Voters nix Magnolia city manager, approve Tomball’s Fagan

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

The dust has settled on Election Day in Tomball and Magnolia and area residents will soon be seeing big changes at each city’s respective City Hall.

The most significant development came in Magnolia when voters narrowly approved Proposition 1, a measure to eliminate the city manager form of government. The measure passed by 126 votes and 106 against.

The city will return to a mayor-council form of government, eliminating Roger Carlisle’s position. Carlisle was hired by the city in 2004 to replace Jane Miller.

In a battle for Position 1, challenger Sammie Scott enjoyed a decisive win over incumbent Chris Neal, winning 155 votes to Neal’s 88.

The race for the Position 2 was determined by a single vote. Former city mayor John Bramlett edged incumbent Rick Carby, 118-117.

In Tomball, Gretchen Fagan was elected to the city mayor after she beat out Diane Holland. Fagan received 601 votes to Holland’s 551, just a 50-vote margin.

Tomball will also see a run-off after the city’s current mayor H.G. “Hap” Harrington ran a close race against Bill Webb for council Position 3. Harrington received 443 votes to Webb’s 438, a five-vote difference.

Write-in candidate Derek Townsend received 275 votes, well back of Webb and Harrington.

Tomball area residents will also see a flurry of construction and improvement projects at district schools. Tomball Independent School District’s $198 million bond proposal passed overwhelmingly, 1,764 “for” votes, or 63.8 percent of the vote, to 1,003 “against.”

The money will pay for three new schools, including a new high school and two elementary schools. It will also fund upgrades to facilities throughout the district.

Also passing was Waller ISD’s $49.3 million bond vote, with 63.3 percent of voters, or 769, in favor of the measure.

Tomball High School placed on lockdown after bomb threat

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

Tomball High School (THS) was placed on lockdown for more than two hours after a bomb threat was made to the district May 9. At approximately 2:30 p.m. administrators at Willow Wood Junior High (WJH) received an anonymous call notifying them of a potential bomb on one of the district’s buses.

Tomball High School was on lockdown last week after a bomb threat was made by an anonymous caller.

The caller did not say which bus would have a bomb, but following a search by bomb-detecting dogs, no bomb was found. Tomball High School was quickly locked down with no one, including students, allowed to enter or leave the campus while police units searched the buses.

At about 3:30 p.m., Tomball Police said the situation was under control and that the threat was unsubstantiated. Students were eventually released at approximately from THS at 4:30 p.m., two hours after the school day had ended.

No one was injured in the incident and classes resumed to their normal schedule May 10. According to district spokesperson Staci Stanfield, the buses pick students up first at the district’s junior high campuses, WJH and Tomball Junior High (TJH), and continue on their routes. The buses had already left WJH when the call was received. Those buses were immediately redirected to Northpointe Intermediate where the students were unloaded and taken to a secure location.

Buses transporting students from TJH were quickly driven across Quinn Road to the parking lot of THS, where students aboard those buses were taken inside the school. Authorities arrived at the two schools with bomb-seeking dogs to search for any possible threat. “We knew it would take time,” Stanfield said.

The high school was on lockdown in order to keep the students, including drivers, safe from wandering through the parking lot where the buses were parked. At the district’s elementary campuses, students being picked up by their parents were released.

According to THS sophomore Kyle Seerley, the most recent bomb threat was the third the high school had received this school year. The threat comes just three weeks after the district averted a potential disaster when THS student William Tyson Jr. was arrested for threatening to open fire with an automatic weapon at the high school. Less than a month ago, 32 students and teachers were killed during a two-hour shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University.

Stanfield said those incidents have kept the district, and all of society, on notice. “I think our entire society is on a high sense of awareness,” she said. “We’re going to take every measure we need to keep our students safe.” Parents of students in the district were notified of the incident by letter last week.

Representatives from the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Tomball toured Hooks Airport May 8 as the city pursues the purchase of the facility. Those in attendance visited the airports administrative facilities, pilot’s lounges, a private hangar and air traffic control tower. Pictured above, chamber President Bruce Hillegeist (left) talks with Grady Owens (second from left) of Aerial Viewpoint while Jim McCutcheon (second from right) and Hugh Clarkson (right) look on.
Photo by Brian Walzel

Magnolia council endorses school prayer to the sound of applause

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

A lengthy agenda that ticked like clockwork at the May 8 meeting of the Magnolia City Council included a resolution to endorse prayer in public schools that was met with a round of applause by those in attendance.

