Absentee and early voting underway for November election

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

Early voting begins today for the Nov. 6 election. There are 16 proposed amendments to the state constitution on the ballot, in addition to various school district bonds, a road and bridge bond, and several municipal elections.

Preparations for early voting were underway last week at the Malcolm Purvis Library.

Absentee voting and ballots by mail are available during the early voting portion of the election. Early voting is offered through Nov. 2.

Magnolia
Early voting polling is at the Malcolm Purvis Library, located at 510 Melton St., Oct. 22 - 27 and Oct. 29 - 31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 1 - 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Absentee ballot applications can be requested by writing Montgomery County Elections Administrator, P.O. Box 2646, Conroe, TX 77305-2646 or online at www.montgomeryvotes.org.

There are two propositions on the ballot for Magnolia. Proposition 1 once again asks voters to make a choice between a city manager form of government or a mayor-council form of government. A vote of yes would change the current form of city government back to a city manager form of government.

Proposition 2 will decide whether or not the Magnolia 4A Economic Development Corp. can use existing and future sales tax dollars to fund eligible portions of the detention park and downtown revitalization project. The project is a partnership between the city, county, parks department, and school district.

Tomball
Early voting polling is at the Tomball Public Works Bldg., located at 501B James St., Oct. 22 -26, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Oct. 27, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m., Oct. 28, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. and Oct. 29 - Nov. 2, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Log on to www.harrisvotes.com for a ballot by mail application. Mail requests for ballots to Harris County Clerk, P.O. Box 1525, Houston, TX 77251-1525.

Waller
Early voting polling is at the Waller County Courthouse, located at 836 Austin St., No. 103 in Hempstead Oct. 22-26, 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 1-2 from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 979-826-7643 for ballot by mail applications. Applications for ballot by mail must be received no later than the close of business on Oct. 30.

Principal Jeff Springer participated in small-group breakouts during Magnolia High School’s recent Challenge Day by listening to and supporting students. “The purpose of Challenge Day is to get students to realize they are not alone,” Springer said. “That at one time or another, they have been bullied and have bullied others. They have been called names and have called others names. We want them to recognize that they can change and by doing so can make our school a more principle-centered campus.” Submitted Photo

Annual relay tells the stories of cancer survivors, victims

By Brian Walzel
Editor

“I just can’t imagine that there are this many people with cancer,” said Sandra Angel as she walked the track at Strack Intermediate School with her son, Brian, reading all the names illuminated by candlelight, each representing a different struggle. Some of those struggles had been successful. Most were not.

There were so many luminaries that year, small white bags inscribed with names and lit by a tea light candle, that volunteers for the Relay for Life ran out of room along the edge of the track. The glowing tributes for both cancer survivors and victims were then placed in rows in the bleachers of the stadium.

It was a moment for Angel, her son, and the hundreds of other cancer survivors, friends and family members that left an indelible image in their minds, one that gave names and faces to all of those mind numbing statistics.

“When you see all of those luminaries and all of those people, it really makes you realize how far that particular word, cancer, spreads,” Angel said.

She will be among the several hundred participants in the Northwest Houston Relay for Life, scheduled for April 18 and 19, 2008 at Strack Intermediate School.

The event serves as a support system for survivors of cancer and family members who have lost loved ones to cancer, as well as a fundraiser for cancer research.

Joining Angel and hundreds of other participants will be two of her Tomball College co-workers, Lindell Chapman and Norma Jean Lipert.

Like Angel, Chapman and Lipert have endured their own battles with cancer. They each have emerged re-energized, re-focused, and mostly, with a renewed sense of the world around them.

“You look at life in a little bit different way,” Chapman said.

In May of 2000, he went for a routine doctor visit and asked about an odd growth in his neck near his collarbone. At first, his doctor told him it was “nothing to worry about.” Then, in December of the same year, Chapman returned. Only this time, the growth had grown tender and sore.

Doctors suggested he undergo a biopsy, but still assured him that it was “a 95 percent chance it was nothing,” Chapman said.

It turned out that Chapman fell in the remaining 5 percent range and was diagnosed with a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“It’s not one of the ones they can cure,” he said.

