Community News

Jane Long Festival Needs Sponsorships

JLfestThe Bolivar Peninsula Cultural Foundation is again hosting The Jane Long Festival on October 11, 2014. Celebrate the spirit of Jane Long in the historical and newly renovated Fort Travis Park in Port Bolivar. History, art & music join together in an entertaining tribute to Jane as “the Mother of Texas.” You can support this fantastic event by becoming a sponsor at one of the following levels:

Butterflies in the Tax Office

taxBy Cheryl E. Johnson, RTA
Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector
When I ran for County Tax Assessor Collector, I promised to improve service, reduce cost and fight for property tax relief. I arrived January 3, 2005, to discover a backlog of tax payments (that took four months to post) and motor vehicle registration renewals (that took six weeks to

Is that a house boat?

mcmillan_0It is a rare sight to see a house crossing the bay, but that is exactly what happened on Monday. George McMillan, of McMillan Building Movers, and Wayne Mouton, of Peninsula Marine, teamed up to move a 2,000 square foot house from its homesite on Offatts Bayou in Galveston over to Bolivar. McMillan saved this home from the wrecking ball since the property was acquired to expand the

Mobile Health Clinic now on Bolivar

coastal0Coastal Health & Wellness is now on the Bolivar Peninsula with a new mobile clinic. The clinic will be at 946 Noble Carl Road in Crystal Beach each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Services offered in the CHW MobileClinic include: Routine visits for health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, etc.; Routine or periodic lab tests or lab follow up; General physical exams for adults; Women’s health visits;

Abandoned house provides fire training for local departments

burn_0Fire Departments from three Bolivar communities participated in a training exercise last Saturday by burning an abandoned house on Bay Vue Road. Approximately 25 firefighters participated in this ground training to observe smoke and fire patterns and to witness how hot and how fast a house fire can burn. Firetrucks were on the scene to wet down the surrounding area, but no water was used on

Ladies Casting for Conservation

fishing_00The Second Annual Ladies Casting for Conservation Tournament was a smashing success! The sponsors were generous and the teams went far and beyond in collecting donations. The event began with a Dinner at Barefoot Bill’s American Grill on Friday night to meet one another and fire up some great competition. We were more than ready to hit the hay and get a good start on the day

Geocache.com – ever heard of it?

geocache0Well, it’s been around Crystal Beach for years, it’s a scavenger hunt out of this world. I was visited at the Chamber by 3 regular folks on Friday, only in search of a pen, so they could document the fact they had found this part of the treasure. They found one of the keys in this hunt, right behind the Chamber office. The list of people who have found this one clue goes on for a string of register tape –

“Keep Our Beaches Clean”

litter0Bolivar kids are participating in a poster campaign to help fight litter on the beach. Littering is becoming a significant problem. The theme is “Keep Our Beaches Clean”, and the children are encouraged to be creative and colorful. Spearheaded by Carlis Cole, this non-confrontational approach may strike a cord by having children involved in protecting their environment. Posters are on display

Sea Rim State Park Rebirth – Grand Reopening

searim0After nearly a decade, Sea Rim State Park near Port Arthur is back on its feet with a new boardwalk, showers, campsites and even a six-person cabin for visitors. Hurricanes Rita and Ike nearly leveled the park and fried its electrical system. Now the park has been reborn with plenty of summer left for family getaways. A Video News Report is now available on our site called “Sea Rim Rebirth.” Texas Parks and

TXDOT to study Hwy 87 Traffic Signals

txdotAt the request of Driftwood Subdivision homeowners and other concerned citizens, TXDOT will complete new engineering studies at the Driftwood Road and Crystal Beach Road intersections to determine if there is enough side street traffic to interrupt SH 87 traffic. “At present, it is not a matter of “if” there is going to be a fatality accident but rather “when” a fatality accident is going to occur at this

Raising “Old Glory”

eagles0A special ceremony was held at Eagle’s Lodge on July 4th when “Old Glory” was raised in honor of our Nation’s Independence. The Stars and Stripes, one of the most widely recognized symbols of our nation, was raised by former Prisoner of War Gerald Huncharek and Vietnam Veteran PJ Vidrine to show remembrance and honor for our veterans and current servicemen.

We hope you had a great 4th

fourth_0By Ed Riley
We started our Independence Day’s activities at 10 am on the beach attending the 2nd annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. This tradition was started last year and continued this year by the same 3 guys – Lamont Meaux, Larry Wolfe and Doc Brown, all veterans of the U.S. armed forces and all of the Ramada Beach subdivision. The

Fascinating, Gentle, Old Fashion Fun

horse0The Crystal Corral Stables in Crystal Beach sponsored two summer Horse Camps for kids from near and far. Crystal Corral Owners Louis and Shelley Bennett must know first-hand the positive effects horses have on youth…and the fun had by all was obvious. On Thursday, nine beginner horse campers attended the Little Britches Horse Camp. Activities included decorating the horses with some paint, an

Entergy Texas Reminds Customers: Be Wary of Scam Artists

entergyCustomers continue to be targeted in bill payment scam.
Since last summer, scammers have continued to target Entergy customers in Texas and surrounding states. The con artist calls and tells the customer their electric bill payment is past due, and that service will be disconnected within the hour if payment isn’t made. The scammer then directs the customer to transfer funds electronically, sometimes

Date Night

datenight0By Linda Elissalde
Georgia and Tom Osten, Margo Johnson and Bob Morgan, Eve and Brad Bradford, and Linda C. and Marcel Elissalde enjoyed Date Night on Saturday, June 21. The couples met up at Tiki Bar. Bruce Haire and 3-Way Switch provided the four couples, and other fans, with fantastic music. Most folk just had to get up and move to such

Last Day to Split Pay & Last Call for Payment Agreements!

