Area citizens discuss future development and improvement in Magnolia

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

The city of Magnolia sponsored a town hall workshop last Thursday at City Hall. At more than two hours, the event was a way for locals to voice their opinions on upcoming issues concerning the area.

Citizens and business owners in Magnolia discuss future developments and suggest improvements for the city at a town hall workshop last Thursday.

Of the nearly 50 people that attended the event, only a handful of those in attendance were citizens of Magnolia. Many were owners of businesses in Magnolia, but lived in nearby cities.

Eight tables were set up in the Sewell Smith Council Chambers with maps of the city. Throughout the group discussions, attendees were encouraged to look to the maps when discussing possible development within the city. Tables were also given copies of the conceptual isometric view of revitalized downtown, designed by Burditt Consultant architect Justin Howard.

“This meeting was held to be a continuation of the conversation we started at our meeting last fall,” Howard said.

Key subjects discussed at the workshop were marketing and economic development, events and festivals, downtown redevelopment, city planning, and beautification of the city.

Attendees were also given tablets of paper to write down notes from their discussions to be presented to the entire group at the end of the evening.

“Mark on them, tear them up,” city administrator Ryan Kelley said, “just be ready to present them at the end of the night.”

The input received from those in attendance was compiled and will be reviewed by city council. Another workshop will be held in the near future to discuss the items raised by citizens at this workshop.

Attendees discussed the future of Magnolia developments and the importance of staying ahead of the city’s future growth.

School board trustee Cecil Bell, Jr. was a representative from one of the five groups at the workshop.

“We know the community is growing, so we have to work with the growth. That way, when the growth happens, there’s still a sense of our community,” Bell said.

At the end of the evening, every group representative mentioned the “country feel” of Magnolia and expressed a desire to keep the city from resembling FM 1960 in Houston. Groups also made the strong suggestion that the city of Magnolia limit the number of advertisements on the side of the road. Many expressed disgust at the number of billboards that have gone up recently.

“We want businesses to be able to advertise, but not at the expense of clogging our city,” new Magnolia resident Cindy Hitchcock said.

Kelley’s closing remarks of the evening focused on those in attendance. Although many did not live in the city of Magnolia, they had a common interest in the well-being of the city.

“The city of Magnolia is an important part of the community of Magnolia,” Kelley said.

The night proved to be a success as many ideas were created for the council’s consideration.

“The turnout tonight was really quite incredible,” Howard said. “This type of forum is really the best way to discuss development of a city.”

LSC trustee election, bond proposal on May 10 ballot

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The Lone Star College System is once again putting a multi-million dollar bond proposal before voters, but this time is hoping for a different result.

Two years ago, the college system, then name the North Harris Montgomery Community College District, proposed a $250 million bond to district voters, but narrowly turned down.

Now, two years later the LSC is being even more optimistic in hoping voters approve a $420 million bond proposal that would go toward new facilities, renovations at each of the system’s five major campuses, and technological upgrades.

LSC officials are hanging their bond election hat on the promise that passage of the measure will not result in increased taxes.

Included in the bond proposal is $44.6 million in new facilities and improvements to LSC-Tomball, including $17.5 million for a new Health Science Building, $12 million for a new Arts Instructional building, $5.9 million for a Vet Tech building expansion and $4.9 million for an expansion of the Willow Chase Center.

Also in the works, and what may be the ambitious portion of the project, is a new $22.8 million University Center, which LSC officials are saying may be located along the SH 249 corridor near Tomball.

Enrollment at The Woodlands University Center is nearing capacity, LSC officials say, and the need for a four-year university in the Northwest Harris County area has been identified as a need, as evidenced by a recent interest in the University of Houston’s consideration to open a campus near HP on SH 249.

In addition to the bond election, four positions on the LSC Board of Trustees are also up for vote.

Position 3 incumbent Stephanie Marquard of Kingwood is facing three challengers, Jerry Albrecht of Houston, Robert Gandy of Houston and Fred Blanton of Spring.

Current Position 4 incumbent John Fox is not seeking re-election. Two candidates, Robert Adam of Cypress and Terry Morton of Houston, are vying for his position.

Alan Quintero is also seeking re-election for Position 6 and is facing opposition from Bob Wolfe of Houston and Jason Roper of Katy.

The race for Position 9 will be the most contested, with five candidates running for the seat.