However, doctors removed the lymphoma and for now, Chapman is cancer-free. But while doctors told him it would likely return in three to four years, Chapman is living what he calls the best part of his life right now.

“I’m fortunate to have the cancer just disappear. I’m very fortunate,” he said. “This has been the greatest four-year period you could ever imagine.”

Chapman teaches Marketing at the college and for his 60th birthday, went skydiving with his family. He keeps himself busy, always moving on to the next thing.

“I always have projects going on,” he said. “I’m always doing things.”

He knows the cancer will some day return, but he knows how to beat it. He said he no longer lives in fear.

“I’m going to be happy all the way to the end,” he said.

2007 marks the third year that Lipert will take part in the relay. Last year was her first as a participant, and her first as Noodles the Clown.

A breast cancer survivor, Lipert has blown full steam into a quest that she hopes will leave a legacy for others.

“I want to leave something behind,” she said.

A former New York stand-up comic, Lipert joined the Red Hat Society after she moved to Texas. While attending the Tomball Holiday Parade a few years ago, Lipert enjoyed a performance by a group of clowns.

“So I decided I wanted to go to clown school,” she said.

She attended the school and performs as Noodles at parties and events. She also writes articles for magazines and newspapers. She also has had a recipe published in a book featuring recipes by other stand-up comics.

Like Chapman and Angel, Lipert encourages others to be proactive in preventing cancer. They say any abnormality should be checked out, any test, no matter how unpleasant, should be taken.

“People really need to know their bodies,” Chapman said.

Angel had not shown any symptoms prior to her diagnosis.

“That is the one thing I wish somebody would understand,” she said. “A lot of these tests they want you to have, if you go, you’ve got a better chance.”

Lipert is adamant in her belief that every woman should get mammograms every year.

She did, for years, with negative results each time. But all it took was one more test.

“Whey then tell you, you think you’re going to die,” she said. “You’re in shock.”

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2001 and endured six weeks of radiation therapy. Doctors extracted two rows of lymph nodes to make sure the cancer wouldn’t spread. Now, Lipert suffers from lymphodema in her right arm, which causes swelling and prevents her from using it for heavy lifting, giving blood, and any sort of procedure that requires a needle.

“Now, I take nothing and pray,” she said.

For Angel, being diagnosed with colon cancer and surviving it, and a major heart attack brought on by the chemotherapy, has changed her outlook on life.

“We all think, I guess, that it’s the other guy,” she said. “But it’s a very humbling experience because you sure learn how important you are to other people, and how little control you have over anything.”

Angel is now cancer-free. She takes time to say “hi” to strangers. She’s friendlier, she says. And she takes value in the smaller things in life, such as the view from her office of a tree changing colors with the seasons.

“To me, cancer was always just something people died of,” she said. “But there are an awful lot of people who either live with it, or live in spite of it.”

Registration is now underway for next year’s Relay for Life. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.

Zoning meeting
The Tomball Zoning Commission will hold an open house Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Community Center, located at 221 Market St. The public will have an opportunity to review and discuss the proposed zoning ordinance and map with members of the Zoning Commission and consultants. View the information online at www.ci.tomball.tx.us.

Fall Festival
Decker Prairie Elementary will hold its 2007 Fall Festival Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will include moonwalks, an obstacle course, games, food, a silent auction and more. Admission is free. The event is sponsored by the school staff and PTO. The school is located at 27427 Decker Prairie-Rosehill Road.

New evidence surfaces in 20-year-old murder case

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

Twenty years after his death, police believe new DNA evidence in the murder of Jasbir Singh, 33, could lead them to a suspect.

Jasbir Singh

Montgomery County Sheriff’s detectives have reopened the cold case with new evidence as a result of DNA testing and are requesting assistance from the public in finding a suspect.

On Nov. 30, 1987, Singh was a night guard at Tubular Protection of America (TPA), then located in the 32000 block of FM 149 in Pinehurst.

According to the police report, Singh made a call to TPA’s vice president between 1 and 3 a.m. and reported that two male trespassers had entered the building and taken some property, but had left without seeing him (Singh).

Singh reportedly recognized one of the men, but did not name him to his superior, who told Singh to lock up the plant and that they would talk in the morning.

