Tomball names former LAPD captain Hauck new police chief

By Brian Walzel
Editor

After a three-month search and evaluating more than 100 applicants, the city of Tomball finally has a new police chief. Robert S. Hauck was unanimously approved by the city council at a May 5 meeting to replace Michael Blake, who resigned from the position in March to take over as police chief of the city of Kyle, Texas.

Robert Hauck

Hauck comes to Tomball after 20 years working with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he began his law enforcement career as a police officer. He was later promoted to captain and assistant commanding officer of the Metropolitan Division. Hauck was also the major events coordinator and incident commander for the city of Los Angeles and was a grant reviewer for the Department of Homeland Security.

“Tomball is very fortunate to have Robert Hauck as our chief of police,” City Manager Jan Belcher said. “Hauck brings a level of education, training and experience that will take the Tomball Police Department to a new level for the benefit of the citizens.”

“He is widely known in the LAPD as a developer of people,” Belcher said. “He also believes in community-oriented policing and in making sure the programs and projects developed by the department have a direct impact on making Tomball a safer place for all.”

Hauck and his wife, who was a homicide detective with the LAPD, had been contemplated moving for some time, likely by the time their daughter finished the eighth grade, he said. They considered a number of places, including spots in Northern California and Virginia, but decided on Magnolia after having visited the area several times over the years to visit family.

The initial plan was for Hauck to move from L.A. to Magnolia while his daughter and wife stayed behind until the school year had been completed. He was in search of a police chief position and expected to be job hunting for about six months, Hauck said.

But after reading of Blake’s resignation in the Tribune, Hauck quickly sought out Belcher to put his name in the hat. He said the interview process for the candidates was exhausting and thorough.

“It was a grueling, comprehensive, well-thought out process,” he said. “I haven’t had to look for a job in 20 years.”

Hauck said he met with members of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce, Tomball residents, business leaders, and members of the faith communities to get a sense of the important issues in Tomball. “It was just a great opportunity to get a feel for the community,” he said. “That really made it even that much more exciting. I felt that this was a match made in heaven.”

Hauck acknowledged that living and working in the Tomball and Magnolia areas would be quite a change from working in Los Angeles, but it’s a change he said he is comfortable with.

“It is quite a change in a lot of ways,” he said. “But the one thing about L.A., it’s a lot of smaller communities in a larger city. I’m also from a very small, rural community from Indiana. It’s something I’m comfortable with, the type of community I was raised in.”

Hauck earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Science degree in Management from Johns Hopkins University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the West Point Leadership Program. Hauck also served for nine years in the U.S. Army Reserve Corp, Criminal Investigations Division and was a firearms instructor for both the Police Executive Research Forum and the West Point Leadership Program.

Boys of Girls Country of Houston held its annual Spring Festival on May 3. The event included rides, games, live music, a live auction, and more. Houston Astro All-Star Lance Berkman also attended the festival. The event helped raise money for Boys and Girls Country. Pictured, a young boy pets a donkey at a petting zoo.
Photo by Nancy Nygaard

City council turns off digital billboards

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The city of Tomball is cracking down on a new fad in billboards: the electronic light displays that are suddenly flashing throughout town.

At its May 5 meeting, the city council took the first step in banning “Changeable Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS)” when they adopted an ordinance prohibiting the signs.

Calling it a “source of distraction” for drivers within the city, City Planner Kelly Violette said that without some sort of enforcement, FM 2920 and SH 249 would “look like Las Vegas Boulevard.”

Violette said that so far, about eight CEVMS have been spotted in the city. With the passage of the ordinance, those signs would remain, but be considered non-conforming. Usage of the signs by businesses was made possible by a February ruling by the Texas Department of Transportation. Shortly after, Violette said, Tomball administrators began looking into the possibility of prohibiting the signs.

The primary reason for banning digital signs is for safety concerns, Violette said. She explained that drivers were more likely to be distracted by colorful, flashing billboards. Another reason was for “aesthetic purposes.”

She added that while some businesses may complain that the ban may have a negative impact on the customers they receive, both Kingwood and The Woodlands have adopted similar measures with good results.

“They have fared very well,” she said.

The ordinance approved by council calls for a $2,000 fine for each day of violation.

