288 Express January 2021

Alvin, Manvel & Neighboring Communities

Destiny . . . to Coach PAGE 4

JANUARY 2021 Volume 4, Issue 1

A publication of the Alvin Advertiser

WHAT ’S INS IDE PAGE 4

Cover Story Coming from a football family, he was destined to coach.

PAGE 8

PAGE 12

Alvin Fire and EMS

Local Event

PAGE 10

PAGE 13

Chamber News

School News

Alvin, Manvel & Neighboring Communities

Editorial Writers & Photographers Sheila Rieke • Michael Edmonds Graphic Designer Linda Knight

Advertising Account Executives Sheila Rieke ads@alvinsun.net Betty Crawford classifieds@alvinsun.net

Office Manager Donna Hopkins

2 . . . JANUARY 2021

G U E ST

COLUMN

Inspired by God by Bill Derixson

Running the Race

Pastor Bill Derixson Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.�

The word witness is literally translated martyr. Seeing then the examples of the great men and women of faith, who in service

laid their lives on the line for our Lord, let us learn from their example and do the same. We have a great many examples in scripture, and some are blessed with great examples in their family and Church family. Men and women who showed faithful Christian service to God and to men.

Their lives being an example of the reality of God intervening in the affairs of men; delivering, healing, restoring, and saving us from sin and self.

Therefore, let us lay aside the entanglements of sin and the weights that so easily hinder us from running the race set before us. Each believer is set in a race, not against other Christians for position or rank, but against opposing forces bent on keeping us from finishing the race.

What Jesus began as a work of grace He is faithful to finish, but we have a responsibility to participate in the race. We must lay aside the weight of worldly affairs that hold us back from running well.

Weights are the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches, things that unbelievers seek to give their lives meaning. Christian, your

value cannot come from such entanglements.

These are the issues of life that choke the Word out of you making you unfruitful in the work of the Lord.

We also must turn from the besetting sins to the faithful Lord. The quicksand of sin will halt any progress you are making in the race you are running. Sin is defined as missing the mark. Sin will keep us from finishing the race and reaching our goal.

Looking to Jesus as the finish line of our race, we must conform from our image unto His image, from grace to grace.

He will help us accomplish this as we turn away from sin and to Him. We are not what we shall be, but we also are not what we used to be.

As we run with the Lord we experience growth each step of the way. So run with patience the race that is set before you, not in vain, but as one who wins a crown and prize.

As hard as it was, Jesus accomplished His race and did so with joy set before Him. The joy of winning many sons and daughters to glory. Set Jesus as your joy and run your race.

www.rrgrealty.net yvettehall1@gmail.com

JANUARY 2021 . . .

3

COV E R

STORY

The name’s Gage ...

James Gage

Story/Photos by Michael Edmonds

The offensive unit gathered around for the first play call of the series during a recent game.

4 . . . JANUARY 2021

Football season….two words that stir up excitement and anticipation for many people who love the sport. Some are drawn into the game and others are literally born into it. One such person is James Gage.

When he entered into the world, his father was a high school coach with a little under 10 years’ experience under his belt. Being a part of

on the sideline with his dad; however, he was denied that opportunity due to safety reasons. During one cold and sleety game day his fortune would change. His mom had asked if James could warm up inside the locker room during halftime. When the players took the field, he was allowed to be on the sideline (with a trainer acting as his human shield) and even got to retrieve the kicking tee. This became a “Proud Papa” moment and made for one happy son! This was just the start of a small flame that would be fueled by James’ literally growing up on the sidelines, in the field house, and being around players and coaches. The journey begins.

As he progressed through youth sports and playing in junior high, it was time to enter in the “bigs” on the high school level. His father had become head coach at Lewisville by that time, which also meant he would be playing for him as well. That would also come with both good and bad reactions from the so-called “peanut gallery”. The elder Gage said that his son had a target on his back, and had to hear the seemingly endless comments such as “he should have never been on the team” when he was having an off day, and “you’re showing favoritism” if his playing time was increased.

In baseball, another sport he participated in, Gage was very productive which eventually led to him playing on the next level. He went on to play at Hardin-Simmons University, where he was a 4-year starter at first base. Although his college career was a success, Gage’s

With essentially no August two-a-days allowed due to Covid, the UIL did allow for conditioning practices prior to the official start of the season. Here Coach Gage leads a drill to get his players into shape before the official start of the 2020 season. a proverbial “football family” from day one would certainly have an influence on him in his formative years. It would also lead him on a journey that would eventually mold and shape his future career.

