Tomball looks to Far East for new sister city
opportunity
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
Tomball, say “ni hao” to Yaozhaung, China.
In a move city officials say is meant to foster overseas
business opportunities and cultural understanding, the city
of Tomball officially named Yaozhaung, China as a sister
city last week.
Tomball Mayor H.G. “Hap” Harrington (right), along with
Yaozhuang, China Mayor Gu Linfa (right), sign a proclomation
Dec. 11 naming Yaozhuang a sister city.
Photo by Brian Walzel
“It’s a way of opening up dialogue between cultures and
is intended to promote business between countries,” City
Manager Ben Griffin said.
In a ceremony at City Hall last week, Tomball Mayor H.G.
“Hap” Harrington and Yaozhaung Mayor Gu Linfa formalized the
agreement before elected officials and community leaders.
Two representatives from Yaozhaung joined Gu in the trip to
Tomball and also took part in the ceremony.
The ceremony was the culmination of several months of
dialogue between the two nations.
Griffin said local business owners who have business
interests in Yaozhaung approached the city earlier this year
about the possibility of adopting the city as a sister city.
Yaozhaung officials also approached the city about the
possibility once the deal began to gain steam.
In August, Harrington began negotiating the agreement and
the deal was finalized earlier this month.
As part of their visit to Tomball on Dec. 11, the Chinese
delegation toured the Tomball area, visiting BJ Services,
Tomball Regional Hospital and other sites.
During a speech at the ceremony translated by his
interpreter, Gu praised city officials and invited the
community to Yaozhaung for a visit anytime.
Following the ceremony, city and Yaozhaung officials had
lunch at a local restaurant and later dined at Perry’s
Steakhouse in The Woodlands.
Part of the attraction of adopting Yaozhaung as a sister
city was its similarities to Tomball, Griffin said.
Yaozhaung has a population of about 20,000, more than
twice that of Tomball, but comparatively small considering
the size of many cities in over-populated China.
Yaozhaung sits about an hour south of China’s largest
city Shanghai, much like Tomball is to Houston, Griffin
said.
The city lies in Jia Shin County in the Zhe Jiang
Province and is known as the “land of fish and rice.”
The Chinese city is home to more than 200 manufacturing
plants and is a producer of solar equipment, electrical
equipment components, sporting goods, food processing and
more, Gu said.
Yaozhaung has also won national awards for its organic
food products, cleanliness and high standards of
civilization.
During the Dec. 11 ceremony, Harrington presented the
Chinese delegation with a myriad of gifts, including a City
of Tomball Flag, the official proclamation engraved in a
glass plaque and Texas belt buckles.
Grand Oaks MUD in debt to city by $93,950
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
While attorneys representing the City of Magnolia and the
Grand Oaks Municipal Utility District (MUD) have spent the
last two months negotiating the wording of an interim
agreement contract, the MUD has fallen into debt by almost
$93,950.
The agreement was established in private negotiations on
Sept. 18, more than two months ago, but was never finalized
by the city. At the council meeting held Dec. 12 the issue
was on the agenda yet again, with the city providing Grand
Oaks developers a new, revised version of the agreement.
Representing Grand Oaks developers at the meeting was Pat
Carmichael, who said the MUD had been advised by their
attorneys not to pay the water bill until the contract was
executed. Additionally, Carmichael said he was not at
liberty to confirm a payment date for the MUD, which had not
passed on any additional costs to Grand Oaks residents as of
the meeting.
“We’ve already given you our signed agreement,” said
Carmichael, referring to the initial agreement established
in September.
Carmichael objected to the city’s 60-day delay in
executing the original agreement, as well as the city’s
request for the MUD to execute a revised version of the
contract. Carmichael said the contract would have to be
reviewed by attorneys and presented to the MUD, causing
further delays and extending the execution of the agreement
to January or later.
He advised council members that the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) cost of service assessment at
a merit hearing scheduled Feb 21 in Austin could set the
scene for several more months of potential litigation and
could eventually provide a new and possibly retroactive
rate.
Should the TCEQ rule in favor of the MUD rather than the
city, a “rate case” could carry on for as long as a year or
more. If the TCEQ finds in favor of the city, the MUD must
then make immediate payment of the debt. Meanwhile, the city
is sitting on the bill.
“We are extending credit where others are making payments
in good faith,” said Councilman Rick Carby in objection to a
120-day period of non-payment by the Grand Oaks MUD. “The
city is loosing money here. We’re giving free water with no
return on our investment.”
