No challengers to incumbents means no election for TISD
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
Two trustees on the Tomball Independent School District school board will
serve another three-year term without having to spend even a day on the campaign
trail. The Tomball ISD school board will vote Sept. 12 to cancel the November
election after no one turned in applications to oppose either Mark Lewandowski
or John McStravick, both of whom were up for re-election this year. The
application deadline was Sept. 1 by 5 p.m.
Tomball Independent School District board member Mark Lewandowski will serve
another three-year term
“There’s a certain amount of relief from not having to run a campaign,”
McStravick said. “Because it takes a lot of energy and a lot of time and it’s a
little stressful.” McStravick will serve his third consecutive term on the
board. He served as president in 2005.
He said he sees the lack of opposition as a sign that the Tomball community
approves of the job he is doing. “I’m going to look at it as validation for the
job that I’m doing and the job that Mark Lewandowski’s doing,” McStravick said.
Lewandowski echoed McStravick’s statement. “I would like to hope that the
community feels that we are doing the job we were elected to do,” he said.
Lewandowski said that while he was surprised there were no other applicants
he is not concerned about a lack of community involvement in the district.
“Parents are very involved in the education of their children and strive to keep
abreast of the happenings in the district,” he said. “You do not have to run for
school board to be involved.” Lewandowski said he believes that parents are more
involved now than they ever have been. “We have good participation in school
events and in areas where we ask for community input, such as the campus
improvement teams and the facility study committee,” he said.
With the state legislature enacting a new school financing plan, Tomball ISD
will be faced with new challenges on the financial front, McStravick added.
Tomball Independent School District board member John McStravick, will serve
another three-year term.
“Implementing this new funding system in a smart, effective and efficient
way, that’s going to be a challenge,” McStravick said. “Because there’s going to
have to be give and take.”
With a new facility planning committee in place, the district will be
examining the possibility of new schools in the near future. However, while
exponential growth has long been forecasted by many leaders in the Tomball
community, McStravick said the numbers may not necessarily point to a surge of
new students. “I haven’t seen any official numbers yet, but the preliminary
numbers show our growth at less than 4 percent,” he said. McStravick sees
another Woodlands development as a potential boon to future enrollment in
Creekside Park, which will be located in Tomball ISD. “But we’ve got to be smart
about how we build to satisfy that growth,” he said.
Magnolia residents claim services in need of review
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
Since water and sewer services are primary sources of income for the city, it
may come as no surprise to residents that ECO Resources is now managing the
billing, collections, shut offs and repairs on behalf of the City of Magnolia,
services some city residents say are in need of review.
Despite a $1.5 million revenue bond for water distribution improvements, and
a recent $2.825 million dollar loan by the Texas Water Development Board for
sewer improvements, the city must have a source of income to cover traditional
administrative costs, over and above the projected interest on loan assets.
The need for revenue bonds and loans prompted based on reliable income,
prompted the contract with ECO and initiated the need for increased water rates.
The city receives a percentage of the revenues collected by ECO into the general
fund, which in turn is used to pay costs associated with administering the
city's business, such as salaries for staff.
Increased water rates have “impacted the budgets of residents who are on
fixed incomes,” said John Bramlett who appealed to Council at a Sept. 5 meeting
and asked members to “trim the fat out of our budget” for the 2006-07 fiscal
year.
Belita Bordwine requested Council members to review her water usage levels,
which have altered dramatically within the last 90 days, ironically, coinciding
with the change by the city to ECO as a utility management company.
Bordwine has no issue with new water rates, however, which increased only
$0.25 per thousand-gallon usage for most customers within the city limits. But
her usage was reported by ECO as having increased from 2005 levels of 10,000
gallons per month on the average, to 53,000 and 82,000 gallons for June and July
respectively.
“That's a lot of water. We don't have a pool, or livestock, and my yard is as
brown as the next one,” Bordwine said.
Efforts to determine the cause of excessive reported usage included hiring a
private plumber to certify her system does not leak, and requesting the city to
replace her meter to determine if it is faulty. The city and Bordwine are
working together to determine the resolution to her unique usage issues.
“I've talked to my neighbors and their bills are not like this,” said
Bordwine. “This (usage issue) is totally isolated to me.”
Four hospitalized in Labor Day weekend wreck
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
A quiet Labor Day weekend in Magnolia started off with a bang the morning of
Sept. 1. when traffic was delayed for bus and car riders alike as Magnolia
police officers Dean Simmons and Mike Alexander, along with Magnolia’s volunteer
firemen, cleared away the remains of a major injury accident at the corner of
Commerce and Nichols-Sawmill.
