By Rebecca Collinseditor@bayareaobserver.com

During Tuesday night’s city council meeting a Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Lacey Leonard for her award winning artwork. Leonard, a Clear Creek High School Junior and Seabrook resident is the recipient of an Alliance For Young Artists and Writers award, and received a gold medal for her work. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, run by the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is the oldest and most prestigious national program offering early recognition and scholar-ships to creative teenagers. This year’s award-winning works were selected out of more than 185,000 submissions in 29 categories including poetry, humor, novel writing and science fiction as well as painting, sculpture, photography, fashion design, film and animation, and video game design. Lacey received her award at this years 88th annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards ceremony at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, May 31st. Lacey’s jewelry art piece “Necklace of the Sea” was one of only 300 national winners that were invited to exhibit at the World Financial Center during the month of June. Mayor Glenn Royal presented Leonard with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Seabrook in recognition of her receipt this prestigious award. May-or Royal showed a copy of Lacey’s work to the audience and said, “It speaks very well of Seabrook and what we represent. That’s the first thing I thought about was our shoreline. I think it’s beautiful work “. City Council unanimously voted to ap-point members to the newly formed Civil Service Commission . These appointees included Joe Winter, Natalie Picha and John Chisler. Winter will serve a three-year term, Picha will serve a two-year term and Chisler will serve a one-year term. Council voted unanimously to appoint Heather Cable to the Open Space Com-mittee, and Robert Duncan, Jr. to the Board of Adjustment. Diane Clark was appointed as an alter-

nate municipal court judge by a 6-1 vote with Councilman Kolupsky opposed. Dick Gregg, III and David Salinsky were appointed by unanimous vote as municipal court alternate judges. Council also reappointed Paul Dun-phey as mayor pro tem by a vote of 6-1 with Thom Kolupsky opposed. An action regarding a recommendation to increase the hourly rate of all munici-pal judges to $150 per hour was tabled by unanimous vote. The item will be discussed during the city’s next budget workshop. A special events permit and temporary signs on private property were unani-mously approved by City Council for the Fourth Annual Poker Run presented by The Texas Outlaw Challenge in Hous-ton. The event will be held at Endeavor Marina on June 24-25 . Organizer will be able to display feather flags along

NASA Parkway in front of Endeavor Marina in the two week preceding the event. A request by the Poker Run organiz-ers for an expenditure of $7,500 from the Hotel Tax Fund for advertising of the event was opposed and amended to $1,500. Council felt that the request came too late as the event is two weeks away, and requested that organizers request funds for the fall event earlier. Council also expressed a desire to see data related to “heads-in-beds” for this years event, and wants to know how many attendees stay in Seabrook ac-commodations. City council received copies of the draft budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year during the meeting. A workshop re-garding the budget has been scheduled for June 14th.

By The BaySeabrook: Wednesday Night Sailboat Racing on Clear LakeEvery Wednesday

Every Wednesday evening from April until October, professional and amateur sailors get together for a friendly sailboat race on the waters of Clear Lake, twenty min-utes south of Houston and home of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.These races were created with the public in mind, and the course has been set where the race can be enjoyed by spectators from some of the restaurants around the lake. Everyone is invited to come and watch.The races are rarely can-celled due to bad weather. In the previous twelve years, the races have been cancelled only about five times due to bad weather. The atmosphere just seems to get its act together as the sun goes down! Come on out and join us! The rac-es start promptly at 6:15 PM and finish before sunset. Come and join us for an evening of fun and relaxation. There’s always some commentary on the action, and if you wish to participate, you’re welcome to sign up on our crew list. We always have boats look-ing for crew! If you own a boat and would like to participate in these races, read the race instruc-tions, then come out and join the fun. You can sign up the day of the races by filling out an entry form.Time: 6:30 pmVenue Name: Villa Capri Italian Restaurant Location: 3713 Nasa Parkway, Seabrook, TX 77586Admission Cost: Phone: 281-468-6909Web: www.clearlakeracing.com

Seaside Garden ClubMonthly Meeting Carother’s Coastal Gardens in Seabrook3rd Weds. - 2:30 pm

Your thumb doesn’t need to be green to come to Seaside Garden Club’s monthly meet-ing on the third Wednesday of every month at 12:30 pm at the beautiful new Carother’s Coastal Gardens Wedding and Event location, 502 Pine Gul-ly Rd in Seabrook. If you want to help beautify Seabrook, meet new people, and learn new things, then come check us out. The next meeting is May 18th at 12:30. We are ex-cited about hosting David Ca-ter, an actual Texas bamboo farmer and story teller who will be presenting a program on growing bamboo and veg-etables and more. This is sure to be a fun experience for all. For more information call D. Nelson 281-474-4825 or S. Thompson 281-291-0472

