September 25, 2006 Edition

Tomball business leaders question city over progress of airport purchase

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

Tomball business leaders are wondering when, or even if, the city is going to capitalize on what they say is a great opportunity and purchase David Wayne Hooks Airport. They are concerned the city is not making a hard enough push to complete the deal. But City Manager Ben Griffin said the deal is still on track and should be completed by the fall of 2007.

The City of Tomball is considering the purchase of David Wayne Hooks Airport. At a recent council meeting, Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hilligeist asked the council for an update on the progress of the possible purchase. City Manager Ben Griffin said the deal could be finalized by the fall of 2007.

At the Sept. 18 meeting of the Tomball City Council, Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist, representing the more than 750 Chamber businesses, questioned council about the progress of the possible purchase. “We keep hearing that you (the council) are awaiting a study from Carter and Burgess,” he said. “Is anyone from the city pushing for the study to be completed? When is the last time someone from the city has asked about the progress of the study?”

The city contracted with Carter and Burgess in 2002, an engineering consulting firm, to provide a study of cost, maintenance and upgrade figures. An initial deadline of March 2005 for the completion of the study was extended in 2004. Griffin now expects to see the results of the study by January. He added that he will likely provide an update on the study at a council meeting in October.

The city is also awaiting a decision by the FAA regarding how much grant money the city could be awarded for its purchase of the airport, Griffin said. The FAA could award the city up to 95 percent of the purchase price of the airport, which carries an approximate price tag of $28 million.

For about the past five years, the city has examined the possibility of the purchase. Earlier this year, the city sent a letter to Hooks Airport notifying them of its intent to purchase the facility.

Hillegeist said the airport would provide an economic boost to the city and area businesses. “The Chamber is very concerned that the Tomball area is going to miss an opportunity that will never again present itself to us – and with a chance for economic growth and progress,” he said.

Hooks Airport was founded in 1963 and currently serves as one of the largest private airports in the United States. The airport’s services include fueling, ground handling, passenger service, maintenance, aircraft sales and charter service. The airport employs more than 225 employees and services more than 275,000 aircraft.

Thornton and Carlisle clear the air on Magnolia budget issues

By Cari Herr

City officials held a press conference Sept. 18 where Magnolia Mayor Jimmy Thornton and City Manager Roger Carlisle spoke on several controversial issues in an attempt to “get everyone on the same page,” Thornton said. The following were among the statements made and discussed by Thornton and Carlisle:

• The city council has not adopted or approved any budget at this time.
• The city has adopted the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) guidelines.
• The city is projecting an $11 million budget due to an increase in revenues and expenditures.
• The city anticipates a need for seven new positions, a finance officer being primary.
• As a separate financial entity, the enterprise fund pays the city a payment for services in lieu of a tax.
• In overseeing associated water service operations, the city should be duly compensated from the enterprise fund, where 15 percent is a standard.
• Utility Ordinance No. 262, amended by Ordinance No. 271 effective Jan. 15, 2000 and signed by former Mayor John Bramlett authorizes a charge for “each separate commercial and school connection in every instance.”
• Billing has been established by TCEQ in accordance with American Water Works Association (AWWA) guidelines.

Jimmy Thornton

In regards to the budget:

“We need to act appropriately, accounting for every penny we have while managing fees, fee schedules, investments, and the policies and procedures of a normal city, which includes bonds, special revenues, 4A, and 4B,” said Thornton. Carlisle commended city council for “taking on an antiquated rural water and sewer system,” and managing the costs of repairs. In two budget years a $247,000 deficit in the general fund, a $745,000 loss in the enterprise fund, and an estimated of $120,000 in arrears in water collections have been alleviated, he said. GFOA format is used by every modern TML city and should make budgeting easier in years to come, said Carlisle. Our insurance rating was non-existent two years ago, he said. Now, we have an AA rating and the value of the city is estimated at $65 million, said Carlisle.

