Note: Events with + in front indicates newly added event!

While we strive to ensure that all of our events are current and accurate, please always check to ensure that the event is still scheduled and that the information below is correct.

• Arbor Day Tree Giveaway- Friday, April 25th, starts at 8:00 AM until supplies run out Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center, 1724 Market Street, Baytown

• Bow Creation Class @ Yepez Vineyard - April 25th, 6:00pm-9:00pm Info

• +Stage Door Inc., presents Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  April 25^th-May 3^rd Tickets

• Sylvan Beach Festival - April 26 Full Details

• Spring Outdoor Celebration April 26th. 10am-2pm Mont Belvieu City Park
  Details

• DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Sat. April 26th 10am-2 pm
  Baytown Public Safety Building parking lot - 3200 N. Main St

• Mont Belvieu Market at the Park, Sat. May 3rd.- 8am - Noon

• + $1 Taco Night - Live Music, Games for the kids, & more!
  May 3rd from 5pm - 9 pm @ Town Square

• Main Street Trade Days – Sat. May 3rd – 10am-2 pm  208 W. Main, La Porte

• Deaf Social Where Bakery - May 3rd - 11 am @
  Heart & Whisk Bakery 4618 N. Main St., Baytown

• Baytown Rotary Club Annual Shrimp & Catfish Festival Sat., May 10 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. @ Baytown Community Center. Tickets are available from any Baytown Rotarian or at the front desk of The Baytown Sun, 1301 Memorial Dr.

• +Day Ga Com [Pop Culture Event] May 10 & 11 10am-6pm
  Dayton Community Center 801 South Cleveland St, Dayton, TX More info

• West Chambers Deaf Social – May 10th @ 11 am. @ The Toasted Yolk
  in Mt. Belvieu 13001 I-10 East

• +Mom’s & Mocktails Vendor Event Sat. May 10^th 9am-3pm @
  Crosby American Legion 14890 FM 2100, Crosby

• Movie Under the Stars: Kung Fu Panda Sat. May 17th Movie starts @ 7 pm
  @ Mont Belvieu City Park

• +Spring Market @ Town Square- May 17th- 10:00am-2:00pm -
  213 W Texas Ave

• +Taste of So. Liberty County & Business Expo Thur. June 12^th 3-7 pm Details

💲 Stellar Steam Cleaning Special 💲

  Three Rooms (any size) for only $139 +
Get a Free Hallway and Room of Deodorizer

[Don’t forget to mention you saw this offer
in the newsletter to receive your special discount!]

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$1B Solar Plant Could Land in
Chambers County/BHISD Area

The west side of Chambers County is in the running for what could become the single largest industrial project in the 95-year history of Barbers Hill ISD.

Talon PV, a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells, has named Chambers County as a final contender for its new $1 billion solar cell manufacturing plant. The project would generate up to 1,000 high-paying jobs and bring enormous economic momentum to the area.

The company, which emphasizes research and development to drive future advancements in solar cell processing, has spent the past two years narrowing its site selection.

“We've met with this group more than once and it is evident they would bring a significant number of quality jobs and be an asset to our community,” said Barbers Hill Superintendent Dr. Greg Poole.

Talon PV is now finalizing state and local tax incentive offers and the company aims to select a site in the next six months. Other sites in the running are in Oklahoma and Indiana.

“We have been tactically developing Talon PV with market-leading technology, experienced leadership, and strong industry partnerships,” said Brandon Dewan, Talon Co-Founder and President. “Chambers County meets several of our key criteria, including access to power, water, and workforce training infrastructure.”

Working in the Barbers Hill area’s favor, Dewan said good workforce, has a site that offers the amount of electricity, water, wastewater needed for our type of manufacturing, and “we like the people and local community.”

At the chosen site, Talon PV will manufacture advanced high-efficiency TOPCon solar cells (similar to microchip manufacturing). The 4 gigawatts of advanced cells will be used in solar panels to create high levels of energy in order to power homes, buildings and facilities through the United States. 

Dewan said once a site is chosen, it would take 12 months to build, install equipment, and for production to commence. Production scale up to full capacity will take another nine months. In other words, Dewan said “we plan to begin production in 2026 and be at full scale capacity (4 GW) by 2027.”

Chambers County's appeal is bolstered by its proximity to educational institutions, including Barbers Hill ISD and local colleges and technical schools. Talon PV has committed to launching workforce training programs in partnership with universities to support local hiring and skills development.

In addition to the job opportunities, the plant would qualify for federal 45X tax credits and bring a significant positive ripple effect to the regional economy. Talon PV also promises to be an active corporate citizen, supporting community programs, charities, and youth sports in the area it ultimately selects.

With full funding secured, feasibility studies completed, and equipment partners chosen, Talon PV says it is ready to break ground shortly after making its final decision.

For Barbers Hill ISD, the stakes are high — and so is the potential.

