Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

Magnolia began as a tiny sawmill town in the 1800’s, and its population had barely reached 25 by the time 1900 rolled around. A new railroad soon brought a steady stream of new residents and businesses into the town.

Today Magnolia is a progressive community that offers families small-town ambiance, peacefulness and friendliness. But, once again, improved transportation is expected to bring in more people and some residents are asking themselves, "How much longer will we be able to enjoy our quiet town?"

TxDOT is finalizing plans to complete several new roads around the Magnolia area that will move more vehicles easier and faster than ever before. Over the next three years, road improvements are expected to enhance traffic flow in and around the town.  FM 1774 will be widened from The Lakes of Magnolia to 10th Street. This project has already started. As part of the widening of FM 1488 to the Waller County Line, two fly-overs at Spur 149 near Magnolia High School and over 1774 at 10th Street will ease congestion at already busy intersections.

In addition, the construction of the Grand Parkway south of Magnolia will offer an easy pathway from Katy to east of The Woodlands, which will bring visitors into the area. The planned SH 249 toll expressway will improve traffic flow not just between Tomball and Magnolia, but all the way up to Bryan/College Station. 

Facing an easier commute, more families are sure to move into the area. With an increased population, Magnolia is expected to become a business and shopping destination.
Magnolia is less than 35 miles from the burgeoning metropolis of Houston, and the area's current population of 138,000 (as of 2011) seems small compared to a growth movement that has already started to engulf the entire northwest Houston area. But the Magnolia city government and chamber of commerce are working hard "to help this growth work for us rather than against us," as Economic Development Coordinator Deborah Rose Miller put it.

City leaders say they are planning ahead to ensure that the charm of Magnolia remains, even after the new roads are built and the people keep coming.

Paul Mendes, city administrator, says he has tried to make sure the infrastructure keeps up with the expected population growth.

"The developers already have purchased large tracts of land," said Mendes. "We are preparing now for the water and sewage capacity we will need. We hope to have zoning laws in place to protect Magnolia residents and to manage the growth."

Mendes helped Miller create a comprehensive plan to help Magnolia grow as effectively and painlessly as possible.

"The plan, to be completed in March, will be a starting point that will be continually modified as we go along. We believe improving the roads will improve our city's lifestyle in the end," he said.

Updates, such as "Magnolia on the Move," are being provided to the city council each month.

"The city of Magnolia is being proactive, and we've already started our planning and zoning commission," said Miller. "The comprehensive plan we have developed is pivotal to our city's future."

Barry Tate, Chairman of the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, feels the anticipated population growth will help businesses that are already here to expand, and will bring new ones to the area.

"Business is good for the town," Tate said. "We will have a larger tax base, so that will enable us to provide more and better services. Any road improvements will ultimately make it easier to live out here. People will want to put their businesses in our community because their customers can get to them easily."

Tate feels the growth of the western side of Montgomery County will be compared to the growth of the eastern side of the county in a few years. He believes current businesses will welcome the road improvements, although there will likely be challenges during the construction phase. He hopes planning ahead can help businesses overcome difficulties during that time.

"The Chamber wants to keep our members as informed as possible. Our goal is to maintain Magnolia's small-town feel and still allow for growth," he said.

The new roads are coming. The growth of Magnolia, along with the growth of the entire eastern half of Montgomery County, is inevitable. But the small-town way of life may remain for future generations to enjoy, if the current city leadership has anything to do with it.