In regards to personnel:

“In the priorities meeting the city held for both this year and last, the meeting covered what the city council could work towards for bettering the city,” Thornton said. “All members agreed that we need new positions. The number one position we need is a finance officer.” “We need to get current,” said Carlisle, in regards to a building code official. “That's a lot of paper and time. We are open to challenges left and right and you can't wait until the Indians jump the fence in order to start doing it.” Despite the need for a building official, forced to make a choice Carlisle and Thornton will request a Finance Director. “Up to this point, it's been like sand running through our fingers. A Finance Director can alleviate that,” Carlisle said.

In regards to water billing:

Though the utility ordinance was signed into existence, the rates, cut-offs and collections were not diligently adhered to, said Thornton. Residents should bring inconsistencies to the attention of the city for examination. Once in a 12-month period, the ordinance allows a 90-day payout for unusually high bills. Council has promised that at the end of 12 months in April 2007 a rate study will be performed. The results must be in alignment with what the city has obligated to the revenue bonds at the Attorney General's Office. “If we hit target we could potentially adjust the rate,” Thornton said.

In regards to enterprise fund revenues:

“The daily work of city staff is affected by the water and sewer system,” Carlisle said. “Outsourcing is something many cities are doing due to costs savings.” The proposed transfer of $400,000 from the enterprise fund to the general fund was only 4% of anticipated fund revenues, where other cities take up to 15%. “The city’s enterprise fund has no employees in it, but a lot of cities hide employees in the enterprise fund,” said Thornton. “We don't.” After recalculating the rates for water and sewer, a budget line transfer from the enterprise fund to the general fund of 35, 000 for water and 30,000 for sewer is being requested, said Carlisle. “That will pay for one new position,” he said.

In regards to alternatives:

Thornton said the city attempted to sell certificates of obligation to prevent a water rates increase in the fall of 2005. A purchase by the city of the 4B facilities on Buddy Riley Blvd. at that time would have freed up 4B to fund the water well improvements. However, some 10 percent of residents signed petitions blocking the certificates and attempted to dissolve 4B entirely. It delayed the well getting done, said Carlisle. “We were under fire from TCEQ to meet a September (2006) deadline to be in compliance with the sewer and water system with fines up to $200,000,” he said. “There were people sitting in that audience the other night (Sept. 12 council meeting) that signed that petition, preventing the sale of the certificates,” said Thornton. “We had a way out. From that turning point to finalization of the revenue bonds, calculations project a $1.3 million loss over a 20-year period, due to changing interest rates, said Carlisle. From September to April, the city lost interest accrual because of that petition, he said. Some have said that those on fixed incomes cannot afford the current water rates, however, if the city had not followed through on its basic obligation to provide services, they would have no water, said Thornton.

Magnolia ISD to serve new Woodlands development

By Cari Herr

Negotiations with three different sellers didn’t take long for the purchase of 400 acres located at FM 2978 in the Magnolia Independent School District by The Woodlands Development Company. A mere two months has passed since President Tim Welbes announced at a Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce meeting in July that TWDC would be interested in purchasing any reasonably priced land.

The new neighborhood will be zoned for Magnolia ISD. Students will attend Magnolia High School, Bear Branch Junior High School, Bear Branch Sixth Grade Campus and Ellisor Elementary. The property is located directly west of the Sterling Ridge area bordering Matthews Road and connects to the 28,000-acre development, falling outside the Conroe Independent School District.

The development plan, Spindle Tree, calls for two parks, hike and bike trails, and both single-family and town home sites where residents will be subject to The Woodlands Association covenants. Several parks, shopping centers, restaurants, medical complexes and recreational services are already located in the area.

The property was purchased in anticipation of a 2008 saturation date for Montgomery County. The company expects to select homebuilders by the end of 2007 with construction to begin in early 2008 and continuing through 2010. Home prices are projected to start at $190,000.

