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Issue #63 of the STAR Pine Forest Jewelry, p. 3 Carter Funeral Home, p. 3 NORTH CHANNEL✯STAR Your News, Your Newspaper Serving all of the North Shore -- Channelview, Sheldon, Galena Park, Jacinto City VOLUME 3, NO. 10 (#63) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 www.northchannelstar.com GALENA PARK MEDIATION OFF, Ship Channel Collision and spill close waterway LAWSUITS RESET Congresspersons, Environmentalists express concern GALENA PARK – City leaders have returned to their contentious ways, as word HOUSTON – After the col- came from Mayor Moya’s at- lision of two large cargo ves- torney, that they will not agree sels on Monday, in foggy to mediate the differences be- conditions, and the subse- tween parties, but wish to re- quent spill of thousands of bar- set the lawsuit that Moya filed rels of a highly flammable against City Manager Robert toxic chemical known as Pruett and City Council (Com- MTBE, authorities and envi- mission) members. In her suit, ronmentalists have become Moya is asking concerned over the economic the court to af- and environmental effects of firm her au- the accident. thority to run The Coast Guard closed the the city, specif- Houston Ship Channel to all ically to autho- ship traffic after the accident, rize payments, affecting incoming and out- preside over bound cargo ships. Although meetings, ap- the leak has been stopped, the point charter investigation and clean-up are Rep. Babin talking with U.S. Coast Guard Cap. Brian Penoyer. expected to take several days, Rep. Babin receives U.S. Coast Guard helicopter tour while surveying committee members, and oth- the damage and working on response efforts. er issues. She has asked for a according to Capt. Brian Pe- jury trial. The charter election noyer of the Coast Guard. set for May contains many of After a helicopter tour of ment to widen and deepen the response. Babin offered his sonally survey the incident have everything they need in the issues she seeks resolved. the site, by two Congressmen, channel. steadfast support and commit- and response efforts. I believe terms of federal support so In a second suit, filed by a they issued statements of con- U.S. Representative Brian ment to Capt. Penoyer and all the situation is being handled that they can safely and quick- private citizen, Barry Ponder, cern and looked for answers to Babin (TX-36) personally sur- those involved in cleaning up well and I am pleased with the ly reopen the channel.” he is suing Council members, avoid the problems in the fu- veyed the damage and re- and reopening the channel. progress being made towards the city manager, even the ture. sponse today to the Houston “Since this unfortunate in- reopening the ship channel. I Need to Protect Mayor for denying his request Congresswoman Sheila Ship Channel collision, which cident occurred Monday, I commend U.S. Coast Guard for a special charter election. Jackson Lee held a news con- occurred Monday within Bab- have been in close contact with Capt. Penoyer and the entire neighbors after disaster ference after her tour, saying in's Congressional District. the Port of Houston, our local response team for their lead- He also charges Councilman The Healthy Port Commu- the $850 billion in business Babin was provided with an mayors, and the U.S. Coast ership and priority on public Simms with receiving illegal nities Coalition (HPCC) called insurance benefits, and Pruett conducted at the port is at aerial survey and briefing by Guard,” said Congressman safety. I look forward to work- with racism. stake, and she thinks the an- U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Brian Babin. “I was glad to have had ing closely with everyone in- In another lawsuit filed by swer is for the U.S. govern- Penoyer, who is overseeing the the opportunity today to per- volved to ensure that they See COLLISION, page 8 Ponder, he asked for a tempo- rary injunction to enjoin the May 9th charter election. A TRO or Temporary Restrain- ing Order was denied by a judge, and a new hearing on Chamber hears of Youth-Reach intervention work this has been delayed as of this week. It is set to be resched- NORTH CHANNEL – The proving their lives. Youth-Reach is adminis- uled in “a few weeks.” Chamber of Commerce lun- The original campus, on a tered by a board of directors, cheon featured a presentation side street off Old Beaumont including many community PONDER IS by Curt Williams, the director Highway, has grown to 26 leaders, such as Judge Mike of Youth-Reach. Founded in acres, as well as a second cam- Parrott, and others. 