Betty Boop and movie ratings

The motion picture rating system was developed and is in place through the motion picture industry itself.

It is not enforced by law. It started with the Hays Code, whose impact reached as far as the Betty Boop cartoon.

Here's more about Hay's Code and the motion picture rating system

The 6th Annual Party Under the Bridge, the rest of the story

Six years ago, the State of Texas had every intention of tearing down Wharton’s Colorado River Bridge. Then along came Marilyn Sebesta.

You will not find a more soft-spoken person than Marilyn Sebesta. But that does not mean she’s not persuasive. She went from public meeting to public meeting, giving every reason under the sun why this old historic bridge should not be replaced. She argued that it should be fully restored instead.

It was fully restored instead.

Marilyn, a much-honored retired county extension agent, busted a bottle of grape juice on the metal base at the bridge’s grand reopening.

But before that grand reopening occurred, another person came to the scene. He had a great idea. He’s Paul Webb. Paul is an attorney, actually Wharton’s city attorney.

Paul asked me to come to his office. He told me we should not let the bridge reopen without a significant marking of the occasion. He said let’s have a party.

Party Under the Bridge was born. On Thursday, Oct. 19, it will be the sixth consecutive annual event. It will be from 5 to 7 pm at Dinosaur Park, with a puppet show, train rides, free T-shirts, a petting zoo, and food trucks. Paul and his wife, Cindy, have been the sponsor every year since inception.

Back, six years ago, Paul suggested we visit, first, with the folks from El Campo, as they have had much success with food trucks events. Not many people were doing it at the time.

So city of El Campo folks came to our chamber for a brain-storming meeting. It was they, not us, that actually came up with the name “Party Under the Bridge.” And we collaborate with the city of Wharton and many, many others to pull this off each year. This is one more example that great things happen when people collaborate. It’s always a team effort.

Like the great baseball player of yesteryear, Bill Taylor said, “Players win games, teams win championships.”

Listen more, judge less

Where I grew up, I can count on two fingers the number of public school teachers that made a difference in my life. That may not seem like a lot, but it was enough.

I am reflecting about my long-ago education after reading a short letter to the editor in Wednesday’s Houston Chronicle. It was about Dr. Bertie Simmons, who enjoyed a celebrated life as a Houston educator.

The letter explained how Dr. Simmons was brought out of retirement to lead a failing school, Furr High School. She inspired great change. Instead of failing, Furr began to succeed in a big way. I will gladly share the letter with you. Much has been written about her in the news media. She wrote a book; I’m buying it.

I don’t want to debate whether this letter is factually correct or not, or whether she did all these things. I came from a home broken to pieces. I had a couple of educators who were like what this letter talked about. They inspired me to believe in myself.

The greater the turmoil in a child’s life, perhaps the more perilous the journal can be to adulthood. Not everyone learns the same. But we must find a way to inspire all young lives. Otherwise, it’s call for inaction, not action.

Our Chamber Banquet Honorees

We will be honoring three well-deserving people at the 104th Annual Banquet of the Wharton Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture to be held Thursday, March 9. Here is who they are and a little bit about them:

Business Person of the Year 2023

Russ Baird started HealthStar International Inc., an international recruiting agency for physical therapist and nurses, and he ran the company until recently turning it over to his daughter Erin. Now, his total time is devoted to restoring and remodeling the buildings that he has owned for more than 20 years in downtown Wharton.

Most of the buildings have been through multiple renovations over the years, the first of which was new roofing for all buildings. It now continues with major restorations to bring all buildings up to useable conditions while retaining the atmosphere of our downtown.

After serving in the U.S. Army and after obtaining his Master’s Degree in Science in Physical Therapy, he went to work for Wharton-based Physical Therapy Associates, which was founded by Tom Carlson. Between 1974 and 1995 he held many different positions with PTA, HealthFocus, Associated Healthfocus and Rehability Corp. Around 1995, when Rehability bought HealthFocus, he bought these buildings in downtown Wharton from Rehability, which moved all offices to Brentwood, Tenn.

Educator of the Year 2023

Fritz Zarate is a math specialist for kindergarten through 12th grade. He has been in education for 20 years. He worked 12 years in the Philippines and the last eight years in Wharton ISD. He is married 119 years to his wife, Marge Zarate. They have four children, Dominic, Miguel, Xyrus and Francesca.

He was named Teacher of the Year in 2020, Wharton Junior High Teacher of the Year in 2020, and Wharton ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2022. Zarate also won Educator of the Year for the Edwards Ministerial Association Image Awards in 2022.