The driver of a black Tempo failed to yield the right- of-way, crashing headlong
into the side of another vehicle, sending all four occupants of the Tempo, two
of which were children, to the hospital Aug. 1.
Rachel Presley, the driver of a 1989 Ford Tempo was traveling west on
Commerce St. when she failed to yield the right of way at Nichols-Sawmill,
according to the police report. Jessica Horton, 18, of Magnolia, was traveling
north on Nichols-Sawmill when Presley crashed headlong into the passenger side
of Horton’s 1997 white Crown Victoria,
Presley and all three of her passengers, Kasey Torrence, 20, as well as a
4-year-old male and a 6-year-old female, all of Montgomery, were transported to
Tomball Regional Hospital by Montgomery County Hospital District emergency
services.
Horton, though badly shaken, and her passenger, were not injured, they said.
Widow turns to Tomball College for new beginning
In 1998 she lost her husband while she was just in her 40s. An unexpected
blow, which was devastating enough, but Barbara Gilstrap was a high school
dropout and as she puts it, “just a housewife with no employable skills.”
Barbara Gilstrap
Just two months after the death of her husband, Gilstrap decided she needed
training to be able to earn a living and she found herself on the doorstep of
Tomball College.
“I didn’t know what I was going to study or even what I wanted to do, I just
knew I had to do something and that Tomball College had workforce programs,” she
recalls.
She also remembers, once she went to enroll, she froze.
“At the time I was working the front counter at the Tomball College
Enrollment Services,” Ann Metz said, who still works for the college as an
advisor. “I looked up and I saw this woman in tears. It was just a natural
instinct for me to get up and go around the counter and comfort her because she
looked like she needed some TLC.”
The “tender loving care” that Metz provided her on that day seven years ago
meant the world to Gilstrap and started her on a pathway to success. One that
has earned Gilstrap a certificate, an associate’s degree, a four-year college
degree and soon a teaching certificate.
“The day that I went to enroll at Tomball College I literally had a panic
attack. It just hit me. And I was about to turn around and walk out and forget
everything and Ann Metz – whose name I didn’t even know until years later – took
me by the shoulder and after I told her my story she really encouraged me,”
Gilstrap said. “She made the extra effort not only to comfort me, but to tell me
that I could do it.”
And she did. Gilstrap earned a certificate in the Tomball College IT program,
despite “never even having turned on a computer” when she started. Feeling
confident, she then continued in the program to earn an associate of applied
science degree for PC Help Desk.
Just this past May, Gilstrap received a bachelor’s degree – graduating Magna
Cum Laude – in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of
Houston-Downtown, having taken classes through the University Center, which like
Tomball College, is a member of the North Harris Montgomery Community College
District.
Now that she has a handle on her education, Gilstrap is ready to help others.
Her next goal is to complete the alternative teacher certification program
through Tomball College.
“I’ve realized that my calling is to be a teacher,” Gilstrap said, who should
be at the helm of an elementary classroom by next fall. “Teachers and advisors
have encouraged me every step of the way in my journey and if I can help someone
else the way that I’ve been helped, it would mean the world to me.”
Now engaged to be married, Gilstrap spends her free time at the beach in
Surfside catching waves with her fiancée, an avid surfer. And although she might
almost be ready to move on from Tomball College, she said she will always
remember what the programs and people there have provided for her.
“I was a high school dropout at 16 years old and went to college for the
first time in my 40s under a very stressful situation. If I can do it, anyone
can. I am very thankful to the college for what they offer and for the true
heart of their employees like Ann Metz who helped me so many years ago,” she
said. “Tomball College might just have to get a football team so I can be their
biggest cheerleader.”
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The Tomball Magnolia Tribune honors the memory of those who fell on Sept.
11, 2001.
Photo By Cari Herr
Bus drivers for the Magnolia Independent School District flocked to the Magnolia
Diner Thursday morning to visit with the New 93Q Country Morning Zoo Crew.
Pictured in the back left to right are Nora Morales, Connie Barrett, Tim Tuttle,
Jenny Law, Kevin Kline, Patti Wood, and Beth Rouse. Pictured in the front row
left to right are Wanda Tatum, Cathy Gibbs, and Deborah Chambers. The Q Zoo Crew
of DJs Tim Tuttle, Jenny Law, and Kevin Kline broadcasted their morning show
live from the parking lot of the diner. The bus drivers said the students were
excited to see the Q Zoo Crew as they passed by on their way to school. The
broadcast is one of several in 93Q’s “In Your Backyard” tour. Tomball Police
seeking suspects in sexual assault of girl
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
The Tomball Police Department is on the lookout for two hispanic males they
say sexually assaulted a 16-year old girl near Tomball High School on Labor Day.
