake Farenthold. Those three candidates were Democrat Michael Holguin, Libertarian Dan-iel Tinus, and Independent James Duerr.

Other candidates present were Republican District Clerk, Janice Hawthorne, Democrat County Clerk, Janet Hickl and her Repub-lican opponent Stephanie Wurtz, Republican County Treasurer-elect Loretta Griffin, Republican Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Jason Sanders, Republican Justice of the Peace, Pre-cinct 2, Ronald LeBlanc, and Republican Candidate for Justice of the Peace Pre-cinct 6, Jim Powell.

Also present were can-didates for the 13th Court of Appeals. Democrat Dori Contreras is vying for Chief Justice, Democrat Nora Longoria for Place 2, and Gina Benavidez for Place 5.

After several hours and several rounds of question-ing, the moderator deter-mined that enough had been done to satisfy the goals of the forum, and it was time to conclude, adjourn and have refreshments.

PCMC (Continued From Page 1)that would be detrimental to the future of Palacios.

Until that decision is made and we know the results, everything else is just speculation.

In conclusion, Board Members Dan Tucker and Maxine Kubecka pointed out that the best way Pala-cios residents can ensure that PCMC stays open is to use the the facility for their healthcare needs instead of choosing to go “out of town.”

Deadline 5 p.m.Friday for all

photos & articles to be submitted

for consideration to be published

in thePalacios Beacon.

Palacios Beacon - Wed., October 24, 2018 - Page 5DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAY

State Capital

HIGHLIGHTSBy Ed Sterling

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

Disaster declaration after counties hit by heavy rains, floodingAUSTIN — Gov. Greg

Abbott issued a state disas-ter declaration for 18 Texas counties recently impacted by deadly weather that claimed at least four lives and caused extensive flood-ing.

On Oct. 16 Abbott autho-rized the use of all available resources of state govern-ment and of political sub-divisions to aid in response efforts.

“Texas is taking im-mediate action to respond to the threat of recent se-vere weather and flooding across the state. We have made available all neces-sary resources to respond as quickly and effectively as possible to this disaster and to assist those in harm’s way,” the governor said. “I thank all our first respond-ers and local officials on the

ground in these commu-nities for their efforts to assist fellow Texans during this dangerous event.”

Counties included in the disaster declara-tion are Bastrop, Bur-net, Colorado, Fayette, Hood, Jim Wells, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, Live Oak, Llano, Mason, McMullen, Nueces, Real, San Patricio, Tra-vis and Williamson.

In related news, the Texas Secretary of State’s office on Oct. 18 announced that its employees contacted election officials in all 18 counties named in the di-saster declaration in order to provide immediate guid-ance and assess election office closures, equipment damage, issues with polling

locations, website availabil-ity and any other ongoing issues as a result of severe weather.

Secretary of State Ro-lando Pablos, Texas’ chief elections officer, said his office is working “with both party and elected of-ficials to gather additional information and ensure that any Texas voters affected by severe weather will be accommodated when pre-paring to cast their ballots.”

Early voting began Oct. 22 and runs through Nov. 2. Election Day is Nov. 6.Survivors’ bill to be filed

Legislation to create a telemedicine program to deliver medical forensic care to sexual assault survi-vors throughout Texas will be filed soon.

Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, on Oct. 17 announced she would introduce legislation that addresses the fact that 84 percent of Texas counties currently are not served by a nurse with sexual assault certifications.

Nelson said her bill would establish telemedicine hubs through which local medi-cal providers may consult with a certified nurse during a sexual assault exam and “dramatically expand the number of locations where survivors can obtain care and ensure evidence is col-lected in a manner that will stand up in court.”

“Every survivor of sexual assault deserves compas-sionate care and justice, regardless of where they live,” Nelson said.

Nelson serves as chair of the state budget-writing Senate Finance Committee.

Jobless rate falls further

Texas’ seasonally ad-justed unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in September, down from 3.9 percent in August, and setting a new record for the lowest unem-ployment rate recorded in four decades.

The Texas Workforce Commission posted the numbers on Oct. 19, also saying the state’s econ-omy added 15,600 sea-

sonally adjusted non-farm jobs in September. The an-nual employment growth was 3.3 percent in Septem-ber, marking 27 consecutive months of annual growth.

Texas Workforce Com-mission Chair Ruth Rug-gero Hughs said, “Texas’ continued addition of jobs over a 27-month period demonstrates the competi-tive advantage and market opportunities available to our Texas employers and world-class workforce.”

The Midland Metro-politan Statistical Area re-corded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.2 percent, followed by the Amarillo MSA and the Odessa MSA, which had the second lowest with a rate of 2.7 percent. The Austin-Round Rock and College Station- Bryan MSAs recorded the third lowest rate of 2.9 percent for September.

Alamo plan is finalizedAfter the San Antonio

City Council voted for fi-nal approval of an Alamo plaza lease agreement and closing the streets in front of the Alamo, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush on Oct. 18 released this statement:

“Texas has a rich and unique history defined by the valor of our defenders who gave their lives for a single idea: liberty. The ef-fort to preserve and restore the Alamo battlefield began three years ago and has un-dergone intense debate and discussion. Today’s vote is a historic milestone, show-casing the State of Texas and City of San Antonio’s commitment to restor-ing the Alamo for genera-tions of Texans to come. The story of the Alamo is world-renowned and rep-resents the core of Texas’ identity today. I look for-ward to seeing restoration begin, ensuring the Alamo is around for another 300 years.”