Tomball ISD enrollment numbers show attendance leveling off

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

Even though the Tomball Independent School District has seen double-digit growth over the past five years, district administrators are expecting those numbers to taper off soon. Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services Huey Kinchen presented the Tomball ISD school board with the district’s current enrollment numbers at a board meeting Sept. 11.

While the numbers will change throughout the year as students move in and out of the district, the district’s current enrollment is 9,132, up from 8,968 from last year, a 1.8 percent increase, Kinchen said. Over the past five years, the district has seen its enrollment increase 13.6 percent, but this year’s numbers appear to show a leveling off.

Kinchen explained that this year’s increase of 1.8 percent over last year is the smallest increase the district has seen in half a decade. School board trustee John McStravick has said he expects the growth within the district to stagnate somewhat and taper off at about 4 percent over the next few years.

However, Kinchen said any projections on future enrollment are subject to a possible new school being built in the district to accommodate a new village in The Woodlands. The figures Kinchen presented also showed a breakdown of the percentage of students attending each school.

At the elementary school level, the five schools are relatively even in population with Willow Creek Elementary enrolling the most (25 percent of all elementary students), Lakewood Elementary second (22 percent), Rosehill Elementary third (20 percent), Decker Prairie Elementary fourth (19 percent), and Tomball Elementary fifth (14 percent).

Enrollment percentages at the intermediate school level are decidedly more lopsided. Northpointe Intermediate enrolls more than half (54 percent) of the district’s intermediate-aged students while Tomball Intermediate (21 percent) and Beckendorf Intermediate (25 percent) combined enroll less than half of what Northpointe does. Kinchen explained that the reason for the uneven figures is due to school sizes.

Northpointe Intermediate is the district’s newest school and is capable of housing a larger number of students, Kinchen said. The district’s ethnic enrollment continues to see a shift. For the fifth consecutive year, the percentage of white students in the district saw a decrease, this year down to 70.01 percent from 71.90 percent last year.

The biggest percentage increase was seen among black students, whose numbers increased from 6.26 percent in 2005-06 to 7.12 percent in 2006-07.

Hispanic students also increased in number, going from 18.25 percent in 2005-06 to 19.02 percent in 2006-07. The percentage of Asian students in the district also increased from 3.22 in 2006-07 to 3.49 this year. American Indians are the only ethnic subpopulation that saw their numbers decrease, from .38 percent in 2005-06 to .36 in 2006-07.

Waller County women's shelter wins victory, victim speaks out

By Cari Herr

A new 40-bed women’s shelter in Waller County received the blessing of the Hempstead City Council at a meeting on Sept. 18 following a public hearing to discuss rezoning the property from a single-family to a multi-family residential district. Pictured left to right are Focusing Families staff members Assistant Shelter Director Jessica Spencer, Children's Program Director Shirmira Brandiburg, Sexual Assault Director Debbie Cardoza, Shelter Director and Assistant to the Executive Director Kim Mathis, Executive Director Heather Stautmeister and Office Administrator/Bilingual Support Specialist Maria Cruz.

Conflict over the construction of a 40-bed women’s shelter in Waller County that led to charges of attempted assault was resolved at a Sept. 18 Hempstead City Council meeting where council members unanimously approved a property rezoning to allow for multi-family residential housing.

The approval came on the heels of a public hearing where residents spoke both against and in support of the construction of a domestic violence/sexual assault shelter facility, including a question and answer session between council members and agency representatives. Approval of the zoning and mapping request is “subject to the provision of 24-hour manned security with a job description as such,” said Alderman Malcolm Brown during the meeting.

Opposition to the shelter’s proposed construction near the Hempstead ISD high school, junior high, and stadium complex, cited potential violence and a lack of security for students, staff and patrons, claiming that violence at shelters often goes unreported.

“Security is the issue. A need for full-time security is an issue when you have people at a football game,” said Brown.

Executive Director Heather Stautmeister assured council members and residents that security will include a video surveillance system as well as manned gates between the training compound and the residential compound.