Current incumbent Priscilla Kelly of Tomball is being challenged by Jean Iverson of Spring, Diane Porter of Spring, Gail Stanart of Houston, and Joe Williams of Houston.

A Pinecrest Block Watch meeting was held April 23 and featured speaker David Davis (far right) of the Department of Homeland Security. This month is the one-year anniversary of the creation of the watch group that works closely with the Pct. 4 Constable’s Office for crime prevention. Davis discussed home security, such as the different types of locks, the benefits of complete lighting with no dark spots, leaving a radio/lights on while not at home, and more. He also discussed problems with large shrubs and trees blocking vision to door and window entrances and details on alarm monitors. The next Block Watch meeting will be at the beginning of June.
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Despite down years, Cougar softball, baseball sneak into playoffs

By Brian Walzel
Editor

Despite relative down years for both the Tomball baseball and softball teams, each managed to tally enough district wins to qualify for the postseason.

Typically among the elite in their district, the baseball team squeaked into the playoffs with a fourth place finishes in district.

The Cougar baseball team, once among the top 10 area programs annually, went into the 2008 season with one of the youngest squads head coach Rick Lynch has fielded during his tenure at Tomball.

Going into the last game of the season, the Cougars stood at 5-6 in district play after a crushing defeat to Spring nearly eliminated them from the playoff chase. The Cougars would not only need a win in their season finale over Klein Collins, one of the four playoff-bound teams in district 16-5A, they would also need a loss by Spring at the hands of Klein to qualify for the playoffs.

The Cougars did their part, knocking off the Tigers 5-4 in their last at-bat to move to 6-6 in district play. The schedule fell Tomball’s way as the Lions were matched up against the district’s top team, 21-4 Klein. The Bearkats completed the perfect scenario for the Cougars, battering Spring 11-0 and sending Tomball to the playoffs as the fourth place team in 16-5A.

Their reward was a first round match-up against perennial baseball powerhouse The Woodlands, the 15-5A champions with a 12-3 district record and 20-7 overall mark. The best-of-three series kicked off May 2 at Tomball High School and continued May 3 in The Woodlands. Results of the series were unavailable at press time last week.

Meanwhile, the Lady Cougar softball team also experienced a season of struggles not seen in more than half a decade. Annually among the best teams in their district, the Lady Cougars finished with a 7-5 district record, narrowly qualifying for the playoffs as the fourth place team in 16-5A.

They were paired with cross-town rival Magnolia in yet another postseason match-up in each program’s storied history.

However, this year the Lady Bulldogs were the higher seed, winning 15-5A handily. But the momentum they gained during the regular season did not sustain into the playoffs as the Lady Cougars pulled off the upset, completing a two-game sweep of the Lady Bulldogs in the best-of-three series, winning 3-2 and 1-0.

With the win, the Lady Cougars moved on to the second round of the Region 2 playoffs to face Bryan last week. Results of that game were also unavailable at press time.

The winner will play either Spring or Round Rock Stony Point in the third round.

The Waller County San Jacinto High Rollers presented The Magnolia Lions Club with a check for $10,000 on April 12 during the fifth annual Blessing Of The Bikes. The Magnolia Lions Club will be able to provide the children of the Magnolia area with continuing benefits due to the High Rollers’ donation. Pictured (back row), Lions Club members Curtis Robb, Ethel Mitchell, Freda Koehler, Travis Whitaker, Bob Koehler, David Love, Jeanette Barrow, and President Larry Barrow; front row (from left to right), High Rollers President Kevin Smith, Kevin Loudin, Teresa Loudin, Mike Shaffer and James Tipton.
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Swim season begins for High Meadow Ranch Mustangs

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

The High Meadow Ranch Mustangs swim team began practicing for their summer season last week. The team, led by coach Garrett Tucker and assistant coaches Lesley Baker and Paul Sorgenson, is ready for an eventful summer.

Assistant Coach Lesley Baker instructs the Mustang swim team during a practice held at the High Meadow Ranch community pool.

The team focuses as much on having fun as they do swimming. For instance, at the team’s first practice, Tucker sang a Miley Cyrus song with the girls on the team.

“I asked the kids who their favorite singer is,” Tucker said. “Most of the girls said Miley Cyrus. Since I have a younger sister, I knew a few of her songs. It really surprised them that their coach knew their favorite music.”

Being on the same level as the kids is what Tucker loves most about coaching.

“I get to be a kid again with them,” Tucker said. “I’m not just a coach, I’m a friend.”