Terrific TuesdaysEvery Tuesday In JuneBayshore Baptist Church

Hey Kids! Sign up today for Terrific Tuesdays – field trips for kids in Kindergarten through 5th grades – hosted by Bayshore Baptist Church. We will be go-ing to Lil’ Jacks, Old McDon-ald’s Farm, Sylvan Beach and Palm Beach at Moody Gardens. Field trips take place every Tuesday in June. The cost is $32 for all four trips! For more in-formation, call the church office at 281-471-0332 or email us at vrigsby@bayshorebc.org

... INDEX

Community..........................2Crossword............................2Local News..........................3LPHS Graduation..............4On The Water......................6Classifieds............................7In The Garden.....................8Travel...................................8Cuisine.................................8

VOLUME 2, NO. 23 LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

The Bay Area ObserverCommunity News For The Galveston Bay Area

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Seabrook City Council Recognizes Local Artist, Appoints Committee Members And Alternate Judges

Lacey Leonard, Pictured With Her Parents Accepts A Certificate of Recognition From Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal For Receiving A Gold Medal Award From The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Awards At Carnegie Hall

Bob Fuller, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Keels & Wheels Concours D’ Elegance on June 2, 2011 presented 1st Place Win-ner of The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake and Keels & Wheels juried art competition award to Bay Area Artist Gay Paratore at the TAACCL Reception. The winning art was a original watercolor painting 30” x 38” entitled “Rolls Royce”.

Gay Paratore Wins First Place In Keels & Wheels

Art Competition

Seabrook Announces A Stage 1 Water Demand Awareness

Lacey Leonard’s “Necklace of the Sea” Was one of 300 pieces

chosen to be exhibited at Carnegie Hall For The Month of June

Lakewood Yacht Club members celebrated the opening of their new floating I pier in the Northwest Harbor of the club. Now available for any kind of boat, including catamarans, under 45’ in size, the pier is adjacent to NASA Parkway and in front of the townhomes that visitors view from the road. Participating in the ribbon cutting which was held on Memorial Day, were (left to right), John Bar-nett, First Lady Marsha Taylor, Seabrook City Councilman Kim Morrell, Fleet Captain Tom Collier, Vice Commodore A. J. Ross, Commodore Tom Taylor, Reverand George Aurich who blessed the pier and its 30 slips, Rear Commodore Carl Drechsel, and Seabrook City Councilman Paul Dunphey.

Lakewood Yacht Club Gets New I Pier In The Northwest Harbor

Due to the ongoing drought and over eighty days without any measurable rain, the City of Seabrook is one of the municipalities that is now calling for a Stage 1 Water Demand Awareness Water use from Pasadena exceeds 2.55 MGD for five consecutive days and 85% of current capacity. The reduction in water use goal is 10%. Waste of water will be pro-hibited with exceptions, with a penalty for violation of mandatory Stage 1 demand reduction measures of $25.00 to $100.00 per day fine for each violation. Some of the mandatory demand reduction measures will include:

1. Landscape watering between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. is prohibited.

2. For existing or new landscapes, watering be-tween 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. is prohibited. 3. For golf courses watering between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. is prohibited, and watering with sprinkler is permitted from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., once every seven days. 4 . For swimming pools , hot tubs and similar fa-cilities, draining is prohibited except onto pervious surfaces only. 5. Other Outdoor Uses: Non-commercial washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats, airplanes and other mobile equipment is permitted on designated days (Sunday) once every seven days only between the hours of 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. Washing shall be

done with ahand-held hose or bucket. Hand-held hoses shall be equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle.

The exceptions include no restriction on fire fight-ing, medical use by health care facilities, and water utility use, however it is recommended that these es-sential services practive the following: a) Reduction of average system pressure to 45 p.s.i. b) Leak detec-tion and system repairs. c) Stabilizing and equalizing system pressure. d) Sewer line flushing reduction. e) Fire hydrant flushing reduction. For more information on mandatory and voluntary measures for Stage 1 Water Demand Awareness visit the City of Seabrook website at www.ci.seabrook.

PAGE 2 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

COMMUNITYBy The Bay

Its VBS Time AgainCreekmont Baptist ChurchJune 13th-17th6:30pm-8:30pm

Home town Nazareth. Where Je-sus was a kid. Creekmont Baptist Church, 401 Myrtle Creek, La Porte, 281-470-1176. Ages: 4 yrs -6th grade. Times: 6:30pm-8:30pm. June 13th-17th. Come join us to see where Jesus grew up, play bible games, and create fun crafts.