Two teams of Magnolia ISD students, one from Magnolia West High School and one from Magnolia Junior High, received a top "Best of Show" prize for their projects at the district's annual science fair, Jan. 12.
Magnolia West High students Samantha Gerthe and Dakota Stormer won for their entry: Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome: Simple! Magnolia Junior High students Aubrey Frank and Brynn Reynolds won for their project: Feasibility of Pneumatic and Hydraulic Lenses. 
More than 100 projects were entered in the district science fair, and several entries are going to the next level – which means exhibiting their projects in the Science and Engineering Fair in Houston Feb. 28 through Mar. 1 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Projects are divided into junior high, ninth grade and senior high divisions. It is an honor that 13 high school entries will be represented by Magnolia students at the Houston fair.
Gregory Corradino, the science department chair and campus science fair coordinator at Magnolia High School, explained that most of the MISD students exhibiting in the Houston show are pre-advanced placement (AP) students.
Their projects took months of research, data collection and analysis, and covered several science disciplines. They included experiments on the energy density of different types of fuels, a behavioral study about the accuracy of eyewitness identification, the preference of ants to different types of sugar, effective techniques for oil absorption and an experiment on the effects of music on bacteria growth.
"These students worked hard on their projects and had to maintain their grades as well. The large number of students going to the next level represents the commitment of both the students and their teachers in promoting the highest standards of science education," said Corradino. "This demonstrates to the community why Magnolia ISD is dedicated to being the best district in the State of Texas."
Dakota Stormer, senior high school Best of Show winner, agreed the science fair is hard work, but rewarding.
"Samantha and I worked on our project two hours a day for more than a year," he said. "We showed how a simple colored overlay used for people diagnosed with the visual perception problem Irlen Syndrome can help reduce the harmful effects of fluorescent lighting on the eyes for a high percentage of non-diagnosed students."
Stormer said the project also turned into a benefit for several students.
"The overlay also increased their focus, reading comfort and reading proficiency," he said. "We tested 72 fifth graders, who were all enthusiastic subjects and interested in our results. This took time and dedication on our part, but this research could actually be useful in the future. We not only enjoyed doing it, but the project could help us stand out among other college applicants for acceptance into school. It was a great way to learn how to work on something constructive with real relevance."

Last year was the second time that Magnolia High School Principal Jeffrey Springer was selected as a regional winner for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Principal of the Year award -- but this time it was different. This time he was also chosen as 2013's Principal of The Year for Texas, which means that of more than 1,000 school districts in the state, Springer was rated the top secondary school principal. This honor makes him eligible for the national award in 2014.

"This award is not about me," stated Springer. "This is a celebration of our community, teachers and students. In fact, as soon as I heard I won, I called a meeting so I could tell my staff that the data that resulted in this honor is about them and their students. I didn't want this to just be a title, but to inspire us to work together to live up to the expectations of our state's educators."

Springer strives to create an environment at Magnolia that is a place where lives can be transformed and characters developed. He wants to reinforce the feelings of family - with all that entails, such as togetherness, compassion and pride.

"Our school is not perfect -- it has a way to go, we all do," he explained. "Public education has something of a black eye right now, but we want to change that. We are on a quest from excellence to eminence. We want people to say that Magnolia ISD has great programs and is an academic success."

Springer, a Magnolia resident, has been an educator for more than 30 years. He was selected the Region Six Secondary Principal of the Year in 2006 and received that honor again in 2012. A former teacher and high school football coach, Springer received his B.A. in teaching from Sam Houston State and a Master of Sports Administration from the U.S. Sports Academy.

The TASSP recognizes outstanding secondary school principals annually, as part of its mission to facilitate learning through best practices in school administration. The organization was established in 1922 to build a network of Texas educators that wanted to take responsibility for the quality of school leadership. TASSP is comprised of more than 5,000 secondary campus administrators and is an affiliate of the national organization (NASSP). It is committed to increasing public awareness about the critical problems facing educational leadership and engaging partners from business, government and community groups to tackle these issues and improve public schools in Texas.

Being selected Principal of the Year is a great honor for Springer, and for Magnolia ISD in general -- it shows that the district promotes leadership above just "management," which is a big step toward achieving the "eminence" that Springer is talking about, district officials said.

For many of the thousands of children victimized by abuse every year in Texas, there is no one they can turn to for help. This is the terrible problem that the non-profit Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) organization is trying to erase. It is hard to imagine the anxiety children feel, when their abusers are often family members or other individuals they are forced to see and interact with in their daily lives – the very adults they should be able to turn to for guidance – but instead they have learned to fear. Almost 20 years ago the national BACA organization was founded to provide the type of emotional and physical support that abused children need when other groups have failed them.

BACA members use a biker's tough image to make child abuse victims feel more secure, and they live by their motto: 'No child deserves to live in fear.' Children often think of bikers as powerful and forceful – so it is a natural transition for them to think of bikers as protective, if the bikers are on their side.

BACA members go by their "ride names" for security reasons, and they will do everything from attending a child's court hearings to staying with a victim if he or she is afraid.

