Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

Magnolia has been selected by Union Pacific Railroad as an official Train Town, celebrating 150 years of railway history. A presentation of this award will be made at the Magnolia depot at 4 p.m. Feb. 12 and the public is invited.

Union Pacific officials will be on hand along with sponsors of the application including the Magnolia Historical Society and the Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce.

"We hope everyone will come out for this ceremony designating Magnolia as a Train Town," City of Magnolia Economic Development Coordinator Deborah Rose Miller said. "I think it is a tribute to Magnolia and an important note in the history of our city."

The Magnolia depot is located at 426 Melton St. in downtown Magnolia.

Magnolia and Tomball have long enjoyed a small-town feel and friendliness that many area residents find comfortable. At least two area residents found inspiration living in the friendly, country environment that led them to successful writing ventures.

Author Terri Kelley lived in Tomball for several years, after she came to know the town because her mother came there for therapy.

"I had three kids and it seemed like a perfect place to raise a family," she said.

While she was employed in sales, she saw a billboard about becoming a teacher. The idea appealed to her and she became certified and taught first grade in the Cy Fair district. Soon she moved to Tomball ISD's Rosehill Elementary as a second grade teacher and later served as reading specialist and gifted and talented specialist for Northpointe Intermediate School. After two of her three children graduated from Tomball High, her husband was sent to work in Oregon, and the family moved there in 2009.
Kelley was working on her graduate degree and expecting to go into school administration when a travel trailer accident made it impossible for her to stand for any length of time and caused her to abandon those plans.

"I was depressed and really needed a new life goal," she said. "I had always enjoyed writing children's books and wrote one called Gingerly, which brought in many of my experiences working in Tomball with the students. My husband talked me into publishing the book last December. I am happy to say that it is already selling well. I have several more children's books in the works and can't wait to publish those, too."

Kelley is creating a series of textbooks for elementary children called Writing is a Process. She hopes the books will help children develop a passion for writing down their thoughts and ideas, just like she has.

"I believe I have found my true life's work."

Kelley's books are available on her website: terrikelleybooks.com, or through Amazon.com.

"I welcome comments or questions from children who have read my books. My email is right on the site," she said.

Another author, Rick Fontes, enjoys the peaceful life in Magnolia while he lets his imagination take him into all types of stories that he has turned into books in several genres. Fontes spent more than 20 years as a noted photographer of babies and toddlers in day care centers around the country. He wrote down his tips and techniques as a how-to manual for others who might be interested in a baby photography career, and found he liked writing. He retired from the photography business and moved to Magnolia from Houston "because I liked the country life," and started writing.

"I have all these ideas in my head," he said. "I don't want to confine my writing to any particular genre. I'd rather have something that will appeal to everyone. I like my books to be short enough, maybe 200-250 pages, so someone could read one during a plane flight."

So far Fontes has written eight books that include a poetry book, a book of short stories, a tale about the future, a western novel and several action-adventure stories that feature one hero character, Rick Moreno.

"I have a sci-fi idea that I want to work on next," he adds.

Fontes explained how his ideas took root. "I thought of my characters while I was driving all over as a photographer. Dreaming up their adventures occupied my mind while I was traveling alone. Now I have time to write them down." Fontes' books are available on Amazon.com and on lulu.com.

Where there's smoke, there's fire and the trail of smoke in Magnolia March 22 and 23, will lead to more than 50 barbecue teams at Unity Park. The Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce will host its 19th annual barbecue cook-off, called the Magnolia Showdown.

Along with watching cookers at their best, tasting a few samples and seeing outstanding showmanship exhibits; there will be free live music by the Philip Griffin Band beginning at 8 p.m., March 22. 

For the third consecutive year, the cook-off will be at the 30-acre Unity Park off Nichols-Sawmill Road. Ven-dors offering specialty items return to the cook-off this year.

"This is a really big event," GMCC Magnolia Showdown Chair Gari Lynn Hessong said. "We never have a shortage of good food or fun."

Special accomodations for competitors and visitors are being offered at both the Executive Inn & Suites of Magnolia, or at Magnolia Inn & Suites. For more information visit www.executiveinnmagnolia.com, or magnoliainnandsuites.com.

The Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce Showdown, co-hosted by the City of Magnolia, is an International Barbecue Cook-ers Association sanctioned event. For details, email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 281-356-1488.