Resolution No. 2007-030 urges that prayer be returned to the public schools and that cities across the state of Texas join in an effort to reinstate prayer in the public schools by passing similar resolutions and uniting in a movement for that purpose.

In the absence of Mayor Jimmy Thornton Mayor Pro Tem Patsy Williams conducted the meeting.

“This is something that is very dear to my heart,” said Williams.

The City of Brazoria passed a similar resolution recently with a call to the mayors of other cities to do the same, she said.

She initiated the motion to approve the resolution saying that the constitution, the federal buildings and the court houses have the “Ten Commandments” embossed upon them and reminded those present that the federal government employs pastoral staff for the purpose of prayer.

Following a second by Councilman Dave Sutherland, the motion passed unanimously with a vote of 4-0. Councilman Rick Carby was absent from the meeting.

Those in attendance stood in applause at the vote.

Magnolia Independent School District Assistant Superintendent Todd Stephens said, “There has never been a prohibition against student initiated prayer.” The district allows prayer at clubs and activities, he said. “I don’t know that a resolution will make any difference in that.”

In other city news council members approved three contracts for services.

A contract with O’Malley Engineers was approved for approximately $377,000 in costs for the design and installation of 1,500 feet of water and sewer extensions to serve the proposed Magnolia Ridge subdivision.

RWS Architects was awarded a contract for approximately $700,000 to design and build out the City Hall building located at 18111 Buddy Riley Blvd. The agenda included a contract award to begin repairs on the city’s water and sewer plant.

Council members approved an $88,945 bid from Neal Technical Services of Houston for the rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment plant, including repairs to the tank currently not in use.

Following the completion last August on an additional 360,000-gallon treatment tank, the city’s existing 300,000-gallon tank was taken out of service due to needed repairs.

City Manager Roger Carlisle said the 2007 budget provides $155,000 including interest for the repairs. In the bank against that budget line is $129,808. A budget amendment will be required to adjust for the new lower cost.

Tomball High School Senior Katelyn Suzanne Fischer was honored at the 2007 “Coca-Cola Share the Dream” awards reception held at Minute Maid Park in Union Station on May 4. Fischer was awarded a $500 college scholarship for her original essay. Pictured, (left to right) Fischer and Tim Lynch, Market Unit Vice President of Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
Submitted Photo
 

Twin brothers receive honor day in Magnolia for pole vaulting achievements

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

Acting on behalf of the city, Magnolia Mayor Pro Tem Patsy Williams declared May 9 as “Austin and Travis Matthews Day” in the City of Magnolia in celebration of the pole vaulting fame the twin brothers from Magnolia have achieved.

Pictured, (left to right) twin brothers Travis and Austin Matthews and Magnolia Mayor Pro Tem Patsy Williams.

The boys are the sons of Rusty and Catherine Matthews and the grandsons of Jackie and Mary Lou Matthews, all of Magnolia.

“I’m just as proud as I can be of them,” said Mary Lou.

Austin Matthews is a two-time regional qualifier, a 2005 Junior Olympic Silver Medal winner and a 2007 Texas state meet qualifier.

He has attained a personal best of 15 feet jumping for Magnolia High School while his personal best of 15-feet, 9-inches was attained jumping in an open summer league.

Travis Matthews has qualified for the Texas state meet three years in a row, placing fourth in 2005, receiving the bronze medal in 2006, and will travel to Austin May 12 for this year’s state meet.

Jumping for Magnolia High School Travis attained a jump of 16 feet 6 inches, with a summer league personal best of 16-feet, 9-inches. He is a 2005 Junior Olympic Gold medal winner and was named as a runner up for the Montgomery County Rotary Club athlete of the year.

The boys will begin the fall semester at Sam Houston State University on dual pole vaulting scholarships.

Chamber alerts local businesses of possible scams

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

The Tomball Independent School District and Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce are warning local businesses of at least two potential scams making their way around the area.

The first, and a situation that appeared to be resolved as of press time last week, involved a Nebraska-based marketing firm and Tomball High School.