When TPA employees arrived at 5:30 a.m. “the employees heard moaning and observed Singh lying on the shop floor just inside the door (to the employees lounge) in a pool of blood,” said Det. Thomas Duroy.

Missing from the shop were a Mettler digital scale and a Toshiba multi-line telephone. Singh’s watch and cash were still on his body along with his personal papers and time cards, said Duroy. However, Singh’s plant keys and car keys were missing, though his vehicle was still in the parking lot.

An ambulance was called, but Singh was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed that he died from stab wounds to the chest and head, along with suffering a skull fracture. Crime Scene Investigators collected a single hair from a possible suspect from Singh’s bloody left hand.

“It was apparent that a violent confrontation had taken place and Singh’s killer(s) had very close contact with Singh’s body during the attack,” said Duroy.

No suspects were identified in 1987 and TPA later burned down and was not rebuilt.

“It is believed that TPA’s owners returned to their country of origin,” said Duroy.

Detectives began to focus on fresh cases and Singh’s homicide became a cold case.

When the Cold Case Squad was established in Montgomery County in May of 2006, Duroy, along with Det. Terance Greenwood, reopened the case and submitted the evidence for DNA testing.

Those tests produced a full male DNA profile extracted from the hair, which did not belong to Singh.

Detectives believe that someone has information that will provide a name that can be linked by DNA technology.

Any information can be reported anonymously to Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-392-STOP (7867) or log on to www.montgomerycountycrimestoppers.org.

Lt. Chris Jones of the Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constables Office introduced the Magnolia Independent CrimeStoppers Program at the Oct. 16 meeting of the Magnolia Rotary Club. Anyone having information on a crime can call 281-356-SAVE (7283) to make an anonymous report. The program is a partnership of Montgomery County CrimeStoppers, which provides all rewards, Prosperity Bank, which facilitates the payment of rewards, Pct. 5 Constables, who will handle investigations, and MISD, which is promoting the program at campus levels.
Photo by Cari Herr

Harris County Sheriff’s Office to hold auto theft prevention event

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting an Auto Theft Prevention Community Outreach on Nov. 14 at Greenspoint Mall near Luna’s Mexican Restaurant from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Auto Theft Task Force division, along with the Greater Greenspoint Management District, will be offering HEAT (Help End Auto Theft) registration to citizens.

Upon registration, a HEAT sticker will be affixed to citizens’ vehicles and will serve as notification to law enforcement that the vehicle may be stopped between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m.

Law enforcement will use this as an opportunity to ensure that a registered designated driver is driving the vehicle.

According to statistics, most vehicles are stolen within these hours. Police believe the presence of a sticker on a vehicle will serve as a theft deterrent. In addition to auto theft prevention information, general crime prevention materials will be available.

Contact Dep. Sandy Johnson at 281-446-4399 or Greater Greenspoint Management District Public Safety Manager Al Aranda at 281-874-2128 for more information.

Public hearing on Magnolia revitalization sets stage for election

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

A public hearing on the proposed Magnolia revitalization and retention park project was held Oct. 17 in anticipation of the Nov. 6 election with more than 50 people in attendance to review and comment on the current design options.

Justin Howard, design architect for Burditt

The Magnolia 4A Economic Development Corp. (4A) Steering Committee hosted the event. The hearing was a necessary part of the process 4A must conduct in its efforts to acquire voter approval to spend existing and future sales tax dollars on the project.

Though County Commissioner Craig Doyal is not involved in the revitalization portion of the project, approval by the county of the park’s layout was essential for Burditt Consultants, who was contracted by the 4A to prepare design plans in anticipation of the hearing.

The project is a partnership of community members and the city, county, parks department, and school district.

“This is a living, breathing project with room for flexibility and prioritizing of components,” said Justin Howard, design architect for Burditt.

Additional public comments are being accepted at magnolia@burditt.com. Designs are available for review at the Magnolia City Hall, located at 16835 FM 1488, Bldg. 1.