According to the department, the girl was walking along 13500 block of Zion
Street at approximately 12:30 p.m. when two hispanic males approached her in an
SUV and offered her a ride.
The female declined, but the suspects reportedly forced her into the vehicle
and sexually assaulted her while “the vehicle remained mobile,” according to the
department.
The female reported being dropped off near FM 2978. She immediately reported
the incident to Tomball Police and Tomball ISD administrators.
The suspects were described as Hispanic males between 30 and 40 years old,
tall with facial hair. The driver of the vehicle was described as a heavy-set
Hispanic, approximately 5-foot, 9-inches tall, with a thin beard and mustache.
The passenger, also believed to be Hispanic, is approximately 6-foot tall, thin
build with a grayish goatee.
The Tomball Police Department is asking anyone with any information to assist
in the identity or whereabouts of the suspects to contact investigator Ron
McGuillon at 281-290-1314. Citizens can also contact the department anonymously
through the “silent hotline” at
www.tomballpd.com.
The Tomball Independent School District also released a letter to parents of
students who attend Tomball High School, Tomball Junior High, Beckendor
Intermediate School and Tomball Elementary School, all schools in the area of
the alleged assault.
The letter notifies the parents of the assault
“The Tomball Police Department and the Tomball High school campus SRO officer
are on the lookout for the suspects,” the release stated.
Tomball ISD Superintendent John Neubauer confirmed the legitimacy of the
letters and said they were distributed to parents of students who attend the
schools listed.
Neubauer reminded all parents “to remind their kids to be careful.”
Water revenues reach boiling point at Council
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
Water is a hot topic in Magnolia, continuing to find its way to the agenda at
almost every city management and development meeting over the last year, making
no exception at a Special Meeting of the City Council held on Sept. 5 where
water revenues were the larger piece of the budgeting puzzle.
Magnolia City Engineer Craig Kankel of O’Malley Engineering
Council members discussed added costs the city will incur in the new budget
year for salary and compensations, in comparison to revenues slated to cover
those costs coming primarily from water and sewer services.
The city's projected water and sewer revenues for the new budget year are an
estimated $1.6 million dollars, while associated costs are estimated at $1.2
million dollars. That leaves an estimated $400 thousand dollars in surplus,
which is slated for salary and compensation packages for city staff, a
possibility that some council members objected to.
Council member David Sutherland challenged members to review a budget total
of nearly $11 million, in comparison to previous years budgets of $3.2 million,
as well as projected reserves of $1.6 million dollars, in light of the increased
water rates and projected revenues.
“The city should have some reserves, ” said City Manager Roger Carlisle.
Previous budgets have only reflected the general fund expenditures and water and
sewer revenues, he said. A city budget should reflect every dollar the city
makes and spends, he said.
“$900,000 of the $1.6 million is the reserves we have to have for the revenue
bonds,” Council member Todd Kana pointed out.
“We agreed that the water rates had to be increased, and that we would
revisit those rates in 12 months,” Mayor Jimmy Thornton resolved.
Carlisle advised Council members that salary and compensation packages for
city staff positions were being aligned with Texas Municipal League (TML)
standards in anticipation of the experience and qualifications the city will
need as growth and development increase.
Sutherland objected to $400,000 in revenue funds being used for salary
package upgrades and requested a complete breakdown from Carlisle for TML salary
level standards by position. He questioned conservative projections of sales tax
dollars, while water revenue projections increased by almost 50 percent over the
2005-06 budget projections.
“The city is handling a lot more money these days. That's a good thing, but I
don't foresee that changing,” said Carlisle, who included a Financial Director
and an accountant to manage the city's assets in city staff projections for the
coming fiscal year.
The city’s increased revenues have increased the city’s value to over $700
million, according to Carlisle, and resulted in a AA insurance rating are a
direct result of the water issues which plagued the city a year ago. Craig
Kankel of O’Malley Engineering proposed change orders for water well no. 6 being
drilled on Kelly Road. He said the pilot hole for testing is complete and
advised council that additional information, indicated the sand level was deeper
than anticipated, necessitating an additional 130-foot extension of the test
hole.
With downhole logging complete, the electronic log indicated three lenses of
sand at both the Evangeline and the Jasper aquifer. Kankel requested a change
order for $13,905 to cover the additional 130 feet of pipe, screen and casing.
The results of that change order were lost in the discussion that followed.
With the Evangeline aquifer some 400 to 500 feet higher than the Jasper,
Kankel recommended taking samples from both aquifers as a cost effective measure
in anticipation of drilling a second, shallower well in later years.