Vacation Bible School Bayshore Baptist ChurchJuly 25-29 - Noon to 3

All children, ages 4 through 5th grade, are invited to join us at Bayshore Baptist Church July 25-29 from noon to 3:00 pm for VBS 2011, the Big Apple Ad-venture. There will be inspiring Bible stories, challenging crafts, exciting music, yummy snow cones, & thrilling recreation. A lunch will be served before VBS at 11:30 am every day for regis-tered VBS kids. Reservations for lunch MUST be made by July 18. Cost for lunch is $5 per child for the entire week. All other VBS activities are free. Sign up online today at www.bayshorebc.org or contact the church office at 281-471-0332 for more information. We hope to see your kids at the Big Apple Adventure: Where Faith and Life Connect!

“Let’s Talk!Webster5:45 p.m.On Monday, June 20, 2011, Monica Cornetti, MS EDE will present “Let’s Talk!–The Secret of Powerful Communication Skills” at the next meeting of the Clear Lake/NASA chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Installation of the chapter’s new officers will follow. The meet-ing/dinner will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn–Clear Lake/NASA in Webster, TX beginning at 5:45 p.m. All administrative professionals throughout Hous-ton and the surrounding areas are welcome. Please make your reservations by June 16th. For reservations and more informa-tion on this chapter, please visit www.iaap-clnac.org or contact 281-910-2297.

Vacation Bible SchoolFirst Baptist Church-Cynde SonnierJune, 12, 20116:00 p.m.

Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church of La Porte will begin Sunday, June 12 thru Thurs-day, June 16, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Call 281-471-0338 for in-formation or go to our Website at WWW.firstlaporte.org to register. 310 S. Broadway, La Porte, TX. 6:00 p.m. Contact Person: Mary Morgan. Phone: 281-471-0338. Email:office@firstlaporte.org

La Porte AARP MeetingLP Community ChurchJune 1310:30 AM

AARP Chapter 1973 (La Porte) meets Monday, June 13, 10:30 AM, at La Porte Community Church, First and “A” Streets. A potluck luncheon follows the meeting. The June program features Deputy Rene’ Dennis, HCSO Crime Prevention Spe-cialist, who will have timely tips for seniors (and possibly a song?). Guests 50 + are wel-

Continued from page 1

P.O. Box 305 • Seabrook, Texas 77586Phone: 281-907-3140 • Fax: 866-596-8973

Email: editor@bayareaobserver.com

Opinions in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the newspaper. Any erroneous statement which may appear will be correct-ed if brought to the attention of the publisher. Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Submissions are encouraged by mail, by fax, or by email to editor@bayareaobserver.com.

Editor & Publisher.....................................Rebecca Collinseditor@bayareaobserver.com

Associate Editor.........................................Carolyn Collinscarolyn@bayareaobserver.com

Sales Representative..............................Beverly Lawrence281-793-7961 • blawrence506@msn.com

Sales Representative...................................Charlotte Horn281-507-8257 • charlottehorn53@yahoo.com

The Bay Area ObserverEstablished in 2006

Serving the communities along Galveston Bay.

See you at 5 Points

In La Porte

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for young people to

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Wednesday nights

7p.m. to 9 p.m.

The La Porte Bay Area Heritage Society will hold an ice cream/hot dog social on Thursday, June 9 from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Sylvan Beach Depot Museum, 604 Park in La Porte across from Sylvan Beach Park. The event will raise funds for the Depot Museum and other activities of the Heritage Society. Tickets are $5, and they are available for purchase at the Depot Museum or by call-ing (281) 471-1661. Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the ice cream social. The La Porte Bay Area Heritage was created in 1978 by a group of interested citizens who came together to discover and collect materials and artifacts that help establish and illustrate the rich history of the La Porte Bay Area. The group strives to keep La Porte’s history alive and remembered. Events such as this year’s Ice Cream Social help the group accomplish their goals of preserving La Porte’s history. For additional information about the Ice Cream Social or the La Porte Bay Area Heritage Society call (281) 471-1661 .

Heritage Society Holds Ice Cream/Hot Dog Social

Save the date! The beautiful new Evelyn Me-ador Branch Library will open on Tuesday, June 28th at 10:00 AM. Stop by and take a tour of the new facility or check out some of the new library materials. The Friends of the Evelyn

Meador Library will sponsor entertainment and activities for all ages following the opening ceremony hosted by Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman. For more infor-mation, please call 713-749-9000.