Project components have been assigned probable costs and could include:

• A conversion of the alley between FM 1774 and Commerce Street properties to what is being referred to as a Promenade, complete with outdoor rooms, pocket landscapes, drainage and water improvements;
• Streetscapes with special paving stones at crosswalks dotted with park benches and landscaping under low canopy trees;
• Public restrooms and parking at both ends of Commerce St. with 37 spaces at Goodson St. and 81 spaces at Betty Hall St.;
• A 38-acre retention pond and park with trails, picnic areas, splash zones, playgrounds and pavilions;
• Possible extensions of 4th Street and 6th Street to the retention park complex;
• A 7.8-acre covered horse arena;
• An 8.3-acre Pct. 2 annex, including a recycling center and county barn, combined with the Pct. 5 Constable’s Office and Justice of the Peace, Dist. 4 Sheriff’s Office, and county tax office;
• A new access road to county services, school district administration offices and ALPHA Academy.

Delores Crowe was excited about the project’s potential. “We are thrilled about seeing this town make improvements,” she said.

Others were impatient to get started. “I want it to be done yesterday,” said Celeste Graves. “It needs some beautification.”

Still others were relieved about the potential land use. “I’d rather have a park for a neighbor,” said Matthew Feinberg, who shares a property line with the proposed park.

A 30-minute question and answer session followed Burditt’s presentation.

Q&A: Magnolia revitalization and retention park project

How will the revitalization and retention park project be funded?
4A President Jonny Williams: Grant money from Texas Main Street Projects and Texas Parks and Wildlife, as well as fundraising and issuance of a bond to be paid back with sales tax dollars will determine the extent and expediency of the project’s progress.

Has the raised median design of the FM 1774 expansion been addressed with TxDOT?
Diane Wilson of Burditt: Karen Baker of TxDOT has been advised and the designs are being updated in accordance with input received at the public hearing.
Chamber Director Anne Sundquist: Some areas of the FM 1774 expansion will still have raised medians.

Is the land acquisition part of the probable cost analysis?
Williams: No. The school district owns the land, an appraisal is in process and they are willing to sell it.

Is there a time line?
Sovon Thou: According to TxDOT, the FM 1774 expansion will begin (at the Grimes County line) in 2010.
Justin Howard of Burditt: Completion of TxDOT plans are imminent. If the community is going to support the project, designs must be included in the TxDOT plans.

Will approval of Proposition 2 on the November ballot allow the 4A to participate in all aspects of the project?
4A Attorney Charlotte Drew: Yes. It allows 4A a broader definition of where it can spend its sales tax dollars.

Are the property owners on the proposed 4th and 6th Street extensions willing to donate right-of-way?
Williams: We have some commitments, but nothing in writing.

How will pedestrians gain access from the Promenade to the new park?
Howard: The distance is three-quarters of a mile and right-of-ways can include sidewalks.

Why is the Promenade designed as only 20 feet wide?
Drew: The 4A board has hired a company to undertake a title search to determine the ownership and available land for acquisition.
Howard: This is a flexible design with room for change.

What if there are buildings in the right-of-way?
Howard: The design concepts can be applied block by block and provide the city with a flexible approach to the project.

Tomball Bible Church welcomes a new Worship Pastor

Zach Florence and his wife, Amanda, recently joined Tomball Bible Church. Florence is a 2006 graduate of Texas A&M University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution. He began leading worship during his high school years for various church youth groups and Christian organizations. He has lead worship at Pine Cove Christian Camps in Tyler, Lake Highlands Church in Dallas and Garden Valley Baptist Church in Lindale to name a few.

Amanda and Zach Florence

Amanda is also a 2006 graduate of Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Zach and Amanda are looking forward to putting down roots in Tomball and serving the Tomball community through Tomball Bible Church.

“We are looking for a place to serve and to invest our lives,” Zach said.

Senior Pastor Jack Arrington said that they are “pleased to have found such a gifted young man to help us grow in worshiping.” Tomball Bible Church is located just off the intersection of Cherry and Oxford streets. Sunday worship service starts at 9:30 am and is followed by Bible classes for all ages at 11 a.m.

Salem breaks ground on community center during annual DeutschesFest

Salem Lutheran School held its annual DeutschesFest and groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 14 with a record crowd in attendance. The German-themed festival drew thousands of people from northwest Houston.

