Brazos 360

SPRING 2019

A DoG’S SeRViCe

A closer look into the assistance that canines give humans

360 PROFILES

Meet the Call family band, and take a sugar-filled trip through The Chocolate Gallery

WHAT’S IN YOUR OFFICE? Stephanie hanover’s space-themed classroom

PARTY PICS

Photos from events and festivals around town

Inside

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EVENT CALENDAR

Get ready for ‘Finding Neverland,’ Texas A&M Family Weekend, Aggie Muster, the Wine & Roses Festival and Leslie Odom Jr.

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BY THE NUMBERS

Fun figures on the Easter marshmallow treat Peeps, craft beer in Texas, the heat factor of the Carolina Reaper pepper, the highest-paid player in baseball and National Cheeseball Day.

360 PROFILE

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Meet Callplay, a Coldplay cover band led by Matt Call and featuring four of his sons.

COVER STORY

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Three stories of how service dogs help their human counterparts.

360 PROFILE

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Get a closer look at the sweet treats made at The Chocolate Gallery in Downtown Bryan.

PARTY PICS

Photos from 50 Men Who Can Cook, the Daddy-Daughter Dance and the Boys & Girls Club’s 60th anniversary party.

WHAT’S IN YOUR OFFICE?

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Science teacher Stephanie Hanover is all about space, and her classroom at Allen Academy has plenty of examples.

THE LAST WORD

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A tribute to a sweet and silly dog.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

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STAFF Crystal Dupré PUBLISHER

Rob Clark MANAGING EDITOR

Darren Benson EDITOR

Linda Brinkman ADVERTISING MANAGER

Dave McDermand Laura McKenzie PHOTOGRAPHERS

ON THE COVER Ashley McMeans gets a kiss from her service dog, Nymeria, at Gabbard Park in College Station.

W INNER ! BROA DWAY.COM’S AUDIENCE CHOICE AWA R D FOR BEST MUSIC A L

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Local EVENTS

Photo courtesy of MSC OPAS

MOZART FOR MARCH The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra performs two works from the composer: Oboe Concerto in C with principal oboist Rebecca Fairweather-Haskins, and Requiem, showcasing the Brazos Valley Chorale and Blinn College Choir.

Details: March 24 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $45 for general admission, $16 for students. bvso.org.

‘LONESOME TRAVELER: THE CONCERT’ MSC OPAS presents the concert version of the 2015 musical that tells the story of Americana music. The concert features singers, instrumentalists, multimedia projections and singalongs to the tunes of artists including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.

Details: April 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $30 to $56. mscopas.org.

FIRKIN FEST The Downtown Bryan event celebrates craft beer and firkins, which are small wooden casks in which beer is fermented.

Details: March 30 from 2 to 6 p.m. in Downtown Bryan. downtownbryan.com.

SINGING CADETS SPRING CONCERT Celebrating the 125th anniversary of the singing group, the performance will feature current and former Singing Cadets.

Details: April 6 at 7 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $8. boxoffice.tamu.edu.

TEXAS A&M FAMILY WEEKEND The weekend allows Aggie family members to experience life at A&M. The weekend features Aggie Ring Day, Aggie Mom’s Boutique, softball and baseball games, spring concerts, Yell Practice and the Maroon & White spring football game.

Details: April 12-14 at Texas A&M University. familyweekend.tamu.edu.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

‘FINDING NEVERLAND’ MSC OPAS presents the stage version of the film that tells the story of playwright J.M. Barrie as he struggles to write the story of Peter Pan, until he meets four young brothers and their widowed mother.

Details: April 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $25 to $85. mscopas.org.

Special advertiSing Section

Celebrate easter

BY DAVID ANAYA George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

AT THE GEORGE BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

O

Peace 107, Candy 95 and WTAW Newstalk 1620.

Peace 107 has been instrumental in getting our kite flying contest off the ground – literally! This year, they will have some kites to hand out, but you are also encouraged to bring your own. Trophies will be given for the highest flyer, judge’s choice, most artistic, and fan favorite.

One of the other important features of the Easter Celebration is the door prize giveaway. The police department will give away door prizes – including bicycles! The door prize drawing will take place immediately following the egg hunt, and you must be present to win. The prizes are drawn for both boys and girls separately in the three different age groups: three and under, four to five, and six to seven years old. If you’d like for your children to be eligible for the door prizes, you must register them ahead of time. The registration form can be found on either the Bush Library and Museum or the City of College Station websites. Be sure to check out the new temporary exhibits inside the Bush Library and Museum!

Barbara Bush Drive will be closed during the event so all participants must enter through Research Park. Free parking is available in lots 41, 43 and Fan Field.

SPIES, TRAITORS, SABOTEURS: FEAR AND FREEDOM IN AMERICA

UPCOMING EVENTS

n Saturday, April 13 the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the College Station Police Department will hold the annual College Station Easter Celebration. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the grounds of the Bush Library and Museum.

The Bush Library and Museum began partnering with the police department in 1999. The event is for children 7 years old and younger.

The event features thousands of plastic eggs filled with candy ensuring everybody goes home happy. There will be three separate hunts based on age. One hunt will be for children three and under, another for four to five year-olds and the other for children six to seven years old. The Easter Bunnies arrive via fire truck, and the Easter Egg Hunt begins promptly at 10 a.m. The College Station Fire Department will sound the alarm to get the hunt started, and if you’re late, you’ll miss it.

Free carnival games are scattered throughout, along with bounce houses, police and fire vehicles, complimentary refreshments, balloon animals, face painting, a kite flying contest and of course photos with the Easter Bunny. Bags of goodies will be given to the kids which will include a very special wooden Easter egg.

The event’s evolution has included a fantastic partnership with the City of College Station,

is a new special exhibit providing guests with an historic perspective on acts of terror that have taken place on American soil. Through interactive exhibits, thought-provoking films, artifacts, and replicas, “Spies, Traitors, and Saboteurs� explores several major events and periods in U.S. History when America felt threatened by enemies both outside and within its borders. This exhibit will be on display through May 20, 2019.

Another exciting exhibit, “Grand Canyon Photographs: Celebrating the Centennial 1919 to 2019,� will be on display now through Sunday, June 9. This exhibit features photographs by American Photographer Mark Burns. The exhibit features traditional black and white photographs, color photographs, and some very unique hand-tinted color photographs.

The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located at 1000 George Bush Drive West, College Station, TX 77845. For more information visit www.bush41.org.

Special thanks to our event partners the City of College Station, Candy 95, Newstalk 1620 WTAW, and Peace 107.

