Lighthouse 2911 for Youth

TOYOTA TEXAS BASS CLASSIC, LAKE FORK, TEXAS. FOLKS, from a financial standpoint the event was highly disappointing. The weather greatly reduced the anticipated crowds of 25,000 a day. Friday started with rain and high winds. Forecast thunderstorms with hail, high winds and possible tornadoes had everybody wondering if the afternoon "flight" of anglers would even attempt to fish. Many prayers were answered as the frequent spurts of drizzle didn't turn to serious rain until the afternoon teams got in. Severe weather threatened in the area but we had only one small tornado.
We were greeted by frost and strong north winds Saturday morning. They figured the afternoon warmup encouraged the crowd of some 8 or 9,000 to show up. Even with the beautiful weather, the final weigh-in and free Tracey Lawrence concert the Sunday crowd was estimated at only 15,000 people.
Our total income for three days didn't justify awarding the whole $18,000 worth of prizes. After consulting with our attorney, we drew for the local prizes and the other ones people expressed an interest in. The rest we expect to auction off later.
On the other hand, we ministered to and even prayed with a few people. Maybe that was the main reason we were there. With all the ways the hand of God was apparently involved in the project, it'd show a complete lack of faith for us to be totally devastated by the amount of money collected so far. It'll be exciting to see how things work out with the auction and all.
The Gulf States Toyota representative told us we could have TWO booth spaces NEXT year. We don't know what we'll do next year but it'll be some sort of promoting needy youths. We all need to convey to our young people that they're are loved and valuable individuals and like one kid said, "God don't make no junk."

If you'd like to find out more about our organization, get involved as a volunteer or make a donation to help us put needy youth on the path to a better life, please contact us at:

Lighthouse 2911
202 Willis Street
Yoakum, Tx 77995
Ph 361.293.1350

Or e-mail us at:
pmbeard@yahoo.com

JIM BURNETT spent 30 years wet nursing (not his term, mine. a.c.) visitors to eight national parks. At Grand Canyon N.P.: "Mister ranger, is there a dining car on that mule train into the canyon?"
Contact him at heyranger@earthlink.com.

HELP US HELP THE KIDS. 85%-100% of our needy kids have never had hold of a fishing rod, much less one to call their own. We're gladly accepting good used rods & reels and other outdoor gear. Your "demo" models are just fine for us. Our goal, while trying to keep them off the streets is to give them the tools and instill an in them an appreciation of our God given outdoors. We hope to take them fishing in both fresh and saltwater, plus teach them how to catch catfish using trotlines, juglines, limb lines, and throw, or bank, lines. We hope to have them catch their own live bait with seines, cast nets, perch and crawdad traps.

Our youth WERE scheduled to build, haul, and install 80 rough sawed cedar nesting boxes for wood ducks. The ESSENTIAL GRANT we needed was scuttled by a snafu in Austin. Texas Parks $ Wildlife Department forces at Lake Texana State Park were to have teamed with the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority to locate potential box locations on LNRA property near Edna, Jackson County, Texas. The boxes will be placed on steel poles located in approximately two feet of water. Set about 4-5 feet above normal lake level, predator guards made of sheet metal cones of are hoped to keep snakes and other climbing, slithering critters from getting the ducklings. A few inches of wood shavings need to line the bottom few inches of the box (we don't want the ducklings to smother as they could buried under an avalanche of saw dust).