A Time of Thanksgiving

A nip is in the air, the fall migration is in full swing, the sweet smell of Pumpkin Pie fills the air, and plans for family gatherings are taking shape. All in all, the community prepares to give thanks. And those of us who are lucky enough to count the San Bernard River as part of our community, have still another reason to be thankful for the community in which we live, work and play this season.

As you know, Friends Of the River San Bernard reached our 501c3 status right around the time of our first fund raiser last month. Then, the fund raiser was a success. The new Board of Directors looked for a way to give a portion of those funds back to the community as soon as possible to demonstrate thanks to those who had supported F.O.R. At the second board meeting on November 9, the directors voted to fund lights at the county boat ramps at F.M. 2611 and F.M. 521 – then they went about making that happen. But, it took the entire community to make this happen.

Pat Webb, President of F.O.R., took our mission to County Commissioner, Pct. 1, Dude Payne’s office for direction. Through this office, F.O.R. was directed to Mark Hansen’s (director of Brazoria Co. Parks Dept.) office. Then, with a little ingenuity and a lot of cooperation, the following plan breathed life.

• Two 400 watt security lights will be installed at each county boat ramp at F. M. 2611 and F.M. 521. Here’s where the community comes in.
   
• At the F. M. 2611 boat ramp F.O.R. will pay for the poles to put the lights on, Jackson Electric will install the poles and furnish the lights, and the Brazoria Co. Parks Department will pay the monthly light bill.
   
• At the F. M. 521 boat ramp, F.O.R. will pay for the equipment, and the Brazoria Co. Parks Department will supply the labor to install the lights, and will pay for the electricity to run them.

The Brazoria County Parks Department is already ordering the parts and the electricity for the new lights. The lights will help  cut down on illegal dumping at the ramps,  will allow us to see what we are doing when we launch our boats at night or early in the morning, and will allow a little assist on night fishing adventures. So, watch the progress at the boat ramps, we’ll soon be a little safer at night and early morning at the boat ramps.

As you gather your family around the turkey or ham feast on Thanksgiving and you bow your heads to give thanks, remember one more thing we all have to be thankful for – an entire community working toward making life on the San Bernard River just a little better – a little sweeter. And although, the mouth of the San Bernard is still closed, we can be thankful for a community –individuals, businesses, and governmental agencies - who have demonstrated they can work together to make the community a better place to live. And while we have that, the opening of the river cannot be that far behind.

Pat Webb, President of Friends Of the River San Bernard, gives Mark Hansen , Director of Brazoria County Parks Department, a check to begin boat ramp lighting project.

Jan Edwards