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APRIL 13 AT 9:30 A.M. CHILDREN AGED AND UNDER

Free event • Games • Face paintinG • eGG roll easter eGG hunt • eGG toss • complimentary reFreshments photos with the easter Bunny

HUMOROUS POETRY

by Poet Col. Wayne Edwards, The Family Poet

MAY

10:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Annenberg Presidential Conference Center’s Frymire Auditorium To make your reservations or for more information email bush.education@nara.gov or call (979) 691-4006.

“The Return of Hank the Cowdog’s Ranch Life: Ranch Wildlife�

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MAY & Annenberg Presidential Conference Center

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MAY - A M AND - P M MAY - A M AND - P M Visit Bush41.org and click on the events tab to register.

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DOWNTOWN BRYAN STREET & ART FAIR In conjunction with Family Weekend, the event features artists and artisans selling drawings, paintings, jewelry, pottery, glass and metal art. Also live music, art demonstrations and street performers.

Details: April 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Downtown Bryan. downtownbryan.com.

Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie

GLOW IN THE DARK EGG HUNT The City of College Station’s egg hunt for adults will feature lawn games, a selfie booth, joy jumps, music and more.

Guests may bring their own refreshments. Coolers must be 48 quarts or smaller. Alcohol, glass containers and pets are not allowed.

Details: April 12 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Wolf Pen Creek Park, 1015 Colgate Drive. Egg hunt begins at 9 p.m. Free admission. For ages 18 and up. cstx.gov.

BLUE BUNNY BREAKFAST & EGG HUNT The Bryan Police Department and City of Bryan Parks and Recreation Department host an egg hunt for children with a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Details: April 13 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Travis B. Bryan Municipal Park Clubhouse in Bryan. Free. bryantx.gov.

WINE & ROSES FESTIVAL The one-day festival at Messina Hof celebrates the 35th anniversary of the budding of the vines and the blooming of the roses. Among the activities are wine tastings, vendors and artisans, pairing classes, a grape-stomp competition and

AGGIE MUSTER The time-honored tradition at Texas A&M University celebrates Aggies who have died in the past year. The keynote speaker is Dr. Dwight A. Roblyer, a retired Air Force colonel and A&M graduate.

Details: April 22 at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena. muster.tamu.edu. more. Free, some events require tickets.

Details: April 13 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Messina Hof Estate Winery & Resort, 4545 Old Reliance Road. Ticket packages are $25 to $90. messinahof.com.

INSECT APPRECIATION DAY The College Station Parks and Recre-

Life is special.

It’s not about how long we live, it’s about how we live.

Thank you for helping Hospice Brazos Valley make life special for our patients and their families.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

ation Department and the Texas A&M Entomology Department partnered with local organizations to create an event all about insects with educational booths and hands-on activities.

Details: April 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lick Creek Nature Center, 13600 Rock Prairie Road. Free. cstx.gov.

BRAZOS VALLEY EARTH DAY The annual event features educational booths, environmental demonstrations, a kid’s zone, snacks and refreshments.

Details: April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wolf Pen Creek Park. Free. brazosvalleyearthday.com.

Photo courtesy of the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra

EASTER EGG HUNT The City of College Station Parks and Recreation Department presents an egg hunt for children 10 and under, pictures with the Easter Bunny, crafts and games.

Details: April 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at W.A. Tarrow Park. Free. cstx.gov.

‘JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT’ The Theatre Company presents the musical that dramatizes the biblical story of Joseph and the coat of many colors.

Details: April 19-May 5. $15 and $20. theatrecompany.com.

BANJOS, BBQ AND BLUEGRASS The Brazos Valley Chorale’s season finale is a hoedown with dancing, food and fun.

Details: May 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hildebrand Equine Complex. bvchorale.org.

‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’ The Theatre Company presents the musical that gives a fictional account of Georges Seurat as he paints the famous A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.

Details: June 21-June 30. $15 and $20. theatrecompany.com.

AN EVENING WITH LESLIE ODOM JR. The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra will perform the 37th season finale with guest Leslie Odom Jr. The acclaimed Broadway performer starred as Aaron Burr in the musical Hamilton, and won the 2016 Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical. His career also spans television, film and stage.

Details: April 28 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $35 to $80. bvso.org.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

By the Numbers

8 Here’s something that some Texans can rally behind. The state ranks eighth in the amount of craft beer produced. Eight seems awfully low for a mighty beer-drinking state. According to the Brewers Association’s most recent study, Texas produced 1,156,536 barrels of craft beer in 2017.

That falls behind North Carolina (ranked seventh), New York, Ohio, Florida, Colorado and California. Topping the list, and wiping the floor with every other state, is Pennsylvania, which produced a whopping 3,724,010 barrels. So grab a Hopadillo IPA, a Firemans #4 or one of Robert Earl Keen’s three beers with Pedernales Brewing Co. Or keep it local with a brew

by Blackwater Draw, New Republic or Zoigl Brewery.

5.5 million

That’s the average number of Peeps made per day by Just Born Quality Confections, based in Pennsylvania. Plenty have joked that the Easter marshmallow candy is indestructible, and it even inspired a series of experiments in 1999 by researchers at Emory University.

The results can be found at peepresearch.org, and the explanations are highly entertaining, including a note on why Peeps are most abundant in the spring. The researchers surmised this was because of a “natural result of complex predator/ prey relationships.

Peep populations appear to swell up until the bizarre convergence of 50 percent off sales at grocery stores and pharmacies around the world.

Dedicated teams of scientists, engineers and astrologists have yet to explain why this always happens on a Monday.”

$38.3 million This is the highest salary for a Major League Baseball player — Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg — this year, according to mlb.com.

Let’s break that down a bit. He’s paid 95.75 times more than the president, for starters.

The average salary for teachers in Texas is $48,110, according to Indeed.com, and Strasburg is paid 796 times more than that. So, one baseball player equals 796 teachers. (Good grief.)

On the ridiculous side: Take ramen noodles, those super-cheap meals at the grocery store that have more sodium per serving than you ever thought possible. You can get six for a dollar. So if you lived on ramen — and we stress that this is not a good idea at all — three meals a day cost 48 cents. For a year, that’s $175.20.

With Strasburg’s salary, you could buy ramen meals to last for 218,607 years.

1.6 million

The Carolina Reaper is officially the world’s hottest, according to Guinness. The little red devils check in at 1.6 million on the Scoville Heat Unit scale (other sources have it as high as 2.2 million).

To put that in perspective, a regular old jalapeno has a Scoville ranking under 10,000.

There are people crazy enough to enter contests to wolf down super-hot peppers, which seems like an even worse idea than those oddballs that dunk hot dogs into water before inhaling them. They could always try the Homer Simpson route: Coat your mouth and throat with candle wax, then down the peppers without chewing. Bonus: The resulting hallucinations allow you to meet an animated coyote with the voice of Johnny Cash.