1984, this little known insti- pus in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Boys taken in must commit COUNTERSUED tution has worked with over The Houston campus serves to Christian principles, al- To answer the charges 2,200 boys who were “troubled boys from 12 to 17 years of age, though religion is not taught made by Barry Ponder against and delinquent.” and the Alabama location from there. A child can stay at City Manager Youth-Reach was started by 18 to 21. This second campus Youth-Reach for as long as Robert Pruett, Williams, after experiencing in is now 81 acres large. Boys they need a home and contin- council and the his own youth addiction and learn life skills, responsibility, ue to make progress. city, a counter- pain, many problems of the and a high school education. Approximately 20 boys are suit has been boys that he eventually decid- Williams emphasized that present on the Houston cam- filed on Feb. 28 ed to help. In 1984 he changed, the organization does not pus, and Williams long-term by Pruett and committing his life to Christ. charge for any services, and plan is to expand to 35 boys, Simms. In that In the early years, Williams does not receive any govern- and eventually 35 girls. suit, they ask ministered to boys on the ment help. Income is com- Williams points to the the court to streets of Montrose, but later pletely from donations and progress his boys make, in- rule on a “Defemation of Char- he was given a home in east foundations. The state licens- cluding the one who now runs acter” and to find Ponder’s Houston, and he began to es the facility as a long-term the day-to-day operations, a See LAWSUITS, Page 3 serve boys with hope of im- CURT WILLIAMS, Director of Youth-Reach. residential foster-care home. graduate of the organization. PETER PIPER PIZZA MURDER: COMMUNITY CONCERN: Man arrested, charge in death SJR Coalition says EPA too slow of woman at local pizzeria to remediate Waste Pits Expert releases new report, says removal necessary HOUSTON – Jackie sediments unless such re- Young and the San Jacinto moval would cause channel River Coalition held a press or bank instability...” conference on Tuesday She states that “such a morning, at the main pub- removal appears to be fea- lic library in downtown sible at the SJRWP site...” Houston. Therefore, “no other options The purpose of the con- exist to reduce the toxicity ference was to present the of these contaminants of findings from a new report, concern.” written by Dr. Kathleen In presenting the find- Garland, a geologist and ings and introducing Dr. Maytham Alsaedy, charged with Peter Piper pizza parking lot where the woman’s body was found environmental manage- Dr. Kathleen Garland Garland, activist Jackie murder by a security guard patrolling the area. ment expert with the Uni- Young said that “Four De- versity of Houston Clear cades of Pollution is Lake. sponsible Parties, (Waste Long Enough.” Dr. Garland’s report Management, McGinnis In- Dr. Garland is the second HARRIS COUNTY - Au- spot in the rear part of Pe- point. Sylvia Galindo, 25, compares the San Jacinto dustrial, and International local expert to make a firm thorities have arrested a ter Piper Pizza on East Sam said she was at Walmart on River Waste Pits (SJRWP) Paper), does not meet pre- argument for removal of man in connection to a mur- Houston Parkway near Sam Houston when a man with seven other similar vious EPA policies and past the toxins in the river. In der of a woman whose body Wallisville Road. On the attacked her from behind Superfund Sites around the practices. She says that the June of 2014 Dr. Sam Bro- was found outside pizzeria second day, a Saturday af- demanding her car keys country. The report high- containment cap in place, dy of Texas A&M called the in East Harris County. ternoon, February 28, he and cell phone. Galindo lights that larger sites in was allowed by the EPA as Waste Pits a “loaded gun” Maythan Alsedy, 24, has looked inside the car and obeyed but Alsedy could not more complex settings have an emergency measure and and pointed out that in a been charged with murder discovered the body, police start the car and ran away. been fully remediated in not a permanent solution. neighborhood near the site, in the killing of Kella said. She said she is lucky to be order to meet EPA guide- Her study concludes that nearly 1 in 4 residents is Bracken, 22. A day before Bracken's alive. lines. by following other examples under the age of 5, and sub- Police said a security body was found, Alsedy was Authorities have not re- In this comparison, she of EPA remedies, “...selec- ject to the effects of the tox- guard saw the car parked arrested and charged with leased a motive of the kill- says that the proposal to tion for dioxin-contaminat- ins.