"We want to allow these children to not be afraid of the world, to know that they have friends who will back them up. The message we want to convey is, 'If you try to hurt that child, you're going to have go through us.' That can be powerful help for a scared child," said Popeye, the founder and head of Texas' Seven Coves Chapter, which is based in Conroe.

The members often accompany children to court and will stand outside their home all night if needed to ensure the child's safety.

"This is a huge priority for us. Our members will make the time to take care of these children," he said.

The Seven Coves Chapter has about 15 members. It was founded in 2011 and serves the Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker County areas. There are several other chapters in Texas, including a large Harris County Chapter. The Seven Coves Chapter has one mandatory fundraiser, the "100-Mile-Ride," which raises money through entry fees for the cause. It also holds an event in the fall at Pappas On The Lake (on Lake Conroe).  Both events are open to the public.

"We recently provided an escort and security for a child who was a crime victim in Alabama, and had to leave her Texas home to attend court in that state. We were able to provide help through the support of BACA groups in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to support this child. We have often been told by the families and the kids themselves how much we made a difference, and this is why we do it," explained Popeye.

The BACA organization was founded in 1995 by a Native American psychologist (ride name, Chief) who worked with a young boy who had been subjected to extreme abuse and was afraid to leave his house or interact with others. The only thing that seemed to interest the child was Chief's motorcycle. So Chief and 20 other bikers rode to the boy's home and were able to draw him out of his house for the first time in weeks. Chief decided this type of organization was a great benefit to abused children. Since then, chapters have been formed all over the U.S.

BACA works in cooperation with local and state authorities to offer children an advocate they can count on, to intervene when necessary to provide a deterrent against further abuse, to accompany them to often-terrifying court proceedings, and to help the children and their families combat the situations that lead to abuse. The initial contact often begins with a ride of several BACA members to the child's location, where the BACA liaison talks with the child and gives him or her a riding vest or other gifts, along with phone numbers he or she can call if they need help. All BACA members must complete both a national and state criminal background check and at no time are any members allowed alone with a child. Violence is prohibited by members.

"Members commit to being available to these children during all hours, to stand behind them," said Popeye. "One of the biggest commitments is to go to court with these kids. Court can be especially intimidating for them because often their abuser is right in front of them."

He himself became interested in the organization by attending a meeting - then he discovered the importance of the club when he actually participated in an initial child contact.

"I got to see the impact - that's when I was hooked. That was five years ago and I feel stronger about it every day."

The Seven Coves BACA group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:30 a.m. at McKenzie's BBQ on North Frazier Street in Conroe. All meetings are open to the public.

Most days you can find a surprise shopping experience on the side of 34614 Texas Hwy. 249 near Coe Road in Pinehurst. The market Elysium (Elysian Fields) offers home-made crafts and fresh produce for sale weekdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to dusk.

A larger selection is offered on Fridays and Saturdays as a greater number of vendors set up shop on the location next to the Beaver Creek Boathouse restaurant to ply their wares. Whether you are looking for a holiday gift, a unique home decoration or fruits and vegetables for your dinner table, you will usually find it at the market.

Elysium opened two months ago, in September. Rose Leverton, the market's founder, explained how she came to be the proprietor of the new roadside market.

"I had lost my job and was looking for a career alternative," she said. "I had always enjoyed making crafts and had sold them at local events, so I wanted to try selling seasonal decorative items. I did some research on rental properties and road traffic. I learned that more than 55,000 cars per day passed this location and that I could rent the property for a reasonable rate. I started out selling my crafts and almost sold out the first day. Then I added the produce. Then more vendors asked to join me. I thought that would offer a better selection and more people would stop. I was right. It just took off from there. I feel blessed to be able to make my own future."

Crafts vendors interested in joining Leverton at Elysium can pay a small daily fee of $15 for a 12-foot space on her lot, bring a table and pop-up canopy, and be in business. She has a Facebook page for those who would like more information about the types of items being offered for sale: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Elysium always offers produce, but the crafts vary. On recent days, vendors have been selling quilts, yard stones, jewelry, jams and jellies, furniture, centerpieces and bamboo plants. So far, there have been very few days the roadside market has had to close due to bad weather, so local residents will very likely be able to check it out on any weekday or Saturday.

"We are starting to get regular customers who visit all the time," said Leverton.

She said Saturday is the best day, because there are more customers and a greater selection of items to purchase.