businessnewsmakers

Second annual San Bernard Town Hall meeting  held

Special to The Facts

SAN BERNARD – The Second annual Friends Of the River (F.O.R.) San Bernard Town Hall Meeting, held Saturday, February 24 at 7 p.m. at Dido’s Restaurant, celebrated the hopes and accomplish-ments of F.O.R. with over 175 friends.

This event began the Second year of community service for Friends Of the River San Bernard – an organization dedicated to  making the river community a better place to live and play. Girl Scout Troop 113 members assisted by handing out the evening’s agenda and the new Friends Of the River brochures. Most of those present enjoyed a special dinner buffet prepared by Dido’s.

The meeting began with the reading of a letter from State Senator Kyle Janek congratulating the group on its goals and achievements for the past year. To read a copy of the letter, please visit www.sanbernardriver.com.

After the reading of the letter, Jennifer Sanchez, Acting Director of the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, invited those present to volunteer to participate in the preparation of the new 10-acre Betty Brown Unit of the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge for a Song Bird sanctuary in time for the April Migration Celebration – another event participants were invited to take part in.

Then Cindy Jordye, Environmental Team Leader from ConocoPhillips, congratulated the group for its efforts and, as a part of their public outreach, informed those present of an upcoming Table Top and river spill response drill due to occur sometime in April.

After those two announcements, the 2007 Board of Directors and the working committee chairs were introduced and synopses of their respective goals were presented to the group.

Again, this year, there will be four boat parades, a spring river clean up, a “Dig” event at the mouth of the river, a fund-raiser, a “Dock Hop” on National Night Out and logo merchandise items will continue to be developed and distributed for donation to help in funding of the group’s operation.

According to the press release, “During the Logo Committee portion of the talk, the crowd was delighted by the gifting of the live F.O.R. centerpieces to the person at each table with the F.O.R. logo on his/her chair.”

These centerpieces were a product of the contributions of the community. They were designed by F.O.R.’s Logo Committee and Brazoria Florist and Gifts. The self-watering pots themselves were a donation by Bill and Mary Jo Robbins.

Work with local, state and federal officials will continue for the re-opening of the mouth of the river, and new initiatives will start this year.

As an extension of the  Mouth Committee report, Dr. Robin Hardwicke, her husband, Keith and their daughter, Laura reported on their visit concerning the reopening of the mouth of the San Bernard with Assistant Secretary of the Army, John Paul Woodley, Jr. at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

The new Environmental Committee will monitor the health of the river, work will begin on acquiring a Community Center and park for F.O.R. events and educational opportunities will be developed.

After the F.O.R. re-cap, the keynote speaker, Peter M. Lavigne spoke on the life of rivers, and how groups and individuals could positively impact the health of their rivers.

He spoke of environmental challenges to different parts of  the nation. He also congratulated F.O.R.     LEFT: Keynote speaker at the F.O.R. meeting, Peter M. Lavigne spoke  RIGHT: The 2nd Annual Friends Of the River (F.O.R.) San Bernard
for how far it had come in one year and                         on the life of rivers and how groups and individuals could positively       Town Hall Meeting, held Saturday, February 24 at 7 p.m. at Dido's
ended overcome and successes of other river             impact the health of their rivers. Immediately following Peter’s talk,        Restaurant, celebrated the hopes and accomplishments of F.O.R. with
groups in his talk with the following comment:             the Executive Committee of F.O.R. presented him with an appreciation   over 175 friends.
“I saw the KHOU ‘Dying River’ segment, but I        award.
don’t think this river is dying anymore. What I
see, is a river beginning to live again, and it is all due to all of you.”

Immediately following Peter’s talk, the Executive Committee of F.O.R. presented him with an appreciation award.

The entertainment for the evening was next. Ben Vollbaum, F.O.R. member, shared a 1942 film of cattle being driven across the mouth of the San Bernard River. Mr. Vollbaum is also donating copies of this family film to the Museums in Lake Jackson and Brazoria.

At the end of the meeting, Bob Bailey presented the 2nd Annual Ralph Primeau Memorial Award to Roy Edwards for his continued efforts to educate the policy makers and the public about the precarious situation of the San Bernard River.

The meeting was then adjourned and those present had the opportunity to check out the new logo merchandise, as well as the other offerings, at the new merchandise case just installed at Dido’s Restaurant.

For more information on this and future events, visit www.sanbernardriver.com. For more information on this event, call (979) 964-4332.