Evelyn Meador Library Grand Opening

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Jim Bragg, NSA 27th National Juried Show Chair announced a ‘’CALL FOR ARTISTS” for the upcoming 27th National Ju-ried Show October 6th- 27th, 2011 exhibit at The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake, 2000 NSA Parkway, Nassau Bay, Texas. Artists can go to www.NSArtists.org <http://www.NSArtists.org> to obtain entry applications, eligibility, rules and all infor-mation for the show. Cash awards of $700 Best of Show, $500 First Place, $300 Second Place, $100 Third Place, The Phillip G. Paratore Memorial Award and Merchandise awards will be given out at the reception on 10/06/2011. All media artists are invited to submit entries by slides & CD’s by 7/13/2011. For further info contact: Jim Bragg 281-334-3252 or bragg.jim@gmail.com

The May 14 flower show conducted by the Nassau Bay Garden Club and held in conjunction with an exhibit at TAACCL, was a successful event for all participants. The contest, entitled “Floral Interpretations of Artwork” brought out the artistic imaginations of the Club members who created floral designs. Each floral de-sign was created to complement a specific artwork. A section was set aside for horticulture specimens, all grown in Nassau Bay. Class I-Imagination brought NBGC member Ann Davidson a first place blue ribbon for her interpretation of the artwork titled “Pianist.” Class II-Creativity first place winner was Ann Gay with her design against artwork called “Magenta.” Ann Gay also took home the award for Best Overall in Design and Horticulture. And Class III-Expression was won by Joy Edwards who submit-ted her home grown white cyclamen to play against the artwork called “Dance of Color and Light.” Original artwork, creative floral designs, and fresh horticulture from Nassau Bay gardens came together in one day for an exhilarating springtime event.

Blue Ribbon winner Ann Davidson stands next to her flo-ral design, created to complement in color and mood, the original artwork behind it.

Floral Design Contest at TAACCL

National Society Of Artists Announces “Call For Artists”

The artistic works of George Gonzalez will be a part of a Summer Group Show at Buch-anan Gallery in Galveston from June 11 - July 9. There will be an Artists’ ArtWalk Opening Reception on Saturday, June 11, 6-9pm. Gonzalez teaches oil painting at The Arts Alliance of Clear Lake and has been painting pro-fessionally since 1993. Various galleries throughout the U.S. and Europe represent his work. He has won numerous awards, and his artwork has been pub-lished in several national maga-zines including Southwest Art Magazine and American Art Collector. To view examples of George’s artwork, please visit:. http://www.gonzalezstudios.comTo see Gonzalez’s work in per-son visit Buchanan Gallery: 220 25th Street, Galveston Island, TX 77550, phone 409-763-8683, www.buchanangallery.com

El Lago Artist George Gonzalez Works To Be In Summer Group Show at Buchanan Gallery in Galveston

Moxie’s got moxie! She was rescued from a high kill pound and is one and a half years old. Moxie is a beautiful Calico that garners lots of attention from passers-by. She loves to play and play. For more information contact Second Chance Pets at pet-s2adopt@yahoo.com <mailto:pets2adopt@yahoo.com> or call 281-286-3535. Cat adoptions start at $95 and include all shots, spaying, neutering, AND a microchip. It’s quite a deal. SCP adoptables are shown on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Petco store (Bay Area and Space Center Blvds.) and cats are shown at the Petsmart store across from Baybrook Mall the first and third Sundays of every month. Selected cats may be seen during the week at the Petco location and photographs of most adoptables are posted on our website http://www.sec-ondchancepets.org/ <http://www.secondchancepets.org/> . Al-most all SCP animals are fostered in local homes because it does not have a shelter. As always PLEASE SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS. Second Chance Pets is a nonprofit 501 (C) (3) animal welfare organization. All donations are tax deductible.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 3

Seabrook City Council.....Continued from page 1

LOCAL NEWS

WE’VE GOT THE HOTTEST BRANDS OF SUNGLASSES, GLASSES & CONTACT LENSES

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La Porte’s Office of the Fire MarshalOffers Tips to Prevent Grass Fires

