For the past fourteen years, the month of May has served as National Stroke Awareness Month.  On May 11, 1989 then President George Bush signed Presidential Proclamation 5975 designating the month of May as National Stroke Awareness Month.  By designating May as National Stroke Awareness Month, groups such as the National Stroke Association have been able to increase public awareness and in doing so continue to move one step closer to preventing strokes.

Bringing awareness to this issue is extremely important, because without awareness and knowledge the risks often become greater.  One of the important things to know is just what a stroke is. According to the National Stroke Association, a stroke or “brain attack” is the result of a blood clot blocking an artery  in the brain (this is known as a Ishemic stroke) or when a blood vessel breaks, thereby blocking the blood flow to that area of the brain (this is known as a Hemorrhagic). If either of these types of strokes occur, brain cells begin to die and in so doing causes brain damage.  If brain damage occurs, and depending on which section of the brain it occurs, abilities such as speech, movement and memory can be affected.

Today, in the United States, strokes represent the fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious long term adult disabilities.  Each year approximately 133,000 people are lost due to strokes. In fact this year alone there will be roughly 795,000 incidents of individuals suffering from a stroke, that is nearly one stroke every forty seconds and the taking of a life every four minutes.  Below are some interesting and surprising statistics about strokes:

• Each year approximately 55,000 more women than men have a stroke.
• Ishemic strokes account for about eighty-seven percent of all strokes, while Hemorrhagic strokes account for approximately thirteen percent of strokes, but are responsible for over thirty percent of all stroke related deaths.
• In 2010, the direct and indirect cost associated with individuals having a stroke was roughly $73.7 billion dollars in the United States.

It is critical to know, however, that while some groups may have a higher risk of strokes, strokes can still happen to anyone at any time, regardless of age, race or gender.

One of the most important things you can do if you think  you or someone else is having a stroke is to remember FAST and  if needed call 9-1-1. The National Stroke Association recommends an invaluable test called the FAST test.  Fast stands for:

F = Face        Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A = Arms      Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S = Speech    Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.  Does their speech sound slurred or strange?

T = Time        If you observe any of these signs(independently or together) call 9-1-1 immediately!

While there are some risk factors associated with strokes that you can’t control, like age, gender, race, or family history, there are some risks factors you can control.  Some of the risk factors you can control are:

• High Blood Pressure – It’s critical to know and control your blood pressure not just for strokes.
• High Cholesterol -  Like blood pressure it is important to know what your cholesterol is too.
• Physical Inactivity -  Include exercise in your daily routine.

These are just a few of the risk factors you can control.  For more information on risks factors and strokes in general, go to www.stroke.org . Remember the more you know about the causes and signs of a stroke, the more likely you could save your life or someone else’s.

In 1971 the Governor Preston Smith created the Texas Film Commission.  Governor Smith believed that it was  ” in the social, economic and educational interest of Texas to encourage the development of the film-communication industry,” and that “Texas has a uniquely vast array of resources, natural, human and economic, which lend themselves to the firm and orderly development of a healthy film production industry.”  Since that time Texas has continued to grow and expand the film industry in the state to include films, commercials, video games and even animations.

Today the Texas Film Commission is under the administration of the Governor’s office and is currently headed up by Evan Fitzmaurice who serves as the Director of the Film Commission. The Commission outlines that “whether you are an industry professional or new to the business, we are here to help with your film, television, commercial, animation, and video game projects.” In fact you can go to the Film Commission’s website at www.governor.state.tx.us/film and search through their “Job Hotline” which offers information on film, television or commercial projects that need both cast and crew.

Texas offers numerous unique and extraordinary opportunities that make the State of Texas ideal for the film industry.  With over 268,000 square miles, Texas is the ideal shooting location.  The terrain in Texas is more diverse than anywhere else in the country.  Along the Texas coast, you have amazing beach sceneries to take advantage of and in northwest Texas you have the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains.  In addition to the incredible scenery that Texas offers, mild winters and warm summers add to the advantages of making films in Texas.

It is because of all the unique features that Texas has to offer that today Texas is home to approximately 130 local production companies. These companies have strived to develop a creative and vibrant film industry and in doing so have managed to attract filmmakers from all over the world.  In fact, in 2007, Director Paul Thomas Anderson chose Texas as the primary filming location for the Academy Award winning film “There Will Be Blood”.  The film received an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.  Over the years, Texas has established an impressive list of critically acclaimed films and television series.

Here is a brief list of those films and television series which have been filmed or animated in Texas:

• True Grit
• No Country for Old Men
• Seven Days in Utopia
• Friday Night Lights (Movie)
• Friday Night Lights (TV Series)
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• TLC’s The Little Couple series
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Seasons 1-3
• Pearl Harbor

With so many films being shot in Texas, thirteen permanent film sites have been set up throughout the state.  The list of permanent sites includes the Coastal Bend’s very own USS Lexington.  The USS Lexington was used in the Oscar award winning movie “Pearl Harbor” and used in an episode of the popular SyFy series “Ghost Hunters”.  Other permanent sites include Indian Cliffs Ranch near El Paso and the Texas Battleship near Houston which is the last remaining U.S. Navy ship to have served in both World Wars and the world’s only remaining battleship modeled after the HMS Dreadnought.