Tucker has been the head coach of the Mustang swim team for four years. He was the assistant coach the previous two years.

The organization is parent run, according to president Lori Merner.

“The swimmers’ parents are so involved in their meets and practices,” Merner said. “Everyone yells for all the kids during the meets, whether it’s their child or not.”

Swimmers from Tomball, Magnolia, Pinehurst, and Decker Prairie currently make up the roster.

“This team is all about growth,” Kim Wegner, a mother of a Mustang swimmer, said. “These kids have very good mentors in the coaches.”

The team is split into six groups by age. There are two teams within each group, a green team and a black team. The green team is for the least experienced swimmers. This team is full technique training in all four strokes. The black team is for endurance training for swimmers proficient in the strokes.

Jennifer Nix, a mother of eight girls on the Mustang swim team, said the team is a great place for her children to unwind and exercise.

“The team gives them such good discipline,” Nix said. “Swimming is something they can enjoy even as they get older. They’re not limited by aging, like in other sports.”

The team attends five meets a season. Swimmers age 7 and up practice for 45 minutes a day, four times a week. Ages 6 and under practice for 30 minutes a day, four times a week.

The 9-week swim season is not as intense as year-round swim programs, which is why the program is ideal for a child’s first experience in a sport, according to Wegner.

The season runs from April 29 to June 21. The team has home meets at the High Meadow Ranch community pool on May 24 and May 31.

The Mustang swim team is open to swimmers under the age of 18. The cost of registration is $95 per swimmer. For more information about the Mustang swim team, visit www.hmrswimteam.org. To register, contact Lori Merner at 281-356-4280 or lorimerner@sbcglobal.net.

Tomball High School Senior Student Council Members (from left to right) Ashley Jacobson, Stephanie Trzcinski, Gabriel Marenco and Julie Gauthier packed up supplies to be sent to United States troops defending our nation in Afghanistan and Iraq. Student Council members and students in the THS Communications Application courses collected more than 1,000 items including books, toiletries and sunscreen for the troops.
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Tomball voters to decide two council positions in May 10 election

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The upcoming May 10 election could mean big changes for the Tomball City Council, or it could mean another year of familiar faces on the city’s governing board.

Voters will have the opportunity this Saturday to elect up to a pair of new council members, David Mayes or Derek Townsend, or retain the two that have served on the council for at least the past three years, David Quinn and Warren Driver.

In the race for Position 1, Mayor Pro-Tem David Quinn is running for his second term on council. He was first elected by voters in the May 2005 race. Quinn is an architect and has lived in Tomball for nearly five years.

Challenging Quinn for the Position 1 spot is veteran council candidate Derek Townsend. Townsend has run for a position on city council three times, each time unsuccessfully. Last year, he ran as a write-in candidate against H.G. “Hap” Harrington and Bill Webb for council Position 3, but did not receive enough votes to qualify for the run-off between Webb and Harrington. Webb eventually won the race.

Townsend is a 14-year resident of Tomball and works as a regional manager for Control Technologies, a traffic management company.

Current Position 5 incumbent Driver is seeking his third consecutive term on council. He was originally elected to serve in 2004. Driver is a former Tomball City Manager and currently works as a real estate consultant and has lived in Tomball for almost 11 years.

He is facing an opposition from Mayes. Mayes is a newcomer to the Tomball political scene and is in his first race for an elected position with the city. He is a sergeant for Harris County Constable’s Office and has lived in the city for just more than a year.

Early voting is currently underway and will continue through May 6 at Tomball City Hall, located at 401 Market St., from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. The May 10 election will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall.

For more information about this year’s election and the candidates, including finance reports, visit the City of Tomball’s Web site at www.ci.tomball.tx.us.

One year after passage, TISD’s bond projects well underway

By Brian Walzel
Editor

Just a year after district voters approved a $198 million bond referendum, Tomball Independent School District has several planned projects well underway and even more on the horizon.

Canyon Pointe Elementary will be the first project that is part of the 2007 bond referendum to be completed. The school will be open for the start of the Fall 2008 school year.

One of the biggest needs district administrators identified going into last year’s bond election was a new elementary school to serve the southern portion of the district, in the Northpointe/Canyon Gate area.

Just two months after the bond passed, the Tomball ISD Board of Trustees awarded the bid to the project and construction was soon underway on Canyon Pointe Elementary.

With a construction cost of just under $13.5 million, the new school will be open in time for the Fall 2008 school year.