When it comes to having pedigree, you could say that Gage certainly has it. His father, Ronnie Gage, was a player, coach, and teacher. At an early age, James was involved in basketball, baseball, and football just like his dad. It would soon become apparent that the proverb “The apple does not fall from the tree” would be appropriately fitting. In his book “The Life Coach” Gage stated that he and his son were so much alike that it was predictable that James would follow in his path.

An early indication of this was at the age of 6 when he longed to be

Coach Gage - masked up and ready to lead his offense in a game versus Alief Elsik.

Continued on page 6 JANUARY 2021 . . .

5

Continued from page 5 first love was football.

After graduating college in 2009 with a degree in Physical education, Gage began his career teaching and coaching in 2010 at Barbers Hill. Along the way he has amassed an impressive resume including being an

Trevor Bockel (QB/Special Teams) says that Coach Gage has made a great impact on him and his teammates as a “mentor and role model in a short amount of time… We greatly appreciate him.”

“Inspirational, full of energy, influential, encouraging, and mentor of success” are some of the terms Senior Chris Touch (WR) used to describe the coach.

6 . . . JANUARY 2021

include his first career win in his second game as HC, where his team defeated Collinsville 35-6, and his last game of the year, where a 13-7 victory against Whitewright, clinched a playoff spot. On the not so good side, was when he was in his last year as S&S head coach and lost his 4 year starting quarterback to an ACL injury. Adding insult to injury (really no pun intended) was the backup QB leaving the game just two plays later with a broken collarbone. That season a total of five different QB’s were used to make it to the

Even though he is mostly on the defensive side of the ball, Gage Johnson (DB/Special Teams) states the the coach “is more of a leader and wants what’s best for the players and he shows us that.”

assistant coach in football and baseball from 2010-2015, as well as head golf coach in 2018-2019.

In this time frame, Gage coached along besides his father, who was then head coach.

His head football coaching debut began in the fall of 2015, where he was at the helm of S&S Consolidated ISD which serves the communities of Sadler and Southmayd, Texas. He would also serve as the district’s athletic director until the end of the school year in 2019.

With his mission not yet complete, Gage became the offensive coordinator at Alvin High School to begin the 2019 campaign. This move was to position himself in reaching the pinnacle of his goal, and that is to be a head coach at a “big” school.

In his coaching tenure, Gage has had some good moments and not so good moments, specifically as head coach. His favorite times

“Coach Gage has taught me lessons in life that have bettered me as an athlete and as a man… I am grateful and proud to have played for him.” - Senior Tony Vidana (RB)

end and to boot this was all at the 3A level… we feel your pain!

His approach to coaching is to “make the HS football experience as fun as possible for the kids”. He also believes in coaching his team hard, but also to love them even harder. He also teaches his players to “have high expectations, be demanding of those expectations, and be consistent in those demands.” The motivational plan (for the coaching staff) is quite simple and involves music, competition at practice, player awards, keeping things fun, and most of all keeping the pride up amongst the team. This formula Continued on page 6

The Gage Family – (Back L-R) Lindsey, James (Front L-R) Crew (7 years old), CJ (7 months old) – Lindsey happens to be the head softball coach at Ridge Point HS (photo provided by James Gage) is the key to making the players truly believe in the coaching staff.

As many already know, football is basically year-round. When asked how to “turn football off” in his head when need be, Gage said “I try not to bring football home with me. When I get home, I want to make sure I’m giving all my love and attention to my family”. He watches film and does his coaching duties at home, but does so while everyone is asleep. He relies on his dad (who serves as a willing ear to listen) for venting, getting advice, or just to brag to about a good practice. This is all part of his plan to keep Mrs. Gage from getting bombarded with his coaching “stuff” when he enters the front door. When “Football Eve” arrives, it is just as exciting as the other Eve that coincides with Christmas. This is the day official practice begins for the upcoming season. Coach Gage has a routine for this to prepare for “The Day”, with much excitement and anticipation no doubt. He goes up to the school in the afternoon on the day before, and makes sure all is in place. Practice plans, equipment, and footballs are just a few things that he checks off his list. Gage states “I don’t get much sleep because no matter how many times I’ve gone over everything, I always feel like I’m forgetting something!” The day ends with a date night with his wife and to enjoy one more “pressure free” dinner….then sun-up arrives and it’s “Showtime”.

Yes, football is just a game (fighting words in Texas!), but there are a bunch of us who absolutely share the excitement and passion for Texas high school football. There are those whose passion for the game turns into a dream, which in turn becomes reality. As for James Gage, he pursued his love of the game and turned it into a life goal. One could easily say he has achieved many goal-setting accomplishments, but his journey is not yet complete. He is currently working on his Master’s degree in Sports Administration, and plans on completing it in 2021.

