Viva Southeast Texas Volume 9 Issue 1

Complimentary

TEXAS COFFEE COMPANY Celebrates 100 year Anniversary

Johnson

LOADED WITH PHOTOS, RECIPES, HELPFUL TIPS, ACTIVITIES, SHOPPING & DINING THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST TEXAS & SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA www.vivasoutheasttexas.com

www.facebook.com/VivaSETXMag

Welcome to Viva Southeast Texas Magazine!

Special Report - ExxonMobil .................................... 6, 7 Places of Interest Directories ...............................10, 11 Viva Spotlight

..................................... 12-14

Viva Spotlight

....................................................................... 17

Church Directories .....................................................18, 19 Viva Spotlight

...................................... 20-22

Crime Stoppers .................................................................. 24 Technology ......................................................................... 25 Restaurant Guides .....................................................26, 27 House To House ...........................................................28, 29 Viva Spotlight

...... 30-31

Sports

.................................................. 34

Directories ........................................................................... 36 Fashion

............................................................................... 39

Your Money ......................................................................... 41 Recipes

..........................44, 45

Advertiser’s Spotlight

................................ 50

Chamber Matters ............................................................. 52 News from the BBB ....................................................56, 57

CONTACT US TODAY!

409.866.8570 | cassie@vivasoutheasttexas.com

VIVASOUTHEASTTEXAS.COM

Viva Southeast Texas! We wish you all a Happy and Safe Holiday!

Season and Prosperous New year!

P.S. Be sure and like us on facebook www.facebook.com/vivaSETXmag.

We have more Snapshots and events listed!

ACCREDITED BUSINESS

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Viva Southeast Texas Magazine is a great way to get your message throughout Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana.

TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN VIVA SOUTHEAST TEXAS MAGAZINE, OR TO GET A COPY:

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Calendar of Events.....................................................46, 47

It’s been another historic year here in Southeast Texas. In this issue, we have a special report from ExxonMobil leaders.

The story of two women, Jennifer Dunphy and Rozena Dendy, the first women to be named chemical plant manager and refinery plant manager.

Cassie Fiorenza Simpson, Publisher Let’s celebrate 100 years with Texas Coffee Company! Aka…TexJoy & Seaport coffee. Read about the history of this great S. E. Texas company and the families behind it.

VIVA Magazine is proud to Spotlight two of Lamar University graduates: Tracy Glende from West Orange Stark High School continued on to Lamar Engineering School and became a Global Entrepreneur and Cade Johnson who overcame childhood cancer, graduated with three degrees from Lamar and is now a Medical Intern in ER and Oncology.

In our Sports Section read about our local Pro Bowler and owner of Crossroads Bowling, Mark Williams, and how he accomplished a once in a lifetime milestone.

On page 17 read about how LIT has become one of the fastest growing and high ranking two-year colleges in Texas. Dr. Lonnie Howard, LIT president, offers his thoughts and gratitude surrounding this great honor.

Catch up on the latest news and progress from the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, Beaumont CVB and the Better Business Bureau!

Check out our recipe pages with dishes by Maryclaire Strassburger and while your at it enjoy looking at all the great photos from our very own local residents going out on the town, participating in local business events and just having a good ‘ole time. It’s all happening right here!

We’ve all been affected by this pandemic, and VIVA is no exception.

Businesses not being able to be opened, and those that were able to open, were opened to 50% capacity. Having to do business with many companies was done by communicating though Zoom only.

Businesses gradually started reopening along with schools. It was finally happening that local businesses like clothing stores, boutiques, salons, restaurants, churches, and many more businesses started opening up again. It was because of this that we were not able to have all the publications of Viva Magazine published this year. Now that things are starting to get back to whatever the “new” normal is, we are getting back on track.

It all began with a peanut roaster in a one room “shotgun” style shack.

30, 31

Since 1932

In Loving Memory of

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

JOY WOOLEY

a Southeast Texas a a e PUBLISHER

Cassie Fiorenza Simpson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Cassie Fiorenza Simpson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

4 DESIGN

vivasoutheasttexas.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

TT

Joy G. Wooley

Michelle Armstrong Edward Jones Financial Advisor Kathie Platt Lee Potter Mike Simpson

Joy Wooley Kathy Odom Chrissie Mouton Rebekah Maxwell Debbie Slaughter

Kathy Odom - Print The Town Cassie Fiorenza Simpson

Market-wise consumers, business competition, increasing demand from government all point to the need for greater efficiencies in the way businesses market themselves. The individuals, companies and organizations featured in Viva Southeast Texas Magazine have made a valued contribution to this publication. However, no representation is made about the quality of services to be performed or the expertise of the individuals, companies or organizations performing such services.

Viva Southeast Texas Magazine Volume 9 Issue 1

6648 Lexington Drive • Beaumont, Texas 77706 • 409-866-8570 • www.vivasoutheasttexas.com

Sabine Sabine Pilots Pilots

P E I L N I O P E I L N B T I O B A T A

SS

SS

Sabine Pilots are serving the shipping industry and the public ports of Sabine Pilots serving shipping industry the oil public ports of Beaumont, Port are Arthur andthe Orange as well as the and private terminals and Beaumont, Port the Arthur and Orange as well as the private oil terminals and industrial complex of Southeast Texas. the industrial complex Southeast Texas.and the gate The Sabine Neches Waterway is theofeconomic lifeline The Sabine Neches Waterway is the lifeline the gate to world commerce.

It is the duty ofeconomic the Sabine Pilotsand to maintain to the world commerce. is the duty of integrity the Sabine to maintain safety and theIt environmental ofPilots the waterway. the safety anddone the environmental integrity waterway.

We have so since 1881 and pledge of to the continue.

We have done so since 1881 and pledge to continue.

PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS

2605 Jimmy Johnson Blvd, Port Arthur, TX 77640 2605 Jimmy Johnson Blvd, Arthur, TX 77640 Phone: (409) 722-3126 • Port Fax (409) 962-9223 Phone: (409) 722-3126 • Fax (409) 962-9223 www.sabinepilots.com www.sabinepilots.com

Viva | Sp

i l

port

istor ma ing

on obi Leaders

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Seek to Serve and Inspire

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ExxonMobil holds a strong history in Beaumont, dating back to 1903 and the Spindletop oil boom. Since that time, its local operations have grown into an integrated petrochemical complex that supports the energy needs of the nation and the world.

In 2020, ExxonMobil Beaumont reached multiple significant historic milestones beginning in October with the addition of Jennifer Dunphy as chemical plant manager, the first woman to ever lead the site. Following in December, the company named Ro ena Dendy as refinery plant manager, the first African-American to hold the position in the refinery’s history.

Together, both made company history as the first two women to hold their leadership roles concurrently.

Despite not being Southeast Texans originally, both Dunphy and Dendy share deep appreciation to the region and to all those who call it home. Both leaders identify this strong connection to guide their approach to leadership, community involvement and managing safe, reliable operations. ~~ The Beaumont Chemical Plant produces building-block chemicals, such as ethylene and propylene, synthetic uids and lubricant basestocks as well as more than 25 different types of eolite catalyst.

When she was named as Beaumont Chemical Plant manager, Dunphy was no stranger to the significant responsibilities of leading a major petrochemical facility.

In her 20 years and multiple lead-

ership roles within ExxonMobil, she’s managed chemical plant operations in Baton Rouge and Edison, New Jersey. However, leading the Beaumont Chemical Plant held special significance to Dunphy, as Beaumont is where she got her start with the company.

“I first joined ExxonMobil as a process engineer at the Beaumont Polyethylene Plant where I also served as an intern,” Dunphy said.

“Being back in Beaumont is wonderful, as the complex has grown significantly since the beginning of my career.”

Originally from Oklahoma, Dunphy began her career at ExxonMobil in 1993 after earning her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M and completing internships with both Dow and Mobil. Following her role in Beaumont, she then progressed through multiple engineering and supervisory roles at ExxonMobil’s Houston-area facilities and later New Jersey, with her most recent roles as the Baton Rouge Plastics Plant manager and process manager at the Baton Rouge Chemical Plant.

“A relentless focus on the safety of our people, operations and community remains my top priority each day,” Dunphy said. “But as plant manager, it’s also my responsibility for all Beaumont Chemical Plant employees to have the opportunities to reach their full potential at work.”

Her commitment to professional development includes a special

dedication to mentoring and empowering women and those from other underrepresented groups to pursue careers in science and engineering. In her personal time, Dunphy supports Junior Achievement and science, technology, engineering and math-based initiatives, including ExxonMobil’s annual “Introduce a irl to Engineering Day” collaboration with Beaumont Independent School District.

“My first supervisor at Dow was female, and I’ll always remember I learned from her that we each have to develop our own definition of success and how to achieve it,” Dunphy said. “I always encourage others, especially young people, to never ask why me’ but why not me’ and to follow the passion that will guide them to their success.” ~~ Originally from Timmonsville, South Carolina, Ro ena Dendy holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina. She began at ExxonMobil in 1998 as a process designer intern in its Baytown Refinery. She progressed her career with multiple business, engineering and leadership roles across the United States and, more recently, Dendy served as plant manager for the company’s Nanticoke Refinery in Canada.

When Dendy arrived for her first o cial day at the ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery this past December, she kept two goals top of mind and close to heart. First, as refinery plant manager, she held

Viva | Special Report high her role to lead a world-class team to safely and reliably deliver the energy products people rely on every day. The Beaumont Refinery processes 366,000 barrels of crude oil per day and produces 2.8 billion gallons of gasoline annually. Second, as a servant leader, she aimed to inspire the team to reach its full potential and make a difference in the lives of others.

“Nothing happens without people, so our complex leadership aims to empower each of our team members to be inspired, motivated and equipped to deliver safe and reliable operations and their best each and every day,” Dendy said. “When you take care of your people, they will take care of the rest.”

Both of those crucial goals were put to the test this past February as Winter Storm Uri plunged the community into freezing temperatures, leaving many without access to electricity or potable water. The combined weather conditions and curtailment of natural gas supplies across Texas prompted ExxonMobil to temporarily shut down operations across its Beaumont area manufacturing sites. The Refinery and other facilities restarted operations days later, but not before the company was able to export more than 200 megawatts back to the power grid, which is enough electricity to power 140,000 homes.

Rozena Dendy

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

“In difficult times, we all need to count on those we trust, and we held ourselves to that responsibility,” Dendy recalled. “Not only were we able to export electricity back to the grid but also provided bottled water and other supplies to our community at many local nonprofit organizations.”

Like Dunphy, giving back and other forms of community involvement steer Dendy’s leadership style and philosophy. Since her arrival, she took an active role in supporting the community, including Lamar University, Texas Energy Museum, the United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County.

“I’m particularly drawn to working with students and young adults as they prepare for their future careers and life goals,” Dendy shared. “I always encourage young people to bloom where they are planted. That means that, no matter your background or environment, you have the potential to make history in your own way.”

7

vivasoutheasttexas.com

Jennifer Dunphy

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Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

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www.facebook.com/VivaSETXMag

Viva | Places of Interest Directory MUSEUMS 1911 Historic City Hall

351 Cultural Center Dr. • Pt. Arthur 409.983.4881 • Free Admission

327 East LeBlanc Winnie, TX Call for appointment 409.296.2231

600 Main St • Beaumont • 409.833.5100 texasenergymuseum.org

500 Main St • Beaumont • 409.832.3432 amset.org

70 Franklin St. • Beaumont 409.838.5393

Art Museum Of Southeast Texas Babe Didrikson Zaharias Memorial Museum

1750 IH-10 E • Beaumont • 409.833.4622 babedidrikson ahiras.org

Beaumont Botanical Gardens 6088 Babe aharias Dr • Beaumont 409.842.3135 beaumontbotanicalgardens.org

Brimstone Museum

The Art Studio

The Chambers House Museum

FUN THINGS TO DO Acadiana Trail Hwy 191 • DeQuincey, LA

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

3200 Power Centre Parkway Lake Charles, LA

226 Spur 5 • Winnie, TX

Beaumont Botanical Gardens and Warren Loose Conservatory 6088 Babe aharias Dr • Beaumont 409.842.3135

Big Thicket National Preserve 6102 FM 420 • Kount e • 409.951.6700

Bruno Winery

400 Walnut St • Beaumont • 409.880.3927 remuseumoftexas.org

1205 N Lakeshore Dr • Lake Charles, LA 337.436.9588

157 Private Rd 6000 • Woodville 800.323.0389 • www.heritage-village.org

9405 College Street A • Beaumont, TX 409.899.4397 • coastalpaddler.com

818 Earnest Ave • Silsbee • 409.385.2444 www.icehousemuseum.org

921 S Main • Lumberton • 409.751.0911

RiverFront Park

Rayburn Country

Golf, Lodging, Fishing, Dinning Brookeland, TX • 409.698.1005

Sea Rim State Park

Hwy 87 • Sabine Pass • 409.971.2559

Shangri-La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center

3888 Hwy 327 W. • Silsbee • 409.658.4300

2701 Procter St • Port Arthur 409.982.9319

Ice House Museum

3396 Pine Tree Rd • Beaumont 409.796.1600

1151 Oak Grove Hwy • Grand Chenier, LA • 337.274.2395

Airboat Rides & Alligators

350 Pine St at Edison Pla a • Beaumont 409.981.3089 • edisonmuseum.org

Heritage Village Museum

The Pine Tree Lodge

2952 US 69 • Lumberton, TX • 409.751.5464

400 Messina Rd Sour Lake, TX 409 963-8235

Fire Museum Of Texas

4675 U.S. 96, Silsbee • 409.385.7946

2111 FM 365 • Orange • 409.670.9113 www.shangriagardens.org

Beaumont • 409.880.8959 dept.lamar.edu cofac deptart dishman.asp

Edison Museum

Paradise Water Park

600 Grigsby Dr • 409.727.2182

905 West Division Ave Orange, TX • 409.883.5385

Dishman Art Museum Lamar University

4318 FM 1985 • Anahuac • 409.267.3377 www.fws.gov refuge Anahuac

610 Main Ave • Orange • 409-883-0871

The W.H. Stark House

Adventure Kingdom

400 Lake Charles Ave • DeQuincy, LA 337.786.2823 de uincyrailroadmuseum.com

Out & About Birding Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Piney Woods Outfitters

923 S Ruth • Sulphur, LA • 337-527-0357 www.brimstonemuseum.org aboutus henning-cultural-center

DeQuincy Railroad Museum & City Park

701R Main St Beaumont or Collier Ferry Recreation Area • 5390 Pine St • Beaumont 409.880.8907 • nechesriveradventure.org