04/17 Break out the holiday decorations: April 17 is National Cheeseball Day. Time to revisit all the beloved cheeseball songs, and bring the family together for the traditional cheeseball meal. It’s just one of the many “national day of …” oddities coming up this spring, according to nationaldaycalendar.com.

A few others of note: Hug a Newsperson Day (April 4, but please don’t); Raisin and Spice Bar Day (April 5); 8-Track Tape Day (April 11); Lima Bean Respect Day (April 20); Talk Like Shakespeare Day (April 23); Hairball Awareness Day (April 26); Roast Leg of Lamb Day (May 7); Lost Sock Memorial Day (May 9); Frog Jumping Day (May 13); Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14); Nylon Stocking Day (May 15); Piercing Day (May 16); Escargot Day (May 24); and Speak in Sentences Day (May 31).

— ROB CLARK

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360 Profile

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

the call family

Matt Call, 40.

Clive Call, 15.

Van Call, 13.

Dean Call, 11.

Zane Call, 8.

A family’s call A

to music

Story ROB claRK

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first performance at a real concert venue would inspire a bundle of nerves for anyone. That was certainly true for the younger members of Callplay as they took the Grand Stafford Theater stage last October. But they had plenty of family support onstage and off.

Callplay is a family band, a Coldplay cover act led by father Matt Call with four of his sons. The Calls moved to the area in 2016. Matt, 40, is an assistant professor in the Mays Business School management department. He played in various bands since his teenage years, and recorded his own music after graduating from BYU in 2003.

Matt plays guitar and sings. Clive, 15, plays keyboard, synth bass and drums. Van, 13, focuses on drums. Dean, 11, plays a synthesizer, and 8-year-old Zane handles the lighting and chips in on harmonies. All of the sons contribute to the vocals.

On a recent rainy afternoon in Downtown Bryan, Matt eagerly described each child’s skill set, punctuated by anecdotes, like someone comparing Van’s drumming style to that of Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame.

“I just like being able to rock out on the drums,” Van says.

Music is big in the Call home — they practice and record in a home studio — and learning an instrument is more or less mandatory, Matt says.

“At the same time, we try to make it fun,” he says, “so that it’s something they want to do.”

The Calls naturally have a strong appreciation for Chris Martin and Coldplay. Matt says they’re not over-the-top super fans, but enjoy the band’s sound, which first caught his attention with the 2000 hit Yellow. The Calls tried to see Coldplay in Houston in 2017, but the NRG Stadium show was canceled in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The family teamed up to play a Coldplay song — the big

Photos laURa mcKeNZie ballad Fix You — for a church function last year, and that experience led to a handful of shows, headlined by the Grand Stafford Theater event.

“It was really fun,” Clive says of the Grand Stafford show.

“I feel like the venue is a really cool place to play. The atmosphere in there, I could definitely see why a lot of famous bands would want to play there.”

Dean acknowledged having preshow jitters, but it didn’t last long that night: “When I got onstage, it was really fun. Just a good place to have a fun time.”

Zane shared that sentiment, noting that he made an appearance onstage to dance at one point in the show.

“I was like, ‘This is gonna be hard,’” he recalls. “But it was super fun.”

Matt estimates that he sings lead on about 60 percent of the songs, and he anticipates that number reversing as the band evolves.

“It’s a matter of, it’s not in their range yet, or it’s a matter of some songs are more challenging,” he says. “Eventually, I’m OK with them taking over. It’s really more about them getting experience and getting comfortable.”

There are opportunities for Callplay to expand. Beyond the four sons now in the lineup, there are three more Call kids at home: sons Jones (3), Jay (1) and 4-month-old daughter Marlie. Matt says his wife Leslie even sent Coldplay a message to try to let the band members know about Callplay.

“To me, this is more fun than I’ve ever had,” Matt says. “…

This is more of a special thing, because I feel like it’s bringing them together. To see them perform makes it a more special experience.”

Details: Callplay performs April 6 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Century Square. Free admission.

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Special advertiSing Section

CHI st. Joseph Health Hospitals receive tMF Hospital Quality Improvement award

C

HI St. Joseph Health earned the TMF Hospital Quality Improvement Bronze Award for undertaking quality initiatives to improve outcomes in patient care and improve its performance on specific national quality measures. Three hospitals in the CHI St. Joseph Health System were awarded this honor, including Regional Hospital in Bryan, Bellville Hospital in Bellville and Burleson Hospital in Caldwell.

Sponsored by the TMF® Health Quality Institute and hospital associations in several states, the award recognizes hospitals in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Established in 2004, the award is a non-competitive recognition program designed to identify exemplary outcomes achieved by hospitals.

The 2018 TMF Hospital Quality Improvement Award program is based on achievements in 2016-17. Our hospitals performed quality initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in patient care.

To earn bronze status, Regional Hospital and Bellville Hospital reported at least

one measure set for Inpatient Quality Reporting and Outpatient Quality Reporting programs and attained a 10-percent improvement in readmissions or a rate of 5 percent or less.

To earn gold status, Burleson Hospital reported at least one measure set for Inpatient Quality Reporting and Outpatient Quality Reporting programs and attained a 20-percent improvement in readmissions or a rate of 5 percent or less.

All three hospitals were among 51 hospitals earning this honor.

“This recognition underscores our commitment to patient safety and delivering quality health care,” said CHI St. Joseph Health President & CEO Theron Park. “Our team works tirelessly throughout the year to ensure a high standard of care for all patients at all of our facilities.”

TMF Health Quality Institute focuses on improving lives by improving the quality of health care through contracts with federal, state and local governments, as well as private organizations. TMF

has helped health care providers and practitioners in a variety of settings improve care for their patients for more than 45 years.

CHI St. Joseph Health has been caring for the communities of Bryan, College Station, Brenham, Hearne, Navasota, Caldwell, Madisonville and Bellville since 1936. With the area’s only Level II Major Trauma Center, the first Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center and the highest accredited Chest Pain Center in the Brazos Valley, CHI St. Joseph Health is a leader in critical care, as well as the largest provider of cardiovascular and cancer care in the region.

CHI St. Joseph Health Medical Group operates more than a dozen primary and specialty care clinics around the region, including several co-branded primary care clinics that are part of the CHI St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network. Visit CHIStJoseph.org to find a physician near you.

CHI St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network CHI St. Joseph Health and Texas A&M University have a shared history of serving the Brazos Valley. And now, we’re coming together to achieve our vision of a healthier tomorrow. Together, we can prioritize your preventive health, reach your wellness goals, and further meet your healthcare needs.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

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Cover Story

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

Left: Cherie Cotner and service dog Angel. The smooth-coated collie has been with Cotner for nearly a decade.