Some residents alleged that Focusing Families had not duly notified adjacent property owners of the land purchase, construction or potential for a shelter and that a lack of awareness existed.

“We followed the city's required procedure and published a notice in the newspaper. We weren't trying to mislead or slide it by,” Stautmeister of Focusing Families said. “We had to secure the land, so we could secure our funding, thereby securing the continued existence of the shelter for the community.”

LaToya Robinson is a shelter survivor. Though the shelter keeps the identity of shelter members confidential, Robinson spoke last week on behalf of the shelter to the Hempstead Planning and Zoning Commission, and again at the city council meeting saying, “I have lived in this community all my life, as my family has before me. I had to come out and let everyone in Waller County know that I am not afraid.”

Robinson spoke emotionally. “It sickened me the way that my neighbors and my friends are treating this issue. I spoke because these ladies saved me and my children. After that meeting, they (the opposition) cornered me. I was taking my trash out with my son. I met opposition from speaking up here. (They said) I sided with the white folks.

“I didn't side with the white folks; I sided with the right folks. The people in my community failed me and my children. My son and I were almost run over at the bus stop on Friday because I stood here and spoke from my heart,” she said.

Robinson was able to identify the vehicle and driver and charges have been filed with the Waller County District Attorney’s Office.

Focusing Families is holding an open house on Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. where the Texas A&M University College of Architecture, which has adopted the program's building design, will feature 14 models for residents to view and comment on.

The Focusing Families Women Shelter has been operating in Hempstead for six and a half years in a two-bedroom house as a nine-bed facility. The shelter serves Waller, Washington, Grimes, Austin and Harris County. There are 69 state funded Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse (DV/SA) Shelters in the state of Texas. Of those, 87 percent of DV/SA shelters exist in residential areas.

The vision of the agency is to “empower victims to become survivors,” said Stautmeister. As a result of these efforts, Waller County has become a leader to the surrounding counties, she said. Of those assisted through the program, 77 percent are from Waller County, and 20 percent of those are from the City of Waller, while 76 percent is from the Hempstead area.

The demographic breakdown is evenly distributed with services being offered to 39 percent Hispanics, 34 percent Caucasians, and 27 percent African Americans indicating that domestic violence and sexual abuse acknowledges no boundaries of race or culture.

Offices for Focusing Families are located at 910 Ninth St. in Hempstead. For more information call 1-800-877-BESAFE9 or 979-826-0000.

15-year old suspected of starting fire at Red River Dance Hall

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

A 15-year old boy has been charged with intent to commit arson after he allegedly started a fire at the Red River Dance Hall and Saloon Sept. 13. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Dep. T.L. Berry responded to an alarm from the building at 6:30 p.m.

When Berry arrived on the scene, he met with the owner, Larry Dubose. Dubose notified him that the alarm company told Dubose that whoever had broken into the building was still inside.

As patrol and K-9 units surrounded the building, smoke could be seen emitting from the south side of the building, the Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies, entering the building with fire extinguishers, found smoke coming from the second floor office area.

“When the door was opened, smoke poured out of the room,” said Dep. Coleen Fisher. As the smoke thickened, Sgt. Seick ordered everyone out of the room. After several minutes, the Klein Volunteer Fire Department arrived, the Sheriff’s Office said.

With the suspect still in the building, deputies provided cover for the fire department to extinguish the fire. Several moments later, the 15-year old boy was found hiding under a pool table. He was charged with burglary of a building with the intent to commit arson. The building was eventually ventilated.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Dubose estimated the damages at $10,000. Fisher said the fire did not permeate past the office and that the majority of the damage was from the smoke. “Had the department not acted when they did, the damage could have been much greater,” she added. Dubose could not be reached for comment regarding this story.