2240 Calder Ave • Beaumont 409.832.4010 • chambershouse.org

Adventure Cove Park

Heritage House of Orange

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Texas Energy Museum

900 S Huttington St • Sulphur, LA 337.527.0357 • www.brimstonemuseum.org

Henning Cultural Center

Buu Mon Buddhist Temple Charpentier Historic District Coastal Paddler

Colorado Canyon Family Entertainment Complex

The Nature Conservancy Tyrrell Historical Library

695 Pearl St • Beaumont • 409.833.2759 beaumontlibrary.org tyrrell library

Tyrrell Park Riding Stables 5595 Tyrrell Park Road

Village Creek State Park

8854 Park Road 74 off Alma • Lumberton 409.755.7322

SHOP SE TEXAS ANTIQUES & VINTAGE Art, Antiques and Stuff Gallery 3145 Calder Ave • 409.838.2271

Antique Mall of Lumberton 1181 South Main Hwy 96 • 409.755.3388

Burns Antik Haus

2195 Calver Ave • 409.835.3080

Country Lane Antique Mall Lumberton • 409.755.0140

Finder’s Fayre Quality Antiques 1485 Calder Ave • 409.833.7000

John Jay French House & Museum

6110 Folsom Dr • Beaumont, TX 409. 527.8346

Jan’s Antiques

Kirby-Hill House

Kinder, LA • 800.584.7263 www.coushattacasinoresort.com

5509 E. Parkway, Groves • 409.962.8427

La Maison Beausoleil Museum

2717 Delta Downs Dr • Vinton, LA 337.589.7441 • www.deltadowns.com

The Old Mercantile Antique & Co-Op

1698 US Hwy 96 Business at Turtlecreek Dr Silsbee • 409.385.4700 • eastexcanoes.com

BOUTIQUES & UNIQUES Ashton House

3025 French Rd • Beaumont 409.898.0348 • french.com

Coushatta Casino/ Resort

210 W Main • Kount e • 409.246.8000 www.kirbyhillhouse.com

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel

637 Grigsby Ave inside Port Neches City Park • 409.722.9154

Eastex Canoe Trails

Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu

Golden Nugget Casino/Resort

103 S 11th St • 409.813.3320

Snoopers Paradise Antiques Sour Lake Antique Mall

Hwy 105 • Sour Lake • 409.287.4300 1166 Boston Ave • 409.724.1886

5925 Phelan • 409.860.1924

1906 Calder Ave • Beaumont 409.832.2134 • mcfaddin-ward.org

Isle of Capri Casino

Museum of the Gulf Coast Beaumont Ave at 4th St. Pt. Arthur • 409.982.7000

J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area

10 Parks & Wildlife Dr • Port Arthur • 409.736.2551

L’Auberge Casino/Baton Rouge

777 L’Auberge Ave, Baton Rouge, LA • 800.992.2694

5505 Jimmy Simmons Blvd. at Lamar University • Beaumont 409.880.1750 • spindletop.org

L’Auberge Casino/Lake Charles

700 Jefferson St • Beaumont 409.833.6433 stanthonycathedral.org

7950 S Gulfway Dr • Sabine Pass 409.971.2909

St Anthony Cathedral Basilica Stark Museum of Art

712 Green Ave • Orange • 409-886-2787

777 Ave. L’Auberge • Lake Charles, LA • 866.580.7444

McFaddin and Texas Point National Wildlife Refuges Neches River Adventures Riverfront Park

148 S Dowlen Rd • 409.866.4643 409.866.6800

La Tee Da Boutique

4004 Dowlen Rd • 409.835.0202

Luxe Boutique

4036 Dowlen Rd • 409.239.5561

McManus Company 820 N 11th St • 409.833.4393

Monica’s Mark Inc

5955 Phelan Blvd • Beaumont • 409.860.4030

Nickolina’s

1257 West Lucas • 409.896.2543

Norman’s

4132 Dowlen Rd • 409.898.1340 409.898.0919

Parkdale Mall

6155 Eastex Frwy • 409.898.2222 parkdalemalltx.com

Posh Baby

5955 Phelan • 409.860.3331

The Purple Door

6474 Phelan • Beaumont • 409.832.9200

Sam’s Western Store

5090 College St • 409.842.2625

The Collection Fine Gifts and Accessories

4036 Dowlen Rd Suite A, Beaumont, TX 409 239-5150

Tuesday Morning

4150 Dowlen • 409.866.4885

GROVES SHOPPING LINCOLN AVENUE SHOPS The Collection

4300 Lincoln Ave • 409.963.0626

The Courtyard Cafe & Gift Mall 4321 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.2850

Created Designs

4343 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.5925

Flear De Chic

MacArthur Drive • Groves • 409.886.2442

Hannah Bay’s

4343 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.3400

Herbal Insanity

4343 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.3400

Kizmet Studio

6039 39th St. • 409.962.9300

The Painted Porch

4311 Lincoln Ave • 409.960.7998

Resale Boutique

4233 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.1030

Snooper’s Paradise

5509 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.8427

HARDIN COUNTY SHOPPING Gypsy Rose Boutique/Salon

Downtown, Silsbee • 409.385.3501

21159 FM 365 • Beaumont • 409.794.9453 www.gatorrescue.com 100 Westlake Ave • Westlake, LA • 1-800-the-Isle

Flagship Mail Room

215 N 11th St • 409.212.8445

Bando’s Gift Shop

McFaddin-Ward House Museum

3050 Dowlen Rd • 409.860.4827

305 East Ave J • Silsbee • 409.385.2600 Hwy. 96 • Lumberton • 409.751.0889

2550 Golden Nugget Blvd, Lake Charles, LA • 844.777.4653

Gator Country

James Avery

6250 Phelan Blvd • 409.860.7233

809 Kirby • Lake Charles, LA 337.430.0043 www.swlamardigras.com year-round mardi-gras-museum.cfm

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum vivasoutheasttexas.com

Texas Artists Museum

1001 Ryan Street • Lake Charles, LA 337.491.9147

Agricultural Historical Museum

10

www.starkmuseum.org

Bella Bella

Cantu Fine Jewelry

5905 Phelan • 409.866.5859

Cavender’s Boot City

6185 Eastex Frwy • 409.347.1770

Chico’s

3195 Dowlen Rd • 409.860.9763

Down to Earth

1455 Calder St • Beaumont • 409.813.8522

Ella + Scott

1415 Calder Ave • Beaumont • 409.835.8280

Ellis Pottery

3737 Calder Ave • 409.839.8473

Gaudie & Co.

6025 Phelan • 409.860.4433

Jackie’s

6755 Phelan • 409.861.5762

Frank’s Jewelry

Johnson’s Petals & Stems Florist & Gifts

325 N 4th St. • Silsbee • 409.385.3773

Serenity & Co. Boutique/Salon 214 N Main • Lumberton • 409-224-5924

Two Chix Boutique 74 N LHS Drive • Lumberton

NEDERLAND SHOPPING Bab’s Gift Express

2119 Nederland Ave • 409.727.0090

Belly Button - A Kids World 2115 Nederland Ave • 409.727.6918

Burkett’s Emporium 1517 S Hwy 69 • 409.722.5111

The Candle Cottage

1234 Boston Ave • 409.721.5018

The Classy Peacock

Viva | Places of Interest Directory 1100 A Boston Ave • 409.729.3567

Dana’s Custom Jewelry

Mathews Jewelers

135 Boston Ave • 409.722.0661

126 Strickland Drive • Orange 409.886.7233

1211 Boston Ave • 409.727.7702

5572 FM 408 • Orange• 409.697.1218

Elliot’s

Fred Miller Company

2808 Nederland Ave 409.724.1208

Gaudie & Co.

1143 Boston Ave • 409.729.2700

Trendz

PORT ARTHUR SHOPPING Central Mall

Gaudie Couture

Hwy 69 at Hwy 365 • 409.727.2109 centralmallportarthur.com

Holland House Antique & Gift Mall

4700 Hwy 365 • 409.724.0474

1140 Boston Ave • 409.729.2790

1205 Boston Ave • 409.721.9900

The Kids Kloset

1144 Boston Ave • 409.729.2289

Let’s Party

1027 Nederland Ave • 409.727.6047

Molly’s Home Decor & Fine Gifts 3316 Hwy 365 • 409.853.4542

Nederland Jewelers

3308 Hwy 365 • 409.724.2045

Occasions

1229 Boston Ave • 409.729.8555

The Patio

1223 Boston Ave • 409.729.3407

The Rustic Door

Flagship Mailroom & Emporium Mardi Gras of Southeast TX Store 3830 Hwy 365 • 409.721.8717

Naomi’s Fashions

3433 Twin City Hwy 409.963.3839

Tiffany’s Fashion & Gifts 1600 9th Ave • 409.985.8886

Two & Co. Boutique

8720 Central Mall Dr 409.721.5040

PORT NECHES SHOPPING Port Neches Super Saturdays Held every third weekend of the month

1344 Boston Ave • 409.722.6255

The Cherry Tree Florist 1208 Port Neches Ave 409.722.4848

1336 Boston Ave 409.853.4387

1115 Port Neches Ave 409.729.7806

Sew Much More Simply Chic

2907 Nederland Ave 409.722.2442

ORANGE SHOPPING A Little Bit Gaudy 2495 MLK JR Drive • Orange 409.988.0030

Big Lots!

2260 MacArthur Drive • Orange

Dressin’ Up

Joy’s Lagniappe

1303 Port Neches Ave 409.365.2651

Naanee’s Baubles & Bling 1311 Port Neches Ave 409.365.2651

Old Towne Flea Market

1216 Port Neches Ave • 409.721.9690

The Yellow Rose

1303 Port Neches Ave • 409.722.2265

Viva | Snapshots -Carrie DeLea and Company Event at J Wilsons

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

11

vivasoutheasttexas.com

Viva | Spotlight Story

Cade Johnson Cancer survivor from Lumberton earns 3 degrees from Lamar!

ade ohnson age

Childhood CANCER Survivor!

Hospital as a Nurse’s Aide. Then he attended

On October 18th, 2006, a young man’s life was

Rice University’s Ignite Trek to Silicon Valley

changed forever at Texas Children’s Hospital.

as a Gill Foundation of Texas Scholar. After

He had just been diagnosed with Acute

finishin his

Lymphoblastic

Johnson

at McGovern Medical School in the Texas Medical

had previously been an extremely happy and

Center of Houston, TX. Cade is currently there

healthy young boy who loved sports and school.

pursuing his MD while simultaneously earning a

Fortunately, Cade received chemotherapy at

Master’s in Public Health, MPH.

Leukemia.

Cade

ade entered

edical

chool

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Texas Children’s Hospital in the TMC and was

vivasoutheasttexas.com

12

in remission a month later. However, he still had

Undergraduate Engagements

years of therapy ahead of him. Little did he know,

At Lamar University, Cade was extremely involved

but this experience would once again bring him

in student organizations, having a broad impact

back to Houston and Medical School almost 15

on student life

years later.

Cade joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity as

pon first arri in

to

ade with Lombardi Award Finalist

a ar

a chapter founder. He served as the Chaplain,

restock and revamp parts of their playroom for

Academic and Career Pursuits

Membership Educator, and later as President.

pediatric patients there. In addition to these things,

Cade grew up in Lumberton, TX, and graduated

During his time as Chaplain, the fraternity

Cade served as the president for Order of Omega

in the top 10% of his class at Lumberton High

achieved its charter from the national organization

and the Interfraternity Council. He also spent a

School. From there, he attended undergrad at

and during his presidency, the fraternity achieved

summer at Lamar serving as an orientation leader.

Lamar University where he received the Mirabeau

the True Merit Award which is the highest award

Finally, Cade was an active member of Lamar

Scholarship

urin his fi e years of under rad

that any chapter can receive. In addition to helping

University’s

Cade Johnson completed two bachelor’s degrees:

start his fraternity, Cade was also a founding

serves as the face of the student body at various

BS Exercise Science & Fitness Management

member of Knights of Columbus (where he

alumni and donor events.

and BS Biology. He also minored in Chemistry.

served as Vice President and community service

Cade then stayed at Lamar to earn an MBA in

chair) and Lamar University Dance Marathon

Serious Academic Pursuits

Leadership before going to Medical School.

(a charity organization that raises money for local

Academically, Cade was at the top of his class

While in Business School, he worked at Struggle

Children’s Miracle Network hospitals). The money

with a near perfect GPA across his two majors and

Street Brewing Company managing their social

raised from Lamar University Dance Marathon

minor. He was consistently on the President’s List,

media. He also worked at Christus St. Elizabeth

actually helped Christus Saint Elizabeth to

and his academic discipline served him well. As a

TIMELINE

Ambassadors

program,

which

2014

2014-2019 2014

2015

2017-21

2018-19

2019

2019

Lumberton High School

Lamar Univ.

Beck Fellow at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

American Cancer Society Volunteer

President, Interfraternity Council Lamar

BS in Biology; BS in Exercise Science & Fitness Mgmt.

Ignite Trek to Silicon Valley

Joined ATO Fraternity

Viva | Spotlight Story

Accepting the Beck Fellows Award from Lamar University President Dr. Ken Evans sophomore, Cade traveled to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a summer

MBA, MD, MPH

as a David J. Beck Fellow, one of the

During his graduate career, Cade had multiple

premier scholarships available at Lamar.

jobs. At the start of his MBA, Cade was working

While there, he conducted research on

for Lamar University’s Marketing Department

new chemotherapeutic drugs to treat the

as a student assistant. He decided that he

very disease that plagued him as a child,

could transfer what he had learned there

Leukemia.

into the real world, and began running social

The very next summer, Cade made the

Street Brewing Company. Here he fell in

short trip to Houston’s Baylor College

love with craft beer and began brewing on his

of Medicine for the summer where he

own. He also wanted to prepare for his clinical

continued similar research, this time not only

experiences in medical school, so he took

testin so e dru efficacy

another job as a Nurse’s Aide at Beaumont’s

edia for

ut also creatin

Senior Yearbook Photo at Lamar

Pursuing Graduate Degrees…

eau ont s first rewery Struggle

new genotypes of cells for further testing

Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital as a part of

after his summer there had ended. He also

their Med/Surg Oncology unit.

conducted research at Lamar with Dr. Ian Lian over cellular responses to Hypoxia

In addition to holding down these jobs while in

and Treatment as well as with Dr. Shannon

school for his MBA, Cade studied business not

Jordan over the effects of energy drinks at

only at Lamar, but in China and California as

maximal exercise.

well

a in a trip with a ar s office of tudy

Abroad, Cade took a trip through Beijing,

Honors and Accolades While at Lamar University, Cade received a number of awards, scholarships, and accolades, which are listed below. » » » » » » » »

Consummate Volunteer

Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei. On this

Cade also made it a point to give back

trip, Cade and his peers visited sites such as

to the community that helped raise him.