Service dogs create a special bond with humans Story KeNNy Wiley

T

here are many duties that service dogs provide to humans, many of which are never seen by most people not directly associated with the dogs.

An example: Properly trained service dogs often detect issues with their human handler before human-made technology does, according to Nancy Cadle, who co-owns River’s Edge Dog Academy in College Station with her husband Terry. River’s Edge focuses on training diabetic-alert service dogs.

“We get calls from former clients that say their service dog is falsely alerting them about blood sugar, only to call us back 20 minutes later and say, ‘She was right,’” Nancy said. “It’s amazing the relationships that can be built, because the dog and person spend so much time together.”

“Service dogs are another tool in the toolbox to help people with many of the problems they have,” Terry said. “They’re a great help for folks who need it.”

|

Photos laURa mcKeNZie

Service animals are defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act as dogs (and, in a handful of instances, miniature horses) that are specifically trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

Examples include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, and calming a person with PTSD during an anxiety attack.

According to the Office of Risk, Ethics and Compliance at Texas A&M, petting service animals while they are working is not strictly forbidden, though many “handlers” — people who have a service dog helping them — have vests for their service animals that say “Do not pet.”

“It is best to ask the handler or trainer before you approach or pet any dog (or other service animal),” the office’s website states.

Here’s a look at three Brazos Valley-area handlers of service dogs, and the canines

who work with them.

‘I thank God every morning for her’ Cherie Cotner’s service dog Angel isn’t the most famous collie living in College Station, but she’s up there. Angel helps Cotner, who has been a paraplegic and a wheelchair user since a 1983 car accident, with a variety of tasks.

“I drop dozens of things a day,” Cotner said. “Oftentimes, before I had Angel, I would have to wait if I dropped something out in public for somebody to stop by and pick it up. Angel is there immediately, and excited to help me.”

Cotner, 60, and Angel began working together nearly a decade ago via the Texas nonprofit Service Dogs Inc. “It’s a gift for both of us,” Cotner said of the relationship with Angel. “She helps me, and you can tell Continued on Page 16

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Continued from Page 15

that it isn’t really a job for her. She has such joy, and I think that Angel also aids in my independence.”

Angel, a smooth-coated collie whose exact age is unknown but is somewhere between 11 and 13, helps Cotner move laundry by reaching, mouth-and-nose first, into the washer and dryer so she can deliver the clothes to Cotner.

“If I could get her to fold 'em, I’d be in great shape,” Cotner said, laughing as Angel brought her a sheet. Angel also brings Cotner her glasses, water bottles and books. By commanding with the word “gentle,” Angel can delicately bring her pieces of paper.

“There might be a light mouth mark or two,” Cotner said with a smile, “but often as not, there isn’t.”

Angel’s personality is joyful, Cotner said.

“She has those soulful eyes and she’s very sweet — just the most loving dog. I thank God every morning for her.”

Cotner gives Angel treats often throughout the day, and said many service dogs are trained on a reward system.

Awareness of service dog etiquette has improved in recent years, Cotner said, though the duo occasionally encounters employees at establishments who are unaware that service dogs are allowed access. Malls and stores can be challenging for Angel, Cotner said, though buildings that lack accessibility for people in wheelchairs are a more common impediment.

Cotner, a member of the Texas A&M class of 1981, said she has a strong support system of fellow humans in the area: Her sister lives down the street from her College Station home, and she attends First United Methodist Church in Bryan. Angel doesn’t join Cotner for Sunday services, she said, because applause tends to make her bark, but she goes most other places with her, including social gatherings at 1541 Pastries and Coffee.

Cotner was a Sam’s Club employee before retiring earlier this decade. Angel was quiet, she said, until she started joining in a customary morning cheer that followed employee meetings at the store.

“She started barking along with the cheer, and everybody loved it,” Cotner said.

Angel is particularly helpful in moments of social interactions with strangers, she said.

“No matter how social a person I am, when other people see you out in public, they don’t know how to respond to people with disabilities,” she said. “With a working dog, a smile can start conversations more often than not. ‘May I pet your dog?’ often leads to

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

Eagle photos by Laura McKenzie Angel helps Cherie Cotner remove items from the dryer inside her home.

other discussions.”

Cotner acknowledges Angel’s relatively advanced age, and says her companionship “has been vital to my well-being.”

“As I age, I will depend even more on my working dog in many aspects,” she said. “As Angel has aged, she may not hear as well, and is a little slower in our walks, but her devotion is strong as ever.”

‘There’s totally a bond’ Braden Deupree, 23, said he and his service dog Jessie have similarly quiet and reserved personalities.

“It’s like that scene in 101 Dalmatians where they show dogs who look like their owners,” Deupree said, laughing as Jessie sat near his left leg during a recent interview.

“She’s quiet and calm and goes with the flow.”

Deupree got Jessie, a chocolate lab, in 2014 from a downtown Houston shelter just days before her scheduled euthanization. “All the other dogs in there were just barking, barking, barking, and she was just chillin.’ We could tell that was a good dog,” he said.

“She’s smart. You wouldn’t believe how fast she catches on when you teach her something,” Deupree said. Jessie can jump up when commanded to press buttons, pick up keys and phones and shut doors.

“One cool thing I like to show off is that I’ve taught her to get a Coke can out of the fridge,” he said.

Deupree has epilepsy. He was diagnosed while in middle school, he said. “What happens to me is that I just black out or zone out, like sleepwalking. I have memory loss and it’s a few minutes long.”

Jessie has helped Deupree make progress, he said.

“She’s a seizure alert for myself, and what she alerts for is that before you have a seizure, you give off a smell that people can’t detect but dogs can know,” he said. “So they can alert you.”

Deupree said his medication sometimes makes him dizzy, and that Jessie can tell right away. If he faints or otherwise falls over, her training leads her to stand on top of him so that nothing else falls on him.

When asked what he’d most want people to know about service dogs, Deupree said that the dogs have vital roles — jobs that may not be immediately apparent. He said people often ask to pet Jessie, and sometimes don’t ask before going for it: “Some vests for service dogs say ‘Do not pet,’ while others say ‘Please ask to pet.’ And really, you’re not supposed to [pet], because the owner really needs the service dog to be on the job.”

Deupree, a 2018 Texas A&M gradu-

ate, said he became involved with Aggie Guide-Dogs and Service-Dogs during his sophomore year. The organization’s president, Aubrey Bilicek, joined Deupree in his interview along with Pepper, a service dog in training.