Councilman Chris Neal requested a clarification of the
execution date of the city’s revised agreement, eventually
calling for an executive session, which resulted in a Jan.
2, 2007 deadline for the MUD to execute the agreement, or it
would be withdrawn by the city.
To meet the deadline, Mayor Jimmy Thornton requested
Carmichael to call an emergency meeting of the Grand Oaks
MUD to review and approve the contract’s new wording.
Magnolia ISD boasts GT Teacher of the Year
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
For the second time in as many years the Magnolia
Independent School District has been selected by the Texas
Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) as the
recipient of an outstanding teacher of the year award.
Valerie Honsinger, a Bear Branch Elementary second grade
Gifted and Talented (GT) teacher was named as the Gifted and
Talented Teacher of the Year. The award was presented by
Linda Ward (right), the outgoing Region VI Coordinator for
the Executive Board of the Texas Association for the Gifted
and Talented at the Dec. 11 Magnolia Board of Trustees
meeting. Honsinger (right) is pictured with Bear Branch
Elementary Principal Susan Ward (left) and Linda Ward
(center).
Photo by Cari Herr
Valerie Honsinger, a Bear Branch Elementary second grade
Gifted and Talented (GT) teacher, received the award of
Gifted and Talented Teacher of the Year. The award was
presented at the Dec. 11 Magnolia Board of Trustees meeting
by Linda Ward, the outgoing Region VI Coordinator for the
Executive Board of the Texas Association for the Gifted and
Talented.
“The Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is the
largest group in Texas that advocates for gifted and
talented students,” Ward said.
The program was chartered in 1978, according to its Web
site, and “promotes the awareness of the unique social,
emotional, and intellectual needs of gifted and talented
students in an effort to impact appropriate educational
services to meet these needs.”
Honsinger was recognized by the TAGT for her “ongoing
commitment to professional growth,” and for finding “ways to
meet the challenges of her students needs.” Honsinger has
prepared herself with more than 100 hours of gifted and
talented training.
“This is the second time in two years a Magnolia teacher
has been presented with this prestigious award,” said Ward.
Last year Stacey Elston, who was then a volunteer at
Smith Elementary, was named Region VI Outstanding Parent of
the Gifted for her work in bringing Destination Imagination
to the district and other projects as well, said Ward.
Elston is now a fifth grade teacher at Smith Elementary,
continuing to work with gifted students and others. She was
selected to replace Ward in a two-year term as the Region VI
representative at the November meeting of the board of
directors for TAGT.
Fellow Bear Branch Elementary teacher Sara Simpson
nominated Honsinger for the award. A six-year Bear Branch
veteran, Simpson recognized the effect Honsinger has on her
students through learning.
Ward cited Honsinger’s commitment to professional growth
and training as core reasons she was selected for the award.
Ward read excerpts of letters from several of Honsinger’s
previous students, who said Honsinger “gave us a reason for
coming to school.”
For more information about the Texas Association for the
Gifted and Talented, logon to
www.txgifted.org.
City has no plans to jump on pit bull ban wagon
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
After 4-year-old Pedro Rios Jr. was mauled and killed by
two pit bulls as he was playing near his northeast Harris
County home last month, the incident sparked a city and
countywide debate about banning the allegedly dangerous
dogs.
Those in favor of a ban say the dogs cannot be
controlled, that they are natural born killers. Meanwhile,
pit bull supporters say the blame lies with the owners, who
they say train the dogs to be deadly.
But where does Tomball stand in the debate?
According to City Manager Ben Griffin, there hasn’t been
a strong movement among Tomball citizens seeking a ban on
pit bulls.
“We haven’t really heard anything,” Griffin said.
Pit bull attacks in Tomball have been a relatively rare
occurrence in recent years. According to the Tomball Police
Department, there have been 14 documented pit bull bites
since 2000, none resulting in a fatality.
2005 saw the most attacks by pit bulls, when five
incidents were documented.
However, pit bulls are not the only breed that have
reportedly attacked or bitten Tomball residents. In 2000,
there were 29 bite reports of 17 different breeds of dogs.
That trend is evident in each of the five years of available
data reported by the Tomball Police Department.
Only in 2005 did pit bull attacks (five) occur more often
than any other breed.
Griffin said the city does have a leash law, which
requires dog owners to have their dogs, including pit bulls,
on leashes when the dogs are not confined.