Children led the groundbreaking festivities in the giant sandbox where the foundation for the Community Center will be poured. Each child received a hardhat and shovel as a keepsake of the occasion.

The day included games, rides and activities, German cuisine, hot dogs, arts and crafts and live and silent auctions. The event raised more than $196,000 with the proceeds benefiting the educational needs and development of Salem Lutheran School.

Salem also broke ground on a new 90,000 square foot Community Center. The Community Center will house a Sports Recreation Center with a double gymnasium, fitness/health rooms, running/walking tracks and quality sports programming for adult and children’s athletic leagues.

It will also allow for large community gatherings, dinners and galas.

Plans for a new Children and Youth Center consist of large, functional, state-of-the-art auditoriums, using modern audio and video technology. Salem Early Childhood will grow into this new facility with an indoor playscape and large nursery care areas.

The Community Center also includes a wide atrium, food court and WiFi café and pedestrian mall from the Community Center to the Worship Center.

It is the desire of Salem ministries to use the facilities to meet the needs of a growing community and be the central hub of spiritual vitality in the northwest Houston community. The Center will focus on the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of children, youth and their families.

The anticipated grand opening is January 2009. For updates on the Community Center, visit salem4u.com, or 22601 Lutheran Church Road.

Cold case homicide investigations receive new life with DNA testing grant

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

The Cold Case Squad of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) recently received nearly $200,000 in grant money from the Department of Justice for its project “Solving Cold Cases with DNA.”

Det. Thomas Duroy, a 20-year MCSO veteran, and his partner, Det. Terance Greenwood, were responsible for writing the grant when the Cold Case Squad was established last year. At that time there were 70 unsolved murders dating back to 1978.

In 1990 the FBI lab was the only one in the nation conducting modern DNA testing. It became widely used in Montgomery County in 1994.

As seen on some popular television shows, crime scene investigators (CSI’s) still rely heavily on microscopic comparison to narrow the evidence to two or three DNA samples that may belong to a suspect.

A hair root or body tissue is preferable in studying DNA of which there are two types: nuclear or mitochondrial. Nuclear DNA testing is the less expensive of the two.

The irony is that “CSI shows have an impact on the public in that it educates people, and some of those may be the criminals,” said Duroy.

A homicide becomes a cold case for a number of reasons. If a murder is unsolved and more than 5 years old, or if the original lead detective transfers out of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), a case may turn “cold.”

“The grant provides overtime money to pay crime scene investigators to process evidence,” Duroy said.

The purpose of the grant is to lessen the burden on the county taxpayers and to expose evidence in cold cases to the latest available technology and enter it into the DNA databases.

“What the grant has done is given us the funds to subject the evidence to the latest technology in DNA testing with a quick turnaround in results,” Duroy added.

The vices that are commonly used in murder, such as ligatures (rope, duct tape and pantyhose), create friction in the hands and embed skin cells into the materials. If packaged properly, those skin cells can remain on the evidence forever, at least in theory.

“Twenty years ago you could do little with that,” Duroy said. “Today it is the most important piece of evidence we have.”

At the onset of a homicide investigation, CSI’s perform ballistics processing, collect hair and fiber from clothing and use lasers to identify biological stains on car seat covers or clothing so that DNA can be identified and applied.

However, the process is time consuming and, due to staffing constraints, results can take up to a year at the state’s DNA lab, or as long as two years at the FBI’s DNA lab, said Duroy.

Under the grant, the Cold Case Squad contracts with Identigene Laboratories, a private lab in Houston, for the bulk of its DNA testing. The turn around is a week to 30 days.

More and more cold case murders are being resolved with the collection of DNA swabs at state penitentiaries. Swabs from each prisoner are taken for processing, with results being entered into the state database, which links to the national database managed by the FBI.

“It’s such a useful tool,” said Duroy. “We are receiving hits routinely now on cases that may be 10 years old.”

The end result is that a criminal may not go to jail now, but may later and be caught and charged for a new crime.

“Cold case detectives are the advocates of the victim,” Duroy said. “We’ll never stop. Someday very soon, through DNA, they may be able to tell us the suspect’s hair color and eye color. It’s around the corner.”

