Community Notes 05-25-2011

1. ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday. Over Memorial Day weekend, Texans won’t have to pay state or local sales tax on select ENERGY STAR products, including air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers and even light bulbs. Take advantage of the fourth-annual Texas ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday this May 28-30, 2011, and get a break from state and local sales taxes on the purchase of eligible ENERGY STAR appliances and products. To learn more, visit http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx96_1331/.
2. Nature Tourism for Chambers County. The first Annual Meeting of the Chambers Recovery Team will take place May 26th at 5:30pm at the new Visitor Center of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The topic of the meeting is “Opportunities and Challenges for Nature-based Tourism in Chambers County”. To learn more, visit http://www.theanahuacprogress.com/articles/2011/05/18/news/news08.txt.
3. EPA and Texas protect Beaches for Memorial Day Weekend. With Memorial Day Weekend right around the corner, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is helping states continue to monitor water quality at beaches by providing funding for beach monitoring. EPA recently awarded Texas $200,913 to improve water quality at beaches. Texas General Land Office (GLO) is responsible for continuous monitoring of beach waters in Texas. If bacteria levels rise above EPA standards, GLO will notify the public not to swim in the affected water. Local governments and the state parks department are responsible for openings and closures of beaches. EPA reminds citizens to practice sun safety by wearing protective shades, a hat and sunscreen when visiting beaches. Additional information on EPA grants: http://www.epa.gov.