The document summarizes several local news stories from the Baytown Sun newspaper. It reports that road construction will close an intersection exit ramp for several months. It also reports that a nonprofit organization received help from a business to improve operations and that a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new homeless shelter for families. Additionally, it announces a community meeting to provide input on the city's long-term planning.

1. The Baytown Sunwww.baytownsun.comServing our readers since 1922
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
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Vol. 95, No. 117 © 2015 • Since 1922
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• Jarmila Pereznegron
• Bobbie Carroll Bayliss
• Donald Ray Young
• Sharlotta June Pearce
• Darron Lee Young Sr.
• Jackie Z. Didriksen
Page 3
Sunny & dry! • Page 2
The Lord will keep you
from all harm – he will
watch over your life; the
Lord will watch over your
coming and going both
now and forevermore.
— Psalm 121:7-8
ConneCT
BiBle Verse
oBiTuaries
Page 2
CommuniTy
sunneWs
There she is ...
Hannah Forsythe, 6,
of Cove was crowned
Miss Texas Princess
High
92
Low
75
WeaTher
Page 5
College Report
Aaron Ripkowski’s
football career is not
yet over. The Sooner
was drafted by the
Packers & is in camp
sporTs
First in a series
BY MATT HOLLIS
matt.hollis@baytownsun.com
The Art League of
Baytown was in need of a
little help.
Enter the Executive Ser-
vice Corps of Houston and
Bayer MaterialScience
in Baytown. ESCH has
been involved with help-
ing nonproit organizations
improve their business ser-
vices for at least 30 years.
They partnered with the
Bayer Nonproit Manage-
ment Center and spent six
months working on the
Outside the Fence proj-
ect, which helped out six
nonproits organizations in
Baytown. The Art League
of Baytown was one of
them.
“They helped us with a
handbook and membership
directory,” said Marsha
Landers, the Art League’s
president. “And we have
other type of iles we have
‘Doing God’s work’
Private school
all-stars prevail
BCA’s Kutter Soza
named ofensive
MVP as he threw four
touchdowns & rushed
for two more
THE BAYTOWN SUN
The state highway de-
partment began roadway
improvements at the in-
tersection of Rollingbrook
and Decker Drive on Mon-
day.
The eastbound Rolling-
brook exit from Spur 330
will be closed from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. daily while
the retaining wall is demol-
ished.
Construction on Decker
Drive includes the addi-
tion of one lane on Decker
Drive eastbound from Spur
330 Rollingbrook exit to
San Jacinto Avenue and a
dedicated U-turn lane on
Decker Drive westbound.
Construction is expected to
last several months.
Baker Road and Airhart
exits will remain open.
Road work
closes spur
intersection
The Baytown Sun earned
two awards in the Texas
Press Association’s Better
Newspaper contest on Sat-
urday.
Eleska Aubespin earned
irst place in feature writ-
ing for her stories titled
“Faith helps Cove family
cope with tragedy” about
the aftermath of a wreck
on FM 3180 that claimed
two lives and “Waiting for
Justice” which focused on
a Baytown family dealing
with the shooting death of
their son by a San Antonio
university police oficer.
“Excellent writing. Both
stories drew me in and kept
me interested from start to
inish,” the judge wrote.
The Sun also earned a
third place award for sports
coverage.
This year, 140 newspa-
pers submitted 1,490 en-
tries in the contest. The Sun
competed against newspa-
pers with circulations be-
tween 7,000 and 99,999.
Reporter earns
1st-place award
Baytown Sun photo by Matt Hollis
The irst dirt is turned over at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Perry W. & Lou F. Britton Family Center on
Minnesota Street. It is a family center that compliments the Bay Area Homeless Services shelter. From left are Jay
Eshbach, Baytown philanthropist; Bill Eckert, executive director of Bay Area Homeless Services; Pete Alfaro, BAHS
board president and former mayor; Joy Stevens, who is being assisted by Connie Waddel; Mark Stafford, Second
Baytown associate pastor; Mary Bonds; and Roger Elswick, BAHS vice president.