Volunteer of the Year 2023

Karen Smith has been instrumental in furthering the Wharton community as a volunteer and serves as president of the Wharton Lions Club. Karen takes pride in her love for her family, church and her community. She says "We Serve" is not just the Lions Club moto but also one she lives by.

She has been employed as safety manager at JM Eagle for the last 21 years. She has lived in Wharton County for 29 years with her husband, Rick.

The Billie H. Jones Leadership Academy

One of Billie Jones’ accomplishments while she ran the Chamber of Commerce was the creation of a leadership class. It’s back. After a long hiatus, a new class will begin this fall.

We’ve named it after Billie, too. It’s called the Billie H. Jones Leadership Academy. The inaugural class will start in September 2023 and go through March 2024, meeting on the second Friday of each month.

The Academy will be a topic, too, at the chamber’s next Lunch and Learn, which will be held Friday, Feb. 17, at the Wharton Civic Center (You can still buy tickets.).

The new Leadership Academy has been a long time in the making. It will be a function of the Wharton Chamber’s Community Enhancement Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, which is an arm of the Wharton Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.

The heart of the program, however, belongs to Shannon Haltom, who designed the program and will lead each session.

Shannon is well known for her skills and is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Trainer. She owns Run Your Race Leadership Consulting Service of Wharton. She was born and raised in the Wharton area and is committed to making Wharton a better place. We are thrilled to have her.

Shannon describes the academy as a hybrid of in-person events, from workshops to field trips, including entrepreneurial skills, customer service and finance.

The application due date is June 30, 2023. Cost is $200. A limited number of scholarships will be available. The Mary Louise Dobson Foundation is a major funder of the academy.

You can find out more at the chamber’s Lunch and Learn on Feb. 17. Contact admin@whartonchamber.com or 979-532-1862. You can get tickets on line at whartonchamber.com/news

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New sidewalks

We are about to experience a bout of new sidewalk construction.

Gwyneth Teves, the city’s director of planning and development, says Wharton will use grant funds of nearly $800,000 in two separate projects. One is called the Wharton Safe and Accessible Routes, and the other is called the Main Street/Downtown Revitalization Project.

The accessible routes will build all-new sidewalks with the city responsible for engineering and a 20 percent match of $159,000. Construction is expected to begin this spring. The new sidewalks will focus on neighborhoods around Sivells Elementary, Wharton High School, Wharton County Junior College, and Wharton Junior High School.

The downtown project will focus on reconstruction, new sidewalks, and ADA curb ramps in sections of eight streets in central Wharton. The city is responsible for a $52,000 match. Teves expects work to be done this coming summer.

She says this downtown grant is the first of its kind. Wharton has benefited from three previous grants in the safe and accessible routes program.

Many cities across the United States omitted sidewalk construction as life revolved around motor vehicles in the 20th Century. There is a new emphasis, however, on walkable connecting neighborhoods.

Houston is talking about this very thing, according to news reports this week. The city of Houston will no longer require new housing developments to build sidewalks. This is because many felt the new sidewalks can lead to “nowhere.” In other words, there were occurrences of the sidewalks not conntecting to other sidewalks; they just stopped.

Now, developers would just pay a fee so the funds will fit into overall plans. The fee is estimated to be $3,000 per lot.

It’s a worthy thing to have walkable neighborhoods and commercial districts. I hope to write more about this in the future. Say “yes” to sidewalks.

Mozelle Stephens, our chamber parade marshal

For many years, Mozelle Stephens quietly has nudged Wharton in the right direction, toward fairness, respect, love, progress, and kindness. She has done this, not in front of a microphone, not in front of a big crowd, but by just being … herself.

So, it is about time to bring her to the limelight which she never really sought. We are proud to announce that Mozelle Stephens will be the Parade Marshal of the 42nd Annual Wharton Chamber Christmas Holiday Parade.

Mozelle is 87 years old. I think I can tell you that she is not in the best of health. Frankly, she should have been honored years ago. But this is her year.

I met Mozelle as a young reporter in the early ‘80s as I covered the construction and dedication of a community center in Spanish Camp, Texas. Mozelle’s most memorable impression on me was her smile and her warmth. It was as genuine as genuine can be. I still feel it.

One guy I know has the same smile and warmth. He came by it honestly. That’s Adryalle Watson, her great nephew.

“She is the nucleus of our family,” Adryalle said. “She is always the one we call on, just like in the community. We share her with the community.”

“She is a very compassionate person. She just loves people,” he said. And, “she does not take no for an answer.”

The parade will be Tuesday, Nov. 22. Adraylle will be with her.