Two of Waller High School’s outstanding senior softball players, Christine Brumley and Sarah Holub, officially signed national letters of intent April 10 to play at Texas A&M Kingsville and University of the Incarnate Word, respectively. Pictured, Brumley (seated, second from left) and Holub (seated, second from right) pose while signing with a crowd of supporters including their parents, select team coaches, high school coaches, and WISD Administrators.
Submitted Photo

Copper wire thefts continue as demand increases

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

The theft of copper wire has been around for decades. However, in recent months the number of cases the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office sees that deal with the theft of copper wire has been on the rise.

“This isn’t just countywide, it’s a statewide problem,” District 4 Lt. Art Galloway said.

With the value of copper at over $3 a pound at recycling shops, the police department is seeing reports of stolen copper wire frequently.

“The only way to curb this is to eliminate the recycling of copper,” Detective Keith Funderburk said.

Copper is a regulated metal, along with aluminum and bronze. Right now, Funderburk said, there is a high demand for copper.

“When there is a demand, people will pay more for it, so criminals will get more money for it,” Funderburk said.

Copper wire can be found in homes as well as in businesses. It is also found in telephone poles.

Funderburk said that one new house under construction can be stripped of its copper wire which can be sold for around $10,000.

“As long as the economy continues as it is, with everything being so expensive, we are obviously going to see more theft,” Funderburk said.

Thieves commonly steal copper wire from air conditioning units outside of businesses and houses.

“When prices go up, everything else goes up as well, including crime,” Funderburk said.

In the past year, Funderburk estimates that the area has seen close to $1 million in loss and damage due to copper wire thefts.

Construction begins on Fish Creek Thoroughfare

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

Construction is set to begin today on the highly anticipated Fish Creek Thoroughfare, a bridge that will stretch north and south through Montgomery County and through the new Woodforest development.

Construction will begin May 12 on the Lake Creek Bridge. The yearlong project will complete the Fish Creek Thoroughfare that will connect Tomball and Conroe.

The project should take approximately one year to complete, Precinct 2 County Commissioner Craig Doyal said. The contractor for the project is Smith & Company of Conroe.

According to Doyal, the quarter-mile Lake Creek Bridge and connections will cost $4.3 million, which is being paid for by county bonds.

While bridge construction is underway, the final 1.5-mile stretch of the thoroughfare will also be paved. Improvement work has already been completed on the existing sections of the roadway. Lanes have been widened to 12 feet with an additional three-foot shoulder on each side of the road.

“I am excited to see this project finally underway,” Doyal said. “It will be a wonderful asset to the county.”

The bridge has been a part of the county’s mobility plan since 1985. Funding was secured through a 2004 tax bond election.

“In the past, we’ve never had funding for construction of this roadway,” Doyal said.

Necessary construction permits for the bridge, which crosses a flood plain, took nearly two years to obtain.

“The thoroughfare will create a connection from SH 105 to FM 2920 in a corridor parallel to I-45,” Doyal said. “Hopefully this will ease some congestion in Montgomery County.”

Fish Creek Thoroughfare, once complete, will run north through Woodforest, a new 3,000 acre master planned development, and north to FM 2854.

“Fish Creek Thoroughfare is critical to the success of Woodforest and to the safety of Montgomery County residents,” Virgil Yoakum, general manager of Woodforest, said.

Woodforest is located six miles south of Conroe.

The Fish Creek Thoroughfare will be the first major north and south thoroughfare connecting Conroe and Tomball.

Cougars Baseball Playoff Update

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The Tomball Cougars’ baseball and softball teams got off to opposing starts in their weekend playoff series, with the Cougar baseball team dropping its first game against Cedar Park and the Lady Cougar softball team winning its opening contest against Spring.

After upsetting perennial state power The Woodlands Highlanders in the opening round of the Region 2 playoffs, two games to one, the Cougars moved on to face Cedar Hill in a best of three match-up in the second round.

Game One of the series was held at Cedar Park, where the Timberwolves came away with a 1-0 victory behind an impressive outing by pitcher Britt Robertshaw, who tossed a complete game one-hitter.

The final two games of the series were held at Tomball High School on May 10. Results were unavailable at press time.

The winner of the Cedar Park-Tomball series will face either Lufkin or Bryan in the regional quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the Lady Cougars softball team enjoyed more success than their male counterparts. The Lady Cougars opened their best-of-three series against Spring with a 4-2 victory.

The second and, if necessary, third game of the series was held Friday at Klein Oak High School. Results of those games were unavailable at press time last week.

