Matagorda Advocate


 

For a number of years this was the website for the Matagorda Advocate.

Content'i's from the site's 1998 -2011 archived pages

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Mayor's Desk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Latest Stories

2011 Fundraiser Huge Success, Matagorda EMS Gets Ambulance Updrade

2011 Fundraiser Huge Success,Matagorda EMS Gets Ambulance Updrade
By Lambert in Matagorda VFD/EMS
September 1, 2011

The Matagorda VFD/EMS 2011 fundraiser was a huge success bringing 80+% more than the 2010 event. The community and business folks really threw their support behind us. We are very proud to announce that with very hard work and the financial support of the community, Matagorda EMS successfully completed an August 25, 2011, inspection conducted by the State of Texas Ambulance Licensing group and our ambulance is now a Mobile Intensive Care Unit. More information will be coming out in the media soon, as a few people and a local company deserve special recognition.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A helping hand



The Holy Cross Catholic School students collected clothes, shoes, water, food, etc. for the fire victims in Bastrop Texas. The items were taken to Ascension Catholic Church where it was handed out as needed."

The Holy Cross Catholic School students collected clothes, shoes, water, food, etc. for the fire victims in Bastrop Texas. The items were taken to Ascension Catholic Church where it was handed out as needed.

For Raleagh Mcada, helping others in need makes him feel good.\
“It is important to give and help other people,” said Mcada. “If I ever needed help, I would like to know there was someone out there to help me.”

When he heard his school, Holy Cross Catholic School was collecting donations for those affected by the Texas wildfires in Bastrop, he decided to help. The school collected items for two weeks. The idea to collect items came from one of the parents, Kelly Heger.

Mcada remembers seeing the cafeteria stage filled with boxes filled with donations.
“Once we loaded the truck, it was filled to the top,” he said.

Items donated included pillows, comforters; clothing, shoes, canned food and money were collected and placed in a truck donated by Terri Hubbard from PowerTech.

“The children are learning to give,” said Stephanie Kucera, principal at Holy Cross Catholic School. “By helping others, they are not expecting something in return, just the instant reward that they have helped someone in need.”

The items collected were taken to Immaculate Catholic Church in Bastrop.
“Our mission is to make a difference in the world by loving God, others and help those in need,” said Kucera.
“With the help of our students and parents, we were able to make this possible,” she said.

Chase Griffith said helping others comes from the heart.
“By helping them, they won’t have to worry about wearing the same clothes and shoes, we are helping them get what they need,” he said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TDECU and Bluebonnet Credit Union annouce merger

By TDECU press release
Originally published October 4, 2011 |October 4, 2011 at 9:19 a.m.

The Boards of Directors for TDECU and Bluebonnet Credit Union (BCU) announce the official merger of their respective credit unions, effective October 1, 2011. The merger has received regulatory, Board and membership approval. BCU’s branches will transition to TDECU branches over the next several months.

“The Boards of Directors from TDECU and BCU mutually agreed to pursue this opportunity with the common goal of creating one financial institution benefiting both memberships in terms of providing better rates, increased accessibility and enhanced service. Our partnership will ultimately strengthen the capabilities of the combined credit unions moving forward,” said Steph Sherrodd, EVP and COO of TDECU.

The merger represents a positive move for both credit unions. Bluebonnet Credit Union, with locations in Houston and Baytown, complements TDECU’s current branches in the Houston area, providing more convenient access to the combined membership. “We are very pleased the membership of BCU overwhelmingly approved the merger of their credit union with TDECU,” said Sherrodd.

When the BCU conversion process is complete in spring 2012, all BCU member accounts will be fully integrated into TDECU. In the meantime, BCU members will have full access to TDECU products and services.

About Bluebonnet Credit Union

With $80 million in assets and over 10,000 members, BCU is a state chartered credit union which opened its doors in 1935 to serve the employees of Gulf Oil Chemical. Bluebonnet has four locations in the greater Houston area.

About TDECU

Founded in 1955, TDECU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with over 140,000 members and more than $1.6 billion in assets. TDECU currently has 23 service locations, including 19 branches, and offers a complete selection of convenient, innovative, and competitive products and services — including savings, checking, certificates of deposit, IRAs, money market accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, free online banking and bill pay, insurance, investment services, business services, real estate and title services, and much more. Members can also access over 43,000 surcharge-free ATMs. For more information about TDECU, go online to TDECU.org or call 800.839.1154.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLOG POSTS 2011

Life in the Big City...