With temperatures already topping 100 degrees and a lack of rainfall, the risk of grass fires

is heightened. Larger grass fires can tie up a significant amount of fire personnel and equipment for several hours, thus limiting their ability to respond to other emergencies such as a house fire. Follow these tips below to help reduce the risk of grass fires in the community. Those that smoke should be vigilant of where cigarette butts are discarded. A careless smoker flicking a cigarette out of a window is a common cause of grass fires. Smokers should discard all smoking materials inside of the ash tray in their vehicle and insure that all materials are completely

extinguished before disposing of them. People who use charcoal grills should use caution when disposing of coals. Ensure that all coals are completely extin-guished before dumping by soaking them in water or wait-ing at least 24 hours so that they have time to burn out. Matches and lighters should be secured so that children do not have access to them. A child playing with fire is a common cause of grass and structure fires. These fires can prove deadly for children. Se-cure all matches and lighters by storing them in a locked cabinet or elevate them so that

children cannot reach them. Fireworks are another cause of grass fires. Inside the City of La Porte fireworks are ille-gal to use and possess. If you are caught within the City lim-its of La Porte with fireworks, you may be issued a citation and you will have your fire-works confiscated. Residents can help reduce the risk of grass fires by keep-ing grass and weeds cut short. Tall dead grass is a readily ignitable fuel and can often produce quickly burning grass fires. Residents should also remove any dead vegetation from their property.

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Police BlottersAssaults.......................................................................1

Burglary......................................................................2

CVE Citations..........................................................14

Disturbances.............................................................14

Domestic Violence....................................................4

DWI/DUI...................................................................2

Public Intoxication.....................................................1

Traffic Accidents........................................................3

Traffic Citations/Arrest............................................59

Warrant Arrest............................................................2

Welfare Concerns.......................................................2

Seabrook Police Department - 5/07/11 – 5/09/11

La Porte Police Department - 5/07/11 – 5/09/11

ALARM CALLS .....................................................................24HUMANE CALLS ..................................................................12 AMBULANCE CALLS.............................................................9ORDINANCE VIOLATION CALLS......................................10 ASSIST OTHER AGENCY........................................................8 FIRE CALLS..............................................................................2 ASSIST CITIZEN.....................................................................11 JUVENILE CALLS....................................................................4 ASSAULTS ...............................................................................3 SUSPICIOUS PERSONS / VEH. CALLS.................................9 SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES CALLS.............................2 VEHICLE THEFT CALLS .......................................................0 TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT CALLS......................................13 PROPERTY THEFT CALLS.....................................................5 TRAFFIC INCIDENT CALLS................................................17 FRAUD CALLS.........................................................................4 INVESTIGATION / FOLLOW-UP CALLS..............................3

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF CALLS...............................................7 DEATH INVESTIGATION CALLS..........................................1 NOISE DISTURBANCE CALLS............................................12 FOUND PROPERTY CALLS....................................................2 FIGHT / DISTURBANCE CALLS............................................4 UNSECURED PROPERTY CALLS ........................................1 FAMILY DISTURBANCE CALLS...........................................5 WELFARE CONCERN CALLS .............................................15 MISCELLANEOUS CALLS ....................................................7 EXTRA PATROL REQUESTS .................................................3 SETCIC / DPS WARRANTS SERVED.....................................5 INFORMATION CALLS ..........................................................7 ARRESTS – DEPT. CHARGES, WARRANTS, ETC...............1BURGLARIES...........................................................................1 AUTO ACCIDENTS..................................................................6

TOTAL CALLS – 213

Lakeview Police Department - May 2011

05/13/2011 THEFT – VEHICLE PARTS2011-0796Resident reported that the passenger door from his Jeep Wrangler had been removed and stolen during the evening from the driveway in front of his residence. Complainant advised that the likely suspect was an ex-girlfriend who had stopped by earlier in the evening. Value of door is approximately $ 500. Complainant called police later to report that he had found his door in the front yard of his ex-girlfriend’s house. Police responded to the location and determined that the vehicle door belonged to the complainant and the suspect was a juvenile female. Door was returned to the complainant and the D.A.’s office refused to accept any charges for the theft.

05/31/2011 BURGLARY – HABITATION2011-0915Resident reported discovering forced entry to his residence at a back window and some property missing from the bedroom. The un-known suspect made entry during the day by breaking a window at the kitchen and entering the residence and then stole many items of jewelry from a jewelry box in the master bedroom. Value of the stolen property is in excess of $ 25,000.00. No suspects identified at this time. An investigation is in progress.

Lakeview Monthly Totals Reports - May 2011

Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal Declares June 14th “Flag Day”

Seabrook City Manager Chuck Pinto Accepts A Proclamation From Mayor Royal Declaring June 20th As “Ride To Work Day”

PAGE 4 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

The Bay Area Observer

Call us at281-907-3140

If It Matters To You,

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La Porte High School senior Maya Wrought was the final mem-ber of the LPHS Class of 2011 to receive her diploma during the school’s commencement on June 3. The event was held at Bulldog Stadium, with over 470 graduates participating.

