Kirk Kveton, store manager of the Target store at Baybrook Mall, holds up the check surrounded by Assistance League members, from left, Philanthropic Vice President Sarah Foulds, Operation School Bell Chairman Cindy-Senger Lewis, Altimus, Priscilla Magnussen and President-Elect Peggy Clause.
17 serving on Chamber board
The Clear Lake Area Chamber has 17 members serving on its 2014-15 Board of Directors. They are: Janette Alford, Straterion Consulting; Brent Cockerham, BB&T; Gina Conklin, Houston Community Management Services; Mark Conrad, Express Employment Professionals; Jonathan Cottrell, Martha Turner Realty; Maureen Davidson, Secure Mortgage Co.; Glenn Ellis, Jacobs Technology; Charlie Felts, Opus Bistro;
Also, Brenda Miller Ferguson, Bay Area Citizen; Steve Gordon, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center; Ray Holloway Jr., Centerpoint Energy; Carol Keough, Barita & Keough Law Firm; Jennifer McKnight, Crown Trophy; Chris Premont, Ron Carter Clear Lake; Kat Sanford, Kat Sanford Productions; Kevin Venable, Amoco Federal Credit Union; and Dawn Wilkes, Jason’s Deli.
Port to build new rail line
The Port of Houston Authority has selected Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. to design Phase 1 of a new rail line to the Bayport Terminal. The project, which involves design of approximately 6,500 linear feet of primary rail line, will extend the existing Union Pacific Rail Corridor along State Highway 146 into the facility.
The project represents the initial phase of the development of planned rail service into the Bayport Intermodal Yard. At full development, three parallel tracks will service the intermodal yard and are expected to handle as much as 20 percent of the overall container volume through the Bayport Terminal.
The project will provide a number of significant benefits, including:
- Creating more jobs for the local community.
- Providing cheaper transportation of consumer goods.
- Facilitating growth of the terminal as a regional conduit for containerized cargo.
- Enabling removal of trucks from the highway by transferring a portion of the container volume to rail. This will improve the regional air quality and highway safety by taking trucks off the road.
- Expanding the market potential for import and export of containers through the Port of Houston.
The project will cross three state highways using quiet zone systems. PHA and LAN will coordinate with local community partners to make the project as community-friendly as possible through the implementation of quiet zone rail crossings, and potential installation of sound walls. The project will be constructed in concert with a separate project to build a 20-foot high sight-and-sound berm that will help shield the rail line from the adjacent communities.
The design of the $13.8 million project will be completed in mid-2015 with construction starting later in the year.
Target’s grant helps the needy
Target Stores recently presented Assistance League of the Bay Area with a $2,500 grant for the nonprofit’s Operation School Bell program.
“Since entering into a partnership with Assistance League in 2011, Target has awarded $8,500 specifically to help clothe Bay Area children-in-need for school,” said Assistance League President Brunella Altimus.
“Those funds clothed approximately 170 students with a week’s worth of clothing, hygiene kits, and vouchers for shoes from Payless.”
Target team members also volunteered 30 hours to help clothe secondary students during the chapter’s largest annual philanthropic undertaking — the clothing of more than 1,700 students.
Medical groups lease building
Two medical groups have leased space in Gemini 1,the 40,000 square-foot building at 16840 Buccaneer in Clear Lake, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s Barbara Cutsinger reports.
An orthopedic group will occupy the first floor and a family practice group is occupying the second floor.