Tomball High School French II student Marlene Morales looks at native dresses from Mexico as part of a three-day multicultural lesson for students taking German, French and Spanish. Each class researched the history, government, economics, food, music, art and clothing from Mexico, Costa Rica or Puerto Rico and decorated their classrooms with items from each country. The students in each class visited the decorated classrooms and learned about the customs and culture of the three countries.
Submitted Photo

LSC to celebrate 50th Anniversary of Summer Reading Program

The Lone Star College–Tomball Community Library is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Texas Summer Reading Program for children, while providing exciting summer reading programs for teens and adults as well.

Programs for the Children’s 2008 Texas Reading Club and the Texas Teens Read ’08 are sponsored by the Tomball Friends of the Library and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Activities will be available throughout the summer for children, teens, and adults. Game On for Teens will include Movie Night, Game Day and a Mother-Daughter Book Club. iReader, the Adult Summer Reading Program, will feature Lois Gibson, renowned forensic artist and true crime author.

In addition, library staff will be visiting local retirement homes to bring the joy of reading to residents. The Summer Reading Program Jubilee will feature programs for children such as puppet shows, magicians, storytellers, and movie days. Registration for the Summer Reading Program begins on June 6. The Library will host a Summer Reading Kick-off Party on June 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two performances by John Erickson, author of the “Hank the Cowdog,” series will be at 1 and 2:30 p.m.

Free tickets to the performances may be picked up at the library one week before the event. There will be many activities that day, including Playhouse 1960’s “Seussical the Musical” performers and a Reader’s Theatre. Games include Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Wii Sports.

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Chemical spill at THS sends 20 to hospital

By Brian Walzel
Editor

A chemical spill in a Tomball High School science lab sent 20 teachers and students to the hospital May 9.

According to Tomball ISD Spokesperson Staci Stanfield, the accident occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. when a teacher was preparing for a science lab.

The teacher was moving a cart when a container filled with amyl alcohol spilled on her clothes. She immediately went to the nurse’s office for treatment.

As a precaution, five students and 13 teachers who the teacher came in contact with on her way to the clinic were taken to Tomball Regional Hospital for treatment.

The Tomball Fire Department was called to the scene to clean up the spill. By the time they arrived, much of the school had been evacuated, according to Chief Randy Parr.

“Northwest EMS was notified after our command staff received word that the school nurse’s office was treating the teacher that had initially been exposed to the chemical,” Parr said.

The teachers and students were examined by EMS and transported by Northwest, Cypress Creek and Montgomery County Hospital District EMS agencies to Tomball Regional Hospital for further evaluation.

After the evacuation of nearly 1,700 students from the northern portion of the building, two more students complained of possible contact. They were also taken to the hospital.

According to Stanfield, all but one teacher had been released from the hospital as of press time last week.

“None have life threatening symptoms,” Parr added.

The students in the southern portion of the school were “sheltered and placed,” a procedure the district utilizes during a chemical spill that keeps students locked in their classrooms, with the air conditioning off, and no one allowed in or out.

Amyl alcohol is a colorless liquid with a strong, alcohol-like smell and is flammable.

It is considered slightly hazardous when it comes in contact with skin. It can also irritate the eyes.

According to the Fire Department, “higher concentrations may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and shortness of breath.”

The scene was later turned over to a hazardous materials remediation company for final cleanup, the Fire Department reported. The students returned to classes in the building with only the chemistry area remaining closed.

Tomball red light cameras go live, city offers 30-day grace period for violators

The city of Tomball announced last week the introduction of its “Code Red” automated red light photo enforcement initiative, a traffic safety program designed to “save lives and significantly reduce injury accidents and the devastating cost associated with red light running,” the Tomball Police Department said in a press release.

The Tomball Police Department (TPD), with the assistance of RedFlex Traffic Solutions, has identified key intersections throughout the city of Tomball as potentially hazardous intersections due to the high frequency of red light running and intersection accidents. RedFlex has installed photo enforcement cameras at FM 2920 at SH 249 and SH 249 at Zion Road during the initial phase of the “Code Red” initiative. Additional intersection locations include SH 249 at Alice Road and SH 249 at Brown Road pending final construction of Tomball Expressway.

A conscious effort to obtain community input through multiple public forums, including the Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, Mobility and Transportation Committee, and the Pachyderm Luncheon, was conducted by the TPD in which presentations were given defining the concept of automated red light photo enforcement.