Christian Youth Theatre presents ‘The Wizard of Oz’

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

Adventure awaits Magnolia’s Lacey Russell and Tomball’s Amy Henderson “somewhere over the rainbow,” in the November theater production of “The Wizard of Oz,” presented by Christian Youth Theater (CYT).

Pictured above, the cast of “The Wizard of Oz.” Submitted Photo

Russell, 16, of Magnolia, will play Glinda the Good Witch of the North, while Henderson, 19, of Tomball, will play the Wicked Witch of the West.

Other cast members include Erin Hallford of Spring as Dorothy, Kyle Bostick as the Wizard, Austin Murry as the Tin Man, Ben Miller as the Scrarecrow and Thomas Miller as the Cowardly Lion, all of The Woodlands.

“Amy and Lacey are two of 65 kids who have put in over 80 hours of rehearsal time and 20 hours of CYT theater classes in drama, musical theater, improv, dance, or voice,” said Cherie Minerie, CYT National Marketing Director.

This is Russell’s third CYT production. She has also played roles at CYT as Annabelle in “Robin Hood” and Lady Winnefred in “The Legend of Pocahontas,” and in Class Act's production of “Suessical.”

Henderson tours internationally with Ballet Excelsior and is a choreographer for CYT. She also teaches advanced musical theater and drama at Excelsior School of Dance. This is her final production with CYT.

CYT is a non-profit after school theater arts program established in 1981 that offers training to children in the various aspects of the performing arts and is funded primarily through its tuition, ticket sales and outside contributions.

All students from age 6 to 18, whether in public or private education, may participate in training classes, summer camps and special programs. Slated for spring 2008 are Tom Sawyer in February and Beauty and the Beast in April.

“CYT has 11 branches in 26 states,” Menerie said. “It is the largest youth theater fellowship nationwide.”

According to Paul Russell, Founder and Artistic Director, CYT is about “helping kids to explore their spiritual side, while learning to work as a team and accomplishing something that is much bigger than you could do on your own.”

The Broadway musical production will take place at Tomball Bible Church, located at 400 N. Walnut St. Group tickets for the Nov. 2 matinee shows at 9 and 11:45 a.m. are $5.

Regular show tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children in advance. Door tickets are subject to availability and are $2 more than the advance ticket price. Show times are Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. only.

Tickets are available at Klein Supermarket in Tomball or online at www.cythouston.org. For more information, call 832-338-5869.

From the Book of Clifford

By Clifford Parker
Contributing Writer

Misspoken words are sometimes funny. I want to relate five short stories to you that I still laugh at every time I think about them.

Many years ago, my wife and I were on a vacation away from the mainland. We were in need of some All-American fast food, so we found the local Burger King.

As we approached the counter after waiting in a long line, my wife promptly placed her order.

She said, “I’ll have a Big Mac!”

Needless to say, most of the patrons developed a smile on their face as I busted out with laugher. The cashier quickly reminded my wife she was standing inside a Burger King.

A place I enjoy eating lunch sometimes is down at the local Blueberry Patch. (By the way, can you believe they have celebrated more than 14 years in Tomball?!)

A lot of the local eating establishments read these weekly articles and I have had the pleasure of meeting most of the owners. As I began to leave the restaurant, Tony asked me how Leon, my bull, was doing.

I said, “Well, he’s okay, but not in the best of shape.”

Tony promptly replied, “Are you going to make pork chops out of him?”

We both laughed at his mistake!

When I was a little boy just learning to read, my mom took me to a drive-in for summertime refreshment. It was a Mom-and-Pop location similar to the old Prince’s Hamburger.

I had recently begun the learning process of reading and was practicing on anything I could see. As my mom placed her order and turned to me, I proudly announced I would have one of those free smiles.

A sign posted in their window gave the prices of their items sold and at the bottom of the sign the words were posted, “Smiles Free.”

Have you ever heard the saying “You’re gonna have a lot of trouble on your hands?”

My wife was talking to a young lady on the phone the other day. This woman is carrying her first child and was relating to my wife the emotional stress involved with pregnancy. Together they laughed. This lady and her husband were having a new floor installed in their kitchen and the floor crew had stood her up a couple of times in a row.