BY MATT HOLLIS
matt.hollis@baytownsun.com
With a shovelful of dirt tossed by
Baytown dignitaries, the construc-
tion on the Perry W. & Lou F. Brit-
ton Family Center oficially began
Monday.
The groundbreaking is another
milestone in the two-year journey
of the “Building Hope” campaign,
which raised funds for the new fam-
ily center, which will sit near the
Bay Area Homeless Services shel-
ter in Baytown. Construction costs
are expected to be about $864,000.
BAHS already helps people in
need, but they have had to turn away
intact families in the past since they
could not stay at the shelter.
“Since January 2014 to May 31,
there were 123 intact families that
we could not help because we do
not have the family center,” said
Pete Alfaro, BAHS board president.
“And there were about 40 single
moms with kids we could not take.”
So, a campaign was launched to
construct a 6,000 square-foot facil-
ity, complete with six rooms for in-
tact homeless families. Four people
can it comfortably into each room,
which translates into 24 extra beds.
The new facility will also have a
kitchen, a dining area, a study area,
ofice spaces and a playroom. The
family center is going to be locat-
ed at 3405 Minnesota Street in
Baytown.
Dave Jirrels, BAHS board mem-
ber, welcomed everyone to the cer-
emony. The Rev. Tommy Clements,
Second Baytown senior pastor, led
the invocation, quoting from Mat-
thew 25:35-40, which says in the
New International Version of the
Bible, “For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in” and “When you have
done it to the least of these, you’ve
done it for me.”
Jirrels made mention of some
people in attendance including Mi-
chael Pearson, senior vice president
and relationship manager at Amegy
Bank; Beau Cox of Cox Construc-
tion; Kevin Troller, assistant city
manager; and Al Busch, a partner at
BGK Architects.
Councilman Bob Hoskins
thanked everyone for their involve-
ment.
“On behalf of the mayor and city
council, I want to thank the BAHS
for the services they do provide,”
Bayer donates proceeds from a bake sale to the Art League’s Rising Star class. Bayer’s
Andres Novoa presents the check to Marsha Landers. Also shown are Bayer’s Seth
Robins (green polo shirt), Julianne Fatula (blue polo shirt) and Priyanka Nawathe (red
polo shirt). The Rising Stars class members are wearing T-shirts.
Input sought on Mont Belvieu future
BY ELESKA AUBESPIN
eleska.aubespin@baytownsun.com
Residents, businesses, property
owners and other stakeholders will
get their chance to help shape the
City of Mont Belvieu’s future at a
workshop next week.
The 6:30 p.m. workshop is slated
for Tuesday, June 30, inside Eagle
Pointe Recreation Center’s Mag-
nolia Room. The city arranged the
open meeting, expected to last two
hours, as an early step in preparing
its long-range plan.
The plan – commonly called a
comprehensive plan - will guide
the future decisions of the mayor
and council regarding the types,
patterns, and directions of growth.
It also helps with the location and
timing of annexation; the scope
and direction of transportation and
other infrastructure network ex-
penditures; and the enhancement
of community design and charac-
ter.
“One of the reasons it’s needed
is because the City of Mont Bel-
vieu became a home-rule city by
votes on the ballot and it passed,”
said David Fowler, city planner.
The city became a home-rule
city in a November 2013 election.
Under Texas law, cities of at least
5,000 residents can vote to adopt
a home rule charter, which allows
them more control over their own
affairs than smaller cities that op-
erate under general law provisions.
The charter also increased pow-
ers of annexation and established a
council-manager form of govern-
ment, under which the city council
could adopt ordinances and hire
a city manager to run day-to-day
city operations.
“One of things written in the
charter was that the city would re-
view its comprehensive plan and it
was found to be out of date,” Fowl-
er said. “Now we will have a fresh
Community meeting set for June 30
Ceremony kicks off construction
of shelter for homeless families
Bayer aids Art League
move into 21st century
SEE FUTURE • PAGE 8
SEE SHELTER • PAGE 8
SEE BAYER • PAGE 8