“Oftentimes on campus, people see the dog first, and don’t see the person,” said Bilicek, 20. “Our organization is here in part to educate people that yes, the dogs are adorable, but they’re here for an important reason.”

The student-run group provides basic training and screening for potential service dogs, Bilicek said, and also partners with area organizations to assist with the high level of training needed. “There’s a huge need for thoroughly trained service dogs, and not enough trainers,” she said.

Bilicek said it’s especially important for people to be aware of service dogs that are assisting handlers with disabilities that are not immediately apparent. She said that part of the screening process includes making sure that the dogs seem to enjoy working.

“Sometimes people assume service dogs never get to have fun, but I promise you, as soon as the jacket comes off, their energy shifts and they become like different dogs,” she said.

Deupree said Jessie’s actions, even when off duty, often mirror his own.

“There’s totally a bond,” he said. “She kind of does things when I do them. If I want to play, she’ll play. But if I’m lying down relaxing, she’ll go get into her bed. She’s kind of like a cat.”

Above: Aubrey Bilicek and Braden Deupree stand with service dogs, Pepper and Jessie, at Rudder Plaza. Below: Ashley McMeans gets a kiss from her service dog, Nymeria, at Gabbard Park.

‘I trust her with my life’ Texas A&M student Ashley McMeans said that people often see and interact with her service dog, 3-year-old Nymeria, before they see her. Nymeria loves people, but is trained to ignore the excited reactions of humans while she’s working, which McMeans described as being “in vest.”

“Without her, most of the things I do I wouldn’t be able to do. She’s a very special dog,” McMeans said.

McMeans has had Nymeria since she was 2 months old. She trained her in basic obedience for five months before taking her out in public. “By the time she was 9 months old, she was going everywhere with me,” she said.

“There has to be a lot of trust in our relationship, and there is,” said McMeans, a zoology student and aspiring veterinarian.

“I trust her with my life, and she does the same.”

Continued from Page 18

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Continued from Page 17

McMeans has vertigo, mobility issues and frequent battles with migraines.

“Not a day goes by where my balance isn’t affected,” McMeans said.

When working, Nymeria wears a counterbalance handle, which McMeans said is distinct from a more traditional guide handle.

“She knows how to brace if I’ve fallen, and can help me back up, and can pull me back up,” she said. “Most of the time my hand rests very lightly on the handle, and gives me another way to ground myself and orient myself to the world.”

Though medication has helped, she said her physical health struggles have, at times, led to depression. It helps both physically and emotionally, she said, to know that when something goes wrong, Nymeria is there.

“Ultimately. it’s difficult for dogs to succeed in service work, and most don’t make it,” she said. “In working with her through my medical issues as they’ve gotten worse over time, it’s been a huge help. I don’t know how I would have made it this far without her. Definitely, I would not be in school if I didn’t have her.”

McMeans said she began a semester of school in 2015, but was forced to withdraw

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Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie Service dog Nymeria rests next to Ashley McMeans during a visit to Gabbard Park.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

because of health issues. She restarted at A&M in fall 2017, and said she has about two years left before graduating. “[Having Nymeria has] helped with my confidence as a person,” she said. “It’s helped me recognize my strengths and my weaknesses, and it’s also helped me connect to the community.”

McMeans described Nymeria’s personality while the dog eyed ducks and squirrels near a Gabbard Park pond. “She is a goof ball when she’s out of vest, and very professional when she’s in vest,” she said.

Service dogs are trained to know when they’re “on the clock,” she said, and to know when they’re not. Nymeria is a social dog and loves both people and other dogs, McMeans said.

“Most of that goes away when she’s in vest,” she said. “She’s aware that she has a job to do. But even when she’s not in vest, if I call her, she’ll come and she’ll help. She can tell when I’m not feeling well and need her.”

McMeans said the attention that comes with having a service dog has its benefits and drawbacks. She encouraged people to pay close attention and to approach service dogs with caution.

“It’s so important for people to realize that even though service dogs might not look like they’re working, they very well could be,” she

BRAZOS VALLEY DOG-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS Aggie Guide-Dogs and Service-Dogs: Founded in 1997, the student-led group trains service dogs and strives to increase awareness about how these animals help the individuals with disabilities who use them. To learn more, visit ags.tamu.edu.

Aggieland Pets With a Purpose: A nonprofit group of volunteers who work with therapy pets. To learn more, visit www.apwap.org.

River’s Edge Dog Academy: The academy trains service dogs that understand that they “are not self-employed,” according to its website. “They understand you are the employer, which creates a lifelong bond of dedication, loyalty and affection,” the site reads. Contact owners Terry and Nancy Cadle at 979-595-7959 or

said.

“Having her, I felt like I was on top of the world,” she said. “I’ve never been super outgoing, and so it was nice to have a way to connect with people.”

Nymeria’s presence has led to great conver-

riversedgeda.com.

Aggieland Humane Society: The Humane Society uses volunteers in myriad ways.

Its mission statement: “The Aggieland Humane Society provides humane care and placement for homeless and abandoned animals, promotes the humananimal bond and promotes responsible pet ownership to enhance the quality of life for the people and animals in our community.” Visit aggielandhumane.org to learn more.

Bryan Animal Center: The center seeks volunteers and offers training. Tasks include animal care assistance, cleaning, locating animal owners, and other needs.

Call 979-209-5260 or visit bryantx.gov/ animal-center to learn more.

sations with people while out and about, she said.

“There are shirts for handlers that read, ‘My hero has paws,’ and I don’t think there are any truer words than that,” McMeans said.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

Left: Chocolatier Joshua Neubauer holds a tray of cookies-and-cream fudge in the kitchen at The Chocolate Gallery. Above: honey lavender chocolates.

The candy man can:

Sweets star at Chocolate Gallery Story mORGaN DyeR

W

hile working with chocolate on a daily basis, Joshua Neubauer can’t help but be reminded of the famous fictional chocolatier Willy Wonka.

“Sometimes I will break out in song,” Neubauer says. “I’ll start singing ‘Who can take a sunrise ....’ like [in] Willy Wonka.”

Neubauer, 38, is the executive chocolatier at The Chocolate Gallery in Downtown Bryan, where he creates artisan chocolates and truffles in a Wonka-worthy kitchen, complete with endless shelves of candies and pastries. Neubauer grew up in California, and started out decorating cakes at a grocery store before attending culinary school.

That’s where he discovered his passion.

“I just kind of fell in love with chocolate,” Neubauer said. “We had a chocolate class, and it was just really cool because you can make small batches of different flavors and tweak them to what you want them to be.”

Neubauer met his wife, Ciana, a College Station native, while they were both at The

|

Photos laURa mcKeNZie

Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduation, the two got married and moved to the area. Ciana was working for Wayne Carroll, who was looking to open a restaurant, Neubauer said.