She was rightfully upset and fussed at them and told them over the phone “that if they didn’t get out to her house right away they were going to have one mad pregnant woman on their feet!”

My son was going on a short driving trip toward Huntsville. He has developed a pretty good mental picture of the north, south, east and west directions in his mind. I wanted to be real sure he understood that Huntsville was north and I-45 and I-59 both ran in a somewhat north and south direction.

I opened the map on the counter in our kitchen and announced to him, “Come over here, Son, and look at this map because I want you to have a good mental picture of this in your mouth!”

One that I may have told you before, but I still laugh at myself every time I think about it. I know you have heard the story of how sorry people feel for themselves for not having any shoes until they meet a man with no feet, or they complain about not having any gloves until they meet a man with no hands.

Well, I was teaching an adult Sunday School class relating this story and I got a bit carried away with my own comment, “I complained about not having a hat until I met a man with no head!”

Needless to say, I lost the attention of my class for the rest of the lesson with laughter.

-- Clifford

Waller Bulldogs hammer Hornets 49-6

The Waller Bulldogs continued their winning ways Oct. 12 with a resounding 49-6 victory over a strong Huntsville Hornets squad. The Bulldogs, now 5-2 on the season and 3-0 in district play, have put themselves in a commanding position for playoff contention.

Offensively, the Bulldogs had their best outing of the season, rolling up 544 yards of total offense.

The offense was led by Kennedy Vongphakdy, who had his best game on the offensive line. Jeremy Phillips ran the ball 15 times for 91 yards while completing 9 of 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremy Luckett and Byron Abbs combined for 170 yards on 15 carries. Luckett scored twice, and Abbs scored once.

Joplo Bartu caught six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell Kapalske contributed with a touchdown reception, while Stephen Williams caught two passes for 42 yards.

Defensively, the Bulldogs had their fifth consecutive game of holding an opposing offense to seven points or less. Huntsville had 169 total-yards and only averaged 1.96 yards per rush. Robert Loewe picked off three Hornet passes. Eddie Brown, Josh Poyer, Byron Abbs, Jacob Dodd, Jerrad Jefferson, Scott Thourot, Josh Dorsey, Loewe, Josh Haines, Kenny Wendt, and Brandon Goebel all provided big stops throughout the evening.

The Hornets came out and scored on the first drive of the ball game, but Goebel, Brown, Jefferson, and Poyer had particularly striking hits that seemed to make Huntsville want to call it a night early. Goebel also contributed on special teams by booming numerous kickoffs into the back of the end zone.

The Magnolia West varsity girls cross country team recently made history at Camp Misty Meadows, earning the school’s first varsity championship trophy by winning the Willis Invitational. The Lady Mustangs were paced by the sixth-place finish of sophomore Rachel Melton (pictured), who covered the two-mile course in a personal best time of 12 minutes, 28 seconds to help the team score 81 points, nine better than La Porte and 11 better than the defending 18-4A champion and new league rival Montgomery.
Submitted Photo

Cougars still winless after 41-0 rout by Klein Oak

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The Tomball Cougars were the latest victim to the juggernaut that is the 2007 Klein Oak Panthers. The Cougars were on the short end of a 41-0 shellacking Oct. 13, dropping Tomball to 0-7 overall and 0-2 in district.

The win keeps the Panthers undefeated at 6-0 on the season and ranked third in the Houston area.

The Panthers used a bruising ground attack and a stifling defense on their way to the blowout victory.

Klein Oak’s Ossam Cook and Terrence Robinson both ran wild on the Cougar defense, gaining 176 and 147 yards, respectively. The Panthers amassed an incredible 432 yards on the ground as a team on their way to 524 yards of total offense. Conversely, the Cougars were held to just 64 yards on the ground and 112 through the air.

The Cougars played an inspiring first half, allowing the Panthers to score only once, a 2-yard run by Robinson midway through the first quarter.

Going into halftime down by only a touchdown, the Cougars were no doubt thinking upset.

But the Panthers came out of halftime rejuvenated and scored three touchdowns in four minutes to put the game out of reach. Cougar quarterback Chad Tarhini threw a pair of costly interceptions that led to Panther touchdowns.

Tarhini finished the game 8 for 21 with 112 yards passing.