According to the district, Pinpoint Marketing was contacting local business and asking them to buy advertising on athletic schedules. The company was claiming to be affiliated with Tomball High School.

But Tomball High School Principal Gary Moss denied any involvement with the firm and alerted the Chamber of the potential scam.

However, Matt Simmons, a manager at Pinpoint Market said the situation was only a result of a glitch in their computer system and that only one transaction was made.

The chamber is also alerting local businesses about a potential map scam.

According to the chamber’s Brandy Beyer “we have received an alert from a Gulf Coast Area chamber referencing a ‘map scam,’ trying to contact prospective purchases by telephone. So far our information suggests that members may receive a call indicating that the seller is representing your chamber for an ad in the map that is to be published.”

The company contacting local businesses has no affiliation may go under names such as MTS Maps, Premier Map Co., Quad City Map Team and ADS Enterprises.

The Better Business Bureau suggests these tips should businesses receive such a call:

• Anyone who receives a cold call from anyone stating that they “represent” an affiliate, vendor, program, or organization you may be familiar with and it involves payment, first check on the company that is calling prior to divulging payment or personal/business information and the proposed affiliate.
• Businesses should ask that all advertising propositions be made in writing. Ask for a list of satisfied clients, contact them for feedback, and ask to review copies of their advertisements. See if the business selling the advertisements has a report with the BBB. For national companies, visit www.bbb.org.
• If you feel you have been deceived or misled by an office, be pro-active and file formal complaints with the BBB as well as your state Attorney General’s Office.

Tomball Police Department (TPD) Officer Mark Hannsz was recognized as the Public Safety Officer of the Month at the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce meeting held May 4. Hannsz received the award for correctly assessing a May 14 incident in which five ATVs totaling $10,000 were stolen out of San Jacinto County. The ATVs were recovered and five suspects were arrested. Woodforest Bank sponsors the award. Pictured, (left to right) Woodforest Bank Assistant Branch Manager Ashley Crisler and Branch Manager Maria Espitia, Hannsz and TPD Capt. Rick Grassi.
Photo by Cari Herr

Magnolia woman missing

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

Texas EquuSearch and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office are on the lookout for a Magnolia woman who has been missing for more than three weeks.

Sharon Dennis, 40, was last seen at a Valero gas station in the 2400 block of Baker Drive in Tomball on April 19 around 8 p.m. Her family has not heard from her since that time.

Sharon Dennis

Dennis is a white female, standing 5-feet, 5-inches tall, and weighs approximately 125 pounds. She has hazel eyes and dark blond, curly hair. She is white with a medium build.

There is no report of what she was last seen wearing. Dennis was driving a black 1999 Isuzu Rodeo with the license plate 893 KST, registered to her aunt, Janice Swearingen.

According to Det. Billy Ballard of the sheriff’s department, foul play is not suspected in her disappearance. But Ballard did say that Dennis’ disappearance was “outside of her normal character.”

It is known that Dennis is traveling without her driver’s license.

“She talks with her son daily and he has not heard from either,” said Dennis’ brother, D.J. Manning.

According to Manning, the Valero attendant, who knows the Manning’s well, related the incident to him four days later when D.J. went into the store.

The attendant showed him Dennis’ driver’s license and asked him if it was his sister. D.J. confirmed that it was.

The attendant told D.J. that Dennis went into the gas station and left her license, because she needed $3 in gas and didn't have the money to pay. She told the attendant she would be back that evening to pay the money and get her license, but she never returned.

Anyone with information about Dennis’ whereabouts is asked to call 281-364-4200 or 877-270-9500.

Former President Bush announced as guest speaker at city’s 100th birthday event

By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff

The Tomball Centennial Celebration has officially received the Presidential Seal of Approval.

Centennial Commission President Diane Holland announced last week that former U.S. President George H. Bush will be the keynote speaker at Tomball’s 100th birthday party, scheduled for Dec. 2.

“When I got the message, I started to tear up, even though it was just a recording,” Holland said last week at a meeting of the Tomball Rotary Club.

The event will take place at the Tomball High School football stadium and will feature other special guests, choral presentations, a parade of the decades, a fireworks exhibit, and birthday cake for everyone in attendance.