“We put together a business plan, and we wanted to open up a little chocolate shop,” he said. “Then we found this place, and it was huge. So we tweaked our plan a little and opened up The Chocolate Gallery.”

The Chocolate Gallery, owned by Carroll, serves around 30 chocolate flavors, including strawberry dark chocolate, fresh mint and Dr Pepper. Neubauer says that the best part of his job is having the opportunity to create something new and experiment with different flavors. His personal favorite is the toffee truffles — both to eat and to make.

One of the more popular treats offered is the “Whoop! Pie.” It’s a chocolate based on the traditional whoopie pie dessert, but with a twist.

“The Whoop! Pies are chocolates with a

layer of marshmallow cream, with Oreo cookie ganache,” Neubauer said. “We decorate these with the Texas A&M logo, so that’s why we call them Whoop! Pies.”

To make the chocolates, Neubauer starts with the tempering process, which keeps the melted chocolate mixed and smooth, he says. Once the chocolate has tempered, he pours it into a mold and dumps out the excess to create a chocolate shell.

Neubauer then takes the hardened chocolate shell and puts in a filling, such as dark chocolate ganache or creme fondant, before topping it off with another layer of chocolate to serve as the bottom.

The gallery team recently emerged from the chocolate busy season. He calls Christmas and Valentine’s Day “the hurricane.”

“For Valentine’s, there are a lot of lastminute orders, it’s just kind of how guys do things,” Neubauer said. “The day before Continued from Page 22

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Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie Sous chef Loghan Jordan works on making oatmeal raisin walnut cookies at The Chocolate Gallery. Below, Texas A&M milk and dark chocolate.

Continued from Page 21

Valentine’s there is usually a line of guys stretching out the store and they are all looking for a last-minute gift.”

Neubauer says that compared to other seasons, like Christmas, Valentine’s is harder to prepare for. Customers plan out their Christmas parties and place orders weeks in advance, he says, but there isn’t as much planning done for Valentine’s.

“During the week of Valentine’s Day, I will come into work at 8 in the morning, and I won’t leave until 2 in the morning,” Neubauer said. “At one point, we had gotten back from a delivery, and we were just sitting in the car because we didn’t want to go back inside. We just hid in the van for like 10 minutes.”

Once “the hurricane” is over, the gallery hosts groups of students for field trips.

The students watch the chocolate-making process, and then learn how chocolate is produced. Neubauer says it’s a fun experience to teach children about chocolate and to see how interested they are while they watch him in the kitchen.

“The students love the tours,” Neubauer

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

said. “They learn a lot about chocolate that they wouldn’t learn in a classroom, like how the cocoa bean is grown, how it’s made into chocolate bars and the different types of chocolates.”

The field trips include a tasting, in which students try cacao nibs from the bean and varieties of chocolate.

The Chocolate Gallery also offers cookie-, cake- and cupcake-decorating classes. Neubauer says they are starting to expand to add general cooking classes as well.

Loghan Jordan is the gallery’s sous chef, and helps to make the pastries and chocolates. Jordan says that coming into work every day and making chocolates for others is what she loves to do.

“My thing is sweets,” Jordan said. “I like eating them. I like making them. I just enjoy it all around. So spreading it around to others and them eating our chocolates and being happy is what I look for.”

Jordan says that the salted caramel and honey lavender chocolates are two of their best sellers.

The gallery gets chocolate from a Swiss company, and Neubauer says that during a typical week they go through a case and a half of chocolate coins, which are small discs of chocolate that are easy to melt. (A case, Neubauer says, is 24 kilos or about 53 pounds.)

The gallery also sells chocolates wholesale to other businesses in Bryan-College Station, including The George Hotel in College Station and the Amico Nave restaurant in Bryan.

“We’re just trying to expand,” Neubauer said. “We have a lot of room in our kitchen and we want to use it. We’re like a pastry concierge.”

Crowd-Pleasing Easter Brunch

Family Features Easter is a time to celebrate with friends and family. You can create a crowd-pleasing brunch with affordable, high-quality ingredients, wine and tablescape decor.

Elevate your holiday brunch beyond an egg casserole with a Spiral Ham with Red Wine and Citrus Glaze as the centerpiece for your table.

Find ingredients for these recipes at ALDI, which offers high-quality, fresh and affordable foods to help you put together a vibrant spread. From brunch essentials and beverages to fruits, veggies, snacks and more, you can make Easter pop.

Find additional recipes at ALDI.us.

Mini Blueberry Chocolate Tart

Recipe courtesy of Chef Michelle, ALDI Test Kitchen

Prep time: 10 minutes • Cook time: 17 minutes • Servings: 12 n 1 Bake House Creations Pie Crust n 1 1/2 tablespoons Sweet Additions Stevia No Calorie Sweetener n 1 cup fresh blueberries n 1 Choceur Dark Chocolate Bar (2.64 ounces), chopped Heat oven to 400 F. Cut 1-2 sheets of parchment paper into 5-by-5-inch squares. Line each cup of 12-cup muffin pan with one square of parchment paper.

Roll out pie crust and cut 12 circles, 2 inches each, with cookie cutter. Press each circle into lined muffin cup.

In medium bowl, combine sweetener, blueberries and chocolate. Divide mixture among pie crusts.

Bake 17 minutes until chocolate melts. Allow to cool and serve.

BEER & BURGERS

Spiral Ham with Red Wine and Citrus Glaze

Recipe courtesy of Rebecca Gallop (@adailysomething) on behalf of ALDI

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 10-12 minutes per pound of ham Ham: n 1 Appleton Farms Spiral Cut Double Glazed Brown Sugar Ham (about 4 pounds), reserving liquid Glaze: n 1/2 cup Intermingle Red Blend wine n 1/4 cup Nature’s Nectar orange juice n 1/4 cup Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup n 1/2 up Simply Nature Organic Light Brown Sugar n 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary n 1 dash salt n 2 tablespoons Burman’s Dijon Mustard To make ham: Heat oven to 325 F. Place ham in roasting pan on rack. Pour reserved liquid over ham and cover tightly with foil. Bake 10-12 minutes per pound.

To make glaze: In small pan, combine wine, orange juice, syrup, brown sugar, rosemary and salt. Heat to boil then lower to rapid simmer until mixture begins to thicken and reduce, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard.

When ham is 10 minutes from being done, remove from oven and increase temperature to 400 F. Remove foil and brush ham thoroughly with glaze.

Place ham back in oven, uncovered, about 10 minutes, or until ham reaches internal temperature of 140 F. Remove ham from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

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SPRING FASHION PREVIEW Brazos 360’s seasonal guide to a more stylish you!