La Porte High School valedic-torian Kristy Tatom, left, and salutatorian Karma McPhee step up to the platform to give their speeches to fellow gradu-ates during LPHS commence-ment on June 3.

La Porte High School principal Dr. Joanne Kolius, center, is surrounded by 2011 La Porte High School graduates following commencement on June 3. From left are Christopher Kimball, Jill Dozier, Lexi Canales, Melanie Gomez, Isaac Lord, Marian Palacios, Karynn Marchal, Christian Ochoa and Kristy Tatom. Over 470 seniors graduated in the ceremony held at Bulldog Stadium. Kolius has served as LPHS principal at LPHS for the past five years.

LPHS GRADUATION

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 5

PAGE 6 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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Worship ServicesSUNDAY

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ON THE WATER

1014 S. 2nd Street • La PorteREAL ESTATE

“Tropical Aggression” Claims 1st In Shoe Race In two days of heavy racing over the weekend of May 21-22, “Tropical Aggression”, a J/24 owned and skippered by Stuart Lindow, claimed first place overall in the Sea Lake Yacht Sales Shoe Regatta. Hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club, the regatta had approximately 50 sailboats with three separate courses all com-peting out on Galveston Bay. “Congratulations to Lakewood Yacht Cub for putting on a great race which reminded me of the larger, competitive regat-tas of years gone by,” remarked Lindow. “O.J. Young, who ran our race line, kept the races moving and wasted no time between races, which I like, because I am out there to race, not wait around on the bay.” Regarding his strategy in winning this popular race, his fleet was a mixed bag of boat sizes with his being one of the smaller. “All we wanted to do was duck and run and get away from the larger boats. Most of the time we were out there on our own and had no idea how we came out in the regatta,” Lindow admitted.“We were really surprised that we came out the over-all win-ner!” Racing with Lindow were crew members Dave Bethencourt, Jim Powell, David Fuller and Bridget Scheib. Lindow, a resident of Seabrook, has been racing for 20-25 years and has participated on the Texas Racing Circuit, qualifying for the World Champion-ship in 2009. He keeps his skills honed by always participating in the weekly Wed. night races on Clear Lake. Lakewood racers who did well in the Shoe Regatta were Uzi Ozeri, 1st on “Infinity” in the J/105 class; Steve Rhyne on “Mojo”, 2nd place in the PHRF Spinnaker A class; Douglas Shaf-fer on “Gambler”, 3rd place in the PHRF Spinnaker A class; and Al Goethe on “Hamburg”, 4th place in the PHRF Spinnaker A Class. In the PHRF Spinnaker B class, Cran Fraser placed 2nd on “Whistler II” and Tom Sutton came in 3rd on “Leading Edge”. In the Cruising Non-Spinnaker Classic Canvas (Distance) Jack

Seitzinger claimed 1st on “Asylum” while Ed Braur on “Lil Bit A Sol” came in 2nd. Ashley Walker placed 3rd on “Good News” in the PHRF Non-Spinnaker (Distance). In addition to the title sponsor Sea Lake Yacht Sales, other sponsors making this race possible were Gold Sponsor Banks Sails, Silver Sponsor Mount Gay Rum, and Bronze Sponsor Bay Access, a not-for-profit charitable organization that supports am-ateur sailing on Galveston Bay.

Overall winner of the Sea Lake Yacht Sales Shoe Regatta Stuart Lindow holds his prized Shoe Trophy as he stands by the perpetual Shoe Regatta trophy which graces the lobby of Lakewood Yacht Club. Joining him during the Awards Ceremony which was held in the ballroom of Lake-wood Yacht Club on Sun., May 22, are Race Committee member Larry Rogers (left) along with Lakewood’s 2011 Commodore Tom Taylor

Lakewood Yacht Club Race Committee Chairman Dwight Bengtson has announced that the 2011 Day Sailer Association North American Championship Regatta will be held at Lake-wood Yacht Club on Sun., June 19 through Friday, June 24 on Galveston Bay. “We are honored to host this international regatta and feel that our Bay Area Houston is the perfect venue for this family-friendly event,” related Bengtson. “Besides the racing, there is a myriad of family activities for them to enjoy such as Space Center Houston and the Kemah Boardwalk.” The Day Sailer Association is the organization that promotes and regulates the Day Sailer one-design boat. This is a moder-ately large one-design class that has about 500 members. The Day Sailer is 17’ long with a centerboard and has a spinnaker. They are classic design of a fiberglass boat, very popular in the Mid-West, California, New England the Atlantic coast. With at least 10,000 boats having been built through the years, it was inducted into the Sailboat Hall of Fame in 2003.