Tomball High School Principal Gary Moss is chairing the birthday event.

“We were excited about everything that was developing, but this takes it to a new dimension,” he said.

Holland sent an invitation to George and Barbara Bush to attend the event about three years ago.

“I figured, what do we have to lose (by inviting them)?” Holland said.

She was told to ask again closer to the event. Holland sent a second letter in September of 2006.

Bush responded again asking that he be contacted in spring of this year, but indicated that if he and his wife were in the area, they would likely attend the event.

“We were holding on to every bit of hope that he would show up,” she said.

Finally, Holland got the call confirming that Bush will appear, with “planning to commence after Labor Day.”

At that time, Holland and the Centennial Commission will be working closely with Secret Service to organize and plan Bush’s appearance.

Holland said much of the planning already in place would need to be re-examined and adjusted in order to accommodate the President.

“I’m so excited,” she said. Holland explained that the original intention of the commission in planning for the centennial celebration was to create a memorable event.

“Our overall consensus was to create a memorable experience for everyone,” she said. “This sort of fulfills our dream after a year of hard work and celebration. There’s no better person for Tomball.”

For more information about the event, call 281-357-3239.

57th Annual Waller County 4-H BBQ deemed a success

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

According to preliminary figures 57th Annual Waller County 4H barbecue profited more than $30,000 this year.

Approximately 150 whole briskets were sold due to an immense push by 4H clubs to sell raffle tickets, said Waller County 4H and Youth Development Extension Agent Misty Young of the Texas Cooperative Extension in Hempstead.

New additions at the barbecue proved to be a big hit. This year the 4H clubs participated in a cupcake walk and a 4H club booth contest.

Waller County Judge Owen Ralston judged the booths for creativity. The Young Riders 4H Club won this year’s contest.

The queen and court winners were Queen Staci Towler, Princess Lauren Hamric, Duchess Holly Mielke, Little Mr. 4H Nicholas Brueckner, Little Miss 4H Lakota Nash, and Crystal Owens was awarded the “Most Donations Award.”

Pictured, are the 57th Annual Waller County 4H queen and court winners, (front row, left to right) Little Mr. 4H Nicholas Brueckner of Bracy Island 4H, Queen Staci Towler of Bracy Island 4H, Little Miss 4H Lakota Nash of Bracy Island 4H, (back row, left to right) Duchess Holly Mielke of Brazos Valley 4H, and Princess Lauren Hamric of Rock Island 4H.

“We would like to thank everyone that made the annual barbecue a huge success,” Young said.

For more information on Waller County 4H activities, call the Waller County Extension Office at 979-826-7651.

Montgomery County Parks seeking land for development of new horse arena

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

An updated park plan submitted by Sebesta and Associates and adopted at the May 8 meeting of at the Magnolia City Council, may be just in time for the July 31 deadline for a Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) grant. However, the plan doesn’t include provision for a horse arena.

That’s a point of contention for the Magnolia Horse Club, which is being forced to move the arena’s location for the third time due to the widening of FM 1774.

The park plan includes an analysis of the survey responses of which more than 80 percent of those surveys indicated a need for a horse arena.

There was an organized effort by supporters of the horse arena to respond to the survey, said Carla Sebesta at the April 12 meeting of the Magnolia Planning Commission.

“Of the 142 surveys that were returned, 116 surveys were received from this group, but in many cases these surveys were incomplete or out of the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City of Magnolia,” she said.

President Phyllis Clay of the Magnolia Horse Club said the club has met on the existing Magnolia Youth Park grounds since the early 1970s when Mitchell Energy and Development donated the land for a 4H horse arena.

Since that time, the horse club has moved twice to accommodate the expansion of the ballpark.

Corliss O’Shaugnessy of the Montgomery County Parks Department said the horse arena and the baseball park combined are not a cohesive use of the county property. As a result, the county is using a portion of a $1 million grant to move the arena to a more suitable location.

Approximately five acres houses the current arena and facilities. That property will become two more baseball fields.

Ideally, the horse club wants a facility comparable to the Albert Sallas Park Arena in New Caney. A wish-list would include a covered arena with a warm up area, concessions and bathrooms, bucking shoots, a calf-run, overnight stalls and would require at least 5 acres for parking, said Clay.