Tomball’s Jordan Leslie had a solid game, catching seven passes for 98 yards.

Despite the convincing win, the Panthers hurt themselves by committing 11 penalties for 107 yards.

The Cougars next play Nov. 1 when they travel to play Klein Collins at 7 p.m.

Magnolia approves termination of ECO Resources contract

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

With demand for localized utility services on the rise in Magnolia, residents will get what they have been asking for following an Oct. 9 approval by City Council to terminate its contract with ECO Resources in lieu of a new contract with TNG Utility Corp. for city services.

Chip Callegari, president of TNG, presented the council with a proposal to provide services to Magnolia beginning Nov. 1, which was unanimously approved.

“With the problems we are having with ECO, TNG is a good alternative,” said Mayor Jimmy Thornton. “TNG is local, customers can call someone direct and it saves us (the city) money.”

Public Works official David Coburn, in conjunction with Thornton, identified several issues with ECO, primarily surrounding bill and trip charges for customer service.

The average response time for service from ECO is an hour and a half, with service drivers coming out of Sugar Land and costing as much as $150, said Thornton. Inspection fees are higher, and residents are charged a $1 fee if paying a bill through local grocers.

“ECO services are more expensive,” said Thornton, who notified ECO by certified letter of the contract termination effective Nov. 13.

TNG is located in Spring and provides an average response time for service calls of 15 minutes. When calling TNG customer service, customers will speak with a “live body,” said Callegari.

Additionally, TNG is to provide a revised bill format that breaks down services and kilowatt-hours of electricity usage.

City Attorney Leonard Schneider requested a confirmation that the city’s merchant processing agreement would remain in tact and that customers would still be able to pay bills through local grocers.

“All indications are that the merchant processing agreement will remain, as well as the local grocery accepting payments,” said City Secretary LuAnn Drake. “The only thing we are not certain of as of this date is whether or not there will be any delay of making payments at the local grocery. TNG is working hard to meet all deadlines in order to make the transfer as smooth as possible.”

The Magnolia Rotary recognized its Students of the Month for October at the club’s meeting on Oct. 16. Pictured (left to right), Rotary President Rosemary Mooney, senior Josh Loucks, Magnolia High School Principal Jeff Springer and senior Erynn Frenchak. The students were “commended in recognition of outstanding academic promise,” said Springer. He added that both students scored a 34 of 36 on the ACT this year. Frenchak ranks 12 and Loucks ranks 25 out of 617 in the Class of 2008. Award recipients are eligible to be selected for a Rotary college scholarship.
Photo by Cari Herr

Analysts project natural gas abundance for early 2008

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

The city of Magnolia recently approved a six-month agreement with Spark Energy L.P. for electricity at 7.91 cents per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh).

The city powers 17 lift stations, two city hall facilities, the Magnolia Depot, and the sewer and water treatment plants, said city accounting clerk Beverly Standley.

Due to a projected warm winter, a natural gas glut is anticipated for January 2008 that could result in dramatically reduced electricity prices, said Alan Lammey, a natural gas market analyst for Spark Energy. He added that 70 percent of electricity comes from natural gas powered energy.

The city has been buying electricity from CenterPoint at 12.49 cents p/kWh.

Comparative rates were received on Oct. 20 from Reliant, who offered a 10.7-cent rate p/kWh under a two-year contract, which the city did not accept.

According to Lammey, through a “blend and extend agreement,” the city could potentially lock in future rate reductions with Spark for up to five years, amortizing any existing contract balance over the life of the new agreement.

Constitutional amendments highlight ‘07 election

By Brian Walzel
Editor

On Nov. 6, Texas voters will go to the polls to vote on a number of constitutional amendments. Of the 16 propositions on the ballot, several will directly affect the Northwest Harris and Southern Montgomery County areas, including a $1 billion bond proposal for “maintenance, improvement, repair and construction projects.” Early voting is offered beginning today through Nov. 2.

The Haunted Depot and Scary Caboose Halloween event will be going on at Magnolia's Historic Depot in Downtown Magnolia on Halloween night, October 31st from 6:30pm until 9pm.  Visit www.historicmagnolia.com for details.