Oracle, Crocs, and Hyundai to learn about

He volunteered at Baptist Hospital in

business operations abroad. This inspired

Beaumont in their emergency and pediatric

Cade to learn more about what was happening

units, often at night on weekdays. In addition,

on the forefront in America. This led to Cade

Cade and his fraternity brothers consistently

attending Lamar University’s annual IGNITE

volunteered with the ARC of Southeast

trek to Silicon Valley in California as a Gill

Texas for their annual “Buddy Walk”. Finally,

Foundation of Texas Scholar.

» »

the time that the pandemic started. Cade

Trek to Silicon Valley

»

thoroughly enjoyed volunteering for ACS

The IGNITE trek is an annual trip taken by

events and was a part of the ACS’s Cattle

students at Lamar to meet some of the most

Barron’s Ball Committee.

successful and groundbreaking entrepreneurs

Cade was highly involved with the American Cancer Society from his freshman year to

»

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

» » » » » » » » »

2018 Alpha Tau Omega National Top Scholar 2018 Beyond The Cure Scholar 2018 Snowdrop Foundation Scholar 2018 Steinhagen Global Scholar 2018 Most Promising Student Academic Excellence Award Love Your Melon POST Recipient Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation POST Grant 2016 David J. Beck Fellowship Recipient 2014 Mirabeau Scholar President’s List of Top Scholars Robert C. Kimble Leadership Award enior of i nificance ward Ann Shaw Leadership Award Gill Foundation of Texas Scholar to Ignite Guest Speaker (Top Scholars Banquet) Guest Speaker (STEM Building Groundbreaking) 2016-2017 Fraternity President of the Year Who’s Who Among Students In American Colleges and Universities Alpha Tau Omega Executive Impact ertification Git ‘R Done Award

13

2020

2020

2020

2020

2024

2024

2025

President at ATO Fraternity

MBA in Leadership, Lamar University

Struggle St. Brewing Co.

Nurses Aide at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital

Enters UT Medical School, Houston

MPH at UTHeatlh

MD UT McGovern

Internships in ER & Oncology

vivasoutheasttexas.com

2019

Viva | Spotlight Story

A oast to Leadership event at Lamar University who founded businesses in Silicon Valley. The

Medical School… Pursuing a Life’s Dream

conference is an all-expenses-paid trip for

At McGovern Medical School (UTHealth

not only Lamar business students, but also

Science Center – Houston), Cade has

Science, Engineering, Medical and Business

remained involved in student organizations.

students at Rice, Baylor, UH, UTHealth, etc.

He has taken on leadership roles in both

The program was founded by Dr. Jack M. Gill,

the Oncology Student Association as well

a Lamar Alumnus, Houston philanthropist,

as the Student Ambassadors program.

successful serial entrepreneur, and Silicon

In addition to these organizations, Cade

Valley venture capitalist.

participates in a “Business in Healthcare” interest group where he is able to further

Mind-Blowing Tech World!

Since

Ignite’s

inception,

expand upon what he learned during have

graduate school and the IGNITE trek. Other

conducted site visits with fascinating companies

students

organizations include the Pediatric Student

such as Tesla, AirBnB, Helix, HP, and Google.

Association as well as the student interest

When asked about his trip, Cade said, “The

group for emergency medicine.

ade hiking in Big Bend

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

coolest experiences were hearing from some of the people who are

Roots

in the thick of things

Cade has also remained

right

now.

People

in touch with his roots…

who

are

currently

volunteering some of his

trying to build their

time each week to help in a

brand and company,

clinic run by a Lamar Alumni

produce

bigger

in the Texas Medical Center.

name for themselves,

He is making a difference in

get

and

his community and learning

try to turn a profit as

the ropes of becoming a

investors

quickly as possible.”

The

vivasoutheasttexas.com

14

a

offered

program

is

ade at

c overn

edical School

through

ade visiting Silicon alley Biotechs

physician. In his spare time, he manages to brew, run public 10K races, and sky

Lamar University’s new Center for Innovation,

dive. He recently obtained his scuba diver’s

Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship who

certification as well and intends to run a half

partners with LU Alumnus Jack Gill and Rice

marathon in the near future.

University’s Rice Alliance.

Sky’s the Limit!

A great future is in store for this modest young big-time achiever from Lumberton, Texas and Lamar!

ade with Dr. ack ill at U Davis

Viva | Date Night Media Party

at Madison’s

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

15

vivasoutheasttexas.com

vivasoutheasttexas.com

16

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Viva | Spotlight Story

LIT ranked #4 for Best Community Colleges in Texas by Niche.com BEAUMONT – Adding another accolade to its extensive 2021 awards repertoire, Lamar Institute of Technology was ranked #4 for Best Community Colleges in Texas by Niche. com. The technical school was also named in Niche’s top 100 list for Best Community Colleges nationwide for 2021, placing #70 out of 853 total schools.

“What an honor it is to be included among such an elite group of colleges!” exclaimed LIT President Dr. Lonnie L. Howard. “Besides enjoying double-digit enrollment increases the last five years--in the midst of, and despite, natural disasters and a pandemic—this honor firmly reinforces LIT’s valuable role in the community to train today’s students for tomorrow’s

careers.

“But, more than that, this research speaks volumes about the commitment of our staff and faculty here.

We believe the American Dream is alive and well at Lamar Institute of Technology,” Dr. Howard said.

According to the Niche website, “rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and… over 140 million reviews and ratings.”

Factored into the system are: Academics, Value, Professors, Campus, Diversity, Student Life, Overall Student Experience, Local Area and Safety. According to reviews of LIT, Niche reported that “89 percent of LIT grads were employed within two years of graduation and 100 percent of students

agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.”

Niche cited the top 10 most popular majors percentagewise, in descending order, as Instrumentation Technology, Regional Police Academy, Criminal Justice, Computer Information Systems, Regional Fire Academy, Welding Technology, Occupational Safety & Health, Radiologic Technology, Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Emergency Medical Services Paramedic.

LIT is enrolling for the Fall 2021 semester, offering eligible students to Take 1 FREE (class) on LIT. Those interested can visit lit.edu/cares or lit.edu/go to apply. To read more about Niche.com’s methodology and rankings, visit Lamar Institute of Technology - Niche.

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

17

vivasoutheasttexas.com

Viva | Church Directories BEAUMONT African Methodist Episcopal (AME)

St Anne

1006 Magnolia Ave • 409-835-5465

St Joseph’s Church

Amelia Baptist Church

St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church

The Vein Of God Internation Covenant Ministries

700 Jefferson St • 409.833.6433

3190 Washington Blvd • 409.466.9100

1115 Orange St • 409.835.5662

1555 South 23rd • 409.842.0271

8055 Brighton Dr • 409.866.4168

6825 Gladys Ave • 409.866.5088

Beaumont Civic Center • Main St • 409.838.3435

3350 Washington Blvd • 409.842.8115

9894 Gilbert Rd • 409.794.2548

10 Interstate 10 N • 409.838.2545

3099 Brenham St • 409.835.6228

7467 Boyt Road • Cheek • 409.794.2548

10255 Eastex Frwy • 409.924.9930

1005 N 11th St • 409.892.4251

5075 Bigner Rd • 409.892.3316

4230 Highland Ave • 409.835.2556

1197 Corley St • 409.832.7582

Golden Triangle Church On The Rock

Compton Chapel Church of God

PO Box 2374 • 409.835.7592

Christian Disciples of Christ First Christian Church

2570 W Lucas Dr • 409.899.3594

5290 N Caldwood Dr • 409.892.3212

Temple Of Praise Christian Church

900 Calder • 409.833.1426

723 Coley St • 409.833.0496

Pentecostal

6750 Highway 105 • 409.898.0249

Ridgewood Church of Christ

3333 Eastex Frwy • 409.898.3060

5115 Eastex Fwy • 409.899.1906

Westgate Church of Christ

3077 Terrell St • 409.833.5081

Episcopal

1050 Ewing St • 409.832.0687

680 Calder St • 409.832.3405

St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

795 Woodrow St • 409.832.7796

4090 Delaware St • 409.892.4227

GROVES Baptist

1283 Cedar St • 409.833.1381

4090 Delaware St • 409.892.4227

First Baptist Church

6525 Bigner Rd • 409.892.0765

Christ Community Church

Friendship Baptist Church

3605 Waco • 409.842.3360

Lutheran

6220 Westgate Dr • 409.866.3417

777 N 4th St • 409.832.1108

3900 Cleveland Ave • 409.962.8463

1860 W Lucas Dr • 409.892.0574

4330 Crow Rd • 409.892.3286

Immaculate Conception

Beaumont Baptist Temple

2955 S Ma or Dr • 409.840.9915

St. Peter the Apostle

First United Methodist Church

Lutheran

Miracle Deliverance Tabernacle

BAPTIST

Antioch Baptist Church

Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Calder Baptist

East Mt Olive Baptist Church Ebenezer Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church First Baptist Church

Friendship Baptist Church North End Baptist Church Paradise Baptist Church

Scott Olive Baptist Church South Park Baptist Church Sunlight Baptist Church

West Beulah Baptist Church West Tabernacle Baptist Church Westgate Memorial Baptist Church Woodland Baptist Church

Baptist - Independent

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

St Mary’s Church

Unity of Southeast Texas

To God Be The Glory Ministries Trinity Church

St. Martin de Porres

Triumph Church

St Pius X Catholic Church

Vision Alive Christian

Charismatic

6955 Hwy 69 S • 409-722-1962

Temple Of Praise Christian Church

Churches of Christ

Other

3005 Brenham St • 409. 833.4237

First Christian Church

5290 N Caldwood Dr • 409.892.3212 723 Coley St • 409.833.0496

Apostolic Church

2455 Commerce St • 409.892.7063

New Hope Deliverance Church

6390 Westgate Dr • 409.866.1451

New Life Tabernacle

St Mark’s Episcopal Church

Presbyterian

St Stephen’s Episcopal Church St Stephens Episcopal Church

Evangelical Free

890 Grant St • 409.832.5010 6655 Hwy 105 • 409.899.1190

1350 N 23rd St • 409.892.8611

4000 Grant Ave • 409.962.4461

415 South 11th St • 409.832.9498

3417 Berry Ave • 409.962.1584

Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Val Verde Baptist Church

Redeemer Lutheran Church St John Lutheran Church

Baptist - Independent Catholic - Roman Catholic 6248 Washington St • 409.962.0255

Methodist-United

7650 Park North Dr • 409.924.9590

701 Calder St • 409.832.0295

St Paul Lutheran Church

Greater Good Hope Baptist Church

2485 Blanchette St • 409.833.4867

Methodist-United

3430 Harrison Ave • 409.892.0255

6501 Washington St • 409.962.1076

Baptist - Missionary

St James United Methodist Church

2725 W Virginia • 409.842.9043

Trinity United Methodist Church

3040 Magnolia St • 409.833.9333

Wesley United Methodist Church

3520 Pine St • 409.838.3228

Nondenominational or Interdenominational

Harmony Missionary Baptist Church Johnson Memorial Missionary Baptist Church Starlight Missionary Baptist Church

3810 N Ma or • 409.832.7012

1090 Buford Street • 409.835.5501

Cathedral in the Pines Church

Calvary Baptist Church

Christian Fellowship Worship Center

2049 Taft Ave • 409.962.8365

5801 W Jefferson St • 409.962.1133

First United Methodist Church

Nondenominational or Interdenominational Morning Star Church

3515 Main Ave • 409.963.2301

Pentecostal

2350 Eastex Fwy • 409.892.1503

Abundant Life Sanctuary

3650 Dowlen Rd • 409.898.7074

3950 Pointe Pkwy • 409.898.0412

KOUNTZE Baptist

11245 Church Rd • 409-892-2180

3060 Dowlen Rd • 409.866.1996

First Baptist Church

Assumption Church

190 N 10th St • 409.832.0418

Mid-way Baptist Church

4397 Calder • 409.892.3456

Catholic - Roman Catholic

Baptist - Southern Voth Baptist Church

Catholic - Roman Catholic

Dowlen Road Church of Christ Goodwill Missionary Christian

2301 W. Parkway St. • 409.962.1056

100 Monroe St • 409.246.3850

4445 Avenue A • 409.835.5343

My Father’s House

780 Porter St • 409.833.6089

New Hope Deliverance International Ministries

767 Avenue A • 409.835.7788

890 Grant St • 409.832.5010

Newsong Covenant Church

LUMBERTON Baptist

1010 E Virginia • 409.835.3972

3175 S Ma or Drive temporary Worship Site • 409.866.7972

Crestwood Baptist Church 1150 U.S. 69 • 409.246.2750

8060 Eastex Fwy • 409.896.5055

First Baptist Church of Loeb

7750 Highway 105 • 409.898.4034

First Baptist Church of Lumberton

Blessed Sacrament Cristo Rey

Lamar University Catholic Student Center vivasoutheasttexas.com

St Anthony Cathedral Basilica

5535 Calder • 409.769.7966

Creekwood Baptist Church

18

8325 Walker Rd • 409.898.0020

2715 Calder • 409.832.9963

Our Lady of the Assumption 4445 Avenue A • 409.835.5343

North Church

1600 N. Main St • Vidor 409.769.2865

Northwest Church of Christ

3390 Sarah St • 409.842.5533

Praise Church

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Mother of Mercy

4512 Ellis Dr • 409.246.2709

Holy Spirit Catholic Church 470 Monroe • 409.246.4457

3082 Highway 69 S • 409.755.4595 119 Church Loop • 409-755-4213

Catholic - Roman Catholic Infant Jesus

243 L.H.S. Dr • 409.755.1734

Church of Christ

Lumberton Church of Christ 90 West Chance Road • 409.755.4156

Methodist-United

Woodcrest United Methodist Church 1684 Highway 96 S • 409.755.4403

Nondenominational Journey Community Church 1534 O’Malley • 409.755.1388

NEDERLAND Baptist

Central Gardens Baptist Church 114 4th Ave • 409.729.2475

First Baptist Church

1911 Nederland Ave • 409.722.0263

Hillcrest Baptist Church

3324 Park Dr • 409.722.3489

Seventh Street Baptist Church 200 N 7th St • 409.722.7620

Triangle Baptist Church

3605 Hwy 69 N • 409.727.7000

Baptist - Independent Fellowship Baptist Church 1315 S 27th St • 409.722.4356

Catholic - Roman Catholic St Charles Catholic Church

211 Hardy Avenue • 409.722.3413

Churches of Christ

Nederland Avenue Church-Christ 2310 Nederland Ave • 409.722.8536

Stonegate Church of Christ

3948 Highway 365 • Port Arthur • 409.727.1568

Lutheran

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 2711 Helena Ave • 409.722.2177

