July 1 Business Breakfast

Wharton's new city manager, Joseph R. Pace, will be the guest speaker at the July 1 Business Breakfast sponsored by the Wharton Chamber of Commerce and the Wharton Economic Development Corp.

It will begin at 8:30 am Thursday, July 1, at 9'ers, 112 W. Boling Highway. There is no admission charge, though it's dutch treat for your meal. The event should last about one hour. 

Pace's first day was June 15. He replaces Andres Garza Jr., who had been city manager since 1994.

He comes to Wharton as we are arriving at a period of great change and opportunity. Among them are the extension of FM 1301 from North Richmond Road to US 59 and flood reduction program will remove much property from flood risk. Those are essential elements to sustainable growth.

We hope to see you there.

Reminder: the Chamber's Lunch and Learn, on the subject of identity theft, will be Tuesday, July 20. Tickets are on sale.

And the chamber is now working on more events, the Snow on the Square, Party Under the Bridge, the Haunted Tour, and the Christmas Holiday Parade, all later this year. 

"One more reminder: "players win games, but teams win championship

Making more new connections

Restoration City, followed by the Rotary Club of Wharton and OakBend Medical Center, led the pack for the month of May with the most referrals received from our website, whartonchamber.com/whartontexas.com.

Referrels are from our on-line membership directory, where people click on a member listing to call on the phone, or click to their websites, to contact the member or ask for more information.

Here is the top 20 for May, with the member name followed by the number of referrals:

1. Restoration City: 344

2. Rotary Club of Wharton: 336

3. OakBend Medical Center: 305

4. Richmond Road Truck & Auto Parts-NAPA: 302

5. TNT Western Wear: 288

6. Priority Roofing and Construction: 286

7. Roberson Air Conditioning: 274

8. RE/MAX Professionals: 269

9. Triple Oak Power: 258

10. Cochrane Insurance Agency - Farmers Insurance: 257

11. Wadler, Perches, Hundl & Kerlick, Attys at Law: 256

12. H.E.B. Grocery: 253

13. Schulz Insurance Agency: 247

14. Koenig Welding Service, Inc.: 246

15. Hollub Financial Services: 244

16. Hinze's Bar-B-Que: 242 (tie)

16. Wharton County Electric Cooperative: 242 (tie)

17. Habitat for Humanity East Wharton County: 241 (tie)

17. InsuranceNet: 241 (tie)

18. Hudgins-Groover Real Estate: 238 (tie)

18. Robert Kolacny & Assoc.: 238 (tie)

19. Honey Do It LLC: 237

20. Healthy Touch Knead to Relax: 236 (tie)

20. Wharton Eye Associates P.A.: 236 (tie)

21. Wharton County Farmers Market: 235

22.  Barbara Svatek: 233

23. Sandra Sanders: 232 (tie)

23.  Wharton County Youth Fair 232 (tie)

24. Maxim Production Co. 231

25. Holy Family Catholic Church: 230 (tie)

25. Prasek's Hillje Smokehouse: 230 (tie)

There's a total of five pages of these for the month of May. Thank you, members. Thank you, the many people who use our membership directory.

Eve Barlett, the Wharton County Historical Museum

It was very, very, very steaming hot. Nothing like my long pants ever walked through in Philadelphia. But dealing with the heat and humidity was easy, compared to finding a life in a completely different city. That new city was Wharton, Texas

There were people who helped me find my way. O'Farrell Pauly, the Wharton Journal-Spectator publisher who gave me a job fresh out of university.  And I am eternally grateful to my guardian angel Nancy Woodson, and my workmate Seawillow Allen. 

And there's Eve Bartlett, from Glen Flora, Texas. When she comes to mind, I picture her behind her desk, her hands moving in precision as she gave nuggets of information like a train, one car at a time. She made sure your car was connected. 

At the time, back in 1982, she was the heart and soul of the Wharton County Historical Museum.

The original Wharton County Historical Museum, at least I suspected at the time, was located in the southern side of the second oldest Wharton County Jail, located on the 200-block of South Fulton Street. 

(Actually, it's now either the second, third, or fourth oldest jail — I get confused.)

Anyway. I would hang out with Eve. And I would learn a lot. I would write things.

I can tell you one important lesson gleaned from Eve Barlett of Glen Flora, Texas: Once you think you know it, there is more to it.

What a great thing to know.

The Wharton County Historic Museum and the 20th Century Technology Museum will have its grand reopening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Thursday, June 17. You are invited!

Here is a photo of Eve Bartlett, courtesy of the Wharton County Historical Museum. It hangs on the museum wall.

The Rutun VeriEze of Wharton, Texas

I am reluctant to do this, but I have been asked to post a copy of a newspaper column from 2006. It's about the "little airplane" that has resided outside the 20th Century Technology Museum.

The column can be found at http://20thcenturytech.com/press/Very_easy.pdf. Otherwise, I never would have found it. It's not a great copy, but here's a screen shot.

The Wharton County Historic Museum and the 20th Century Technology Museum will have its grand reopening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Thursday, June 17. You are invited!

Lots of garage sales, visitors

The vast majority of those participating in Friday and Saturday's Wharton Chamber Citywide Garage Sale reported strong sales, despite the rain.

Moreover, we received reports of plenty of visitors from out of town, too. That includes Needville, Palacios, Angleton, Houston, Victoria, Kendleton, El Campo, Boling and Sweeny. That's the idea, to take advantage of these visitors for dining and shopping and motor fuel and the rest. Its sales tax to fuel the government, money for retailers and restaurants, and, of course, cash and getting rid of unwanted things for those putting on the garage sales themselves.

There were 60 garage sales in all.

Thank you, Wharton.

"Players win games, teams win championships."