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Be In Your New HomeFor the Holidays

Call the TLC Team today!

389 Cedar StreetP.O. Box 693 Matagorda, TX 77457

1900 5th StreetBay City,

Texas, 77414

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RE-ELECT NATEMcDONALD

FORCOUNTYJUDGE

MATAGORDA COUNTY

“Representing All of Matagorda County”“Working For All of Matagorda County”

“I am running for re-election to continue serving each citizen of the County, to continue

moving our County forward and to be available to you every day. Along with my

judicial, administrative and conservative budgeting

duties, I will energetically lead air, water and business efforts that

benefit all of Matagorda County.

November 6Early Voting October 22-November 2

Pol. Adv. Paid for by Sharyl McDonald, Treasurer206 CR 208, Bay City, Texas 77414

COMMITTED CAPABLE ENERGETIC

PROVEN LEADER SERVICE DRIVEN

It is with great plea-sure and excitement that I, Stephanie Cantu Wurtz, announce my candidacy for County Clerk. As a Matagorda County employ-ee, I have gained a wealth of knowledge working in various aspects of the judi-cial court system. The time I have spent working in the offices of the County Attor-ney, District Clerk and Dis-trict Attorney has enabled me to build solid working relationships with County officials and their employ-ees, as well as visiting and local attorneys. This valu-able experience has also given me the opportunity to work directly with the public, providing a high level of customer service to our commu-nity.

My experience will be crucial as the courts move to a mandatory electronic filing of criminal cases and docu-ments on July 1, 2019. As a Deputy in the District Clerk’s office, I helped spearhead the move towards electronic fil-ing of civil court cases and documents, spending countless hours testing the new environment with the court’s case management system.

As a county employee, I am well aware of the impor-tance in not only maintaining and preserving county re-cords, but gaining access to these records as well. My goal is to improve the record preservation system and admin-ister the program to efficiently and effectively grant the public access to these records.

With the introduction of electronic voting, the election process has come a long way since the days of counting paper ballots. I will continue to improve elections by streamlining the voting process and promoting efficiency.

My goal as County Clerk is to make the environment one of personal interaction and customer service to the community. I ask for your support in making that happen with your vote in the upcoming general election.

• Candidate Annoucement •• Candidate Annoucement •

Stephanie Cantu-Wurtz announces candidacy for Matagorda County Clerk

[Pol. Ad. paid for by Trea-surer David Wurtz, 3206 El Camino, Bay City, TX 77414]

DONALD TRUMPU.S. President

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington, D.C. 20500

www.whitehouse.gov/contact(202) 456-1111 –––––––––––––

JOHN CORNYNU.S. Senator

517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.Washington, DC 20510

202-224-2934Houston Office

5300 Memorial Drive Suite 980Houston, TX 77007

713-572-3337–––––––––––––

TED CRUZU.S. Senator

Russell Senate Office Bldg 404Washington, DC 20510

Main: 202-224-5922Houston Office

808 Travis Street Suite 1420Houston, TX 77002

(713) 718-3057–––––––––––––

MICHAEL CLOUDU.S. Representative

District 272331 Rayburn House Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20515(202) 225-7742 Corpus Office

101 North Shoreline Blvd.Corpus Christi, TX 78401

(361) 884-2222–––––––––––––

GREG ABBOTTGovernor

P.O. Box 12428Capitol Ooffice

Austin, Tx. 78711-2428(512) 463-1762–––––––––––––

LOIS KOLKHORSTState Senator

District 18P.O. Box 12068Capitol Station

Austin, Tx. 7871Lois.Kolkhorst@senate.texas.gov

(512) 463-0118District Address

2000 S. Market St. #101Brenham, TX 77833

(979) 251-7888––––––––––––

DENNIS BONNENState Representative

P.O. Box 2910Capitol Station

Austin, Tx. 78768(512) 463-0564District Address122 E. Myrlte St.

Angleton, Tx 77515–––––––––––

NATE McDONALDMatagorda County Judge

1700 7th StreetBay City, Tx. 77414

(979) 244-7605–––––––––––

SKIPPER OSBORNEMatagorda County Sheriff

2308 Avenue FBay City, Tx. 77414

(979) 245-5526–––––––––––––––JAMES GIBSON

Pct. 3 County CommissionerCounty Barn, Hwy 35-North

Palacios, Tx. 77465(361) 972-2719–––––––––––––GLEN SMITHPalacios Mayor

City Hall, 311 HendersonP.O. Box 845

Palacios, Tx. 77465(361) 972-3605

WHERE TO WRITE & CALLYOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

OCTOBER WORLD MISSION BREAKFAST

Saturday, October 27th

8am - 11amChurch of God of Prophecy

808 9th St. • Palacios$8.00 - All You Can Eat

Serving your homemade breakfast favorites: Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, hot coffee and our

famous breakfast strudel.

Call 361-972-6262 (day of event) to place your “to go” order.

Thank you for your prayers and patronage for the past

72 years of supporting foreign missions.

HELP MAKETHE NEW FIRE

HOUSE A REALITY.

PLEASE DONATE HERE.

PVFD P.O. Box 212

Palacios, TX 77465

Page 6 - Palacios Beacon - Wed., October 24, 2018 DEADLINE 5 P.M. FRIDAY

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