“Each presentation received overwhelming positive support from the members in attendance,” the TPD said.

As the city enters the 30-day grace period for the automated photo enforcement program, which will run through June 5, only “warning notices” will be mailed to the registered owners of vehicles photographed entering intersections after the traffic light has turned red. After the warning period is complete, registered owners of vehicles committing red light violations will be mailed a civil summons by RedFlex, notifying them of the violation. The fine associated with the summons is $75.

Photo-enforcement has become a vital law enforcement tool for contemporary policing agencies to increase road safety. Independent statistical analysis by The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety from 2005 found that red light-related crashes resulted in more 165,000 deaths and injuries annually. In an earlier study, the Institute found that red light cameras offer a significant deterrent effect while reducing the number of actual violations by 40 to 50 percent at red light intersections.

Woman’s search for long lost father turns to Tomball

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

Many take the ability to know their father for granted.

Amanda Harrison, 20, hasn’t had that luxury. She has been searching for hers since a doctor’s diagnosis advised her to find her biological father a year and a half ago. Harrison has a condition known as ureteritis, a disease that started as a kidney infection.

This photo, taken in 1987, shows Bill Harrison with his daughter, Amanda.

Harrison was asked by her doctor if she knew anyone that could possibly donate a kidney. Her mother, as well as several aunts and uncles, had hepatitis at a young age, so they couldn’t be possible donors. Being an only child, Harrison’s only other choice was her father.

“I’ve always wanted to know if I had brothers or sisters, but the diagnosis made me realize that I need to try to contact him,” Harrison said.

Harrison was born in 1987 in Houston. Her mother soon moved to Illinois to help care for Harrison’s ailing grandmother. Her father wanted to stay in Texas, so her parents decided to go their separate ways. Harrison went to Illinois with her mother and continues to live there today. Harrison’s mother and father haven’t spoken since 1988.

“My mother always told me that she wanted me to meet my father only if I wanted to find him. Now that I’m older, I’m making that decision on my own,” Harrison said.

Harrison has been trying to find her father in many ways. She sent letters to her father’s Tomball address, but received no response.

She also has done searches on the Internet and called and sent letters to people with the same name as her father, William Martin Harrison, that are listed in the phone book.

“I’m doing this for myself,” Harrison said. “I want to know my biological father.”

Harrison’s father lived in Tomball, where his family lived, shortly after she was born. He was in his late 40s or early 50s at the time. Her father has two brothers, Gary and Michael Harrison.

The only family member to have constant contact with her father was her uncle, Davy Lee. He sent pictures of Harrison to her father yearly when Harrison was a child. Lee passed away in 2000.

“This disease can alter my life,” Harrison said. “If something goes wrong and I need a transplant, he may be the only hope I have.”

Harrison was raised by her mother until she was 11, when her mother married her stepfather.

“My stepfather is great,” Harrison said. “He is my dad. He’s taken care of me since the day he and my mom married.”

Although approximately 7.4 million Americans have a kidney disease, only about 12 percent of women are affected by ureteritis, according to www.answers.com.

Anyone with information about William Harrison can contact Amanda Harrison at amanda@pioneer-railcorp.com.

Local cooking team fires up grill for cancer research

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The Texas Proud Redneck Cooking Team is much more than it’s self-deprecating name may imply. The team, made up of Victor Stephens, John Newell, and Johnny Swope, formed about a year ago not only to feed the masses with savory barbecue, but also to help out a worthy cause.

Members of the Texas Proud Redneck Cooking Team John Newell (far left), Victor Stephens (third from left), and Johnny Swope (third from right) pose with sponsors at a recent cook-off.

“We’ve all been cookers for years, and the group decided last year to get together,” Stephens, who lives in the Tomball area, said. “But we all decided we wanted to do it for a reason.”

The cooking team donates all of its proceeds to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for breast cancer research, an act among teams that Stephens says is “very uncommon.”

Since its inception, the Texas Proud Redneck Cooking Team has participated in about a half dozen cook-offs, and has walked away with a variety of trophies, including a recent Rookies of the Year win.

But while the success of the team is certainly enjoyed by its members, Stephens added, the bigger picture is more important.

“We’ve got enough titles, but we like cooking,” he said. “If we’re going to get out and spend several weekends a year doing this, we want to do it for a reason.”

Stephens said that it was a little too early to tell how much the team’s first donation would amount to since there were still several events the team had signed up to participate in, including the annual Strawberry Festival coming this weekend.