The agenda for the Day Sailer event starts with registration, weighing and measuring during the afternoon of Sunday, June 19. On Monday, June 20, races for the Junior North American Championship Regatta (NACR) will take place. On Tuesday, June 21, following more Junior NACR races, the Junior NACR Awards Ceremony will take place. Then, the Welcome Party and Day Sailer Association Annual Meeting will take place in Lake-wood’s Ballroom. The rest of the week is full of racing activities with the Dinner and Awards Banquet for the adult Day Sailer racers to take place Friday, June 24, 4 p.m. atLakewood. Racers can find the notice of race and register on line for the Day Sailer North American Championship Regatta by going to Lakewood’s web page at www.lakewoodyachtclub.com. Hit the racing button, then racing schedule and click on items on the calendar. Bob Hunkins is the contact for the local Day Sailer As-sociation and he can be reached at rdhunkins@verizon.net

Lakewood to Host Day Sailer Championship Regatta

Houston Engineering Firm Takes Home “Golden Bucket” in One of World’s Largest

Amateur Sandcastle CompetitionsMore than 60 Teams Competed in 25th Annual AIA Sand Castle

Competition June 4 on Galveston Island A Houston engineering firm proved you can “Have Your Sandcastle and Eat it Too” Sat-urday in Galveston when they took home the first place prize in one of the world’s largest amateur sandcastle competi-tions. The phrase was the title of their “Golden Bucket” award-winning sandcastle design at the 25th annual AIA Sand-Castle Competition held on Galveston’s East Beach. More than 25,000 people at-tended the event, according to car count reports from the Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees. The competition, hosted by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Ar-chitects, included more than 60 teams who had only five hours to build their sandcastles. The winning design by JACOBS of Houston featured an elaborate sandcastle guarded by a drag-on-eating dragon. The second place “Silver Shovel” award went to the team from Matrix Spencer Architects of Houston for its Greek-themed design “The Mi-das Touch.” To view photos from the 2011 AIA Sandcastle Competition, visit the Galveston Island Con-vention & Visitors Bureau Fa-cebook page at www.facebook.com/visitgalvestonisland

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER PAGE 7

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PAGE 8 THE BAY AREA OBSERVER THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

IN THE GARDEN

P.J. Mock, Jr. M.D.Family Medicine • American Board of Family Medicine

1200 Highway 146, Suite 250La Porte, Texas 77571E-mail: pjmlptx@aol.com

Phone: (281) 471-0130 Fax: (281) 867-9241

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CUISINE

One of the most delightful fragrances you can experience is the wonderful scent of lemon in your herb garden. Whether you are growing herbs for their fragrance or their flavor they have a special place in the landscape. The aromas of some herbs are not released until they have been disturbed. You do not need to pick leaves to experience their scents. Merely brush your fingertips across the tops of the plant. The sharp clean scent of lemon will be released and fill the air around you.

LEMON BALM is one of the easiest herbs any gardener can grow. At maturity it will be a 2’ spreading bush and grows best in morning to early afternoon sun. Lemon balm thrives better if semi-shaded when planted in a hot western exposure.LEMON THYME is not only beautiful in the garden but also very useful. It makes a pretty spreading mound of dark green or variegated leaves, depending on which variety you prefer.

Lemon thyme makes an excellent salt substi-tute. If you are trying to limit your salt intake add small sprigs to your salad, eggs, or just about anything.LEMON VERBENA has the most intense fra-grance of all the lemon-scented herbs. It can become a small tree of about 4’-5’ in the garden and handles the heat of our summer very well. When dried it can keep its scent for years.LEMON BASIL is a great addition to either

your cooking or fragrance garden. This wonder-ful herb combines the scents of clove and lemon. It is a 2’ annual that will scatter enough seeds to insure a good crop next year. Lemon basil is used in making herbal vinegar, pesto, or in cook-ing fish and vegetables. All of these herbs grow well in our area and can even be included in your landscaped beds. There is a world of information on the Internet about growing and using these wonderful plants.

