HOSA dress delivery

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
Shari Pulliam with CPS (left) and PN-G senior Tiffany Cavaretta (right) unload a truckload of prom dresses at Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches on Friday, Feb. 29, 2008. The Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) club at the school provides free prom dresses for foster children through the annual "Girls Night Out" program.


PN-G junior Macy Pulliam (top) and senior Kyle Boehme (bottom) unload a truckload of prom dresses at Port Neches-Groves High School. Pulliam started the annual "Girls Night Out" program. Boehme is president of the PN-G HOSA club, which sponsors the event.



Shari Pulliam with CPS (left) and PN-G senior Tiffany Cavaretta (right) move a rack of prom dresses into Port Neches-Groves High School.

Please read, "Foster children receive free frocks" by Sarah Moore.

Making dirt

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Eddie Wharton talks about his compost process at his home in Port Neches on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008. The compost is made of organic materials including leaves, grass, rice hulls and even fruit mixed with manure.


Eddie Wharton shows the level of development in part of his compost process at his home in Port Neches. He rotates the mixture through different phases to prepare it for eventual use in his garden.


Eddie Wharton examines the compost in his home garden in Port Neches. The retired DuPont engineer has applied science to the garden and created a winning combination for his plants.

Please read, "Dirt done right..." by Jane McBride.

PN-G Silks

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Sophomore Mehrin Tariq of the Silks flag corps reaches to catch a flag during practice at Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007.

RiverFest ready

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


(Above) Devin Corbit of Richmond, Texas cleans his tunnel boat on a boat ramp during the Port Neches RiverFest in Port Neches on Friday, May 11, 2007.

(Right) Bert Hoffpauir performs with the band Lost Cause from Winnie during the Port Neches RiverFest in Port Neches.



Adventurers scream on carnival rides during the Port Neches RiverFest in Port Neches. The festival and boat races continue through the weekend.

Lisa Beaulieu funeral

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Beaumont police officer Crystal Holmes repairs flower wreaths before the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu at Oak Bluff Cemetery in Port Neches on Monday, April 30, 2007. Beaulieu died after she was struck by a vehicle while covering a major wreck.


The badge of Beaumont police Staff Sgt. Tim Ocnaschek is covered during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu. The cover reads, "Nemo me impune lacesit." In Latin it means "No one attacks me with impunity."



Patriot Guard riders escort the body of Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu during the funeral service for at Oak Bluff Cemetery.


Police pall bearers carry the coffin of Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu during funeral service for her at Oak Bluff Cemetery.


A Beaumont Police Department honor guard presents arms during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu.


Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu's mother Gloria Prince (right) and stepfather Gary Prince (left) react as Beaulieu's badge number is retired during her funeral.



Beaumont police officer Rick Boaz (center) and other officers salute during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu.


Sgt. Josey Johnson III with the Texas State Guard plays Taps during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu at Oak Bluff Cemetery in Port Neches.

Brazilian Jui Jitsu

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
Danean Sonnier of Orange (top) tightens a debilitating hold onto classmate Dennis Shaeffer of Beaumont (bottom) during a class at Golden Triangle Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Port Neches on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006.


Rocky Russell of Port Neches (top, right) practices a choke technique on classmate Casey Davis of Groves (bottom, right) during a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class.

Rocky Russell of Port Neches (top) practices a maneuver on classmate Sean Farshad of Beaumont (bottom) during a class. The ground-fighting martial arts form was made popular by its success in Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions.


Instructor Patrick Head (left) coaches as Dennis Shaeffer of Beaumont (top) practices a technique against Rocky Russell of Port Neches (bottom) during a class at Golden Triangle Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Port Neches.
 

Sign painter

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
Denny Romero of Art Signs paints a mural on Bradley's Altered Dimension shop in Port Neches on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006. Heat and humidity are expected to make all outdoor activities uncomfortable through the weekend.
 

Admiral Dingy

Daryl Colinot, otherwise known as Admiral Dingy, marvels at his wind generator during a party for himself at Port Neches Park in Port Neches on Saturday, July 29, 2006. He hopes to navigate his self-designed boat around the globe although the boat lacks many necessities such as a place to store enough food.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Admiral Dingy entertains guests as he hosts a party for himself at Port Neches Park in Port Neches. The former Hollywood B-movie star, full-time retiree and part-time dance instructor designs and sews all his clothes.


Admiral Dingy expects to use something other than pliers to control his boat at Port Neches Park. Although he's been working on the boat since around 1975, the boat has only been in the water one time. However, he successfully rode out Hurricane Rita inside the boat to see if it could take a storm.

Please see additional photos by Fayrouz and read "Voyage of the Dingy dinghy" and "Admiral Dingy party goes on, though voyage does not" by Jamie Reid. Also visit the Admiral's Web site.
 