Methodist-United

First United Methodist Church 104 N 13th St • 409.722.4379

Wesley United Methodist Church 3515 Helena Ave • 409.722.7065

Nondenominational or Interdenominational R U 100 Percent Sure 2005 N Peterson St

The Upper Room Ministries Church 1816 Nederland Ave • 409.722.2600

Pentecostal Triumph Church

1407 S Highway 69 • 409.724.6606

ORANGE/BRIDGE CITY Baptist Bethel Baptist Church

2906 Western Ave • 409.883.4822

Cornerstone Baptist Church 2537 FM 1078 • 409.883.8835

Cove Baptist Church

1005 Dupont Dr • 409.883.4155

First Baptist Church of Bridge City 200 W Round Bunch Rd • 409.735.3583

First Baptist Church of Orange 602 Green Ave • 409.886.7461

First Baptist Church- West Orange 608 Dayton St • 409.886.4167

Hartburg Baptist Church

2316 County Rd 4181 • 409.746.2841

Little Cypress Baptist Church

3274 Little Cypress Dr • 409.883.8905

Macarthur Heights Baptist Church 3502 Nightingale St • 409.883.4834

Mt Calvary Baptist Church 612 N 3rd St • 409.670.9220

Mt Sinai Baptist Church

1109 2nd St • 409.886.2089

Viva | Church Directories North Orange Baptist Church

Rock Island Baptist Church

4775 16th St • 409.883.5678

549 W 11th St • 409.985.2531

7925 Interstate 10 E • 409.745.1901

4301 32nd St • 409.293.3111

19525 Highway 62 S • 409.735.7181

Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church

Old First Orange Baptist Church Winfree Baptist Church

Baptist - Independent Colony Baptist Church

13353 FM-1130 • 409.745.1671

Triangle Baptist Church FM-408 • 409.735.2661

Catholic - Roman Catholic St Francis-Assisi Catholic Church

Trinity Baptist Church

Baptist - Missionary

501 W Thomas Blvd • 409.982.5028

Catholic - Roman Catholic Our Lady of Guadalupe

3648 S Sgt Lucien Adams Dr • 409.962.6777

Queen of Vietnam

801 9th Ave • 409.983.7676

Sacred Heart - St Mary

4300 Meeks Dr • 409.883.8232

920 Booker Washington Ave • 409.985.5104

8105 FM 1442 • 409.735.2200

3617 Gulfway Dr • 409.985.8865

475 W Round Bunch • 409.735.2422

4602 Procter St • 409.982.6409

912 W Cherry Ave • 409.883.2883

3706 Woodrow Drive • 409.962.5715

1409 North Sixth St • 409.883.3783

3503 Gulfway Dr • 409.985.8865

First Christian Church

620 53rd St • 409.985.8010

St Helen Catholic Church

St Henry’s Catholic Church Bridge City St Mary’s Catholic Church St. Therese

Christian Disciples of Christ 611 9th St • 409.883.4483

Church of the Nazarene First Church of the Nazarene

St James Catholic Church

St Joseph Catholic Church St Catherine of Siena St James St John

St Joseph

4600 Procter St • 409.982.6409

St Therese, Little Flower of Jesus

3810 Martin Luther King Jr Dr • 409.883.4674

6412 Garnet Avenue • 409.736.1536

Ninth & Elm Church of Christ

First Christian Church

Churches of Christ

Christian Disciples of Christ

501 9th St • 409.883.4805

5856 9th Ave • 409.548.0305

St Paul’s Episcopal Church

Grace Church of the Nazarene

Episcopal

Church of the Nazarene

1401 W Park Ave • 409.883.2969

4601 Rice Farm Rd • 409.727.7790

Grace Lutheran-Missouri Synod

Church of Christ

Lutheran

Churches of Christ

2300 Eddleman Rd • 409.833.5145

2948 Thomas Blvd • 409.982.6467

945 W Roundbunch Rd • Bridge City • 409-735-2044

3901 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • 409.727.6255

First United Methodist Church

St John Lutheran Church

Good Shepherd Church

Methodist-United

Park Central Church of Christ

Lutheran

502 6th St • 409.886.7466

4600 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • 409.727.8585

2906 Western Ave • 409.886.1291

2400 5th St • 409.983.1130

1155 W Round Bunch Rd • 409.735.5546

Aldersgate Trinity Church

St John’s United Methodist St Paul United Methodist Bridge City

Pentecostal

Community Church

Trinity Lutheran Church

Methodist-United 3600 Memorial Blvd • 409.985.8861

First United Methodist Church 3131 S Park Dr • 409.985.5581

3406 Edgar Brown Dr • 409.883.3813

4101 Highway 73 • 409.962.5762

2800 Bob Hall Rd • 409.886.4366

First Pentecostal Church

First United Pentecostal Church Starlight Church of God

Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church 902 Green Ave • Orange, TX 409.883.2097

PORT ARTHUR Baptist

Christian Faith Baptist

United Methodist Temple

Pentecostal

2700 25th St • 409.985.9345

Presbyterian

Presbyterian Church-Covenant 1645 Jefferson Dr • 409.983.1673

SILSBEE Baptist

1919 Jefferson Dr • 409.962.9792

First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church 350 Highway 96 S • 409.385.2819 Pinecrest Baptist Church

5000 Gulfway Dr • 409.982.6493

5660 FM 1122 • 409.385.5245

5959 9th Ave • 409.983.1661

880 Gentry Dr • 409.385.0302

4011 Memorial Blvd • 409.983.5654

St Mark Catholic Church

Lamplighter Baptist Church Memorial Baptist Church Mount Sinai Baptist Church

Trinity Baptist Church

Catholic - Roman Catholic 905 N 9th St • 409.385.4498

Episcopal

4349 Lewis Dr • 409.982.6668

1305 Roosevelt Dr • 409.385.4371

North End Baptist Church Procter Baptist Church

4401 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • 409.722.8097

Ridgewood Baptist Church

6920 Memorial Blvd • 409.722.6153

St Johns Episcopal Church

Love

by Kathy Odom

THE STARFISH STORY While walking along the beach an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking up something and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a boy, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

He came closer and called out, “Good morning!

May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

To this the boy replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the elderly man commented, “But, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile?

You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The boy listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean, past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

(Original Author Loren Eisley) As we look at what is going on all around us today, we may think it’s too late to change the direction our world is heading. Some may even say it’s a lost cause, but from this well known little story comes a powerful message of hope, service and love.

We are reminded that each act of kindness to another, no matter how small it may seem, can make a big difference to that person - and from there who knows what might happen?

If God gives us the ability and the opportunity to help someone, it’s important that we do so. No, we won’t be able to solve all the world’s problems, but we can be a positive force in the lives we encounter.

We can show love and we can “make a difference for that one”!

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. John 15:12

19

vivasoutheasttexas.com

501 West Thomas Blvd • 409.982.6464

for

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

3400 Martin Luther King Jr Dr • 409.883.4498

Voices

Viva | Spotlight Story

rac

ende

Lamar ngineering rad e ce s at creating mar et eading g oba businesses b ac uiring integrating and ca ita i ing entre reneur o ned businesses

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Working Way Through Lamar Tracy Glende was born and mostly raised in West Orange, Texas, and graduated from West Orange - Stark High School as an Honor Graduate in 1985. From 1985 to 1990 Tracy attended Lamar University achieving a BS in Electrical Engineering and graduating with Honors in May of 1990.

While attending Lamar, Tracy worked at the Temple-Inland Orange Paper Mill during the summers gaining valuable experience on the Electrical, Instrumentation and Control System technologies that were installed in the Paper Mill, including the then revolutionary Honeywell Distributed Control System (DCS) that was installed at the facility.

vivasoutheasttexas.com

20

Career Start at Honeywell, Phoenix Based on this work experience, Tracy was offered a job by Honeywell after graduating from Lamar and relocated to Phoenix where he and his wife (Janet) started their life together.

At Honeywell, Tracy started his career as a software and control systems engineer wor in on the oneywell er the first 2 years of Tracy’s career, he was selected to participate in a Talent Acceleration Program and rotated though multiple jobs at Honeywell including System Architecture and Design, User Interface Design, Reliability Engineering and Product Marketing.

MBA at ASU, Joins American Airlines n after the arri al of his first child and while working full time, Tracy began attending Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey

TIMELINE

Port Arth r range Bridge

Business School and in 1995 graduated with an MBA in International Business.

Upon Graduation from Arizona State, Tracy was offered a job by SABRE Systems, a division of American Airlines, and he and his fa ily relocated to allas i in hi his first experience in the Aerospace industry which would later become his most important career industry. While at SABRE, Tracy was involved in a uni ue pro ect that was the first e er (remember this is 1995) Internet-based Airline Passenger Sales system, that ultimately became Travelocity.com and was spun off from SABRE. Back to Honeywell, Now in Energy After the launch of the Travelocity system, Tracy was approached by Honeywell to rejoin the company at a Project Manager in Houston office where he and his fa ily relocated in 1996. While at Honeywell in Houston, Tracy was i en his first ana e ent position ana in the ro ect ffice ea that managed projects for several major oil & gas companies including Phillips Petroleum, Conoco, BP, Shell, Exxon, and Chevron.

Globalization at Measurex Corporation In 1998, Honeywell acquired Measurex Corporation and just after his second child was born, Tracy was promoted to VicePresident and General Manager for a division of Measurex and he and his expanded family relocated to Cincinnati. While running this business Tracy and his team increased revenues of the business by 300% in just 2

racy lende E of alence S rface ech. years by taking the business global building out operations in USA, Finland, France, and India.

This unique experience and ensuing success accelerated Tracy’s career to a promotion running Marketing, Engineering and M&A for an entire large division of Honeywell where he and his family relocated back to Phoenix in 2000.

Honeywell Aerospace In 2000 the failed Honeywell merger with GE and the 2001 attacks on 9/11 changed Tracy’s career trajectory. As part of an integration team Tracy was offered an opportunity to move from the Honeywell Industrial business into the Honeywell Aerospace business, an industry that he would spend the rest of his career. From 2002 to 2005 Tracy ran the global customer service business for Honeywell Aerospace’s Engines and Systems Division supporting

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1990-95

1992-95

1995-96

1996

Grew up in West Orange

Lamar Univ.

BSEE

Worked p/t Temple-Inland

Trained on Honeywell Computer Systems

Honeywell Industrials Phoenix

Arizona State University MBA

Pioneered AA SABRE online ticketing

Travelocity.com Spun out from SABRE

Viva | Spotlight Story

Lamar Univ.

BSEE

racy at oneywell thousands of aircraft operators around the world, work that would ultimately gain him experience in coating technologies and the importance of regulatory constraints impacting the Aerospace industry, such as the European REACH initiatives to remove carcinogen materials for industrial products.

Corporate Executive to Entrepreneur In 2005, after being introduced to several successful entrepreneurs, Tracy decided to leave the large company corporate world behind, and he and his family relocated to Louisville where he was a partner in a military coatings and industrial services business that furthered his experience as a budding entrepreneur and also furthered his experience in the critical area of product coatings that are essential to preventing corrosion, abrasive wear and fatigue failure of mission critical parts in both Aerospace and Military applications.

The experience gained while building and selling the coatings company in Louisville set the stage for the remainder of Tracy’s career where he has excelled at buying, integrating, capitalizing, and growing a collection of small, founder-owned businesses into niche powerhouse businesses.

Building a Global Business After the closure and rationalization of numerous facilities, Tracy and his team built the Aerospace & Energy business into a global leader with 61 facilities in 11 countries providing critical services to the Aerospace, Defense and Energy industries and their supply chains by integrating and strategically repositioning the locations into a cohesive business that performed both locally and globally. With the success of the global turnaround and armed with a fully developed playbook on how to turn a collection of former founder-owned, single site, independent businesses into a largescale, global market leading business, Tracy was able to prepare himself for his ultimate career goal of being the Chief ecuti e fficer of a iddle ar et company.

Honors, Accomplishments, and Accolades »

Graduated High School with Honors

»

Graduated Lamar Engineering with Honors

»

Pioneered Electrical Instrumentation and Control Systems Technologies

»

Fast-rising Engineer and Executive at Honeywell

»

Earned MBA in International Business at Arizona State Univ.

»

After 15 years in Corporate World... plunges into Entrepreneurship

»

Successful as “Integration Artist” of entrepreneurial, founder-owned Businesses

»

At age 45, President & CEO of Global Aerospace Firm

»

Loves his access to a Private Jet... Plus Extensive Int’l Travel

»

id ports an

olfin

oatin

iin

Hunting

Janet Huff ende

Startup CEO In 2015, Tracy was recruited as the Chief ecuti e fficer of a newly for ed business, Valence Surface Technologies, that brought together all of his career experiences. To support this move, Tracy and his fa ily first relocated to ouston and most recently relocated the company headquarters to Los Angeles. This new business is focused on building a global business that provides critical product coatings to the Aerospace, Defense, Military

anet is also a Lamar raduate with a Degree in Paralegal St dies

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Integration Artist In 2009, following the great recession and the sale of one of the coatings businesses from Louisville, Tracy was recruited to help a new management team with the financial turnround of a pu licly traded international company that was struggling after the company had acquired a collection of over 200 small, founderowned businesses with no integration strategy, in fact there was no strategy at all other than scale. Accepting this challenge Tracy and his family relocated

to the Dallas area. When Tracy arrived at the company, the fundamental issue was the lack of rationalization, integration, and strategy for the business. As part of the turnaround effort the company was reorganized into market sectors with Tracy accepting the position of Divisional President, Aerospace & Energy where he was able to apply his background in both Oil & Gas and Aerospace to successfully reposition the businesses.

Ari ona State BA

21

1998

2000

2005

2009

2015

Interests

Recreation

Honeywell Industrials Houston

First VP Role after Honeywell acquires Measurex

Honeywell Phoenix Aerospace

Entrepreneur Career Starts in Louisville

President, Global Aerospace Dallas

CEO, Valence Surface Technologies

Travel, Golf, Boating, Hunting, Family Time

Lake House at Sam Rayburn

vivasoutheasttexas.com

1997

Viva | Spotlight Story

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

racy and alence Directors at Boeing

vivasoutheasttexas.com

22

and Space industries to ensure products perform as design and built and to prevent corrosion, abrasive wear and fatigue failure that could cause catastrophic operational or safety issues. Since its inception Valence has successfully acquired 10 businesses to build the largest Aerospace and Defense product finishin co pany in orth America providing supply chain solutions to companies such as The Boeing Company, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation, Gulfstream, Cessna, Bombardier, General Atomics and SpaceX. In June of 2019, Tracy and his original Investors successfully sold Valence to a new group of Investors providing the original investors an enormous 440% Return on Equity. After contemplating retirement, Tracy was asked by the new Investors to continue as the CEO and to continue investing in the company alongside the new Investors. Tracy agreed to stay on as CEO and together with his team continue the journey and mission of Valence by acquiring more founder-owned businesses and integrating them into the larger Valence company while ensuring the survival of the entrepreneurial spirit that is so vital to middle-market companies.