In a relatively short period of time, he has by all means established himself, and undoubtedly earned the name “Coach”.

JANUARY 2021 . . .

7

CO M M U N I TY N EWS

Alvin Firefighters and EMTs await new unified facility Story and Photo by Sheila Rieke

Crews work to complete the new combined Alvin Fire and Emergency Medical Services station.

8 . . . JANUARY 2021

Joining forces to better serve the community

Artist rendering of the new Alvin Fire & EMS station scheduled for opening February 2021.

Coming to the rescue is the number one priority the Alvin Fire Department and Alvin EMTs have in common. In 2021, they’ll also have an address and building in common at the intersection of East South Street and Bellaire Boulevard.

The new 29,310 square-foot building, slated to be finished in February 2021, will accommodate each department’s emergency vehicles which includes eight fire trucks, six brush and support trucks, and five ambulances. Along with enough space for their vehicles, the new building will also be able to accommodate their staff of 60 volunteer firefighters and 16 EMTs. The EMTs will occupy the east end of the building and the Firefighters on the west end. In the center of the building, they will share a common commercial kitchen and a large area for training, meetings and events.

The parking lot is designed with ample parking for staff and guests.

The building has been built up from the road and the parking is sloped toward Mustang Bayou to withstand flooding.

The current fire station is 50 years old, the EMT station 40 years old. Fire Chief Rex W. Klesel explained that in its 50 years the fire station has gone through three additions and many building updates.

It no longer had any more available space to grow. Ron Schmitz, Director of Operations for Alvin Emergency Medical Services stated that the EMT station also has had its issues with not enough space and building maintenance.

Chief Klesel spoke to the advantage of combining the two departments into one building, as it gives Alvin an opportunity to coordinate the two services in training, rescues, as well as being a command center for emergencies.

The Alvin Volunteer Firefighters go on approximately 800 calls a year with 60-80 of those being structural fires. Most house fires are cooking related and the most common calls are for gas leaks, grass and trash fires and fire alarms.

Schmitz added that the EMTs go out on approximately 5,200 calls a year, with the majority of them being sick calls related to respiratory and heart issues.

All certified mobile care units have the same medical equipment (defibrillators, EKG/Electrocardiogram monitors) as a hospital would

that can detect if a patient is in fact having a heart attack.

The average response time for both of Alvin’s emergency units is 10 minutes. That average comes from tracking a 100 square mile area.

The current fire station has served Alvin well and will be converted to a rec center to preserve its existence.

JANUARY 2021 . . .

9

CHAMBER N E W S

Members of the Alvin Manvel Chamber of Commerce gave a friendly welcome to Premier Eye and Vision at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Monday, November 16, 2020. Owners: Dr. Levi Clyde (Family Eye Doctor, Optometrist & Glaucoma Specialist) and Allison Lott, General Manager. (See related article on page 15) (photo by Sheila Rieke)

10 . . . JANUARY 2021

Manvel Coffee & Connections

Pictured: Carry Perrin, Alvin Manvel Chamber of Commerce Operations Coordinator, Corey Scopel from Coreyยนs Kitchen, and Jamie Scaffidi, Alvin Manvel Chamber of Commerce President & CEO. (See related article on page 15) (photo by Sheila Rieke)

JANUARY 2021 . . .

11

LO CA L

E VE NT

Photos from the Home for the Holidays daytime activities and nighttime parade 12 . . . JANUARY 2021

SCHOOL

N E W S

Steppin’ Up class at AHS designed to help athletes Male athletes at Alvin High School get out of their comfort zone as they enroll in the class “Dance 1 for Athletes.”

Eve Robinson, Lead Dance teacher and Taryn Elliott see the class helping athletes with flexibility, coordination and hip mobility.

The teachers were glad to have the class finally evolve after pitching the idea a few years ago.

At first, the students were not sure about taking a dance class since it is usually a female activity. Once in the class for a short while, they admit it has been a great help in improving their athletic ability.

Congratulations!!

Fins Up!!

Ms. Coulon’s Principles of Information Technology Sharks, Naaman and Isabella are the 2020 Global Minecraft Challenge Finalist.

Culinary Arts now cooking at ACC Culinary Arts students recently began the first class in the newly-constructed kitchen at the Nolan Ryan Center.

JANUARY 2021 . . .

13

G U E ST

COLUMN

The Postscript by Carrie Classon

Zooming

Carrie Classon

Yesterday, I had a nice long Zoom chat with an old friend.

I know this is nothing remarkable these days, but it was the first time my friend, Andrew, had used Zoom and I was frankly a little surprised.

Andrew isn’t on Facebook.

“It’s none of anyone’s business what I’m up to!” he tells me.