Port Neches riverfront plans

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Kinder Baumgardner with SWA Architects explains options during a meeting to discuss Port Neches Riverfront plans by SWA at the Senior Citizens Center in Port Neches on Saturday, April 8, 2006. The site for future expansion is a former oil tank farm, which is currently being dismantled.


Tentative plans were displayed during a meeting to discuss Port Neches Riverfront. The current proposal features a marina, retail spaces, a community park with water parks, a nature park with a possible kayak trail, residential housing, boat storage warehouse and a multipurpose boardwalk.


Everett Culver, who lives near the river, asks about parking considerations during a meeting to discuss Port Neches Riverfront. He's concerned visitors attending the large festivals may park in front of his home.
 

Investing in the triangle

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

ISP Elastomers continues upgrade construction at the plant in Port Neches on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006.

Some companies are making major facility and capacity improvements at their plants. This means both more jobs and more local taxes. Considering some companies have closed or moved their operations outside the hurricane zone, any positive steps are recognized and appreciated.
 

Mark-O-Rita

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
Port Arthur police S.W.A.T. teams prepare to secure the city after Hurricane Rita hit on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005.

When Hurricane Rita crashed into Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005, it was the third-strongest hurricane in recorded history. Damage estimates top $8 billion.

The proud people of this area immediately got to work repairing and replacing what they could. However, many hard-working folks lost homes, businesses or both. Some communities simply vanished and only memories and mortgages for toxic sand remain.

I suggest donating to The Salvation Army. It would do the most good. We're working to find a more efficient donation system for the folks in this area who will need help for many months.

The majority of Hurricane Rita images appear in the September and October 2005 archives. Below is a list of individual posts or viewers can see the entire months' work by clicking on the linked words in the previous sentence.

Please use the Back button on your browser to return to this page.

20 Sept. - Tuesday
Pre-Rita run on Wal-Mart
Krogering for supplies

21 Sept. - Wednesday
Hurricane Rita (text)
Patience at Home Depot
Leaving home

22 Sept. - Thursday
Mini Rita update (text)
Police help evacuate
Special needs evacuation
The calm before the storm

23 Sept. - Friday
Braced for Hurricane Rita
Braced for Hurricane Rita continued
Watching Hurricane Rita

24 Sept. - Saturday
Hurricane Rita hits
Hurricane Rita aftermath: Beaumont
Hurricane Rita aftermath: Port Arthur
Vidor post-Rita
Mauriceville feed and grain

25 Sept. - Sunday
No mass after Rita
Trying to help his neighbors
Untangling after Rita
Crystal clear damage
Beaumont emergency center
Ford Park: formerly shelter from Katrina
Market Basket's conditional opening
O'Hare's helps after looted
Fuel arrives before power

26 Sept. - Monday
Fuel line wait
Tornado damage during hurricane
Airport heavy metal
Testing communication
Sandwiched
Damage is clear from above
Orange hit hard
Clean and secure
Shrimp boats

Sept. 27 - Tuesday
Temporary communication
Mauriceville Red Cross shelter closes
Bridge City
Sunk shrimp boat
Port Neches
Groves
Nederland Windmolen

Sept. 28 - Wednesday
Salvation Army feeds Beaumont
Recovery continues in Beaumont
More Beaumont damage

Sept. 29 - Thursday
Parkdale Mall activity
Post office wait
Lake Charles, La. suffers storm surge
Vinton motel closed
Boomtown post-Rita
Port Arthur neighborhoods sealed
Port Arthur's "Best-kept lawn"

Sept. 30 - Friday
Self reliant
FEMA goes house-to-house
Free flat repairs
Clear Channel team coverage
Chainsaw sharpener
Looters sent to hell
Trash deposit center

Oct. 1 - Saturday
We're surviving, but tired (text)
Rebuilding Target
SBM chainsaw ministries
Park crew

Oct. 2 - Sunday
Still going... (text)
Hungry hummingbirds
Morning activities
Working despite losses
Elks Lodge fire

Oct. 3 - Monday
Hurricane Rita's aftermath - one day's work

Oct. 4 - Tuesday
Abundantly blessed
Mail returns to Silsbee
Brooks Brothers does its best
Rita survivor T-shirts

Oct. 5 - Wednesday
Bank's reopen
Lion's Carnival
Bayou ecological damage

Oct. 6 - Thursday
Buna VFD
Bleakwood: A Red Cross success
Bon Wier VFD: no immunity

Oct. 7 - Friday
After-Rita funeral

Oct. 8 - Saturday
Hamshire VFD survival celebration
Sabine Pass
Spraying into the night
Chainsaw sunset
Emergency food

Oct. 9 - Sunday
Taking a breather (text)

Oct. 11 - Tuesday
Working against two hazards

Oct. 12 - Wednesday
Log loader
Meat juice
Found dog
Beaumont evacuees return

Oct. 13 - Thursday
Souvenirs
Tired

Oct. 20 - Thursday
How to cover hurricanes (text)

Oct. 21 - Friday
Holly Beach, La. is gone

Oct. 24
Holly Beach isn't there (text)

Oct. 27
Cameron, La.
Oak Grove, La.
Holly Beach drainage ditch
Johnson's Bayou, La.