Today, Tracy and his team have their set their sights on entering the Canadian and Western European markets to truly

racy in hina take Valence global while growing and expanding its business, its legacy and its reputation as the preeminent partner for the global Aerospace and Defense supply chain.

Life’s Adventure Starting a career in a large publicly traded company, and subsequently leaving that large company safety net for the excitement of being an entrepreneur has created many memories and some hectic and stressful situations as well.

Throughout his career, Tracy and his family have treated career opportunities and subsequent relocations as a part of life’s adventure.

15 Houses in 30 Years Over the course of the last 30 years, Tracy and his wife have lived in 8 different cities, some more than once and have lived in 15 different houses as a part of the journey of life and career. Today, Tracy and his wife live in Santa Monica, California and they also have a home at Lake Sam Rayburn where they spend their holidays and time with their family.

Lamar Engineering Tracy is another example of how Lamar Engineering empowers great careers!

racy anet at Kent cky Derby

LAKE SA

AYBU

lende Lakeho se at Sam ayb rn

nternational ravelers lendes in Paris

Embraer Phenom et

ol ng at St. Andrews Scotland

Medicare— decision 2021 Medicare— TURNING 65 OR NEW TO MEDICARE?

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Turn to your local sales agent for a a Medicare plan, and figure out which plans free consultation* would be best for you.

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Humana sales agent

409-392-8056 (TTY: 711)

Call a licensed MondayHumana – Friday, 8sales a.m. –agent 5 p.m. jbertrand@humana.com Jean Bertrand humana.com/jbertrand 409-392-8056 (TTY: 711) Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. jbertrand@humana.com humana.com/jbertrand

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*No obligation to enroll.

*No obligation to enroll.

FUELING THE WORLD SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

23

ExxonMobil Beaumont @exxonmobilbmt

vivasoutheasttexas.com

Explore the 2021 Energy & Carbon Summary to discover how we strive to meet the world’s demand for f r energy while protecting the fo environment and addressing the risks of climate change by scanning the QR code.

Crime to ers of outheast ecure ome obile is lay nit

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

In 2014, the US Census Bureau reported that the largest growing age demographic in the US are Senior Citi ens and projected this trend to continue through 2020.

That same year the US Department of Justice released a special report about crimes against the elderly and noted that property crime was higher for the elderly (13-1) than for younger persons.

Among elderly violent crime victims, 59 reported being victimi ed at or near their home. These national crime statistics, unfortunately, are mirrored here in Southeast Texas. Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas decided to assist their community once again by building a program designed to help educate and keep our Senior populations safer.

vivasoutheasttexas.com

24

In 2019, Crime Stoppers of SET launched the Secure Home Mobile Unit Display, an innovative crime safety initiative unlike any other in the country. This small metal building, mounted on a low boy trailer, is e uipped with a myriad of low and high-tech security items that travels throughout SET educating the community in various safety measures.

The home mock-up unit is accessible to visitors who can then engage in a hands-on experience with latches, locks, motion/sound detectors, video monitors, and other items that can secure doors and windows, and discourage intruders. This traveling interactive display travels to community events and is

also available to law enforcement agencies for their special crime prevention events. The unit and its presentations are especially popular to our vulnerable senior citi en population and other families that may not be able to afford a full home security system.

The Mobile Secure Home Display was made possible by the generous funding by the B.A. and Elinor Steinhagen Benevolent Trust managed by Hancock Whitney Bank Wealth Management, the dedica-

tion of retired Beaumont Police O cer Al Johnson, and the many contributions by various local hardware stores and companies.

Currently, Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas is seeking exclusive partnerships for the Secure Home Mobile Display Unit. We are looking for partnerships with businesses such as elderly Home Health Care agencies home security companies hardware stores and trailer businesses. These businesses will be recogni ed with signage on the mobile display unit which travels throughout the olden Triangle Area, the website, and via multiple social media platforms. Crime Stoppers of SET has a variety of partnership packages for both business and individual donors. If you would like to know more and become a Crime Stopper Partner, please visit 833TIPS. COM or call Stephanie Vanskike, Executive Director, at 409.333.4088 for more information.

Viva | Technology

e !

hone i

them to wonder, “Why should we rebuild these when we can use fiber instead and use a data center (with redundancy) anywhere in the world instead of multiple central o ces !”

But the carriers must still pay the fixed costs of field technical staff salaries, benefits, trucks, and e uipment even as the POTS, trunks and PRI inventory shrinks. It doesn’t take an economics Ph.D. to figure out the cost must increase for POTS and PRIs -- and has it ever! We’ve seen sharp rate increases this year in SET . Individual POTS lines are running 150-450 per month. And PRI circuits are over 2,000 per month.

However, AT&T and other incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) have seen this coming for a while, as have the competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). While CLECs generally don’t sell POTS any longer, the ILECs have lobbied state legislatures and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to remove the re uirement to deliver POTS. Selling services from the copper network isn’t cool anymore. If fact, it’s just too expensive to maintain and delivers little value in return.

In 2014, the FCC began conducting trials on converting entire communities from PSTN (Public Standard Telephone Network) to VoIP. And in recent years, most states have authori ed the end of POTS to the ILECs. For SET , AT&T is scheduled to decommission their copper networks by the end of 2021.

On reliability, POTS has always come out on top – who doesn’t love a technology that simply works, every time, when you plug it in But the rising costs are forcing a look at alternatives. Whether you’re in front of

ree tips or o to e o e ess re iant on opper p one servi es the trend or following it, you need to keep moving your business away from POTS and for that matter Centrex and ISDN PRI. Here’s what we tell our clients: • Cut whatever you don’t need. This means you need an up-to-date inventory of circuits labeled by use. This is also where you save the most money.

• Move whatever you can to an alternative technology (DID on the eFax, SIP, or IP-based technology). There are plenty of alternatives to POTS, so go after the low-hanging fruit.

• Get the best POTS contract you can for the longest term possible. ou’re not going to be able to move all your e uipment off POTS lines. These are the ones you may need to live with until you have a better alternative.

The unfortunate truth is that the copper networks are scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of the year. This means IT is tasked with finding cost-effective solutions to organi ational needs. Now is the time to work your magic before you’re stuck with your copper services no longer working! If you don’t have the resources to devote to this, Abilita is here to help.

Contact Abilita today for help in developing a migration plan for your business or assistance in auditing your current telecom services to assure you have the right solutions at the best costs for your business. our Telecom Expert Cyndi Crews is ready to assist you. Call 409-980-0058 or email ccrews abilita.com.

Abilita – we improve your bottom-line, one expense at a time.

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

A funny thing has happened while we’ve all been paying attention to VoIP and SIP trunks. Those phone services running over copper have suddenly become expensive services, and we don’t have a bulletproof solution to replace all of them. Whether you have plain old telephone service (POTS) lines, Centrex trunks or PRI voice circuits, both run on copper networks that are scheduled to be decommissioned this year.

Most businesses can’t get away from POTS altogether. IT doesn’t have time to research proven and reliable POTS alternatives, and alarms, elevators, faxes, phone system backup, and many other e uipment that a business depends on rely on RJ11 POTS connections. Who doesn’t want the peace of mind that comes with 99.999 reliable phone lines that don’t need power cords (since POTS lines gets their power from the phone company’s central o ce) Cable companies have been wooing residential customers with triple-play packages combining cable TV, phone, and Internet services. In doing so, they’ve chipped away at the telcos’ most reliable revenue stream.

And wireless providers have enticed consumers as well. There are now fewer POTS lines than cellular lines in the residential market.

PRI voice circuits can be replaced with a VoIP or SIP solution. But it takes research with precise planning and timing to make the migration transparent to your business and customers.

Consider the ood damage from recent hurricanes and tropical storms wreaked on central o ces in recent years. The ooding gave AT&T and other carriers pause, leading

as ri ed!

25

vivasoutheasttexas.com

Viva | Restaurant Guides BEAUMONT CASUAL DINING Amelia Farm & Market

MEXICAN – TEX MEX Café Del Rio

Red Lobster

2830 I-10 E • 409.347.0250

8600 Dishman Rd • 409.866.7818

Carlito’s

Taste of Orleans at Gator Country

Bando’s Restaurant 215 N 11th St • 409.212.8445

MacKenzie’s Pub

229 Dowlen Rd 409.866.2288

3925 Calder Ave • 409.898.4745

5405 Walden Rd • 409.842.9606

6385 Calder Ste. H • 409.554.0730

Casa Olé

Buffalo Wild Wings

Novrozsky’s Hamburgers, Etc. 3925 Dowlen Rd • 409.899.4076

5898 Eastex Frwy • 409.899.2646 335 I-10 N • 409.832.5004

Rao’s Bakery and Café

Elena’s Mexican Restaurant

4235 Dowlen Rd • 409.924.8647

Catfish Kitchen 3620 College • 409-832-3474

The Café 730 Liberty St • 409.835.9652

Cheddar’s Casual Café 3815 I-10 S • 409.840.5333

Chicken Express 4760 College • 409-840-5950 7290 Hwy 105 • 409-892-4411 520 S Main • 409-751-5202

Chili’s 110 I-10 S • 409.832.1253

4440 Dowlen Rd • 409.347.3400 2596 Calder Ave • 409.832.4342

6290 Phelan • 409.861.2800 1865 College St • 409.832.1203

Republic Chicken

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

1990 Interstate 10 Access Rd · (409 497-9691

5655 Eastex Fwy • 409-924-TACO 8226

Rockin A Cafe

Guadalajara

3520 W Cardinal Dr • 409.842.0010

4414 Dowlen Rd • 409.924.7718

Schlotzsky’s Deli

Habanero Bar & Grill

4080 N Dowlen Rd • 409.924.9991

6685 Eastex Freeway • 409.223.1661

Sertino’s Cafe

La Cantina

5657 Eastex Frwy • 409.892.0600

Two Magnolia’s

Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp 5555 Calder Ave, Beaumont, TX 409 434-4532

STEAKS Logan’s Roadhouse 4185 N Dowlen Rd • 409.347.2977

Longhorn Steakhouse 5920 Eastex Fwy • 409.892.1212

Outback Steak House 2060 I-10 S • 409.842.6699

Saltgrass Steak House 325 I-10 N • 409.813.8138

The West 6445 Calder Ave • 409.866.4733

Art Museum of Southeast Texas 500 Main St • 409.833.5913

Lupe Tortilla 2050 IH South • 409.347.8908

BARBECUE Boomtown BBQ

4180 Dowlen Rd • 409.347.0693

Waffle House

Monterey House

6385 Calder Ave. • 409.554.8432

1090 S 11th St • 409.832.0310 3015 N Dowlen Rd • 409.861.4905

Broussard’s Links Plus Ribs

6755 Phelan Blvd 409.861.0400

The West Bar & Grill 6445 Calder • 409.860.9706

R Taco

Patillo’s Bar-B-Q

ASIAN Chaba Thai Cuisine

Tony’s Barbecue and Steakhouse

5390 Walden Rd • 409.842.5420

China Garden

Doug Nelsons Cafe’

3871 Stagg Dr • 409.838.6686

10025 TX Hwy 24 • 409.842.1557

Fuddruckers 4545 Dowlen Rd • 409.898.8973

Hamburger Depot 1652 W Cardinal Dr • 409.840.6600 790 Neches • 409.838.3700

Honey B Ham Company 6385 Calder Ave • 409.860.3151

Hooters 850 I-10 S • 409.892.9464

J.Wilsons 4190 Gladys Ave • 409.899.8686

Willy Burger 5535 Calder • 409.892.3407

Wings to Go 4275 Dowlen Rd • 409.898.1600

112 Gateway Shopping Center • 409.833.5914 535 N Dowlen Rd • 409.866.9015

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches 475 S 11th St 409.239.7205

3675 College St • 409.832.3663

General Wok 260 Dowlen Rd • 409.866.6588

Great China 3135 Calder Ave • 409.833.0537

Koi Sushi Bar

3199 Dowlen Rd • Beaumont, TX 77706r • 409 554-8321

King Palace

3350 Dowlen Rd Suite C • 409.347.8202 4328 Dowlen Rd • 409.898.3338

Pei Wei Asian Diner 3050 Dowlen Rd • 409.866.0620

3830 College St • 409.833.5510 5875 Eastex Frwy • 409.899.3117

Jason’s Deli

China Hut

ITALIAN Bruno’s Italian Restaurant

IHOP

Pho Four Seasons Carrabba’s Italian Grill 1550 I-10 S • 409.842.5561

Frankie’s Italian Grill 105 I-10 N • 409.835.9200

New York Pizza & Pasta 4405 Calder Ave • 409.892.6535 790 Neches St • 409.832.7032

Rotolo’s Pizzeria

3690 College St • 409.212.9755 4374 Dowlen Rd • 409.896.2898

Sweet Basil

SEAFOOD Floyd’s Cajun Seafood & Texas Steakhouse

585 I-10 N • 409.832.9058

Joe’s Crab Shack

Madison’s on Dowlen

MEDITERRANEAN Abbie’s Imports and Deli

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

McAlister’s Deli 3050 Dowlen Rd • 409.861.3354

2695 I-10 E • 409.838.5566

CONTINENTAL The Grill by Arfeen, Smith & Payne 6680 Calder Ave • 409.866.0039

Suga’s Deep South Cuisine & Jazz Bar 461 Bowie St • 409.813.1808

PORT ARTHUR Applebee’s 3330 Hwy 365 • 409.729.1021

Beau Reve 4400 Atlantic Rd • 409.962.2422

Buffalo Wild Wings 8845 Memorial Blvd 409.724.0046

Bruce’s Seafood Deli

7960 Memorial Blvd • 409.727.0404

4438 Dowlen Rd • 409.896.2400 1970 I-10 S • 409.840.4255

The Olive Garden

5760 Walden Rd Ste 216 • 409.299.9710

CAFETERIAS Luby’s Cafeteria

Tokyo Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar

1495 Calder Ave • 409.833.9919 4150 Calder Ave • 409.347.0030

5335 Fannett Rd • 409.842.2895

3375 Calder Ave • 409.838.2162 5860 Eastex Frwy • 409.892.3100

6801 9th Ave • 409.727.3184

Katharine & Company

Marisela’s Tamales

610 N 11th St

4026 Dowlen Rd, Beaumont, TX 409 347-7594

3015 Dowlen Rd • 409.434.1267

4020 Dowlen Rd • 409.924.9777

2930 S 11th St • 409.842.1221

4215 Dowlen Rd Suite A • 409.223.1622

4340 E Lucas • 409.899.4500 6434 Phelan Blvd • 409.866.3388

Cracker Barrel

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

4555 Dowlen Rd • 409.899.9393 2050 I-10 S • 409.840.9840

6320 Wayside St • 409.794.3663

Chuck E Cheese’s

2760 I-10 E • 409.892.6562 3865 I-10 S • 409.842.0860 3985 College St • 409.842.5212 5875 Hwy 105 • 409.347.0590

vivasoutheasttexas.com

Carmela’s

Monica’s Restaurant/Cafe

Black Bear Diner

26

890 Amarillo St • 409.839.8011

2820 I-10 E • 409.892.7821

2290 I-10 S • 409.842.0686 3825 I-10 S • 409.842.4433 4040 I-10 S • 409.842.1339

Pine Tree Lodge

Al Basha Grill

3296 Pine Tree Rd • 409.796.1600

2578 I-10 • 409.347.8711

Ralph & Kacoo’s 5055 Eastex Freeway • 409.895.0099

La Cantina Mexican Grill Casa Olé Restaurant & Cantina 3100 Hwy 365 • 409.727.5377 4801 N Twin City Hwy • 409.963.0185