According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the motion picture and television industry in Texas is responsible for 41,269 direct jobs and approximately $1.5 billion in wages.  These jobs are including both production and distribution related type jobs.  In addition, Texas has averaged over 100 film and television productions each year over the past several years. Between 2009 and 2010, 103 film and 45 TV projects where shot in the Great State of Texas.

2011 marked one of the worst droughts in Texas’ recorded history.  Over the past three months the State of Texas has been fortunate to receive significant amounts of rainfall throughout much of the state; however a large percentage of the state is still between dry and exceptional drought conditions including the coastal bend which ranges from severe to exceptional. Since the start of the 2011 drought, the coastal bend has only received 25-50% of the normal rainfall totals.

As a result of the drought conditions still being faced by the State of Texas, Agricultural Commissioner Todd Staples along with state and local leaders have joined with private business to launch the Texas Water Smart conservation campaign.  In a recent press release, Commissioner Staples said “We have a choice to make: conserve water now or risk more job losses in the future, … Our recent historical drought and booming population point to an unavoidable conclusion; it’s time all Texans take a serious look at individual water-use habits and find common-sense ways to conserve. The recent realities are both alarming and painful as drinking water was jeopardized and businesses and households were faced with scarce water resources. With the launch of Texas Water Smart, I’m reminding all Texans that a few drops saved, when multiplied by 25 million citizens, will go a long way.”

The Texas Water Smart campaign encourages all Texans on their website  www.texaswatersmart.com to Get Water Smart by adopting more frugal water-use habits such as:

• Watering only when plants look like they need it, keeping in mind most plants die from over-watering, not under-watering;
• Water in the morning or evening when the temperatures outside are cooler and evaporation loss is less;
• Adjust your lawn mower up at least one notch. A taller loan holds moisture better;
• Keep weeds out of your green spaces. Weeds are notorious for stealing water from other plants, so if you’ll keep their population in check, you won’t have to water as often;
• Use a layer of mulch on the surface of your planting beds to minimize evaporation of moisture and suppress weed growth that competes with water;
• Checking outdoor faucets, hoses and sprinklers for water-wasting leaks, and making sure to repair them quickly;
• Next time you add or replace a flower or shrub, choose water conscious plants adapted to your area;
• Recognize signs of dry grass. Avoid watering until you can see footprints left in the lawn as you walk across it;
• Adjusting sprinklers so only lawns and gardens are watered – not houses, sidewalks or streets;
• Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to water plants;
• Cleaning driveways, patios and sidewalks with a broom or leaf blower instead of a hose.

Inside the home, Texas Water Smart suggests shorter bath times, washing only full loads of dishes and clothes, and fixing leaky faucets and toilets.

By implementing some of these and other water saving ideas, you can not only help save water, but you can also save money.  If you have questions regarding any of these water saving techniques or any other information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office.

Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 5, known as the cruise industry bill, was filed as the Senate companion to House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 29 which I was proud to have the opportunity to file during the 82^nd Regular Legislative Session.  These resolutions were filed as a result of numerous town hall meetings which I hosted throughout District 32.  At the town hall meetings I was asked why has the cruise industry not been expanded to the South Texas coastline.  For these reasons, I was very pleased when Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus named me as the Co-Chair of this interim committee.

The discussion about bringing the cruise industry to the South Texas coast has been on the minds of numerous people in our area for years.  The Cruise Industry Committee will give us the opportunity to work with the travel industry in order to study the possibility of bringing cruise ships to the South Texas coast and the economic impact it can have on our region and the State of Texas as a whole.  In short, this committee will hopefully help bring cruise ship business a step closer in recognizing that the South Texas coastline is a great location for the travel and tourism industry.

According to a cruise industry overview performed by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, a record number of an estimated fifteen million passengers took cruises in 2010.  Of that fifteen million, approximately eleven million were out ofNorth America.  This increase in passengers has resulted in a large impact on the annual occupancy of the cruise ships.  The cruise industry has also added twelve new ships to their lines.  Following historical data since 1980, it is estimated that the annual increase of passengers is around 7.4%.  The recent large annual increase shows a clear desire of people to take advantage of sea travel.

Utilizing a 2009 economic report compiled by the Cruise Line International Association, North American cruise lines, their employees and passengers produced approximately $35 billion in gross economic output in the United States.  The cruise industry also generated 313,998 jobs paying out $14.23 billion in wages and salaries.  During this same period, cruise industry direct spending was estimated at $17.5 billion dollars.  Additionally, it is projected that a cruise ship requires 950 crew members and that those crew members spend over $300,000 in on shore spending in the ship’s U.S. homeport.  It is clear that the cruise industry represents a possibly significant economic boost to South Texas if the cruise industry would choose to locate a departure port out of one of the ports located south of Calhoun County and north of Cameron County.

Using 2010 census data, South Texas is home to over two million people, as well as having a close proximity to over two million people in the San Antonioarea and a strong North Mexico market.  At the end of the day, South Texas represents one of the fastest growing regions in the state.  Along with the population in South Texas and its surrounding areas, the region offers a robust tourism industry, a wealth of natural resources and deep water ports which could be used to host a cruise line.