The team is completely non-profit and relies on private donations and sponsorships, which Stephens said is quickly increasing.

“This thing’s really got some legs and is beginning to grow,” he said.

Last week the team was invited to cook at its first private function, held by NAME and NAME who, gave the team a “sizeable” donation, Stephens said.

“We’re just proud to do our part and be associated with other people who give their time for breast cancer research.”

The Magnolia Youth Livestock Show awarded scholarships to four local high school seniors this year. Tasha Hobbs will graduate from home school and plans to attend the University of Dallas and study art therapy. Aimee Cruz, a Magnolia High School graduate, plans to attend Sam Houston State University to study Agricultural Education. Courtney Artmann, a Magnolia High School graduate, plans to attend Sam Houston State University to study Elementary Education. Rachel Whitten (not pictured), a home school graduate, is bound for Texas A&M University. Each scholarship winner has numerous years of 4-H and FFA experience, maintained a high grade point average, were officers in their clubs, and showed at the Magnolia Youth Livestock Show. Scholarship funds were raised at the MYLS auction on April 12. Pictured (from left to right), Bruce Jones, (Scholarship Committee Chair), Cruz, Lauren Twining (MYLS secretary), Hobbs, Chuck Williams, (MYLS president), and Artmann. Submitted Photo

From the Book of Clifford

By Clifford Parker
Contributing Writer

You would think that after cutting off the end of my finger, my story would come to an end. But it didn’t!

During the last few weeks, I have been reminiscing about my lifelong bumps, bruises, cuts, and scars I have received. Last week I shared the gruesome story of the loss of the end of my finger to a boatlift.

My son and I were visiting Uncle Ed and Aunt Brenda for a weekend of fishing at Cedar Creek Lake in East Texas. We were several hours from home and in a place we had never stayed. It was at this location that a part of me will always remain (literally, not figuratively).

When the accident occurred, people around me jumped into action. A good group of people always hang around marinas and these folks really came to my rescue. I was seated in a chair near a picnic table and the remainder of my finger was placed in a bag of ice. We began our trip to Athens in an ambulance with my son at my side and Uncle Ed following behind.

As I arrived at the hospital, the doctor began the process of numbing my finger. The shot process was more painful than the actual accident. Once numbed and bandaged up, I was released from the hospital with a prescription for pain pills.

“How long do I have before the numbness wears off, Doc?” I asked.

“About four to six hours,” was his answer. With that, my son and I climbed into Uncle Ed’s truck for a ride back to the lake.

As we drove down the road, I began to contemplate my situation. I am a man who enjoys the comfort of my own possessions. I enjoy my own bed with my own sheets, my own pillow and my own shower. I guess you get my drift, but I knew that the pain would be hitting me after several hours and if I did not get home right away, I could be held up in a fishing camp sleeping in a travel trailer for two or three days.

I knew I would not want to make the trip home once the numbness wore off. Yes, I knew I had a pain prescription to take, but since my mind was clear and with no medicine in my system other than the multiple numbing shots in my finger, I made a firm decision to head home. I asked my son to go with me as he gave me comfort knowing he could at least make a phone call if needed.

With my hand bandaged up, hand and finger completely numb, and a cell phone in hand, off we headed from East Texas toward Hufsmith in my 1982 Chevy El Camino. It was supposed to be a three-hour trip.

As we traveled down I-45 south, my mind began to contemplate the next few days and then I started to realize how much my life might change. I had never really looked at the injury and I thought at the time I had lost over half of my finger. I soon began to realize it might affect many aspects of my life from writing, typing, shooting, playing musical instruments, working with certain tools, and all kinds of other things. As my mind pondered these things, the unexpected occurred again! A BLOW OUT!

My right front tire suddenly gave up the ghost and there we sat on the southbound side of I-45 in one of those stretches where there wasn’t a building in sight.

My son was about 10-years-old at the time and he was not experienced in mechanical issues, but as I sat there discussing with him what our task was about to be…the Good Lord is my witness…a large black thunder cloud developed within a few short minutes and dumped a massive amount of rain on us just as we were getting out of the car to start changing the flat!

I quickly wrapped my hand in a plastic bag and started giving my son step by step instructions on what to do.

I dared not strain myself or try to use my injured hand for fear of breaking the stitches open.

The story is still not over! More remains for next week!

-- Clifford