Cheddar’s Casual Café 8005 Memorial Blvd • 409.729.5800

Chili’s 8665 Memorial Blvd • 409.727.3675

Dylan’s Restaurant and Grill 8601 9th Ave • 409.722.1600

H2O Seafood & Grill 7675 Memorial • 409-237-5305

IHOP 8685 Memorial Blvd • 409.721.6310

Viva | Restaurant Guides Jason’s Deli

Champagne’s Specialty Cakes

Robert’s Restaurant & Steakhouse

JuJu Cajun Crawfish Shak

170 Central Mall • 409.727.6420

812 S Twin City Hwy • 409.729.2288

3720 N Park Ave • Orange • 409.883.0979

16474 FM365 Fannett, TX 409-794-2020

Judice’s French Market

Davis Donuts and Deli

Romanos 8:31 Italian Restaurant

Mama Jack’s

3005 7th St • 409.982.3522

1706 Hwy 365 • 409.729.5100

1207 N 16th St • Orange • 409.883.9142

215 N Pine St • Kount e, TX • 409.246.3450

King Buffet

Eaton Meats

Senor Toro’s

Mi Pueblo

7675 Memorial Blvd • 409.721.6868

2505 Nederland Ave • 409.722.3200

2308 Lutcher Dr • Orange • 409.883.2443

980 Hwy 327 E • Silsbee, TX • 409.385.5288

La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant

Golden Croissant

The Jumping Bean

Munchies Ole’

7700 9th Ave

2904 Hwy 365 • 409.727.5399

7174 N Hwy 87 • Orange • 409.883.5858

1198 N 5th St • Silsbee, TX • 409.385.5003

Luby’s Cafeteria

Grand Buffet 2250 Hwy 365 • 409.722.6668

LOUISIANA Lake Charles La Truffe Sauvage

Napoli’s Italian Restaurant

4840 Hwy 73 • 409.962.0261 8680 Memorial Blvd • 409.724.0043

McAlister’s Deli

112 N 11th St • 409.727.1393

815 West Bayou Pines Dr • 337.439.8364 www.thewildtru e.com

8393 Memorial Blvd • 409.729.3354

La Suprema Mexican Restaurant

Reel Cajun Seafood

3105 Hwy 365 • 409.722.2880

Hollier’s Cajun Kitchen

7500 Twin City Hwy • 409.853.1818

Mazzio’s Pizza

Rodair Roadhouse

3028 Hwy 365 • 409.724.0500

6701 Jade Ave • 409.736.2102

Sake Sushi Bar 8691 9th Ave • 409.722.7253

Scholtzsky’s Deli 8745 Memorial Blvd • 409.721.9997

Sertino’s 7675 Memorial Blvd • 409.724.7012

Tequilla’s Mexican Restaurant 4231 Gulfway Dr • 409.983.7545

Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp 3400 Jimmy Johnson Blvd 409 237-4068

John’s Grill

Novrozsky’s Hamburgers, Etc. 3016 Hwy 365 • 409.724.7553

Bakery & Deli 3504 Hwy 365 • 409.729.7267

Sartin’s Seafood 3520 Nederland Ave • 409.721.9420

The Schooner Restaurant 1507 Hwy 69 • 409.722.2323

Taco Rey Mexican Restaurant 1505 Nederland Ave • 409.721.5100

The Tamale King

Peggy’s On The Bayou

1400 Market Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana

2682 E Round Bunch • Bridge City, TX • 409.886.1115

Seven Clans Buffet at Coushatta Casino Resort

Hwy 190 W • Woodville, TX • 409.283.3371

Pine Tree Lodge

Steamboat Bill’s

3296 Pinetree Rd off LaBelle Rd between Hwy 73 & 365 • LaBelle, TX • 409.796.1600

1004 Lakeshore Dr • Lake Charles, LA 337.494.1070 • www.steamboatbills.com

OTHER AREA RESTAURANTS Captain Ron’s Seafood 310 S Pine St • Kount e, TX • 409.246.3700

County Line Diner 805 N LHS Dr • Kount e, TX • 409-751-5151

PORT NECHES The Avenue Coffee & Cafe

141 N LHS Drive Suite 211, Lumberton • 409.755.4411

Hamburger Depot

Hush Puppy Seafood Restaurant

Billy Joe’s Bar-B-Q

1202 N Main St • Vidor, TX • 409.769.7403

Tony’s BBQ

2029 Magnolia Ave • 409.727.1482

2749 Memorial Blvd • 409.984.5444

Carla’s Cupboard

Tropical Grill

2117 Magnolia Ave

4300 Hwy 365 • 409.724.1002

Celeste’s Tamales

Tuscany Italian Restaurant

3102 Saba Ln • 409.722.1172

3600 Hwy 365 • 409.724.1881

Joe’s Pizza and Pasta

Waffle House

2839 Nall • 409.727.3961

2940 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • 409.724.2141 4505 Twin City Hwy • 409.962.7522

La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant

GROVES Big Daddy’s Grill

Neches Brewing Company

3848 Main Ave • 409.548.4856

The Neches Café

China Inn

2401 Port Neches Ave • 409.729.3849

4848 Twin City Hwy • 409.962.2431

Neches River Wheelhouse

Colichia’s Italian Village

720 Lee Ave • 409-853-1249

5601 E Parkway St • 409.962.7711

Sea Ranch Cafe

The Courtyard Café & Gift Mall

1305 Magnolia • 409.722.6057

Larry’s French Market & Cajun Restaurant 3701 Pure Atlantic Rd • 409.962.3381

Tony’s BBQ & Steaks 4700 Twin City Hwy • 409.962.7427

2750 Nederland Ave • 409.722.0561

Butcher’s Korner 1155 Boston Ave • 409.722.4831

Carmela’s Mexican Restaurant 1203 S Hwy 69 • 409.729.0760

1085 Texas Ave • Bridge City, TX • 409.738.3510

Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp 322 S. Main, Lumberton 409.227.0806

West Texas Style BBQ 3078 US Hwy 96 • Silsbee, TX • 409.385.0957

2337 Nederland Ave • 409.729.2500 1108 Port Neches Ave • 409.237.5700

ORANGE Barking Dog Coffee Lounge 109 5th St • Orange • 409.330.4065

Casa Ole 1717 N 16th St • Orange • 409.886.0642

GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE

Denny’s inside Flying J Truck Stop 7112 I-10 W • Orange • 409.883.4720

Gary’s Coffee Shop

27

2650 I-10 • Orange • 409.886.9019

Guadalajara 137 MacArthur Dr • Orange • 409.883.4214

J. B.’s BBQ 5750 Hwy 90 • Orange • 409.886.9823

Lucy’s Café & Bakery 2488 MLK Dr • Orange • 409.883.332

Old Orange Café 914 Division • Orange • 409.883.2233

vivasoutheasttexas.com

NEDERLAND Bobby’s Homestyle Cooking

Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

3900 Pure Atlantic Rd • 409.963.1241

605 W Round Bunch Rd • Bridge City, TX • 409.313.6140

5125 Old Evadale • Silsbee, TX • 409.385.9057

1226 Port Neches Ave • 409.344.4594

Sneaky Pete’s

Sure Catch Seafood

The Cottage

3300 Central Mall Dr • 409.729.0641

5080 Twin City Hwy • 409.962.1888

Pickett House Restaurant

777 Coushatta Dr • Kinder, LA • 800.584.7263

8575 Memorial Blvd • 409.722.2246

Famous Buffet

441 S Main St, Lumberton • 409.755.1224 1170 TX-327, Silsbee • 409.386.6300

Restaurant Calla

Texas Roadhouse

4321 Lincoln Ave • 409.962.2850

Novrozsky’s Hamburgers

1709 Ruth • Sulphur, LA • 337.527.0061

2495 N Twin City Hwy • 409.724.6666

Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

835 S Main St • Lumberton, TX • 409.227.4611

Viva |

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SELLING our

ome

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

So you’ve decided to put your home on the market. Congratulations! Hopefully, you’ve brought an experienced REALTOR on board to help you list your home, and together you’ve done your due diligence on what to ask for. As you start checking things off your to-do list, it’s also important to pay mind of what not to do. Below are a handful of things to get you started.

D As you ready your home for sale, you may reali e you will get a great return on your investment if you make a couple of changes. Updating the appliances or replacing that cracked cabinet in the bathroom are all great ideas. However, it’s important not to over-improve, or make improvements that are hy-

per-specific to your tastes. What if your buyers are family oriented and want a basement space for their kids to play in That rock-and-roll room may look to them like a huge project to un-do. Make any needed fixes to your space, but don’t go above and beyond—you may lose money doing so.

Don t over- ecorate.

Over-decorating is just as bad as over-improving. ou may love the look of lace and lavender, but your potential buyer may enter your home and cringe. When prepping for sale, neutrali e your decorating scheme so it’s more universally palatable.

Don t hang aroun . our agent calls to let you know they will be bringing buyers by this afternoon. reat! ou rally your whole family, Fluffy the dog included, to be waiting at the door with fresh baked cookies and big smiles.

Right Wrong. Buyers want to imag-

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Beaumont • (409) 242-1185 6140 Delaware Street ChristianBrothersAuto.com/Beaumont

ine themselves in your space, not be confronted by you in your space.

Trust, it’s awkward for them to go about judging your home while you stand in the corner, smiling. et out of the house, take the kids with you, and if you can’t leave for whatever reason, at least go sit in the backyard. (On the other hand, if you’re buying a home and not selling, then making it personal is the way to go, especially when writing your offer letter. Pull those heart strings!)

Don t ta e things ersona .

Real estate is a business, but buying and selling homes is very, very emotional. However, when selling your homes, try your very best not to take things personally. When a buyer lowballs you or says they will need to replace your pri ed 1970s vintage shag carpet with something “more modern,” try not to raise your hackles.

Viva |

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a n a D n o s n h o J Team 409.351.2103

DanaJohnsonTeam.com

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

With a huge selection of games and lots of wide-open gaming space, you get to play more of your favorite slots and table games. Come experience true Louisiana hospitality, Coushatta style!

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1-10 Exit 44-Kinder, LA | 800-584-7263 | ccrla.com | >>. .....

Coushatta supports responsible gaming. Call 877-770-7867. Coushatta Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana.

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

TEXAS COFFEE COMPANY CE E The legacy of Texas Coffee a

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Beaumont is fortunate to be home to several companies that were founded 100 years ago, Texas Coffee joins that group this year. They are the makers of Seaport Coffee and Texjoy Seasonings.

Joseph Fertitta s grandfather, Charles J. Fertitta, Sr., was contacted by John Henry Phelan, who owned Phelan Wholesale rocery Company, a restaurant supply company that was known for helping families start grocery stores. Mr. Phelan had contacted Charles to take over the Crescent Market on Magnolia Street in downtown Beaumont.

During this time, young Mr. Fertitta travelled to San Antonio to visit his cousin, Rosario Liberto, who sold Italian spices, meats, olives and coffee. When the circus came to San Antonio, Rosario bought e uipment to roast peanuts, and by 1921 he advertised that they sold over 400,000 pounds of peanuts. Rosario told Charles that he should take one

of his peanut roasters and start roasting his own coffee.

When Charles returned to Beaumont, he set-up the peanut roaster in a one room “shotgun” style shack behind the Crescent Market and started blending and roasting different coffee beans.

With an investment of 1800, a Ford Model T truck and a few pounds of coffee, the Texas Coffee Company was founded.

Charles’ coffee became immensely popular with ships that would come into the Port of Beaumont.

The seaman loved his coffee and word spread among the in-coming vessels so much so that Charles named his coffee “Seaport.”

In 192 , Charles recapitali ed the company by forming a partnership with R.C. Maceo and Joseph S. Serio. Texas Coffee Company prospered, and they moved the company to a larger, more modern facility on Port Arthur Road, which is now ML Parkway that was better e uipped to han-

dle the growing customer base.

With this new partnership, Mr. Maceo was plant manager while Mr. Fertitta and Mr. Serio delivered their product in Beaumont and Port Arthur.

An interesting tidbit is that building stood half in Beaumont and half in Port Arthur city limits.

This is the same building housing Texas Coffee Company and TexJoy Seasoning today.

At the start of Texas Coffee Company, the only ports to receive coffee beans into the United States were New Orleans and New ork. Charles saw a huge potential for Beaumont and arranged the first lot of coffee to arrive at the Port of Beaumont on December 12, 1957. Unfortunately, he did not get to see the result of his hard work and determination as he passed away before the S.S. Del Rio arrived, as a side note, each family member has a decanter of coffee beans from this first shipment that they cherish. Texas Coffee Company

ATES YEA ANN E SA Y e as told by Joseph Fertitta became prominent business professionals on their own accord.

Texas Coffee has weathered the depression, multiple natural disasters, rationing, and the loss of family members and many key personnel … but they have survived for 100 years with od and family direction!

In 1999, key management positions were taken over by third generation family members. The current President is Joseph F. Fertitta, Donald P. Fertitta is Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Steve Lyle is the Regional Sales Supervisor and Toby Castro is Regional Sales Manager.

The TexJoy spice line was added over 0 years ago and has grown to over 100 products today.

Several points of pride for Texas Coffee Company (Seaport Coffee) and TexJoy is that they are osher certified, and they offer gluten free, fat free, low sodium, even no sodium seasonings and -cups are now available.

All their coffees are 100 Ara-

bica pure coffee with no chicory nor additives. Seaport Coffee is so popular that the Texas Legislature submitted a bill to make Seaport the O cial Coffee of Texas!

Seaport Coffee is available in five different roasts: dark, between dark and medium, medium, Founder’s Choice and decaffeinated.

The pride and rich heritage of tradition continues in the 21st century with a fresh attitude and renewed commitment to success!