“Folks just can’t let their dogs run loose,” he said.
But while the city has no plans in its immediate future
to call for a ban on pit bulls, Harris County may be beating
them to the punch.
The Harris County Commissioner’s Court discussed the
possibility of implementing an ordinance or changing
existing laws to hold pit bull owners more accountable. A
complete ban on pit bulls, in Tomball or elsewhere, is
unconstitutional in Texas.
Texas is one of 12 states, which outlaws bans on specific
dog breeds.
While pit bull attacks remain relatively rare in Tomball,
other data shows pit bulls are the leaders among dangerous
dogs. According to a 2000 report published in Vet Med Today,
66 people died between 1979 and 1998 as a result of pit bull
attacks, which accounts for more than 27 percent of all
dog-bite related fatalities in that time span.
Rottweilers accounted for 39 fatalities.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 800,000
Americans seek medical attention for dog bites, more than
half of which are children.
Pit bull proponents say the dogs are lovable pets and are
good with children. They say it’s often the owners who turn
the dogs deadly.
So far, all appears quiet on the Tomball front in the
debate on banning pit bulls.
“Those who have them, love them,” Griffin added.
Material overruns bring financial woe to
Magnolia
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
Another marathon meeting of the Magnolia City Council was
held Dec. 12 involving a lengthy agenda and two executive
sessions.
City Engineer Craig Kankel recommended a revised water
system improvement budget, resulting in $264,881 more than
the original budget and calling for $92,381 in additional
funds.
Construction costs include $696,546 for the water well,
$233,000 for the ground storage tank, $727,000 for the
elevated storage tank, a whopping $980,210 for the pump
station, and $496,955 for water and sewer distribution
improvements, excluding an extra tie-in to the line on FM
1774 at a cost of $69,235, though a future tie-in is still a
possibility.
“I hate to bring these cost overruns to the council, but
I feel we’ve worked it down to as close as possible,” Kankel
said.
He cited market costs for materials and difficulties in
getting construction contractors to actually bid on the
project, in addition to the costs associated with the failed
well samples for the Jasper Aquifer as reasons for the cost
overruns.
“The pump station is out of budget due to drastic cost
overruns with that project,” Kankel said. “The bidding
climate is tough. There is more work than contractors and
we’re seeing no real competitive pricing.”
Aggressive price negotiations by Kankel with existing
bidders produced a recommendation to award the contracts to
the lowest bidders.
“We’re getting everything we need, but we’ve scaled down
some extras in value engineering with the contractors,”
Kankel said.
He recommended a sequestering system to address the iron
constituent found in the samples of the Evangeline Aquifer,
saying water treatment was not necessary. He advised council
members that a filtering system is more expensive and cited
the Magnolia Independent School system as a successful
example of a water well’s iron sequestering system.
Though City Manager Roger Carlisle has posted
$3,381,012.76 in funds against the project’s estimated
costs, overruns across the board leave the city with few
options, but to move forward with the additional cost.
The original project costs were $3,208,500. Even with
scaling down the extras, the additional $264,881 brings the
total estimated project cost to $3,473,381.
“We will continue to draw interest on these funds at
$12,000 per month, but we have more than $90,000 to make
up,” said Carlisle. That, in conjunction with the previously
mentioned second line, brings needed funds to almost
$160,000.
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Magnolia Christmas Parade
The Magnolia Christmas parade, themed the “Twelve Days of
Christmas,” was held Dec. 9. The festivities would not have
been complete without the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Clause.
The pair arrived in a horse-drawn carriage to the delight of
children who lined the parade route. Driving Santa’s
carriage is Vicki and Bob Rogers. Later in the day, more
than 100 children joined Santa and Mrs. Clause at The Depot
to receive gifts, enjoy punch and cookies and, most of all,
whisper their heart’s desires in Santa’s gracious ear.
Photo by Cari Herr
The Tomball Centennial Commission reflected a unique version
of the theme, “Twelve Days of Christmas” with its float
bearing gifts labeled, “12 Oil Wells Gushing,” “11 Daries
Milking,” “10 Farmers Farming,” “9 Shoppers Shopping,” “8
Horses Grazing,” “7 School’s Teaching,” “6 Children Playing,
“5 The Hometown With A Heart,” “4 Corners Meeting,” “3
Communities Are Building,” “2 Trains A-‘Coming,” “100 Years
of Celebration.”