Nov. 16
Texas Highway 87

Nov. 23
"Rita Captured" is available

Nov. 24
Displaced Thanksgiving

Nov. 26
Cameron two months later

Dec. 7
Silsbee library setback

Dec. 15
Bryan's 797 chefs

Dec. 20
Happy Birthday

Dec. 22
Forgotten Rita evacuees

Dec. 24
FEMA Christmas

Dec. 27
Cameron three months later

Jan. 6
Shangri La Gardents post Rita

Jan. 7
Cameron evac order lifted
Orange reshade

Jan. 10
Walker performs at home

Jan. 12
Baseball field repairs

Jan. 13
Reconstruction's benefit

Jan. 24
Getting some help

Feb. 2
Tillman's Bar-B-Q

Feb. 9
Bon Wier's new fire truck

March 14
Gingerbread Square

March 30
Holly Beach recovery
Creole recovery

April 6
West Side story

April 12
West Side story

April 22
Concrete canoe races

May 6
Evacu-lanes

May 20
Johnson Bayou graduation 2006

June 24
Cameron Parish still faces insurance challenges

July 7
Texas Roadhouse completed

Aug. 18
Extreme fire engine

Sept. 24
Hurricane Rita:   Texas
Hurricane Rita:   Louisiana


Oct. 21
Cameron recovery celebration

Dec. 6
Sabine Pass Santa

Dec. 20
Cameron hospital reconstruction

Enough for now,

Groves

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Matt Cole (left) nails down a tarp on his home in Port Neches on Tuesday Sept. 27, 2005.


The Groves Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church remains seriously damaged in Groves. However, it has one of the few remaining steeples in the area.

Port Neches

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

PNISD emergency management representatives Lane A. Emmett (left) and Leonard Lapoint (right) work on plans to help the community on the Port Neches-Groves High School campus in Port Neches on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005. The three-man response team has preserved and delivered food from district schools to emergency workers and the community.
Emmett, who is also the district's director of transportation and safety, would like the district's school busses returned. The busses were filled with special needs residents, driven directly onto military airplanes, and flown to unknown destinations. He said they are easily identified with the district's name emblazoned on the side.


R. A. Ogden, 77, patrols his neighborhood for looters in Port Neches. He said he rode out Hurricane Rita for the excitement.
 

PN-G Biz Expo

Stylist Tisha Louviere (right) with Strands of Port Neches treats Ashton Doty, Miss Port Neches 2005, (left) to a "stress relieving treatment" during the first Port Neches and Groves Business Expo at PN-G High School in Port Neches on Thursday, August 4, 2005.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

I had never seen this at a business expo before.
 

Mail call

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Rudy Cueto, 81, picks up his mail at his home in Port Neches on Thursday, August 4, 2005. He is concerned about doorstep delivery of his mail after nearby neighbors were issued a community mailbox.

This isn't the shot I had in my head. I expected to get the letter carrier delivering mail to the Cueto home. It's a long story, but the end result was I got the home owner when he collected his mail. This image tells the story better than the image I was prepared to shoot. Sometimes idea implosions are "best."
 

Seeing Jesus

Pat Thompson poses for a portrait at her home in Port Neches on Friday, May 20, 2005. To her, the light shining through a blanket over her window shows the image of Jesus.
She first saw the image on May 16 about four hours before her son was in a car wreck.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Her daughter died in an car accident on May 8, 1997. She thinks it could have been a message that her son would be OK. He lived through the accident.
Although she's not certain when she got the blanket, she thinks it was a gift from her daughter (before her death) because she cared enough to repair it when it had become torn.

Before anyone freaks about the image contained within the blanket, understand it required a 30-second exposure and some very delicate lighting to make it work.

Please read the related story if interested.
 

Boys soccer player OTY

Tim Zimmerman, a junior at Port Neches-Groves High School, poses for a portrait at the high school on Wednesday, May 7, 2005. Zimmerman was named by The Beaumont Enterprise to the Super Gold Soccer Team.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
This is the matching boys photo to this image. As I said in the comments of the other image, the pose wouldn't have worked for him.
 

Thunder on the Neches

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

(Above) Jeremy Faas (No. 76, left) of Needville, Texas has a near collision with Wayne Barber (No. 0, right) of Port Neches during the "Thunder on the Neches" super stock tri hull races at RiverFest in Port Neches on Saturday, May 7, 2005.

(Below) Nathan Worthy (No. 7, left) tries to hold a lead during the "Thunder on the Neches" SST 120 class tunnel boat races.
(The other boat was not listed in the heat sheets).