Cougars drop non-district finale to Conroe, 16-7

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

Going into halftime of Tomball’s Sept. 21 matchup with the Conroe Tigers at Buddy Moorehead Stadium, Cougar head coach Pat Patterson had to feel somewhat optimistic that his squad had a fighting chance to pull off a mild upset.

Tied at 7-7, the Cougars were in a prime position to knock off a quality Tigers team.

But less than three minutes into the third quarter, the Tigers sacked Cougar quarterback Keaton Smith in the endzone for a safety and a 9-7 lead and the Conroe squad never looked back.

The Cougar offense couldn’t quite get going in the second half and the Tigers added a late touchdown in the final quarter to seal a 16-7 non-district win.

The loss drops the Cougars to 1-3 for the season and with the win, the Tigers move to 3-1.

Tomball’s lone touchdown came with 53 seconds remaining in the second quarter when Smith connected with Ryan Parker on a 58-yard scoring strike. Kicker Chad Tarhini tied the game at 7-7 with the extra point.

But it was the only time the Cougars would find the endzone on the evening.

The Tigers’ tenacious ground game proved to be the catalyst for a Conroe victory, with running backs Draylan Booker and Lorenzo Greenwood each churning out more than 100 yards on the ground.

Greenwood led all rushers with 16 carries for 104 yards.

Overall, the Tigers outgained the Cougars 241 yards to 60 yards on the ground.

Smith finished the game 4-for-8 with 120 passing yards, nearly half coming on the touchdown completion to Parker.

Travis Bromley led the Cougars in rushing with 32 yards on 12 carries.

Fumbles were a problem for both teams as the Cougars put the ball on the ground seven times, losing three of them and the Tigers fumbling three times, losing one.

The loss to the Tigers completed the non-district portion of the 2006 schedule for the Cougars. Their lone win came against Magnolia Sept. 8.

Tomball suffered non-district losses to The Woodlands College Park, Cy-Creek and Conroe.

They open district play Sept. 29 when they host the state-ranked Westfield Mustangs at 7:30 p.m.

Pinehurst man escapes police on DWI

By Cari Herr

A 20-year-old white male of Pinehurst was arrested for driving while intoxicated, but managed to escape custody and elude police. Officer Eric Silliman of the Magnolia Police Department made a routine traffic stop for speeding in 300 block of Magnolia Blvd. in the early morning hours Sept. 14.

While talking with the subject to gather information, the officer noticed a strong odor of alcohol on the subject’s breath. The subject was taken into custody and charged with driving while intoxicated. Silliman handcuffed the subject and placed him in the back seat of the police vehicle.

While in the backseat of the cruiser, the subject managed to slip his handcuffs under his feet. Silliman removed the subject from the vehicle to adjust the handcuffs. With only one cuff unlocked the subject bolted, escaping from custody.

Silliman followed in pursuit, but the subject evaded capture. The following day, the subject returned to police department to have the cuffs removed.

“At that point, he was no longer a danger,” said Sgt. Bo Crabtree. No arrest was made at that time; however, an arrest warrant has been requested from the district attorney’s office for charges of escaping custody.

Pace Car reunion a dream come true for Magnolia man

By Cari Herr

One of Magnolia’s own received a personal invitation to attend the 90th running of the “greatest spectacle on earth in racing.” The Indianapolis 500 included a Pace Car Reunion May 19-21 followed by a week of celebration activities pre-empting the big race. It was an invitation Kenny Daves of Indigo Lakes was not going to miss, and a deadline sponsors were torqued up to meet.

Daves applied to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for acceptance to the Pace Car Reunion in February of 2006 and received his acceptance letter in April. When asked how he felt when he received his invitation Daves said, “I’ve gotta’ do this!”

David Elms of Signature Collision pumped up the schedule when Daves told him that he had been selected as one of 130 Pace Car owners to participate in the reunion to be held the weekend before the infamous race Memorial Day weekend.

“My care looked great from ten feet away,” said Daves. He told Elms he had a “10-foot car” and wanted a “2-foot car.” Elms did one better and gave him a “1-foot” car, Daves said. “He went the extra mile.”