Photo by Cari Herr
The Magnolia Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp
received the first place award in the Marching Unit division
of the Magnolia Christmas parade.
Photo by Cari Herr
For the first time in the history of the parade, The
Montgomery County Trailriders Association provided a sight
for “western eyes” as mounted riders and wagoneers
entertained the crowd. Each of the “Twelve Days Christmas”
was represented by a uniquely decorated wagon escorted by
mounted riders exuding holiday cheer.
Photo by Cari Herr
First place winners in each division were: Commercial Float,
Old Hempstead Properties; Non-commercial, Magnolia Freewill
Baptist Church; Marching Unit, Magnolia Naval Junior Reserve
Officer Training Corp; Mounted Unit, Montgomery County Trail
Riders Association; Best Vehicle, William E. Gardner’s John
Deere tractor. The Best Overall Entry was awarded to the
Tomball Centennial Commission.
Cougar hoops get hot after slow start to season
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
After stumbling out of the gate and losing their first
three games of the season, the Tomball Cougars basketball
squad has regrouped and enters district play on a tear.
At 8-6 overall and with district play beginning Dec. 19,
the Cougars are in fine form to tackle the tough 16-5A.
As of press time last week, the Cougars had reeled off
four straight wins, including a convincing 62-51 win over
their former district rival, Cy-Fair, on Dec. 12.
After jumping out to a 17-9 lead after the first quarter,
the Cougars never trailed on their way to the 11-point
victory.
The Cougars’ Jimmy Butler had one of the best games of
the season for any Cougar, scoring a game-high 25 points.
Butler has been the primary scoring threat for the
Cougars this year.
He is averaging 15.8 points per game, by far the best on
the team and among the best in the district.
But while Butler can light up the scoreboard and get the
Cougar offense going on any night, it is Tomball’s defense
that is keeping the game close and the Cougars winning.
The Cougars are allowing just 46.9 points per game, third
best in the Houston area. Only perennial state power
Kingwood (40.4) and Clements (45.5) are allowing less points
per game than the Cougars.
While its still too early to separate the contenders from
the pretenders in 16-5A, the Cougars should be in the hunt
for one of four playoff berths after coming off their strong
non-district season.
Other contenders are expected to include Klein Collins,
Spring and Westfield.
The Cougars have just two non-district games remaining,
Dec. 19 vs. Langham Creek at 7 p.m. and Dec. 21 at The
Woodlands at 3 p.m., before beginning district play.
That begins Jan. 3 when they host the Westfield Mustangs
at 7 p.m.
Police arrest two in attempted used car lot heist
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
Two Houston area men were arrested last week when a
witness hiding in a nearby parked car foiled their attempted
used car lot heist.
Burton
Embody
Harris County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a call at
about 11 p.m. Dec. 10 to Cars Inc. Used Car Lot, located in
the 26000 block of Tomball Pkwy., where a caller had
reported a possible robbery.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the reportee called
police and watched the scene unfold while hiding in a parked
car.
After quickly apprehending one of the suspects, officers
attempted to locate a second suspect, who they believed to
still be inside the car lot’s office at the time.
While deputies began to move in on the building, Harris
County Sheriff Dep. James saw the suspect run from the
building. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a foot chase
ensued, involving several of the deputies. When the suspect
ran into the median of Tomball Pkwy., Dep. Venegas and other
officers were able to apprehend the suspect.
The first suspect was identified as Robert Embody, 42
years old of Pasadena, Texas. Embody was found to have open
warrants for Possession of Dangerous Drugs and held on
$2,500 bond. He was also charged with Burglary of a Building
and was being held on a $15,000 bond for the Burglary of a
Building in the Harris County Jail as of press time last
week.
The second suspect was identified as Dewy Burton, 28
years old of Kingwood. Burton was being held in the Harris
County Jail on a $5,000 bond for Burglary of a Building and
a $3,000 bond for Evading Arrest as of press time last week.
Festival idea a little ‘buggy,’ but catchy
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
Magnolia High School’s “Coach” Micky Mapes, proposed a
solution to the problem of funding for the City of
Magnolia’s detention park plan. Although unusual, the idea
is unique and might just catch on.
Micky Mapes addressed the Magnolia City Council members
regarding an idea for a new fundraising festival to support
the city’s planned detention pond and park at the Dec. 12
Magnolia City Council meeting.