But O’Shaugnessy is looking at the bottom line for budgeting and doesn’t see a state-of-the-art facility in the club’s future. More over, she is only looking to replace the current facility with a slightly larger 7 to 8 acre open arena.

At the April 12 meeting of the Magnolia 4A Corp Chairman Jonny Williams approached the subject of adding the horse arena to the city’s detention park project plans.

“We have a great opportunity to work with the school district, county, 4A, 4B and planning (commission) to put together a project that the citizens can be proud of,” he said in a later interview.

However, due to the lack of support by TPW grant funding programs for a rodeo arena, neither Sebesta nor O’Shaugnessy can support that move, but all agree that discussions for alternative solutions are a possibility.

Pct. 2 Commissioner Craig Doyal said whatever happens, the county would have to act quickly because the existing park will loose one of the baseball fields due to the widening of FM 1774. Therefore, the decision to move the horse arena and expand the baseball fields was made.

Consequently, the county and the horse club are seeking property for a new horse arena location.

Magnolia Area Pastors Council leads National Day of Prayer

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

A single moment in time, where an event is the catalyst to life-changing results, can often be seen only in retrospect.

The recent National Day of Prayer, held on May 3 in Magnolia, is just such a moment, and was the result of several years’ efforts by area pastors, including Scot Wall of the Magnolia Bible Church (MBC).

Representing a surge in the community to answer a call to unity that began in 2001, Wall responded to an e-mail about a homeless mom and her child seeking overnight shelter, as he waited for an appointment.

Scot Wall

A glance around the room presents a busy office with a computer surrounded by photographs of children, landscapes, and the works of a man driven by creation.

The colors of his work are both vibrant and muted, according to the purpose of the artist. Wall received three first places and a second place award at the Montgomery County Fair for his photography.

Wall would disagree that he is an artist, however. “I’m not a photographer. I’m a pastor,” he says. “But, we all have a desire to create.”

Though he is humble about his works, they are not his only accomplishments.

Wall and his church helped to organize the first National Day of Prayer in Magnolia at the historical gazebo sight in 2001 when he and his wife, Darcy, came to Magnolia. There were a dozen in attendance at that first event.

Since that time, the Magnolia Area Pastors Council, which also originated in 2001 with the help of Wall’s efforts, has worked among its various churches to instill a sense of kinship in the community through fellowship, outreach, worship and teaching.

The National Day of Prayer is held each year on the first Thursday in May as established by former President Ronald Reagan. For the second year in a row, the event was held at the Magnolia High School Stadium.

A far cry from the dozen in attendance in 2001, there were more than 240 in attendance at the event this year. Wall and MBC Outreach Coordinator Deborah Gill were there along with area church pastors, local dignitaries and civil servants.

The lightening and rain throughout the day caused the sound crew to pack up their equipment and head for home. While many organizers wondered about implementing “Plan B,” Wall stuck to his faith that the skies would clear.

Wall asked MBC Student Pastor David Killy to get the church’s sound equipment and bring it to the stadium. Doubtful, but dutiful, Killy did.

At the end of the day, with puddles on the bleachers and the setting sun breaking through the clouds, dignitaries, council pastors and church members came together in prayer asking for the safety of military troops and the students, the unity and prosperity of the community, and the continued integrity of city and county elected officials.

Montgomery County Commissioner Craig Doyal also attended and offered a prayer for the local elected officials and was glad to be asked to participate, he said.

“It was a great event. I was hopeful, as were most of the organizers, that there might be more there than appeared,” Doyal said. “When that many people gather, it can be a very powerful thing. There’s tremendous value in people coming together to pray.”

The event represents just one of the many goals of the Pastors Council. One goal of the council is to set aside non-essential doctrines and to promote like-minded churches to come together in community outreach, providing cross-denominational unity for Christians.

As a result, there are varying degrees of involvement between churches in community outreach efforts, said Wall.

Individual church projects, such as “Back to School Inc,” hosted by the First Baptist Church of Magnolia, provide fellowship opportunities. Unity between churches is developed through group projects, such as supporting the Society of Samaritans.

The National Day of Prayer was the culmination of several years work by Wall and the pastor’s council and was evident in the large response from the community.

“We’re going to fill the stadium some day,” said Wall.