The Magnolia High School UIL academic team placed second in the 18-4A district meet recently and advanced 21 students to the regional meet later this month. The team scored 370 points and competed in 75 academic events, covering 20 different subjects. 
The accounting team continued its dominance in district, taking first place for the fifth time in the last eight years and advancing to the regional meet. Bethany Mandrell placed first, Blake Hale finished second and Michaela Miller rounded out the top three. The accounting team looks to repeat as regional champions, a title they have held four out of the last six years. The team has also been to the state meet five out of six years and won the state title in 2008-2009.    
Under the direction of new theater arts teacher Rod Sheffield, the One Act Play claimed the district championship and advanced to regionals again, winning for its production of "The Good Woman of Setzuan." Kenny Gregory won best actor, while Rachael Malonson won best actress. Ben Hudson and Luke O'Neal were named all-star cast and Charity Whifield was an honorable mention selection. Joe Dirik was named top technician for the competition.
Andrea Zapata placed third in news writing and advances to regionals for the second consecutive year for the journalism team. Madison Disotell took first place in news writing, while Jordan Goff placed first in feature writing and both advanced to regionals.
Laila Espinoza placed first in computer applications, while Luis Cataldo won first in current issues and third in social studies. Katie Dennington placed third in mathematics, Caspar Stinn won third in ready writing and Amanda Sass was the second place winner in spelling. All will compete at regionals. 
Speech and Debate scored big and advances six to the regional meet. Miranda Sanford placed third in informative speaking, while Eric Gagliano took second in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Blake Bergeron placed first in both persuasive speaking and prose, with Juliana Nicolini in second in the same events. Marcus Sloan placed third in prose and sealed the top three spots to Magnolia High School. Meagan Wilson placed second in poetry.

The Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce will host a public forum, to discuss the Lone Star College System (LSCS) bond election, at 7 p.m., Monday, April 29, at the West County Community Development Center, 31355 Friendship Dr. This forum is open to the public.

LSCS Vice Chancellor Ray Laughter and LSC-Tomball President Dr. Susan Karr will make a presentation followed by a Question & Answer session. Questions from the public will be accepted at the forum. LSCS has called for a $497.7 million bond referendum, which will help accommodate student enrollment that is projected to exceed 100,000 by 2018.

Last February members of the LSCS Board responded to a committee of citizen leaders by voting unanimously to put a bond referendum in front of area voters for approval. The citizens' committee, representing area businesses, education, government and civic sectors, recommended the college system build new learning facilities and infrastructure to accommodate the historical growth the system is experiencing.

The bond referendum that goes before voters on May 11 includes a Magnolia satellite campus.

For more information please call the Chamber at 281-356-1488 or email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The 2012 Magnolia West football Mustangs finished the season with their third playoff appearance in a row, finishing 6-5, after fighting through a season filled with injuries to several key players.
The Mustangs season motto was "Rise Up."  Little did they know that the young men would learn what that motto really meant early in the season. By the second game, they had already lost three starters to season ending knee injuries.  At this point, the team found a way to push through adversity to have a winning season. 
Magnolia West lost two close district ball games to Montgomery and Huntsville. These two losses made it all come down to the final regular season game against Waller.  Once again, the Mustangs did what it took to make the playoffs and beat the Waller Bulldogs 41-17.
 The following players were named to the 18-4A all-district team:
18-4A Defensive Most Valuable Player: Xavier Jones
First Team: Junior defensive end Tyler Massey; senior cornerback Zeke Bronson; junior safety Brady Bynum; senior offensive lineman Cody Skrivanek and sophomore fullback Tyler Ray.
Second Team: senior defensive tackle Cody Skrivanek; junior inside linebacker Luke Knowles; junior outside linebacker Austin Carroll, senior tight end Trevor Buckley and senior center Austin Ray.
Honorable Mention: junior defensive tackle Jacob Bennett; junior cornerback Deontre Allen; senior offensive lineman Todd Slater; junior offensive lineman Seth Blendermann and junior wide receiver Justin Smith.

Magnolia resident Frank Parker (right) was recently recognized for his many years of service to the City of Magnolia  as mayor, a councilman, planning commissioner and president of the Magnolia 4B Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. Parker, was elected to  city council in 2000 and mayor in 2001. He was named the 4B board  president in 2004, where he remained  until his retirement last month. A plaque commending Parker for service was presented to him by Mayor Todd Kana (left) at a recent Magnolia City Council meeting.

This is the last week to register for Youth Sports offered through the Magnolia Tomball Family YMCA. Spring Volleyball and Soccer. Practice begins the week of Jan. 28. To register, call 281-356-4077 or visit ymcahouston.org. 

Connie Maddox and David Arevalo (not pictured) presented the two 2013 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) counselors and six RYLA attendees during the Magnolia Rotary Club's weekly luncheon Jan. 29. Pictured are (front row, from left) RYLA counselor Lauren Saucier, Cameron Kemp, Ayla Johnson and Yareli Segura; (back row, from left) sponsor Connie Maddox, Jakob Wells, RYLA counselor Jarrett Wells, teacher Marsha Diefendorf, Rotary exchange student August Rosell and Morgan Mapes. Rotary meets every Tuesday at the Celeste Graves Educational Support Center, at noon.