To order your Seaport Coffee or TexJoy seasoning, go to www. texjoy.com or in Beaumont, stop by the original location at 3297 ML Parkway.

YE AR 0 S 10 1921 2021

SEASONIN S

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

also assisted the Port of Houston so that they too could receive coffee.

Texas Coffee Company is the oldest family - owned coffee company in Texas and one of the smallest in the industry. Joseph believes that one of the main reasons they are so successful is because they have always kept it as a family business, and they treat their employees like family!

The family ties to Southeast Texas are strong Charles J. Fertitta had six children: sons-Joseph “Pep” and Charles Jr, daughters- Marietta, Olivia, Charlene and Jorita.

Olivia married Joe Serio, who worked as a salesman for Texas Coffee Co. Charlene married Carlo Busceme, Jr, who had served as President of Texas Coffee. Rose Maceo married Josie Fertitta and they had four daughters. Those daughters married Jake Tortorice, Sam Parigi and Frank Messina, each of whom worked at Texas Coffee. The fourth daughter married J.C. iglio. All of whom

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Viva | Sports

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

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Mark Williams has accomplished a once in a lifetime milestone,… he has been elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame!

Mark started bowling at a young age when his family moved close to a bowling center. In 1980, Mark had a stint as a professional bowler and was hooked. He spent the next twenty years as a member of the PBA. In 1999, he was invited to become a partner in the Crossroads Bowling Center and he has owned it ever since.

In Mark’s career, he has accomplishments that include seven PBA tour titles, three majors- the 1985 Firestone Tournament of Champions, the 198 Touring Players Championship and the 1988 Firestone Tournament of Champions, three Senior Tour titles, a 2010 Senior US Open, plus multi-

Congress Hall of Fame, The United States Bowling Convention Hall of Fame ceremony is included in the annual USBC convention held in Arlington, Texas. Mark’s induction and all the 2020 and 2021 inductees has been postponed until 2022 due to the Covid

ple other Championships. Mark has also been elected to the Professional Bowling Association’s Hall of Fame, the Texas Bowling Hall of Fame and now the 2021 United States Bowling

pandemic. Mark was excited that he will be joined in the Hall of Fame with Bill and Barbara Chrisman, the founders of Storm Products, whom Mark has been friends with for many years.

a of ame

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With more than 1.4 million members, Mark is one of under 500 Hall of Fame members.

Mark is still very active in the Senior PBA tour, traveling multiple dates a year around the Country, still pursuing his dream and passion! Mark also bowls in several leagues at Crossroads, which he has maintained ownership and operation of for over 20 years.

Mark is also an avid golfer, loves the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, and the University of Texas Longhorns.

And Pine Tree Lodge is his favorite local area restaurant.

Mark could live anywhere however he is proud to call Beaumont home and Timed race wit we are fortunate to have a multiple Hall of Fame resident!

11:

REGISTRATION BE $25.00 for 18 and www.facebook.com/VivaSETXMag

$30.00 for 19 and

INCLUD

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The Mardi ras store opens Jan. through Feb. from 10 Mardi ras of Southeast Texas presents “Mystic Masa.m. to 5 p.m. uerade,” festival, race and parade Feb. 24 through Feb. 27 in Downtown Beaumont located by Crocket Street For applications for the krewes, venders, pet parades and volunteering visit www.margrastx.com. and the Event Center.

“This will be our second year,” Laura Childress, president For race registration visit www.runsignup.com. of Mardi ras of Southeast Texas, said. “We will set it up the same way with street venders selling food, arts and crafts, entertainment stages for different concerts and parades. On Feb. 2 , the headliner will be Nelly.”

Childress said the layout in the location allowed them to enlarge the carnival and events.

“This is the first year that we will have a pet parade on Sunday 27th at 1p.m.,” Childress said. “The event is sponsored by the neighborhood veterinarian centers.”

The Capes &&Crowns 5 and 1 race begins Feb.2 Texas at Festival Mardi Gras Southeast Present the Event center lawn. The kid’s 1 race begins at 8:30 a.m. and the adults 5 race begins at 9 a.m. Registration opens on Nov. 1.

25.00 for 18 and under until Jan. 2 and raises to 30.00 after Jan. 2 . 30.00 for 19 and up until Jan. 2 and raises Laura Childress, president of Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas and Gabriel to 40.00 after Jan. 2 . The cost includes a T-shirt, race Kondos, Kirbyville, display the “Mystic Masquerade” themed T-shirt at the bag, and a ticket to enter Mardi ras the day of the race.

Mardi Gras store location at 3830 hwy 365 Port Arthur, TX. The ticket admits one.

Neches River Festival & Mardi Gras Southeast Texas Present

Neches River Festival & Mardi Gras Southeast Texas Present

Neches River Festival & Mardi Gras Southeast Texas Present

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022 EVENT CENTRE ON THE GREAT LAWN

8:30 A.M. KIDS 1K RACE BEGINS 9:00 A.M. 5K RACE BEGINS 5K | 1K RACE

5K | 1K RACE

e with overall and age group awards |SATURDAY, medals awarded to all finishers FEBRUARY 26, 2022

11:00 A.M. MARDI GRAS SOUTHEAST TEXAS OPENS

5KFEBRUARY | ON 1K THE RACE SATURDAY, SA EVENT CENTRE GREAT26, LAWN2022

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

5K | 1K RACE

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022 8:30 A.M. KIDS 1K RACE BEGINS

9:00 A.M. 5K RACE BEGINS EVENT CENTRE ON THE GREAT LAWN Timed race with overall and age group awards | medals awarded to all finishers

CENTRE ON GREAT LAWN and under until January 2022EVENT |raises to $30.00 January 26, 2022 Want 26, to participate in an excitingafter new THE Bicycle Krewe Parade on Friday 2/25??

11:00 A.M. MARDI GRAS 1K SOUTHEAST OPENS 8:30 A.M. KIDS RACETEXAS BEGINS

8:30 RACE and up until January 26, | aises to A.M. $721-8717 0.00KIDS after January 26,BEGINS 2022 Call2022 for more details or1K CVB 880-3165 - registration is free!

9:00 A.M. RACEBEGINS BEGINS 9:00 A.M.5K 5K RACE

REGISTRATION BEGINS NOVEMBER 1, 2021 | SIGN UP AT WWW.RUNSIGNUP.COM UDES T-SHIRT, RACE AND TICKET ENTER AND Timed race BAG, with overall and ageTO group awards | medals awarded to all finishers

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EGINS B NOVEMBER 1, 2021 | SIGN UP AT WWW.RUNSIGNUP.COM

Viva | Directories NIGHTLIFE Benoits 3085 TX-12 • Vidor • 409.651.5018 Cotton Creek Winery 6755 Phelan • Beaumont • 409.861.0400 Crockett Street 200 Block of Crockett Street • Beaumont Dixie Dance Hall 240 Crockett St • Beaumont • 409.833.3090 Dylan’s Restaurant and Grill 8601 9th Ave • Port Arthur • 409.722.1600 Fast Eddie’s Pool Hall & Bar 6410 Phelan • Beaumont • 409.866.2212 Honky Tonk Texas 2389 Hwy 96N • Silsbee • 409.386.1995 John Waynes Saloon 6360 Phelan • Beaumont • 409.861.1709 Larry’s French Market & Cajun Restaurant 3701 Hwy 366 • Groves • 409.962.3381 Little Woodrow’s 6210 Phelan • Beaumont • 409. 861.4200 Logon Café 3805 Calder • Beaumont • 409.832.1529 Luke’s Icehouse 2325 Calder • Beaumont • 409. 347.8139 Madison’s 4020 Dowlen Rd • Beaumont • 409.924.9777 MacKenzie’s Pub 229 Dowlen Rd • Beaumont • 409.866.2288 Sawdust Saloon 4680 Fannett • Beaumont • 409.730.7490 Thirsty’s 229 Dowlen Rd • Beaumont • 409.866.6066

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

LIVE THEATRE Beaumont Community Players 4155 Laurel • Beaumont • 409.833.4664 Jefferson Theatre 345 Fannin • Beaumont • 409.835.5483 Julie Rogers Theatre 765 Pearl • Beaumont • 409.838.3507 Lutcher Theatre 707 Main Ave • Orange • 409.745.5535 Port Arthur Little Theatre 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • Port Arthur 409.722.7732

vivasoutheasttexas.com

GOLF COURSES Babe Zaharias 3500 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • Port Arthur 409.722.8286 Bayou Din Golf Club 8537 Labelle Rd • Beaumont • 409.796.1327 Country Club of Texas 4201 S Ma or Dr • Beaumont • 409.840.9440 Gray Plantation 6150 Graywood Pkwy • Lake Charles, LA 36 337.562.1663 Henry Homberg Municipal Golf Course 5940 Babe aharias Dr • 409. 842-3220 Moody Gardens 1700 Sydnor • Galveston • 409.741.4626 Rayburn Country 2376 Wingate Blvd • Brookeland 409.698.1017 Silsbee Country Club Country Club Rd • Silsbee • 409.385.7337 Wildwood

2201 Button Willow Drive • Village Mills 409.834.2940 DRIVING RANGES Games People Play 5945 College St • Beaumont • 409.866.3883 Texas Driving Range 8310 Eastex Freeway Bmt • 409.892.4653 SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA Mallard Cove Golf 4300 Mallard Cove Dr • Lake Charles, LA 337.491.1204 The National Golf Club 1400 National Dr • Westlake,LA • 337.433.2255 Kosati Pines at Coushatta 777 Coushatta Dr • Kinder, LA • 800.584.7263 Frasch Park Golf Course 400 Picard Rd. • Sulphur, LA • 337.527.2515 Contraband Bayou Golf Club L’Auberge Casino 777 Ave L’Auberge • Lake Charles, LA • 337.395.7777 AREA INFORMATION Beaumont Civic Center Complex 701 Main St • 409.838.3435 Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau Dean Conwell, Executive Director 505 Willow St • Beaumont • 800.392.4401 Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Center 5055 IH-10 S • 409.842.0500 Bridge City Chamber of Commerce 150 W Roundbunch • Bridge City • 409-735-5671 Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce 1110 Park • Jim Rich • 409.838.6581 Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce 1012 Green Ave • Orange • Ida Schossow - 409.883.3536 Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce 4749 Twin City Hwy, Ste 300 Port Arthur • Bill McCoy - 409.963.1107 Groves Chamber Of Commerce & Tourist Center Ronnie Boneau, Executive Director 4399 Main Ave • Groves • 409.962.3631 Nederland Chamber Of Commerce & Tourist Bureau Stephanie Shimek, Administrative Assistant 1515 Boston Ave • Nederland • 409.722.0279 Orange Convention & Visitor Bureau 803 Green Avenue • Orange • 409.883.1011 Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau Tammy Kot ur, Executive Director 3401 Cultural Center Dr • Port Arthur 800.235.7822 Beaumont Convention & Visitor Bureau 505 Willow St • Beaumont • 409.880.3749 beaumontcvb.com • beaumontcvb.mobi Port Neches Chamber Of Commerce Debbie Plaia, Executive Director 1110 Port Neches Ave • Port Neches 409.722.9154 • portnecheschamber.com

Texas Travel Information Center 1708 E IH-10 • Orange • 409.883.9416 or 800.452.9292 Vidor Chamber of Commerce 945 N Main • Vidor • 409.769.6339 Lumberton Chamber of Commerce 826 N Main • Lumberton • 409.755.0554 TAXI CABS American Quality Taxi 409.839.8294 Airport Limousine Airport Rd • 409.722.8313 Daranda Taxi Port Arthur • 409.504.1118 Beaumont • 409.527.0134 Golden Triangle Hot Shot Groves 409.962.7514 La Uno Port Arthur • 409.460.0835 Beaumont • 409.433.1177 AIRPORT Jack Brooks Regional Airport 4875 Parker Dr, Beaumont • 409.719.4950 American Airlines • AA.com SHUTTLE Airport Shuttle from Bush & Hobby to Beaumont 409.951.9636 groundshuttle.com Sun Travel Limo 409.840.4600 CAR RENTAL Avis Rent-A-Car-Budget 6000 Airline Dr - Airport • 409.722.0209 Alamo Rental 6000 Airline Dr - Airport • 877.222.9075 Hertz Rent-A-Car 6000 Airline Dr - Airport • 409.727.2137 800.654.3131 Enterprise Rent-A-Car 6000 Airline Dr - Airport • 409.724.0457 1225 IH-10 South • Beaumont • 409.899.2878 3980 W Lucas • Beaumont • 409.898.8300 2615 W Cardinal Dr • Beaumont • 409.840.4289 710 MLK Pkwy • Beaumont • 409.835.0623 1206 Nederland Ave • Nederland • 409.721.6667 3349 W Parkway St • Groves • 409.962.3234 National Rental Airport 6000 Airline Dr • 409.722.6111 BUS LINES Greyhound Bus Lines Vidor • 409.769.0848 Sun Travel Trailways 409.840.4600 EMERGENCY NUMBERS m u ance, ire, o ice, heri • 911 Beaumont it ot ine • 311 Southeast Texas Animal Emergency Clinic 3420 West Cardinal Dr • Beaumont 409.842.3239 Spurlock Rd. Veterinary Clinic 2400 Memorial Blvd • Port Arthur 409.727.0287 TXDOT Emergency Roadside Assistance 800.452.9292

FREQUENTLY REQUESTED INFORMATION Beaumont City Hall Administration Offices 801 Main St • 409.880.3716 City of Port Arthur 444 Fourth St • Port Arthur • 409.983.8115 US Post Office 5815 Waden Rd • Beaumont • 409.981.8609 Port Arthur Sub-Courthouse 525 Lakeshore Dr • Port Arthur • 409.983.8300 Jefferson County Veteran’s Services 1149 Pearl St • Beaumont • 409.835.8604 Humane Society of Southeast Texas 2050 Spindletop Rd • Beaumont • 409.722.0605 Better Business Bureau 550 Fannin • Beaumont • 409.835.5348 Lamar University 4400 MLK Pkwy • Beaumont 409.880.7011 Montagne Center at Lamar University 4400 MLK Pkwy • 409.880.1715 Lamar Institute of Technology 855 E Lavaca • Beaumont 800.950.6989 • 409.880.8321 Lamar State College Port Arthur 1500 Procter St • Port Arthur 800.477.5872 • 409.983.4921 Ford Park Event Center 5115 I-10 S • 409.951.5400 SHERIFF Chambers County • 409.267.8318 Hardin County • 409.246.3441 Jasper County • 409.384.5417 Jefferson County Beaumont • 409.835.8411 Mid-County • 409.726.2500 Orange County • 409.883.2612 Vidor Substation • 409.769.6391 HOSPITALS Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas 3080 College St • 409.212.5000 24hr Emergency Service 409.212.6600 Baptist Orange Hospital - Orange 608 Strickland Dr • 409.883.9361 24hr Emergency Service • 409.883.1248 Christus Hospital St Mary - Port Arthur 3600 Gates Blvd • 409.985.7431 Christus Minor Care Center 3939 Dowlen Rd • 409.899.7800 Christus Outpatient Center 3701 Hwy 73 & 9th Ave Pta • 409.983.1621 Exceptional Emergency Center 4755 Eastex Fwy • Beaumont • 409.924.0055 1321 N 16th St • Orange • 409.670.9898 Golden Triangle Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery 2501 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • 409.722.7001 The Medical Center of Southeast Texas 2555 Jimmy Johnson Blvd • Port Arthur 409.724.7389 Victory Medical Center Beaumont Metropolitan Dr • 409.61.7700

WISHING YOU A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

E AT. DRINK.

stin Sanderson th District o rt

PL AY.

