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1st Saturday "Breakfast on the Bernard" Saturday, March 1st
8am-10am Dido's County Road 519 Brazoria
R.S.V.P.
Here
- but come even if you
didn't
A Beautiful Anniversary
in the Neighborhood
 Saturday,
February 23 was a beautiful spring like evening for the 151
friends and neighbors who gathered at Dido’s for Friends Of
the River San Bernard’s third annual Town Hall meeting. The
first thing on the agenda was the social hour from 5 p.m. -
6 p.m. featuring a specially priced Chicken or Shrimp Pasta
buffet dinner. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the
chance to meet and greet our neighbors from all along the
river. But, then, it was time to get down to business.
President Chaney Moore welcomed everyone, recognized special
guests, and gave a brief synopsis of the evening’s agenda.
Then, the following Committee Chairs briefed the members on
their 2008 goals and activities:
- Community Center - Pat Webb discussed
beautification, Community presentations, meetings and
rentals
- Nominating - Pat Webb discussed the need for
nominations for filling the 5 retiring director
vacancies on the board this year
- Environmental – Susie Alford discussed kiosk
signs which will be placed at the F.M. 521 and F.M. 2611
boat ramps and at the F.O.R. Community center to be able
to update river conditions and issues to both residents
and users of the San Bernard River, and she spoke on
water quality testing and future training workshops
- River Clean Up – Bob Breakiron will be
heading up the F.O.R. river clean-up tentatively
scheduled for September in 2008
- Adopt-a-Highway – Pat Jankowiak announced she
is looking for 12 volunteers to clean F.O.R.’s 2 miles
of F.M. 2918 for TxDOT’s great Trash Off day, Saturday,
April 5
- Logo Promotions – Connie Webb discussed logo
merchandise sales including discontinued items and new
items just in time for the spring sale, to be held at
the Community Center
- Mouth – Roy Edwards explained the scope of
work that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has committed
to for opening the mouth of the San Bernard River (10
feet deep x 100 feet wide –at the bottom at mean low
tide) by fall of 2008
- Parades – Vanessa Taylor revisited last
year’s boat parades (which are beginning to draw
regional and national attention) and outlined this
year’s 4th of July parade (held Saturday, July 5) and
the night time Christmas boat parade and home decorating
contest (held December 13)
- F.O.R. Rangers – Emily Myers outlined the
creation of this youth program designed for area youth
between the ages of 11 to 15 to help the youth become
good river stewards
Website/Historian – Darrell Powell went over the
web stats for www.sanbernardriver.com including the site’s
best day last year (July 4) with 1,007 visits for the day.
The best week for the site was the week of July 8, 2007 with
5,014 visits. And the best month for the site was also July
2007 with 17,493 visits for the month.
Next came the awards presentations. Marie Breakiron read
the qualities sought for the individual chosen to receive
the annual Ralph Primeau Memorial Award, and asked last
year’s winner, Roy Edwards to assist her with presenting two
individuals with F.O.R.’s most prestigious award, given to
the person/s who had done the most for the river and the
F.O.R. organization in the past year. Pat Webb and Connie
Webb, both, were recipients of the annual Ralph Primeau
Memorial Award, for the year 2007.
This presentation was followed by John Cook, Dow
Environmental, Health and Safety Delivery Lead, presenting a
Dow grant of $15,000.00 to Friends Of the River for youth
and environmental programs. (more details coming soon)
The last award presentation was the announcement of the
Dow/Smithsonian Community Catalyst award winners, Roy and
Jan Edwards who presented Pat Webb, F.O.R. Community Center
Chairman, with their award of $1,000.00 to be used for
picnic tables for the Community Center. It was also
announced that the F.O.R. and the San Bernard River would be
featured in the Dow ad in the April or May Smithsonian
magazine. (more details coming soon)
Nancy Kanter, F.O.R.’s Treasurer, spoke on the financial
health of F.O.R. and told the membership that the board of
directors was working hard to ensure that funds entrusted to
F.O.R. were being held in the highest regard, and were used
with membership benefit in mind. She also explained the
budget procedures required of each F.O.R. Committee.
Nancy was followed by the keynote address which this year
was a documentary of the “State of the River, Past and
Present” that board member, Linda Wright, had lovingly
pieced together. The short film featured river memories from
Thomas Hinkle, Bill Swatsloski, Pete Runnels, and Dona and
Tommy Worrell. It also included a short clip of the recent
Corps of Engineers meeting which outlined the scope of the
work they were undertaking to re-open the mouth of the San
Bernard River, which is scheduled to happen this fall.
A question and answer session was next on the agenda, but
having no questions, the meeting was adjourned - with lucky
winners taking home the San Bernard River themed table
centerpieces created by the F.O.R. Logo committee. It was a
beautiful anniversary in the neighborhood.
*View ALL Town Hall Meeting photos:
click on tab at the top of this page
One of F.O.R.'s
primary functions is to educate the public
regarding the issues concerning the San Bernard
River and it's Communities. Contact Pat Webb
pat@sanbernardriver.com to schedule a
guest speaker for your group or special event.
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