I don’t think Andrew is “up to” all that much, but he takes a particularly fierce view on privacy. He won’t buy groceries with his credit card if they are going to track what he buys.

“Why would you care if someone knows how much broccoli you’re buying?” I ask. “Maybe they’ll give you a coupon.”

“It’s none of their darned business how much broccoli I’m buying!” Andrew tells me.

He still has the same email account he’s had since the 90s.

He still has the same telephone answering machine. He recently got a cell phone, but he doesn’t text. Andrew answers emails, but they take about as long as standard first-class mail to arrive

14 . . . JANUARY 2021

and get a response. Still, it’s all worth it because he is a good friend and he always has a lot of interesting things to say—once I get ahold of him.

Like nearly everyone else, Andrew has been a little lonely.

He lives alone and his work doesn’t involve much human interaction. I usually see Andrew a couple of times a year when we go to visit my family. But that hasn’t happened this year and it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for a while.

I was contacted by a mutual friend of ours on Facebook about having a Zoom chat with a bunch of high school buddies.

I told him that would be fun and he should invite Andrew— by email, of course. Andrew thought that sounded great and we decided to try out this Zoom thing in advance. That turned out to be a good idea.

Andrew didn’t use his real name (of course) so, for a time, I was looking at a blank screen that said, “GREAT.” But then he got the video working and he appeared in front of his bright kitchen window.

“Unmute,” I messaged him. He did. I still heard nothing. I called him on the phone. “I can’t hear you,” I told him. Then added, “Your hair is really short.”

“I cut it myself.”

“Well, your mic isn’t working.”

“I know I’ve used this microphone before!”

“Let’s see it.” Andrew waved the headset and microphone in front of the camera.

“Andrew, that is a really old headset.”

“It is not old!”

“Yup,” I told him, “that’s a collectible. I think maybe you should call up the folks at Antiques Roadshow. I bet they’d be interested.”

“Ha, ha!” Andrew said. After several more tries he reluctantly admitted that the ancient microphone might not connect to his current computer.

“I guess I’ll need a new microphone,” he grumbled. “But we can still talk on the phone.”

And we did. We put our phones on speaker and we looked at one another in our monitors and we talked for a long time. I realized, once again and with force, how

essential this connection is.

It was so good to see my old friend’s face—even if his camera was a little fuzzy, even if the light was shining rather brightly behind his closely shorn head.

“Oh my gosh! I’ve got to go,” I said, when I realized how long we’d been talking.

“We should do this again.”

Andrew said.

“Yes!” I agreed.

We definitely need to do this again.

Till next time, Carrie Carrie Classon’s memoir is called, “Blue Yarn.” Learn more at CarrieClasson.com.

Chamber ribbon cutting for Alvin’s newest optometrist

L O C A L

(See photo on page 10)

Premier Eye and Vision is Alvin’s newest family Optometry practice.

Focused on comprehensive care and a full range of optometric services, Premier is a one-stop-shop for eye care needs. The private practice, located at 208 W Coombs St, not only offers vision and health services, but easy contact lens ordering online or in the office, and has a fullservice optical with 500+ frames.

The friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere make Premier Eye and Vision a perfect place to get comprehensive, personalized eye care, shop for frames, and ensure optimal vision.

832-569-5314

Sun. - Thurs. 11 am - 9 pm | Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 10 pm

• STARTERS • SALADS • SOUPS • PIZZA PIES

Manvel Coffee and Connections hosted by Corey’s Kitchen (See photo on page 11)

November’s Coffee and Connections was sponsored by Corey’s Kitchen in Manvel.

Coffee and Connections offers Chamber members the unique opportunity to meet other professionals looking to improve their networking base, while focusing on creating lasting business relationships from “first time” meetings.

The event is free for members and their guest. For more information check the chamber website.

• ITALIAN CLASSICS & SPECIALTIES • WE C ATER • www.ginasinfriendswood.com 129 W. Parkwood • Located in Friendswood • Corner of 528 & 518

ACC student selected for NASA program Alvin Community College student Logan Marquis was selected by NASA as a National Community College Aerospace Scholar. The internship program encourages students from two-year colleges to continue their STEM education at a four-year university.

The Community College Aerospace Scholar (NCAS) program is an educational experience for students interested in a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Each scholar receives a four-day, in-person experience at a NASA center. Marquis is the third ACC student chosen for this program. Chelsi Nelson was selected for the program in 2016 and Keaton Jones was selected in 2019.

Marquis credits the assistance of Honors Program Director and History faculty member Dr. Ian Baldwin for his guidance.

JANUARY 2021 . . .

B U S I N E S S D I R E C T O R Y

15

16 . . . JANUARY 2021