October 2011
By ThirdGenAggie06 in John's Third Gen Gig

Howdy Matagorda County! It's been quite a while since I dropped y'all a note, but I figured I'd let ya know a little about how I've been. As you know, my fiance, Kaylene, and I left Bay City for the bright lights of Austin about four months ago. Neither of us really wanted to leave, but career advances really left us no choice.

That being said, we really have enjoyed ourselves here in the hill country. If you've read any of my past blogs, you know we love to go two-steppin' and we still go almost every weekend (although we really miss the Armadillo Ballroom in Brazoria!!) Speaking of dancehalls, there's a Kyle Park concert up here next weekend which we are both really excited about (especially considering it was at one of his concerts that I proposed.)

Yeah, all in all, we are really happy and enjoying Austin living...except for all of the hideous burnt orange all over the place, of course... But I'll get over that eventually...maybe.

Well about sums it up, from Austin. I hope everybody reading this is keeping up on their weekly news by grabbing a Matagorda Advocate. It still is the only source of REAL news in the county!!

P.S. Speaking of real news, I'm sure y'all have heard the city of Bay City dropped their lawsuits against the AG's office in regards to the open records, including the lawsuit on behalf of the Matagorda Advocate!! And it's about time... Stay tuned to the web site and grab a paper every Thursday to keep up to date on the newest additions to this story, which has been two years in the making!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feels like summer, Quiero La Frio

October 2011
By ThirdGenAggie06 in John's Third Gen Gig

Matagorda County is seeing high daily temperatures in the upper 90s, with the sun smothering the area in a blanket of heat from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It’s official. Summer is here. And I for one, as I do every year, forgot how hot it gets in Texas. That being said, I have to say this: there’s nothing better than a Texas summer. It can really only be described as torturous, splendid, glorious, heat-stroke inducing, maddening, gorgeous, unforgiving and perfect. But hey, at least it’s a wet-heat! I visited my cousin in Phoenix two summers ago and experienced a dry 120-degree heat. Ouch. Here, I might be covered in sweat by the time I get to my car from my front door, but there, I’d get third degree sunburns in the same amount of time. Unforgiving and painful. I’ll take the sweat any day. We’ll soon be seeing high temperatures in the 100s, and lucky for most of us, there is a nearby easy escape for this heat…the beach. But even I didn’t have the possibility of sprinting into the ocean on a hot summer’s day, which I actually did two weeks ago and am still recovering from, I’d still choose Texas over anywhere else to spend my summer. Cool summer rain on a hot tin roof, hanging out under the unforgettable Texas star-filled summer sky all night, but most importantly…it’s river-floating time! If there’s a river left to float in, that is. Ever since I could walk, I floated.

My family owns a couple ranches north of Hondo, where I grew up. Thirty minutes up the road lies Concan and the beautiful Frio River. There isn’t a river on earth I’d rather float. The Frio gets its name from the ice-cold springs that feed the entire length of the river, and as freezing as they may be, there’s nothing better on a 100-degree plus Texas summer day. It’s one of the last rivers to stay natural, no commercialization, no vendors, just you and the river…and a large ice chest full of your favorite summer beverage. There are stretches of the float, depending on what part of the river you’re on, where you won’t even be able to see a single home or business, just the beautiful Frio River valley. I made the trip down the Frio twice last year, even after being warned that the area’s drought made floating impossible, and had a great time. It was low…very low…but we still had a lot of fun. It’s hard not too, because even in areas where there isn’t but 6-inches of water, you are still surrounded by friends and family. The area hasn’t gotten much rain since last year and the river is supposedly even lower now than it was then, but that’s still not going to stop us from going.

We, my fiancé and I, have a really big trip planned for next month and I’m hoping for at least a little rain before then, but we’ll be going no matter what. There’s no better escape from the Texas heat than a dip in Frio. The ocean does come pretty close, though. Just be careful if you decided to sprint into the water, because saltwater face plants sting. Lesson learned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OBITUARIES

Obit Dodd

  • Updated 7:07 AM

Albert (Buddy) A. Dodd, Jr. 