With limited funds, Daves turned to Elms who arranged for a sponsorship that came from Dupont Automotive Finishes and Kairos Auto Color of Conroe for Daves’ 1969 Camaro Z11 Pace Car to acquire the paint “that represented the actual colors called out for in the Z11 option” said Daves.

“I bought all the parts, Elms provided all the labor. He had to rebuild the front end to repair the folding headlight assemblies,” said. Daves.

An enclosed trailer provided by Stump Grinding of Magnolia sent Daves on his way for a grueling 14-hour ride through Tulsa and on to Indianapolis.

Only 3,675 Chevrolet Pace Cars were manufactured in 1969, said Daves. He has found only 34 of those made with a 396 cubic inch, 325-horse power engine. Daves car is one of these 34 units and is a numbers matching, all original equipment Z11 Camaro, he said. Signature Collision, located at 32003 Nichols-Sawmill, will display the car the week of Sept. 25.

“That is original engine, transmission and rear end,” Daves said with just a little more than glowing pride. “My car was reviewed by a highly knowledgeable 1969 Pace Car enthusiast who provided valuable tips and education on authenticity. That’s invaluable information.”

The week of events included a track tour at the “Mayor’s Breakfast,” the Pace Car Reunion, an Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum exhibit of ‘Gasoline Alley’ as it was 50 years ago, a Festival 500 Community Day track tour, the Indy Lights Race and parade, all culminating with the 90th Indy 500 race on May 28, and a final track tour following that race.

“I’ve gone to the Indy 500 for the past 14 years, but I’ve never been for a full week. The highlight of the trip was getting my Pace Car on the track and rolling it across the yard of bricks finish line,” Daves said, who has dreamed of that moment since he purchased the replica car four years ago.

Animal shelter looks to put finishing touches on new facility

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

The muddy driveway and grass lawn parking lot at Abandoned Animal Rescue’s new facility on East Huffsmith are only temporary, much like the residency of its occupants. Soon the dying grass will be replaced with a clean, smart concrete parking lot, the driveway much more navigable.

Abandoned Animal Rescue's Angie Senton walks "Mystery," a German Shepherd that the shelter recently adopted.

The finishing touches are being put on AAR’s new shelter and volunteers and board members are once again turning to the Tomball community for support. The no-kill shelter’s annual fund-raising golf tournament will be held Oct. 16 at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. All proceeds will help fund the additional upgrades at the shelter’s new facility.

Workers are already preparing to move the shelter’s animals into their new cages. A fresh coat of paint is on the walls and floor, the fences have been erected and the temperature set at a more than comfortable level for the more than 50 cats and dogs soon to be herded into the facility.

The only thing missing is a driveway and septic system, volunteer Jerry McDonald said. “We’ll open whenever the city says everything is okay,” he said. McDonald said the golf tournament, which he has helped organize in the past, is the shelter’s primary fund-raising mechanism. “It has helped build this building,” he said.

The format for the tournament is a four-man best ball scramble. A barbecue lunch will be provided to golfers. The cost to enter the tournament is $125 per player or $500 for a four-player team. Fees include green fee, golf cart and lunch. Reservations are due Oct. 12. Prizes and trophies will be awarded. While the sponsorships are rolling in for the tournament, McDonald is hoping more golfers sign up.

The shelter opened in Oct. of 2002 in a small building on Main Street, which the shelter is still calling home. Efforts for a new facility began about two years ago, McDonald said. Once enough money was raised and saved, the new facility began to take shape. AAR is 100 percent volunteer and adopts more than 3,500 animals per year. The majority of the animals find homes quickly, McDonald said.

“The community should support this facility,” he added. “It’s a big asset to Tomball. If we get the money, we can be even better. We just try to do things to benefit the community.”

To sign up for the golf tournament or for sponsorship information, call 936-573-0664 or register online at www.aarescue.com.