The school is located on a 13-acre site on Northpointe Boulevard near Northpointe Road. The facility was designed by RWS Architects and is being constructed by Sterling Construction.

Another immediate need district administrators identified was a K-6 campus to serve the newest village in The Woodlands, Creekside Park, which lies within Tomball ISD.

Students that currently live in Creekside Park now attend Tomball Elementary, Tomball Intermediate, Tomball Junior High and Tomball High School.

The grade level structure of the new Woodlands school is the first of its kind in Tomball ISD and features a “super pod” design that allows for flexibility, collaboration, and the ability to expand grade levels within the same area of the building.

The cost of the building has yet to be determined since the board has yet to formally approve the design and development of the project.

According to district spokesperson Staci Stanfield, many of the projects have yet to see a price tag since the design has yet to be completed on them.

The K-6 campus, which is being designed by PBK Architects, is projected to be completed in August of 2009.

The $5.7 million technology and staff development building is nearing construction on the corner of Keefer Road and Buvinghausen Street. Currently, the district’s Technology Department is housed on the site in two buildings.

According to a Tomball ISD report on the project, “the 30,000 square foot facility will provide four large staff development rooms with moveable walls, conference rooms, a workroom, storage space, a break room, reception area, and office space for the district’s content teachers.”

The technology portion of the building will allow room for server space, a training room, and more. The facility is expected to be completed sometime in 2009.

The most ambitious project of the 2007 bond package is a new $62 million high school, which is set to be constructed near Canyon Pointe Elementary and Northpointe Boulevard. The new high school will serve approximately 2,200 students in a two-story 350,000 square foot building. PBK Architects has been assigned to the project, which is expected to open in time for 2011-2012 school year.

The final design of the school will be presented to the board of trustees for approval at a June meeting.

Both Decker Prairie and Lakewood Elementary schools will be receiving classroom wing installations to increase their capacity, while Willow Wood Junior High will see a new canopy structure built on its campus.

Other projects that have yet to receive a cost estimate include a district wide technology upgrade, which will include portable laptop computer workstations for every school, as well as a wireless network throughout the district.

Tomball High School and Tomball Junior High will both receive new roofs, while the high school will also receive an air conditioning replacement, a new agriculture barn, additions and renovations to the football stadium, including a new press box, and a new campus green house.

For more information about Tomball ISD’s 2007 bond projects, visit its Web site at www.tomballisd.net.

Rosehill Elementary School fourth graders Gabrielle Guy (left) and Austin Lorenz (right) joined teachers Alicia Curry (far left) and Shelly Crofford (far right) as they sang a song titled “U. P. S. D.” The teachers donned costumes from the 1970s and made up words to the song to help students remember strategies they have been studying in preparation for the TAKS test. U. P. S. D. stands for understanding the problem, picking the correct strategy, solving the problem and describing the answer.
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Magnolia voters to decide council, mayor, and school board races

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

City elections for the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees and the City Council will be held May 10. Early voting is already underway. The polling location for both early voting and the May 10 election is at the Malcolm Purvis library, located at 510 Melton St.

Positions up for election are the mayor’s seat, positions four and five in the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees, and city council positions two and five.

Incumbent Mayor Jimmy Thornton and opponent Jo Anne Windham are running for the mayor’s seat.

On the City Council, incumbent Dave Sutherland is opposed by Hank Wright for Position 2. Patsy Williams is running unopposed for Position 5. John Polk applied for a place on the ballot, but subsequently withdrew his name from the race.

In the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees elections, incumbent Brent O’Neal is running against Mandy Smith for Position 4. Charlie Riley is running unopposed for Position 5.

VFW, American Legion hold flag retirement ceremony

The Tomball Heritage Retirement Community hosted a dignified flag disposal ceremony April 12. Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan presided as the guest speaker. Other guests included councilwoman Mary Harvey and Congressman Michael McCaul’s constituent liaison officer Shelley Meicher. Members of Tomball American Legion Post 127 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2427 officiated along with participants from Tomball High School Naval Junior R.O.T.C. and Boy Scouts of America Cub Pack 1928. Den 2.

Pictured (from left to right), American Legion Post 127 Commander Poe, Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan, and VFW Post 2427 Franklin Stephens.

This ceremony, conducted in accordance with public law and the United States Flag Code, paid a final tribute to our nation’s and state’s flags that have become worn, soiled, or otherwise unserviceable.

