The Community Newspaper of Bridge City & Orangefield TheRecordLive.com The Penny Record Vol. 62 No. 10 Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield Week of Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Slow-paying Train enthusiasts going nuts FEMA squeezes over arrival of ‘Big Boy’ OC budget DAVE ROGERS For The Record DAVE ROGERS Tuesday, George Bohn has been a For The Record Aug. 24 train ‘nut’ for more than 60 was agreed years, and says it’s an inherit- The wish list for those in upon as ed trait, having picked it up the employ of Orange Coun- the day to from his dad, who began col- ty shall not be named. accept the lecting model train sets in Not now anyway. proposed the 1930s. It would be a waste of time Orange But Bohn, a board member and the reason is simple, County of Friends of the Depot who County Judge John Gothia Gothia budget and could tell you weeks in ad- explained Tuesday morning. tax rate for 2022. vance all the details of Thurs- You can’t spend what you The federal government day’s visit to Orange by the don’t have. has not yet begun to pay largest-ever steam locomo- On the plus side, the coun- “public assistance” reim- tive, is small potatoes when it ty’s proposed budget for bursements for Hurricane comes to going the extra 2022 was based on the same Laura in Texas, although it mile. tax rate the county has main- has in Louisiana. “We’ve got a member of tained since 2017, 54.2 cents “Public assistance” refers our model train club in Or- per $100 appraised value. to monies spent by govern- ange who’s a snowbird,” Bohn It calls for $36 million in ment agencies to remove de- said. “He lives half the year in Union Pacific “Big Boy 4014,” the largest steam-powered locomotive ever built, passed through cen- spending from the general bris and repair damage to Vermont and half down tral Texas Monday and the 130-foot long, 600-ton workhorse dwarfed current day diesel locomotives fund against $38 million in on nearby rail sidings. The restored engine from the 1940s is touring the U.S. from its home in Wyo- government property. Or- south. expenses from the general ming to New Orleans and back via St. Louis and Kansas City. It is scheduled to stop in West Orange ange, which was on the west- “He’s flying down from fund. Thursday, Aug. 19, at the South Avenue at Holly Lane crossing from 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. ern edge of Laura’s wind- Vermont to pick it up in “The budget I propose will storms, and Jasper counties Houston and follow it all the this summer to celebrate pany had built during the have no new capital outlay of helped unite East Coast and were the Texas counties with way to Lake Charles.” railroad heritage and the 1940s and 1950s to tackle the any kind,” Gothia said dur- West Coast with the trans- the most damage from last It’s no ordinary train that community the rail line task of hauling huge payloads ing a public hearing required continental railroad’s com- August’s storm. has Bohn and fellow train- serves. over steep mountainous ter- to start the clock ticking on pletion 150 years ago, has Gothia says Orange Coun- lovers excited. “Big Boy No. 4014” touring Big Boy was the name of 25 the county’s adoption of a STEAM ENGINE Page 3A ty spent about $15 million on Union Pacific, which the middle of the country steam locomotives the com- 2022 budget for a fiscal year debris removal from Hurri- that begins in October. cane Laura. FEMA’s cost- “That is entirely due to share agreement is normally Hurricane Laura and the 75 percent but has been as funds we’ve paid out for that, high as 90 percent. That Carroll Holt: a lifetime of about $15 million,” Gothia means the county should get said. “FEMA owes us that at least $11.25 million back, back.” once the tap starts running. community service for county County commissioners, In answer to Commission- with Commissioner Johnny er Theresa Beauchamp’s Trahan absent, met after question, Gothia said Or- PENNY LELEUX Tuesday morning’s budget ange County is still owed a For The Record workshop and passed a new sum “less than $1 million” by Carroll Holt wasn’t born game room ordinance to be- FEMA from Hurricane Har- in Orange. His family moved come effective Sept. 1. The vey in 2017. to the city right after the ordinance was designed to The judge noted that the Japanese bombed Pearl Har- squelch the growth of the es- county had recently received bor, Dec. 7, 