Cheryl E. Johnson, Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector
Property owners that participated in the split or half payment option to pay 2013 taxes need to take note that the second and final payment is due (or must be postmarked) by June 30th to avoid costly penalties and interest. If you are

TNT is about You!!

GCFor those new to Texas or unfamiliar with how our taxes work, we have a two legged stool to support government – sales and use taxes and property taxes. Sales and use taxes fund State government and property taxes fund local governments (county, city, school district, community colleges, drainage and emergency services districts, etc.). State agencies have a mechanism to obtain funding

Lifeguards have a Fun Spot to work

lifeguard_0School is out For Summer and the Fun Spot is the place to go to cool down, rinse off from the beach and generally hang out to see all your friends. Working at the Fun Spot, are two certified life guards you’ll be sure to recognize. Cody VanZandt and Jacy Cole. Cody, Valedictorian from High Island High in 2013, has finished his first year at Rice, and Jacy, Salutatorian from High Island High in 2012, is into

Lions Officers inducted

lions_0The Bolivar Peninsula Lions are going into their third year as a club. As the motto “We Serve” suggests, the Lions Club is a non-profit organization who, through fund raising, pours every cent back into the community. The three major events of the year are the Golf Cart Poker Run whose funds provide school supplies for our Peninsula schools, Swinging for Santa Golf Tournament, providing Christmas gifts for

Inaugural Summer Gospel Music Extravaganza And Bazaar Is A Success!

ext_0By Linda Elissalde
Thanks to the support of our peninsula community, the inaugural SUMMER GOSPEL MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA AND BAZAAR! can be counted as a successful event. Bruce Haire’s life-long dream became a reality on June 14, 2014. Bruce lined up a stellar cast of musicians from the area. Their performances pleased the audience with varied and

Volunteer Opportunity: Fishing Survey

cca_0Texas Parks and Wildlife, CCA Texas and other partners are currently restoring over 180 acres of oyster reef in East Galveston Bay. Work has been in progress for several weeks now. TWPD needs the help of the general public as Fishermen Scientists. In an effort to create baseline data for the success of fishing effort before and after the restoration efforts, we need the help of area fishermen.

The

Message in a Bottle travels 2,700 miles

bottle0Eight year old Sarah DeLaughter and her Dad, Zane, of Duncan Oklahoma, had a rare find. The DeLaughter family was vacationing in Crystal Beach last week, as they have done the last several years. As Sarah told us her story, it was as if we were right along there with her as she made this never to be forgotten find! They were on a mission in the evening to search out crabs, which they did indeed

…and many more, Sherry Morgan!

Sherry1Who is the lovely, talented and thoughtful person who celebrated her birthday at Tiki Bar on Thursday, May 29th? It was none other than Sherry Morgan. (Her actual birthday was May 28th when she was feted by Carolyn and Dan Akers.) Sherry was surprised when she arrived with brother Bob to discover that friends were waiting for her. Mary Ellen Smith, Georgia and Tom Osten, Marsha and Moody

NOAA predicts 2014 Atlantic hurricane season

NOAA_0In its 2014 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a near-normal or below-normal season. The main driver of this year’s outlook is the anticipated development of El Niño this summer. El Niño causes stronger wind shear, which reduces the number and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes. The outlook calls for a 50 percent chance of a below-normal season,

Storm Stoppers demo in Crystal Beach

storm0John Smith, President and Inventor of Storm Stoppers, will be in Crystal Beach on Thursday, May 29 to demonstrate his product at 941 Bowers Lane, from 9 am to noon. Storm Stoppers are a great alternative to plywood panels for temporary window protection during a hurricane. The lightweight 3/8″ translucent panel installs without penetrating anchors such as screws and bolts, and can be removed

New Beach Warning Flag signs installed

tyler0Tyler Ray completed his Eagle Scout community project on Saturday by installing beach warning flag signs at four locations on Bolivar Peninsula. Look for the new signs at Bolivar Peninsula RV park, Remax, Kites Unlimited and Miss Nancy’s Bait Camp in Gilchrist. His troop also cleaned up areas on the beach. “Tyler did a great job and The Bolivar Chamber of Commerce gives him a

Beach Front Bargain Hunters

hgtv0By Luz Gray, COBB Real Estate
We all wondered if it could happen and on May the 1st it did. HGTV came to Crystal Beach to film the popular show “Beach Front Bargain Hunters.” Luz Gray, Broker Associate, with COBB Real Estate was contacted in April to be on the show which spends a day with potential buyers as they look at 4 homes and try to meet all of their wish list items

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