“We’ll get more water if we do (test more samples). We may find sand we don’t
want to use,” said Kankel.
An estimate at current costs for a second well was offered at $483,000. Each
sand sample taken is estimated at $23,000. The Jasper well originally bid at
$554,379 includes three samples. The change order request from Kankel was for
three additional from the Evangeline aquifer. The change order would increase
the price of the Jasper well by $69,000 for a total of $637,284. The total
change order amount is less than 25 percent of the total bid.
Kankel also brought good news to council members. The city’s original
elevated storage tank was scheduled to be replaced, but can remain in place in
addition to the new, taller elevated storage tank, he said. Kankel recommended
splitting the system into two pressure planes with the older tank serving the
lower distribution elevations, and the new tank serving the higher distribution
elevations. The pump station will stay in place, he said.
Opening week not kind to area high schools
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
The 2006 high school football season got off to an auspicious beginning when
four teams dropped their season opener. The Magnolia Bulldogs, Tomball Cougars,
Waller Bulldogs and Concordia Crusaders all suffered Week One defeats.
The first game of the post-Bryson Janacek era for the Tomball Cougars proved
unsuccessful against The Woodlands College Park as the Cavaliers won their
first-ever varsity game, 26-7. The stifling Cavalier defense limited the Cougars
to just 69 total yards of offense. With the graduation of former star
quarterback Janacek, head coach Pat Patterson plans to open up the Cougar
offense a bit more, moving from an option-oriented running squad to a balanced,
pass-based system.
Sophomore Keaton Smith, taking over the quarterbacking duties, threw for just
21 yards in the loss. Tomball’s only touchdown came in the third quarter on a
5-yard touchdown run by Lazarus Crumedy.
On the north side of town, new Magnolia Bulldogs head coach Ron Lynch was
unsuccessful in his debut, falling to the 4A Huntsville Hornets in what would no
doubt be considered an upset in Huntsville, 28-24. Leading 24-21, the Bulldogs
needed just one stop to secure a season-opening win. But with 11 seconds left in
the game, the Hornets’ Jacolby Lewis scampered into the end zone from three
yards out to give Huntsville the lead and the win. Lewis also returned a blocked
Bulldog kick 75 yards for a touchdown as time expired at the end of the first
half. Magnolia’s Cody Harvey was of the offensive star for the Bulldogs, rushing
for 136 yards on 14 carries.
Out west, the Waller Bulldogs were shellacked by Lamar Consolidated 35-6. The
rain did little to raise the spirits of the fans at the game, who battled the
downpour and a blowout. The outcome of the game was never really in doubt, as
the Mustangs put up their 35 points before the Bulldogs got on the board.
Lamar’s Jacquizz Rodgers had two touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards each. The
Bulldogs accumulated just 104 total yards of offense.
In private school action, the Concordia Crusaders fell to St. Johns, 19-14.
After being shut out through three quarters by the St. John defense, the
Crusaders finally got on the board in the fourth quarter with a pair of
touchdowns. However, the rally wasn’t quite enough. The St. John defense
continued the trend of opposing defenses shutting down hometown offenses. The
Crusaders were held to just 14 rushing yards. The Concordia offense hit a spark
in the second half, as senior quarterback Caleb Christian finished with 192
passing yards. Joshua Christian nearly broke the century mark for receiving
yards with six catches for 93 yards.
City set to annex 25 acres as part of retail development project
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
Even as new retail developments in the Tomball area remain unleased, more
projects are on the horizon.
The city of Tomball will consider annexing a 25-acre tract of property,
located west of SH 29 and north of Medical Complex Drive, at a meeting Sept. 12.
According to City Manager Ben Griffin, the property is part of a 50-acre
parcel of land recently purchased by Weingarten Realtors for retail development.
While plans have yet to be announced by Weingarten, Griffin expected the
proposed site to be “a fairly nice development.”
Half of the property currently sits outside the city limits of Tomball.
Griffin said the realty company asked to be annexed so the development could
utilize city utilities.
“This sort of thing is fairly typical with developments,” Griffin said. “They
want the utilities and fire other services (from the city.)”
Weingarten Realty currently has 12 retail properties under development, with
the majority being in Texas. They range in size from 10,000 square feet to
570,000 square feet.
The company claims properties “predominantly located in the highest growth
regions of the country, the south and the west.”
Representatives with Weingarten did not return phone calls to the Tribune
regarding this story as of press time last week.
The Tomball City Council will meet Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at Tomball City Hall to
consider the annexation.
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