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

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Daddy Daughter Dance January 25 & 26  Brazos Center

F

athers and daughters danced the night away during the 2019 Daddy Daughter Dance at the Brazos Center in Bryan on Jan. 25 and 26. Activities included a photo booth, formal portraits and dancing. Dinner, desserts and snacks were also served. Proceeds from the two-night event go to the Children’s Museum of The Brazos Valley. Visit theeagle.com/ daddydaughterdance for more photos.

Photos Laura McKenzie

TOP LEFT: Ted Dawson and daughter Brooke TOP MIDDLE LEFT: Ron Quiram and daughters Kelsey and Carly FAR LEFT: Tee Dippel and daughter Victoria LEFT: John Ramirez and daughter Sofia BOTTOM LEFT: Josh Minneman and daughter Clairiana.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Jeremy Hyde and daughter Ruth

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

TOP LEFT: Ade Olowo and daughter Kiva TOP MIDDLE: Derek Wagner and daughter Grace TOP RIGHT: Ryan Buck and daughter Katie ABOVE LEFT: Trey Corry and daughter Caroline ABOVE: Cody Waller and daughter McKinley ABOVE RIGHT: Joe Cerney and daughters Paige and Allison LEFT: John Moreno and daughters Emily and Kelsi BELOW: Garrett Blundell and daughter Blythe

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Boys and Girls Club 60th anniversary

A

Jan. 31  Brazos County Expo

bout 500 people helped celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Club of the Brazos Valley during a reception and dinner Jan. 31 at the Brazos County Expo. Children and teenagers ran the evening’s program, which included the induction of three people into the organization’s alumni hall of fame. For more photos from the event, visit theeagle.com/boysandgirlsclub.

Photos Laura McKenzie

TOP LEFT: Prince James, Paris James and Kheyden Payton ABOVE: Karen Carroll and Bobby and Rebecca Boenigk RIGHT: Angie Comer-Bohler, Terry Bohler and Heath Poole BELOW: Bunny Pratt and AJ Saculla BELOW RIGHT: Micayla Murray, Deion Johnson and Tiffany S. Parker

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

RIGHT: Angela Gray and Ruby Carter.

FAR RIGHT: Mike Perrone and Marian Rose Varisco.

BELOW: Allison Ross Carroll, Cydni Carroll, Rhian McGinty, Landon Johnson, Virginia Redwine Johnson and AC Ross.

BELOW RIGHT: Luke Tillman, Lauren Esparza, Kemper McEacharn, Hilaire Garza, Kaeley Voughan and Ben Wick.

ABOVE: McKenzie Munoz, James Coppernoll and Aliana Blackshear ABOVE RIGHT: Ingrid Torres, Laura Torres, Izel Aldape and Maria Sanchez RIGHT: Brett Brewer, Katie Sims and Abbie and Kevin Krolczyk FAR RIGHT: Deby Perrone and Frank Varisco

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50 Men Who Can Cook February 1 ď ˆ Brazos County Expo

C

ommunity members from various organizations around Bryan-College Station prepared some of their favorite recipes for the 50 Men Who Can Cook event at the Brazos County Expo Feb. 1. The event is a fundraiser for the College Station ISD Education Foundation. For more photos from the event, visit theeagle.com/50men.

Photos Laura McKenzie

TOP LEFT: Stephen Wright and Andrew Naeger TOP RIGHT: Geoffrey Christian and Andrew Orr MIDDLE RIGHT: Rick Velez and Manuel Cavazos MIDDLE LEFT: Joe Warren, Jonathan McMahan and Tradd Mills LEFT: Jared Salvato and Jordan Januse ABOVE: Bart Taylor and Chauncey Lindner

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

TOP LEFT: Taylor Williams, Nathan Anz, Teresa Katt and Joseph Hill TOP RIGHT: Carlos Silva, Christopher Phillips and Michael Thompson MIDDLE LEFT: Brett Lawler and Adam Snidow MIDDLE RIGHT: Aaron Amador, Lee Arnold and Duane Olson ABOVE: Rickey Meza, Lindsey Sericano and Chad Gardner FAR RIGHT: Paul Dorsett and Ron Fox RIGHT: Derek Jurgens, David Rhodes and Dietrich Rhodes

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What’s in your

OFFICE? StePhaNie haNOVeR Science teacher at Allen Academy

A

cardboard cutout of the Mars rover Opportunity is a part of Stephanie Hanover’s classroom décor at Allen Academy. The science teacher is a big fan of the little rover that could, and its mission had just been declared complete the day before the interview and photo shoot took place for this feature. And so an “RIP Oppy” sign was posted next to the display.

Hanover, who teaches science for sixth- and eighth-graders at Allen Academy, along with high school engineering, has a room stuffed with space. Her interest began with her son, who developed an early fascination. The two got up early to watch the New Horizons probe launch to Pluto in 2006, and she was hooked.

“It’s always changing,” she says. “There’s always something new to learn. …

I get 15 emails a day with the latest in rocketry, the latest in astrophysics, the latest in NASA’s quest to do something, the latest in government funding.

You do that worldwide, you can’t even keep up. It’s so evolving that you can’t get bored, because there’s something new around the corner all the time.”

Hanover’s appreciation has led her to attend special events (including Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama) and to include her students on projects and adventures. Her class was able to experiment with items in two small cubes that were sent into space via NASA sounding rockets launched from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Another highlight was in May 2018, when Hanover and her students were part of a group that was able to participate in an interview session with an astronaut on the International Space Station.

“We did a ‘howdy’ up and they did a ‘howdy’ back,” she says. “And that just kinda makes your hair stand up, to talk to guys in space.”

One of her prized possessions is a NASA jacket, a gift from her students that was presented at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It says “Rocket Scientist” on the back. She acknowledges she’s just an aspiring one, “but they don’t have a jacket for that.”

“It was pretty amazing,” she says. “They presented it to me right in front of the Space Shuttle Discovery. That was a crying-teacher moment.”

Story ROB claRK | Photos laURa mcKeNZie

Know an interesting nominee for a future office feature? email us at brazos360@theeagle.com.

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

This is the rocket that went to nationals. There was over 800 students from 48 states. The top hundred combined scores get to go to nationals. We had three teams, and the girls’ team got to go to nationals. When we got there, there were 12 teams from Texas. We went into the finals 16th and the top Texas team, which was pretty cool. The girls landed with a score that would’ve put them second in the nation … and a part of the rocket came apart and they were disqualified.

It was a really good run. … Their numbers were right, their rocketry was right, their parachute coming back was right. Everything was right, they just had something separate. They are so determined and motivated for this year.