1941. Holt was 6 tablishments whose critics a FEMA reimbursement for years old. say lead to an increase of $250,000 spent after Hurri- “My daddy worked the criminal activity. cane Ike in 2008. shipyards,” said Holt. Also Tuesday, commis- Gothia stressed that spe- His family was part of the sioners voted to an agree- cial budgets would be creat- swell that swarmed the city ment with Jefferson, Hardin ed as FEMA checks arrive when shipbuilding for War and Jasper counties to set up and departments could ask World II became a huge an infusion center in Beau- to use those budgets to re- boom for the city. Orange mont where COVID patients place old equipment or add grew almost overnight from may receive medical treat- personnel. a population of around 7,500 ment without having to be COUNTY BUSINESS Page 3A to over 70,000. It created a admitted to a hospital. huge housing shortage, but the Holts were lucky. “We had a three-bedroom St. Mary School welcomes place over on Main Street that we rented,” he said. Sister Mary Agnes Nguyen It gave them an extra bedroom that became a “hot-bed” of activity. The housing shortage was so se- Carroll Holt was instrumental in the founding of Lamar-SCO when it was Tilley Tech. vere, people would rent out RECORD PHOTO: Penny LeLeux bed space by the shift. took them a while,” said When one person would war. “They encouraged people Holt. “She had one bedroom get out of bed, another per- Holt said the trains stayed that had a home to provide a and she had two people that son would crawl in, never busy too, bringing workers place for people to stay be- slept on days, two evenings giving the bed time enough from Beaumont for each cause Riverside and Gilmer and two at night, just to to cool off in between. The shift. homes addition, they were have a place to sleep and shipyard was busy 24 hours CARROLL HOLT Page 3A working on all that, but it take a bath. It was that bad.” a day building ships for the First Baptist BC hosts Outdoor Banquet Sunday PENNY LELEUX that is a rod maker there,” For The Record said Royal. He said the game wardens Sunday, First Baptist are also supposed to be in at- Church Bridge City will host tendance. a free Outdoorsman Banquet The speaker for the eve- in the Family Life Center 5-7 ning will be bass tournament p.m. open to the public. winner Lance Duff. “It’s a little something “He’s a local fisherman. He we’re trying to do to gather has a YouTube channel. He is men together,” said Pastor working his way towards be- Keith Royal. “It’s a little fish ing on the professional bass fry banquet. There will be fishing tour,” he said. Royal music.” thinks Duff fishes both fresh Lance Duff, local bass tournament champion and YouTuber will Royal said there are also and salt water, but his focus be the guest speaker at the Outdoorsman Banquet at First Bap- Saint Mary Catholic School welcomes a new teacher, Sister plans for some classic cars to is freshwater bass. tist Church Bridge City, Sunday. Mary Agnes Nguyen, a Dominican Nun, has joined their staff to in- struct the children in Religion. Sister Agnes hails from Viet Nam, be on display and a few ven- If you want to check out “We just wanted to bring First Baptist Church of will reside in the Convent in Port Arthur, and commute to Orange. dors will be on hand. his YouTube channel before men together for fellowship, Bridge City is located at 200 Her goals include helping the children to grow in their relation- “We’ve got someone that Sunday, search Lance Duff - to get to know one another,” W. Roundbunch Road. ship with God and to help them mature to be the best they can be. does duck calls…someone YouTube. said Royal. “We just wanted For more information call She hopes to teach them how to listen to the Holy Spirit and walk that does some wounded Menu for the event is fried to do something for the men the church office at 409-735- more closely with God. This includes helping them to grow in warrior events. We’re also fish, French fries and hush spirituality, holiness, and good character. in our church and our com- 3581 supposed to have someone puppies. munity.” CMYK 2A • The Record • Week of Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Deaths & Memorials Victor Alfredo Holguin, III, 59, Orange Victor Alfredo Holguin, III, Victor served as an active member 59, passed away unexpectedly in the Knights of Columbus Catho- in his home on August 11, lic Fraternal Organization.