Lemony Herb Garden

Directions1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup. Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Texas’s Safety Rest Area Program

Ingredients

TRAVEL

Now that school is out for the summer, many families are getting ready for their annual vaca-tions. From beach combing or sailing to moun-tain climbing or desert biking, Texas offers a wide variety of vacation places for family fun. Our state is approximately 800 miles across at its widest point. That can mean a lot of time spent on the highway depending upon your family’s destination. Fortunately Texas has a Safety Rest Area Program that is one of the finest in the US. Attractive, safe, and clean rest area facilities are strategically placed along the 21 major highways that stretch throughout the state. The Texas De-partment of Transportation (TxDOT) has 80 Safe-ty Rest Areas plus 12 Travel Information Centers. Plans are underway to revamp old facilities and continue construction on new facilities where needed. Some of the features of the Safety Rest Areas include:• Air-conditioned and heated rest rooms and as-

sisted use rest rooms.• Large parking areas with separate areas for cars and commercial trucks. • Picnic benches with play areas for children.• Walking and interpretive trails.• Tornado shelters.• Travel information.• Telephones and wireless internet access.• Cold drinking water and vending machines.• Enhanced security, including surveillance cam-eras. Safety Rest Areas in Texas are designed to invite families to stop, rest, and perhaps pick up some information for their trip. The basic objective for these facilities is to assure that travelers arrive safely at their destinations. By going online to http://www.txdot.gov/travel/safety_rest_areas/ and clicking on the Safety Rest Area Map, you can access information on any of the rest areas and information centers across the state. Have a great summer and travel safely.

Lemon Basil Lemon Verbena Lemon Thyme Lemon Balm

Help With Plant Care During Drought Offered on Earth-Kind Website

By Kathleen PhillipsTexas AgriLife

Rain has been scarce across most of Texas, but there is a flood of information on an Earth-Kind website aimed at helping plant lovers ease their landscapes through the drought. “We have a lot of different tools to help out,” said Martin Anderson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service web administrator for horticulture. “All of the information that would help someone is in one place.” Before heading out to a hot, dry flowerbed, Anderson suggested, one could explore http://earth-kind.tamu.edu/drought. Earth-Kind Landscaping is an AgriLife Extension program that “uses research-proven tech-niques to provide maximum garden and landscape enjoyment while preserving and protecting the environment,” according to the website. “What we’re trying to do is provide information that anyone across Texas can implement and get good landscape performance with minimal inputs and drought tolerance,” Anderson added. One feature he pointed to is an Earth-Kind plant selector, which rates plants based on how well they would do in different areas of Texas. “This will give a person a quick, easy look at the best plants for a particular area,” he said. Along with the online information, several publications are available for download from the site, he said. Topics include water conservation, energy conservation in the landscape and recycling in the landscape, for example. “A lot of the information is not region specific because the techniques can be applied across the state,” Anderson said. “It’s a comprehensive area for people to look at the Earth-Kind methods to help protect their landscape during a drought. “ The site also provides information on contacting a county office of AgriLife Extension.

One of the staples of shade gardening is Aspidistra elatior, commonly known as “cast iron plant” in reference to its tough-ness. A member of the lily fam-ily, this hardy and elegant plant has adapted extremely well to southern gardens. Its tough and low maintenance reputation se-cures it a place in any southern shady landscape. Aspidistra’s dark evergreen leathery leaves provide a back-drop for shade loving bedding plants. It can also be grown in clumps along with fern or hos-tas under the canopy of your trees. Aspidistra prefers well-worked fertile soil, which has been amended with compost. It can grow to about three feet tall. Although it has a vigorous clumping habit, it is not inva-sive. Its only downfall is its in-ability to withstand the bright, hot Texas sun. Bright sunlight will bleach the dark leaves out so badly that the plant can appear dead. It will not be dead however, it will be extremely stressed and ugly. Hurricane IKE took out many of our oaks and magnolias leaving the aspidistra planted under them to bleach out in the sun. It will need to be moved to a shady area in order to recuperate. Fortunately, aspidistra has a rather shallow rhizomatous root system. This makes it easy to dig it for transplanting. Just cut the tops back, dig up the shallow roots and relocate them to a shady, fertile, bed under another tree. Water it in well but do not keep it soggy. Contrary to what some gardeners believe, aspidistra plants do have blooms. In late spring the flowers appear at ground level or just below the soil line near the base of the leaves. The flowers actually grow from the rhizomes and some think they resemble little starfish or sea anemones. They are very interesting and many gardeners never even see them. Not much is known about their pol-linators. Some botanists think that they are pollinated by small soil crustaceans called springtails. Fungus gnats have also been suggested. Aspidistra is an elegant, lovely plant and can be the very basis of your shade garden. Just keep it away from our bright Texas sun.

Cast Iron Plant

Flowers of Aspidistra form just below the soil level at the plant’s base.

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This rest area located on US 90 in Medina County is designed in the Alsatian style that was brought to Medina County by early French and German settlers. Its landscape reflects the native plants of the Texas Hill Country. TXDOT photo.

281-667-7758www.laurentcustomhomes.com