That’s my Apollo collection. This whole era, that’s what inspires me. When I need motivation, I always turn to the Apollo stuff — going to the moon. The kids actually start off every year, we watch [President John F. Kennedy’s] speech, and we talk about the significance of doing what’s hard, not what’s easy.

And pushing through, and understanding what it’s like to be proud of your work. Dream big, go big kind of stuff. The whole American dream. It took 40,000 people to get us there. So these guys are my heroes, and I think that there’s so much inspiration in this.

This is the [Mars rover Opportunity] that died yesterday. This is Oppy. We put a “RIP Oppy” thing there. We use Mars a lot, because we’ve got so much information on Mars. Mars is kind of our go-to place for comparative analysis of Earth. … Oppy is kind of the one that never quit, so we like to have him around — or her, depending on how you look at that. Kind of a figure of “keep going” — until yesterday.

What’s neat about this is … this is your kids really going into space. We sent something to space. It’s really real for the kids. The first one [at right] was the Brazil nut and the gallium. … We encased a Brazil nut — Brazil nuts are kind of known to absorb radiation. So we coated it in gallium. … The idea is that it would get into space and it would liquefy, but stay cohesive enough to still surround the Brazil nut and basically provide a liquid wall. … The second one, we just sent yeast up. We kept the control yeast here. They’ve done a couple of experiments since it’s been back. The yeast doesn’t appear to be as active after it’s been exposed to space. The bread, they made two loaves of bread, one with the space yeast and one with the yeast here. The bread is really, really dense on the one that went to space, whereas the [bread with the] yeast that stayed here on Earth is light and fluffy. It looks like bread.

The other one is super dense, and there wasn’t much rise to it. So that was kinda neat. We do think that the radiation in six minutes of exposure above the atmosphere was actually enough to damage the yeast.

In eighth grade we read The Martian. … It’s a technical book. The kids love the story of The Martian, but some of the science for an eighth-grade kid, it’s kind of tough to get through. One of the things we did this year was the kids went in and we found the top 14 or 15 things that were hard to understand how they worked, and each kid did a project on that. … It’s things like, can you really make water from hydrazine? Would the bomb have really slowed down the Hermes? What was the bomb made of? The storms — storms on Mars would not have happened like that in The Martian.

Some of my kids went so far to figure out in the book, when the storms were happening, the time of year it would’ve been on Mars wouldn’t have even correlated to storms happening on Mars. Because it wasn’t the storm season, according to where Mars would’ve been in its orbit around the sun. [Students] made models, some of them did demonstrations. So it’s like, if you don’t think it’s true, let’s figure it out.

THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

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BRAZOS 360 | SPRING 2019

MY LITTLE HOMIE T

An appreciation of a quirky and lovable dog

here is a constant interest in trying to explain the greatness of dogs.

You’ll see it in books, magazines, web articles, with all kinds of experts weighing in: How did they become man’s best friend?

Why do they love us? Why do we consider them a part of the family, and not just a pet?

You can throw all the science you want at these questions. Anyone who has ever loved a dog knows that there is a simple answer: It’s because they’re dogs.

That’s it. They’re dogs, and dogs are the best.

There are countless stories that prove this point. One of my ROB CLARK personal favorites goes rob.clark@ back to when our first theeagle.com child was just a few months old. She was spread out on a cozy bed of blankets on the floor. Sound asleep, she was the perfect picture of baby bliss, with one quirk: A chew toy was somehow in her left hand.

Sitting just inches away was our dog Homer, waiting patiently and staring intently at the toy he had placed on her palm. His ears were up in Red Alert Mode, as if he was sure that this tiny person would wake up, grip the toy that weighed almost as much as she did, hurl it across the room and start a spirited game of fetch.

We’ve had Homer — a schnauzer-yorkie mix, or a “schnorkie,” and named after television’s greatest dad — since he was small enough to sit down on my palm.

His interaction with our babies was an early indication of his place in the family. When visitors would come to the house and coo over the little human, Homer would work his way between them — ears up again, now in Baby Protection Mode — with a look that said, “Who are you, and do you have an appointment with my sister?”

There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not comforted in some way by my Homie. There is comedy, of course, which would make his namesake proud. For instance, when he’s

feeling mischievous and we get close to his face, he bares his teeth in a ridiculous grin.

Any use of the refrigerator ice maker is party time. At the first clink of a glass, Homer makes a beeline for the kitchen. He’s drawn to ice like kids are to cupcakes. He must wonder why we put so many dog treats in our drinks.

Humor with Homer has been there from the start. We took him to a pet store for several training sessions early on, and one lesson proved to be a difficult task. I was told to stand at the end of an aisle, while Homer was with the instructor and the other pet parents at the other end. In between us were scattered toys and treats. The goal was for Homer to come to me when called, and not get distracted on his way there.

Some puppies were successful. Some couldn’t believe their luck at this sudden buffet. Homer took the road less traveled, waddling out about 10 steps down the aisle, then stopping. With the eyes of a dozen people watching, he pinned his ears back, hunched over in that terribly awkward pose, and did his dirty business. Initial embarrassment soon turned to laughter, and I couldn’t help but chuckle “That’s my boy” as he took his time relieving himself.

Homer could generously be called a yappy dog. Despite our best efforts, that was one puppy tendency we couldn’t quite solve.

The loud, gleeful shrieks are in full effect whenever we return home after any absence longer than 30 minutes. A friend asked me once why Homer reacted this way. That’s just how he is, I said.

It’s more than that, I now realize. We are his whole world — his family, his friends, his teachers, his buddies, his partners. Sure, he sees plenty when we go on walks, and he rules Mufasa-like over all he surveys in the backyard. But I can’t fault him for being happy to see us.

Something I hadn’t previously considered is the concept that dogs have empathy. It sounds a little silly, but you know it when you see it.

In a few unfortunate times of family tragedy, Homer has sensed something was wrong. While I tried to keep it together, he forced his way up into my lap, aiming to dogkiss the pain away.

It’s an amazing thing, this little fur ball caring for us like this. His presence itself is calming. Just to stop and cuddle for a minute can be a soothing moment, even if it means interrupting his mandate of 21 hours of sleep per day.

Homer will turn 15 this year, so my little guy is now an old man. He has to be closer to the kitchen to hear the ice maker. He snores like a cartoon pig. He doesn’t always stick the landing when leaping for the couch. And sadly, we received the news of his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

The kids have never known life without him. That is a special bond.

They have only increased their sweet affection, and include him in their prayers.

My youngest, a kindergartner, brought home a story and picture she recently created in school. She drew herself with Homer, both wearing red princess crowns. (Crowns are big in our house.)

The story consisted of: “I love my dog Homer, because he is my dog Homer.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

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