In addition to patriotically disposing worn flags, Fagan honored WWII and Korean

War veterans who reside at The Heritage Community by recognizing their contribution in defense of our country during times of strife. These Heritage residents include 10 veterans of World War II and three veterans of the Korean War. Eleven of the former service members served in the U.S. Navy, six in the U.S. Army, one in the U.S. Army Air Corps., two in the U.S. Coast Guard, and one in the Texas Army National Guard.

Fagan spoke of the significant and substantial sacrifice of all of the war-time service members and paid tribute to the oldest veteran at the Heritage, Nellie Olson Godwin, a former WWII Army 1st Lieutenant and battlefield hospital nurse. After the war, Godwin continued her service to our country by dedicating her life to helping military veterans at the Veteran’s Administration. Her career involved working at two VA hospitals in Texas before finally retiring from the Houston VA Medical Center as the Assistant Chief Nursing Supervisor.

From the Book of Clifford

By Clifford Parker
Contributing Writer

Last week, I cautioned everyone that this story was the story of all stories regarding my life long injuries that began when I was a youngster. I have a whole lot more stories to tell, but this one takes the cake.

This story comes with a WARNING! If you have a weak stomach or are un-easy with cuts, bumps, bruises, and other injuries, then it may be best if you lay this paper down and have someone else read it first to see if it would meet your approval. I probably won’t even let my first line editor read this one. She would probably put the brakes on the story (my wife, of course!).

Many years ago, I was kindly invited on a fishing trip with Aunt Brenda and Uncle Ed. Now you have to understand that there is a running joke in our family that when you go fishing with Uncle Ed, don’t ever plan on really fishing. A gazillion things can happen. He doesn’t have his gear ready, the boat trailer has a flat, the motor won’t run, it leaks, it rains, storms or a lot of other things can happen. Nothing seems to go right.

This particular weekend my son and I were headed to Cedar Creek Lake with them. The lake is located in the East Texas area near Mabank. Upon arrival, me, Uncle Ed, and my son were going to take a quick trip on the lake in his boat. The real fishing is done at night.

The boat was located under a covered area and was in the air being held up by a boat lift. My son was a few yards in the lake puttering around in a paddle boat waiting on us to get ready. Uncle Ed had stepped into the boat as it was still in the air and was already seated. I was standing in front of the boat with a man named Keith who was standing to my left.

Uncle Ed looked up at Keith and I and asked us to flip the switch on the lift to begin the process of lowering the boat. As Keith and I both reached for the switch, I simultaneously placed my two fingers of my right hand in the corner of my mouth and gave a loud whistle toward my son to come in off the lake as we were preparing to leave.

As I whistled, I threw my hand into the air with my index finger extended to motion my son to the dock. The lift was very quiet and my sense of exactly where the lift motor was operating was not in my frame of thought.

As I threw my hand with the extended index finger into the air, I felt something very hard yet blunt hit my finger about midway on the fingernail. I felt the pain shoot into my arm and withdrew my hand and clutched it against my chest holding it tightly with my left hand.

“You’re okay,” was Keith’s remark, but I knew my hand was really hurting. I then looked down at Uncle Ed, who was now a couple of feet below us, and noticed he had turned his hand upward above his belly and looked like he was trying to catch something. I saw this small white thing bounce off his belly a couple of times and suddenly hit the floor of the boat. Uncle Ed then bent over and picked something up off the floor and with a sickening, pale, white look on his face, his jaw dropped open, he rose up staring at me with the end of my finger held between his fingers.

All of the above happened in only a few seconds, and my response to Keith’s comment was, “No, I’m not okay ’cause there’s the end of my finger. Get me to the hospital!”

The people around the fishing camp flew into action. They ushered me to a table and set me down as they became concerned of a loss of blood and shock. Somebody called 911 and a few other people grabbed some ice and put my remains in a small ice chest.

My son had run to the cabin to get Aunt Brenda. In his 10-year-old mind he really didn’t understand the severity of my injury, so he announced to her that “Dad has cut his finger.” We laugh now because her response back to him was, “Oh, does he need a Band Aid?”

A lot of good a Band Aid would do for a severed finger!

The ambulance showed up and I took my first ambulance ride of my life. They carried me, my son, and my finger in an ice chest almost 15 miles to Athens. Uncle Ed was in hot pursuit behind the ambulance.

It ain’t over yet. My problems are compounded even more. Wait ’till next week.

-- Clifford