  • Tease photo
    Obit Philip
    OBITUARIES • June 24, 2010
    Obit Suresh Philip, M.D.  
  • Gutowski Obit
    OBITUARIES •  May 20, 2010
    Obit  
  • Anderson Obit
    OBITUARIES • May 20, 2010
    Jason Anderson 
  • Obit
    OBITUARIES  • May 6, 2010
    Carl “Bud” Burt
  • Obit
    OBITUARIES • April 29, 2010
    INGRAM 
  • Obits
    OBITUARIES • April 14, 2010
    Obits 
  • Obits
    OBITUARIES • March 17, 2010
    Obit Brown 
  • obit
    OBITUARIES • February 4, 2010
    Obit 
  • obit for Mary King
    OBITUARIES • December 10, 2009
    obit for Mary King 
  • Obit for Ortiz
    OBITUARIES • December 2, 2009
    Obit for Aaron Ortiz 
  • Tease photo
    Obit for Joshua Allen Clayton
    OBITUARIES • November 25, 2009
    Obit for Joshua Allen Clayton 
  • Obit for E. C. “Gene” Smith
    OBITUARIES • November 25, 2009
    Obit for E. C. “Gene” Smith
  • Tease photo
    Laura Lee Lanigan
    OBITUARIES •  October 22, 2009
    Obit for Laura Lee Lanigan 
  • Ruby Nard
    OBITUARIES • October 15, 2009
    In Memory of Ruby Nard 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

logo

Staff Directory

Adriana Acosta

Acosta, Adriana
Matagorda Advocate Editor

Todd Krainin

Krainin, Todd
Photo/Video Editor

Dianna Wray

Wray, Dianna
Environment Reporter

 



Mission Statement

logo

  • We are our market’s dominant provider of relevant and compelling content.
  • We delivery timely and accurate information to consumers, and we deliver targeted audiences to advertisers across multiple mediums.
  • We value honesty, fairness, respectfulness, and service to our community.

The Victoria Advocate is 165 years old, Texas' second oldest newspaper. We're an independent regional media company and the area’s premier information and advertising source.

Our circulation Monday through Saturday is 33,606. On Sundays, it’s 31,894. We average 2.9 readers per copy during the week, which totals 88,757 readers. On Sundays, we average 3.3 readers per copy, or 105,237 readers. 1

A research study by Frank N. Magid Associates Publishing Division (formerly MORI Research) indicates that Victoria area residents rate Advocate Media as the top source for community news and information and -- by the largest margin -- for local advertising and shopping information.

The inaugural edition of the Advocate was printed May 8, 1846. An extra edition was published that day to inform local citizens of the battle of Palo Alto, the first battle in the Mexican War. The Advocate was first delivered by horseback to points such as Gonzales, New Braunsfels, and San Antonio. Later it was sent by stagecoach when Victoria became the headquarters for three stagecoach lines.

The newspaper's first publishers were Thomas Sterne and John David Logan. Both experienced newspapermen, they changed the name of the paper in its first year from “Texan Advocate” to "Texian Advocate" in response to requests from Texas pioneers. Sterne and Logan sold the newspaper in 1853.

Wilson Pickering took control and led the organization into the manufacturing age where machines made publishing capable of reaching very large audiences. Pickering's grandson, Donald Foster, was a major stockholder and purchased a business that supplied paper and other printing supplies. This part of the business later grew to include cleaning supplies - they sold everything from paper towels to dish soap to toilet tissue. Custodial products became a significant part of the business, and the small mop on the logo at that time signified the connection to this unrelated enterprise. The cleaning supplies business was sold to finance the purchase of modern press equipment just prior to 1900.

Later editors and publishers included Sam Addison White, Victor Marion Rose, Frank R. Pridham, Edward Daniel Linn, John L. Bartow, Louis Nicholas Hofer, and James McDonald. It was during White's ownership that the newspaper was named the "Victoria Advocate" between 1859 and 1861. McDonald introduced the "Daily Advocate" in 1897. Both daily and weekly editions were published until 1943. In 1901, after 55 years and nine owners, George H. French acquired the paper and operated it for 41 years.

Morris Roberts and a number of leading citizens purchased the paper in October 1942. In April 1961, Roberts purchased all stock and became sole owner of the Advocate. He shared ownership with his son, John M. Roberts, who serves as president and daughter Catherine R. McHaney, who is secretary-treasurer. Family members Dan Easton and Stephen McHaney currently serve as co-publishers.

The Advocate has missed publication only a few times because of fires in 1876 and 1892, and the Civil War, when it could not publish due to lack of newsprint.

The Advocate's Web site, VictoriaAdvocate.com, was established in 1999.

The Advocate is located at 311 East Constitution Street in downtown Victoria, where it has been since 1949.

Readers-per-copy figures provided in the Frank N. Magid Associates Publishing Division (formerly MORI Research) 2010 Audience Survey. Circulation figures provided by Audit Bureau of Circulations Audit of Victoria Newspaper for 24 months ended September 30, 2010.

logo

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

MatagordaAdvocate.com