BHISD Awards Annual
Mills Family Scholarship

Barbers Hill High School senior Jason Lane Farish is the second recipient of the Mills Family Scholarship, an annual $10,000 award from the Barbers Hill Education Foundation for any K-12 Barbers Hill student who wants to pursue a degree in the oil and/or petrochemical business.

He is the son of Jason and Adrien Farish.

Farish’s plans after high school is to continue to finish his certification at Lee College in process operations.

“The part that interests me the most is being in the plants and being able to see how chemicals and products are made with the distillation columns. I will achieve my goals by staying motivated in school and keeping a good mindset,” Farish said.

His family connections to the petrochemical industry run deep. Farish’s father works at Lubrizol in the Bayport area and has been working there for 18 years. His brother, Aaron, worked at Ingina for two years. And his grandfather worked at Exxon for 46 years and retired there.

The scholarship is named after longtime Barbers Hill ISD ambassador, supporter and Barbers Hill Class of 1959 member Al Mills who passed away in 2022.

Mills was best known as the longtime chairman and master of ceremony of the Barbers Hill Sports Hall of Honor.

Mills’ father, George, was a longtime Barbers Hill school board member, serving from 1945 to 1963.

Barbers Hill ISD established the Mills Family Scholarship in 2022 with the intent to award an annual $10,000 scholarship for any K-12 Barbers Hill student who wants to pursue a degree in the oil and/or petrochemical business.

Anyone interested in donating to the Mills Family Scholarship endowment can call Amber Young at 281-576-2221 ext. 1421 or email her at [email protected].

All donations to the Mills Family Scholarship are tax deductible.

Bridging Silence and Community:
Dennis Voris Jr.’s
Work With the Deaf Community

For Dennis Voris Jr., communication is more than just words—it’s about connection. Born in Vinita, Oklahoma, and a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Dennis has lived in Texas since 1962. With a background in design drafting and a master’s degree in occupational education from the University of Houston, he now splits his time substitute teaching in GCCISD and organizing a series of events aimed at uniting the deaf and hearing communities.

His path to becoming a key figure in deaf advocacy started in an unexpected place: a sign language class he took about eight years ago. What began as a casual interest quickly turned into a passion. “The more I learned about the deaf community, the more I wanted to be involved,” Dennis says.

One book—on deaf history—opened up an entire world for him. He read about deaf clubs, silent dinners, and coffee chats—spaces where deaf individuals could gather, communicate freely, and connect with others who understood their experience. Inspired, Dennis started looking for similar spaces around Houston. At first, there was just one he could find: a silent dinner at Baybrook Mall.

Not one to let a need go unmet, Dennis decided to start something closer to home. With the support of a local Starbucks in Baytown, he launched Deaf Coffee Chat Baytown, held on the fourth Friday of every month. That event continues today, even as Dennis has shifted his focus to organizing four additional monthly events across Baytown, Mont Belvieu, East Houston, and Pasadena.

Each gathering is designed not only to foster community among the deaf and hard-of-hearing but to welcome hearing individuals who want to learn and connect. One such event includes a beginner sign language class held at Heart & Whisk Bakery in Baytown every first Saturday of the month. “It’s not about changing deaf culture,” Dennis explains. “There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s about building bridges—showing that we’re all human beings who deserve to communicate with respect and dignity.”

Beyond the events, Dennis is a tireless advocate for awareness and inclusion. He’s successfully lobbied local governments—Baytown, Mont Belvieu, and Chambers County—to recognize September as Deaf Awareness Month. In March, he traveled to Austin to testify before the Texas House Committee on Human Services, backing a resolution to make the recognition statewide.

His mission? A Deaf-Friendly Texas.

Dennis is especially passionate about the challenges faced by deaf children born into hearing families—nearly 90% of whom never learn sign language. “That leaves so many kids without a language to express themselves,” he says. He dreams of offering affordable sign language classes—just $20—to parents and relatives of deaf children.

He stresses that being friends with or communicating with a deaf person is different, but never difficult. “Deafness isn’t a disease,” Dennis says. “You can’t catch it. But you can catch someone’s smile, their story, their humanity.”

Through every coffee chat and community class, Dennis Voris Jr. is proving that connection doesn’t require sound—just an open mind and a willingness to listen, even in silence.

🛍Local Garage, Yard & Estate Sales!🏷

You asked—we listened! We’re excited to roll out this brand-new feature. We've heard from so many of you that you want to know where the best neighborhood bargains are happening, and now we're making it easy!

Please help us spread the word: share this newsletter with your friends, neighbors, and anyone who loves a good deal. Encourage them to subscribe so they never miss a sale. And if you're planning a sale of your own, be sure to submit your info by Tuesday at 3 PM to be included in next week’s issue!

 📌Check Back on Thursday!

Job Listings Now on a Separate Page! 🎉

To make scrolling easier for everyone, we’ve moved job listings to a separate page! If you're job hunting, check it out—if not, enjoy a quicker read! 😊👀

Click job listings page

We're taking a short break from our Trivia feature, but don’t worry—it’ll be back soon with an exciting new format! Stay tuned!