Lesley Kohles, an assistant director librarian at the Sterling Municipal Library, spoke about the library’s programs and services to the Kiwanis Club of Baytown. Kohles said the library’s Summer Reading Program is ongoing through July 31. 

Kohles said the library checks out about 75,000 books per year. They have traditional books and books in large print. There are also two digital resource libraries. Plus, curbside service is available. If you call ahead of time, park in Spot A or Spot B, they will bring books out to you. In addition, there is also a delivery program where they bring the library to you. Kohles said it is available to anyone in Baytown. If you want to research your family history, Kohles noted there is a subscription to Ancestry.com that is available in the library. You can only use it in the library, Kohles said. If you need legal forms valid in the State of Texas, you can use the library’s legal database, Kohles said. They also have a collection of high school yearbooks. In addition, there are full scans of The Baytown Sun at the library as well as The Daily Sun and The Tri-City Sun. 

You can also use the library’s computers, printers and fax machines, but only to send, not receive. If you need a meeting room. Kohles said you can arrange to have one by reservation. For more on what the library has to offer, call them at 281-427-7331. 

At the recent Kiwanis Club of Baytown meeting, seven local students were honored as the 2023 Walter Hurst Sophomore of the Year winners. This is for essays written by the students. 

The winners are, top row, from left, Nicolas Tuha from Ross S. Sterling High School; Nathalie Go Hiong from Stuart Career Tech High School; Archana Sunilkumar from Goose Creek Memorial High School; and Blake Sistos from Robert E. Lee High School. Bottom row, from left, Isabella Ramirez from IMPACT Early College High School; Kobe de la Cruz from Barbers Hill High School; and Laila Hurlbut from the Baytown Christian Academy. In addition to winning the Sophomore of the Year award, de la Cruz was also named the 2023 Kiwanis Club of Baytown Sophomore of the Year. His winning essay was entered into the Kiwanis Division 28 competition and was chosen from the division’s club submissions to advance to Kiwanis Texas/Oklahoma District judging. 

Baytown Police Chief John Stringer visited with members of the Kiwanis Club of Baytown to share with them how he, detectives and sergeants came up with vision and mission statements for the department. Stringer also discussed how he and his team put together a strategic plan for the police department. 

Among the points in Phase I of the plan are building community partnerships and establishing mental health services for citizens and mental wellness services for officers.

Stringer added that accountability and transparency were part of the plan. In addition, Stronger emphasized how the department has reached out to the Hispanic community more since he came on board in August 2021.

Stringer also said the plan included more outreach through social and traditional media as well as more police visibility within neighborhoods.

In Phase II, which began in January, Stringer said the plan entails publishing police policies online, attending community meetings and leveraging media platforms. Internally, the plan calls for establishing performance management software and “formal mechanisms to give employees greater voice and ownership in the department’s future and development.”

Stringer also wants to build a partnership for a high school outreach program with the police department, including Lee College, and explore more opportunities with Bay Area Council on Drugs & Alcohol.

There are also ongoing oriented policing initiatives, such as the Citizen Police Academy, Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out, D.A.R.E., and the Bay Area Ministerial Alliance. Through the Unidos Program, Stringer said they had developed a relationship with the Hispanic community, facilitating two-way communications, focusing on basic quality of life for Hispanic residents, and providing resources.

To view the entire plan, visit https://baytown.org/831/Baytown-Police-Strategic-Plan.