Photo by Cari Herr
At the Dec. 12 Magnolia City Council meeting, Mapes
addressed council members with his idea for a new festival,
self-dubbed the “Texas LoveBugsFest.”
“The reason we need the LoveBugsFest is, in the state of
Texas, we have a rift between the Lovers and the Haters. We
have to find common ground for the good of the state. As the
leaders of Magnolia, we have to set the example for our
community. We have to love the Lovers and the Haters
equally.”
What exactly is he talking about?
The Plecia nearctica hardy, commonly referred to as the
“love bug”, is about a half-inch long and black in color
with a reddish-orange area on the top of the thorax and
smoky colored wings.
The bugs are common in spring and fall and pose a
nuisance to outdoor activities, clogging radiator grills and
smearing windshields, as well as a hazard to cool glasses of
iced tea, Mapes said.
Mapes’ proposal includes contests for bug lovers as well
as bug haters. Activities like a Bed Race, Road Rally and
Bike-A-Thon, could be held. The Road Rally could have
decorated categories such as beetles, motorcycles, PT
Cruisers and Mini Coopers, Mapes suggested.
For the haters, perhaps a Dodge Bug tournament, a
LoveBugTug-O-War, and maybe a Bug Killer Car competition
would peak the interest of festivalgoers.
A street dance may even be appropriate to celebrate the
bugs, or to herald their early demise, depending on your
Lover or Hater preference. Songs like George Strait’s “The
little bitty thing called the Lovebug,” music by Lyle
Lovett, Tom Jones, or any ‘love’ singer like Barry Manalow
might be appropriate.
Signs reading, “Drive Slow. We Love Our LoveBugs,” could
be posted at festival times. A beauty contest with divisions
for old and young alike with names such as the ‘Cute as a
Bug’ contest for babies ages 0 to 1, larvae for ages 2 to 4
and bug for ages 5 to 9; or the ‘Old LoveBug’ contest might
include categories such as 65 and older, couple and costume.
Mapes knows people think he is “buggy,” but he believes
the contest will encourage community service activities and
fundraising for the park in the form of a car wash, for
instance. It would provide the school district with
competitive categories for students to enter such as art
design, essay, poem, and songwriting, inspiring the
imaginations of students and adults alike.
“The Magnolians I have come to know and love are the
people that can help Texas in this hour of need,” said Mapes.
He is open to suggestions of all kinds and is serious about
establishing a new tradition in the city on behalf of Texas
lovebug Lovers and Haters everywhere.
TISD approves calendar for 2007-08 school year
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
Tomball Independent School District students who enjoyed
a full week off for the Thanksgiving holiday this year won’t
be afforded the same luxury next year. Instead, their summer
break will be more than a week longer.
The changes were formally adopted Dec. 12 when the
Tomball ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the
calendar for the 2007-08 school year.
Classes for next school year will begin Aug. 27, 13 days
later than the Aug. 14 start date this year. Rather than
have a full week at Thanksgiving, as the district adopted
for the current calendar, next year will see district
students have only Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 23
off.
The date shifts were needed after the Texas Education
Agency mandated that classes may not start until the fourth
week of August for the 2007-08 school year. That also pushed
the end date for the school year back almost a week, from
May 24 this school year to May 28 in 2008.
The annual two-week Christmas vacation also will see a
significant shift next year when the break will begin only
four days before Christmas, Dec. 21 and conclude on Jan. 7.
Tomball High School Assistant Principal Greg Quinn said,
while one of the goals of the committee during the assembly
process was to begin the Christmas break a week before the
holiday, since Dec. 25 fell so early in the week (on a
Tuesday), it would have been difficult to include enough
days in the fall semester for instruction.
Next year’s calendar closely follows most collegiate
calendars, which gives Tomball High School seniors adequate
time and opportunity to meet college application deadlines
for scholarships and enrollment. Also, by ending prior to
the beginning of June, students will have the opportunity to
enroll in summer college classes, Quinn said.
Spring Break is scheduled for March 17 through March 21,
with a staff development day set for March 24. Other staff
development days include Oct. 8, Jan. 7, Jan. 21 and May 31.
Other student and staff holidays are scheduled for Sept.
3 (Labor Day) and May 26 (Memorial Day).
The Calendar Committee began work early this year to
formulate a calendar for next school year. The committee is
facilitated by Tomball ISD Director of Curriculum and
Instruction Kit Pfieffer and is made up of district teachers
and administrators and parents of students in the district.
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