SUN – THURS 9 AM – 11 PM FRI 9 AM – 12 AM SAT

9 AM – 1 AM

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WE HOPE YOU DON'T NEED US, BUT CALL US WHEN YOU DO!

409-840-5511 605 S 4TH ST BEAUMONT, TEXAS 77701

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5 U N D E R G O L F.CO M ( 4 0 9 ) 2 3 2 02 0 5

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

BEAUMONT TX

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Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Viva | Fashion

hat do most men hate to do

ADVERTORIAL

ho for c othing!

ith more people working from home the cas ali ation of the workplace and t being more important than ever why not tili e yo r own personal stylist who delivers c stom t clothing for yo Local stylist Lindsey Sanderson meets her clients in their home or o ce takes their ni e meas rements disc sses t and style preference and then makes c stom recommendations for men. Lindsey is a stylist with Dallas based c stom clothier . ilb rn and has been in the b siness of making men look better for years. Every single piece of clothing is made to order meaning yo have the chance to choose the fabric b ttons collars monograms pockets and other style details to make yo r clothes ni ely yo rs. . ilb rn opened in o ering st c stom shirts at a great val e. oday it has evolved into a f ll lifestyle brand o ering categories of c stom clothing from b siness s its to c stom denim. Lindsey and . ilb rn can prepare yo for yo r golf game yo r wedding a ob interview vacations all the way to yo r black tie galas. Paired with Lindsey s personali ed c stomer service and eye for detail yo won t be able to go back to o the rack hat is most rewarding to Lindsey is the . ilb rn e ect hen her clients are wearing a coordinated look that ts and atters them they stand a little taller their sho lders appear a little broader and their smile shines brighter. She loves sending men o t into the world looking better feeling better and doing better . ilb rn o ers tremendo s val e for the highest ality apparel on the market. Beca se it sells thro gh stylists like Lindsey rather than in storefronts there is no traditional retail mark p. Using the nest fabrics from talian mills and the latest technology to man fact re yo r c stom clothing yo r clothing will last years longer than yo e pect.

Book an appointment with Lindsey to help yo look yo r best and let the compliments begin Lindsey.sanderson

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Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

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Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY WITH ONE OF OUR STYLISTS

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7102 Phelan Blvd., Suite B Beaumont, Texas 77706

409.866.6227

(409) 242-1224 • 6455 PHELAN BLVD • BEAUMONT, TX (409) 853-1549 • 7675 MEMORIAL BLVD • PORT ARTHUR, TX

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Paula Winzer Financial Advisor

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4999 S. Common St., Ste B Lake Charles, LA 70607 Bus. 337-474-6087 TF. 800-737-7998 Cell 409-782-4901 Fax 888-499-2776 paula.winzer@edwardjones.com www.edwardjones.com

• • • • • • • • •

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

All of s hope to live long healthy lives so we do what we can to take care of o r selves thro gh proper diet e ercise and avoiding nhealthy activities. owever none of s can predict o r f t re so it pays to be prepared for anything in cl ding a serio s physical illness or the onset of some type of mental incapacity s ch as Al heimer s disease. yo ve created one. f yo ve kept p yo r life ins rance yo ll also want to ens re yo r premi ms are still being paid. And don t forget to review yo r bene ciary designations on yo r k ins rance policies and other nancial doc ments since these designations can s persede the instr ctions in yo r will. f co rse yo may never face these in rmities b t yo sho ld be aware that they co ld pset yo r long term nan cial strategy and place considerable stress on yo r loved ones. hat steps can yo take to head o these threats As part of yo r estate planning yo may want to incl de a d rable power of at torney for nances which allows yo to name someone to manage yo r nancial a airs if yo become incapacitated and a d rable power of attorney for health

care which lets yo name someone to or if yo r life is to ched by Al heimer s make medical decisions for yo if yo re or another mental in rmity. B t it s a nable to do so yo rself. Yo may also positive move yo re protecting yo r create a health care directive or living self and yo r loved ones from whatever will to e press yo r wishes if yo don t life may throw at yo . have a power of attorney for health care Yo r ne t move is to make s re yo have or the person named in a power of at ade ate li idity. t s hard to predict torney for health care can t be reached in how many o t of pocket costs yo co ld an emergency. And since estate planning inc r when coping with a serio s illness can be comple yo ll certainly want b t it s a good idea to have eno gh cash to work with a legal professional and readily available rather than dipping possibly yo r ta and nancial advisors into yo r k or other retirement as well. acco nts. So if yo re retired yo might First make s re yo know what yo r want to keep p to a year s worth of health ins rance covers and how m ch living e penses in a li id low risk yo might have to pay o t of pocket for acco nt. treatment of illnesses s ch as cancer or is article was written by Edward ones kidney ailments. f yo re on edicare for se by yo r local Edward ones Fi s pplemented with edigap or edi nancial Advisor. care Advantage edicare Part yo ll Edward ones ember S P want to know all abo t ded ctibles Edward ones its employees and nan copayments and coins rance. owever cial advisors cannot provide ta or legal if Al heimer s or another type of demen advice. Yo sho ld cons lt yo r attorney tia is involved edicare may not cover or ali ed ta advisor regarding yo r the costs that co ld be inc rred in an sit ation. assisted living facili ty so yo may want to cons lt with a nancial advisor who can s ggest ways of DĂŬŝŶŐ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ tŽƌŬ ĨŽƌ zŽƵ͊ protecting yo rself from long term care ���� ���� �������� ������������� �� ��� ����������� ������������������� costs which can be ��� ������ �������� ���������� ���������� ��������� ������� ����� ite high. �������������� ������ ��� ������� ��������� ��� ���������’ ������������� Yo might think it s ����������� ��� ��������� ��� ��������������������� somewhat grim to • sK/W WŚŽŶĞ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ prepare yo rself • EĞƚǁŽƌŬ ^ƵƉƉŽƌƚ Θ DĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ nancially in case yo • /d ^ƵƉƉŽƌƚ become serio sly ill

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Viva | Calendar Of Events - Beaumont & Surrounding Areas

Nov 1-Dec 31

Bites for Beaumont New, interactive & tasty way to support local restaurants & 20 area non-profits www.beaumontcvb.com/bites

Nov 2

Mix & Mingle for 5 Under Golf 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM CDT 5945 College St, Beaumont, TX 77707

Nov 11

40 Under 40 “The Big Reveal” 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM CST Registration 5:00 pm Ceremony 6:00 pm MCM Elegante Hotel & Conference Center Beaumont, TX

Nov 20

Autumn is Awesome Craft Fair 10:00 am to 03:00 pm www.ignitechristianfellowship.com TX-12, Vidor, TX 77662-8405

Every Saturday Farmer’s Market 8am to 11am • Rain or shine Beaumont Athletic Complex College Street • Beaumont, TX

Nov 26-Jan 2, 2022 Holiday at Ford Park Southeast Texas Lights Ford Park, Beaumont, TX

Dec 4

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LA ROXX Concert 9:00 PM to 12:30 AM Madison’s on Dowlen 4020 Dowlen Road Beaumont, TX 77706

Nov 26

Danny O’Flaherty’s Celtic Christmas 7:00 pm The Logon Cafe & Pub 3805 Calder Avenue Beaumont, TX 77706

Beatles vs Stones Christmas Show Jefferson Theatre, 7:30 PM, $25 345 Fannin Street, Beaumont, TX 77701

Dec 9

Holiday Wreath Making Class 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm, The Lakeside Center Vidor, TX 77662

Dec 10

Chad Prather & Friends Christmas Special 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, The Oaks Event Center 2110 S Main St, Vidor, TX

Dec 1

City of Beaumont Christmas Tree Lighting, 5:00 PM The Event Centre, 700 Crockett Street Beaumont, TX 77701 Christmas in the Big Thicket Annual Festival with fun for the whole family Sat, 9:00 am, Silsbee Public Library 295 N 4th St, Silsbee, TX

Nov 20

Dec 9

Dec 6

Let it Shine

Dec 12

Homes for the Holidays 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Oaks Historic District, 2380 Long, Beaumont, TX 77701 $25 for adults

Dec 17

Elvis The Next Generation ‘Holiday Edition’ Starring Jake Rowley 7:30 pm Julie Rogers Theatre 765 Pearl Street, Beaumont, TX

Mon, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM CST Holiday Inn & Suites Beaumont Plaza 3950 I-10 South and Walden Rd. Beaumont, TX 77705

Dec 23

Dec 8

Jan 30, 2022

Children’s Story Time 11:30 am, Second & Fourth Wednesday Lumberton Public Library, 130 E Chance Rd, Lumberton, TX 77657

Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular, 7:30 pm Ford Park, 5115 Ih-10 South, Beaumont, TX Broken Vessel Productions Presents Soul Purpose Theatrical Musical 3:30 pm, Julie Rogers Theatre 765 Pearl Street, Beaumont, TX

Viva | Snapshots - Having Fun at Carrabba’s Restaurant Wine Dinners

BEAUMONT CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Bites or Beaumont www.beaumontcvb.com/bites alid from ovember st thru ecember 3 st A new, interactive and tasty way to support the local restaurants and 0 area non-pro ts, ites for eaumont is a di ital foodie passport that s a draiser for nited ay in collaboration with the eaumont Convention and isitor s ureau.

Beauc c es www.beaumontcvb.com beaucycles xplore owntown with un and A ordable i e entals 5 entals for 3 ours, Per Additional our n oy your eaucycle on a scenic ride around eaumont s historic downtown, a ational Main Street Community. ollow one of our su ested routes or use the map to explore on your own hether you have an hour or all day to explore, it s easy to see a lot with limited time without even brea in a sweat.

attai arsh ucation enter The eaumont Convention and isitors ureau wants to welcome you to Cattail Marsh and theCattail Marsh etlands ducation Center Cattail Marsh is 00 acres of scenic wetlands andhome to an abundance of wildlife. The protected area has become a haven for birds, with over 50 species si hted throu hout the year, and up to 00 durin sprin and fall mi ration. TheCattail Marsh ducation Center, situated in the middle of the marsh, hi hli hts the importanceof our unique ecosystem throu h education opportunities for children and visitors. or more informations contact Sarah Landis Cattail Marsh ducation Coordinator.

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AMERICAN AIR SYSTEMS, INC. PRO IDES A NEW HEATIN AND COOLIN SYSTEM TO A HOMEOWNER IN SOUTHEAST TE AS American Air Systems, Inc. completed its third annual #AmerAirCares giveaway, providing a new heating and cooling system to a Southeast Texas resident! Over 100 nominations were received online and via mail from January through April 2021. A committee of community leaders reviewed the nominations and chose five finalists. The final recipient was surprised with this new system on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Lee Potter, President of American Air Systems, Inc., says he looks forward to giving back to individuals in Southeast Texas who needs a little extra help. “Our company has been blessed to grow in Southeast Texas because of the support of our customers and partners,” says Potter. “We are proud to give back to someone who needs a new HVAC system for their home but may not be able to afford it on their own for the last two years.”

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

To make this award possible, American Air Systems, Inc. partnered with their HVAC distributor, Carrier Enterprise, and air uality product company, Aprilaire. Lee Potter said, “It is ama ing to see how people come together and offer support when they find out how you want to give back. We are fortunate to work with some wonderful businesses in the community.”

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Benjamin Rodrigue served as honorary chair of the 2021 AmerAirCares selection committee and previously served as a participant on the committee in previous years. “It is a humbling experience to read through the nominations and needs of those in our area.” Rodrigue said, “I am excited to be a part of this program again, this year, and thank Lee Potter and the team at American Air Systems, Inc. for giving back to Southeast Texas residents. This serves as a great example of how businesses can make a positive impact in the community.”

This campaign typically begins in January with

the new system being delivered and installed in May of each year. The goal is to provide a new heating and cooling system to a deserving homeowner in Jefferson, Hardin, or Orange Counties. Individuals can nominate someone they know who is in need by going to www.amerair.com. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee of community leaders.

American Air Systems, Inc. was started in 1982

by Don Potter and serves residential customers in Jefferson, Hardin, and Orange counties. They provide maintenance, service on all AC systems, central air conditioning, furnaces, heat pumps, air filters, indoor air uality with sales and service options. The company continues to operate as a family-owned business when he turned it over to his son, Lee Potter, in 2018.

This campaign is one of many ways American Air Systems, Inc. stays involved in the Southeast Texas community. Several employees are engaged on local nonprofit boards of directors, volunteer in various organi ations, and otherwise support the community.

Make power outages a thing of the past with a home standby generator.

Trusted Protection During Unpredictable Weather The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Think about it, without power, you will have no lights, heating or cooling, or refrigeration. You can’t even charge your cell phone. But when you have a Generac home standby generator, you will have power when you need it the most.

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Call or go online today for more information Sales: Service: Website: 1050 South 23rd, Beaumont, TX 77707

409-842-2402 409-842-2402 amerair.com

Meet

Our luxury guest rooms have been completely redesigned with a modern ambience offering triple sheeted beds that will make you feel right at home. Dine in with us daily at the Greenery Restaurant for our delicious full hot breakfast buffet, featuring omelets and waffles cooked to order, or join us at Park Place Lounge for dinner and evening cocktails.

Whether your planning a business meeting, reunion, conference or wedding, our experienced catering team is here to help you! Give us a call to secure your date today.

HOLIDAY INN & SUITES BEAUMONT PLAZA *Full Hot Breakfast Buffet *24 Hour Fitness Center *Complimentary Shuttle *On-Site Coin Laundry & Valet Laundry Service

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*252 Luxury rooms & Suites *22,000 sq. ft. of Meeting Space *Business Center & Pet Friendly *Indoor Heated Pool

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Stay

Chamber Matters Chamber Helps Momentum Build in Beaumont s e ou

an yo feel it e moment m is b ilding and Bea mont is poised for growth and development in . e reater Bea mont hamber of ommerce has recently la nched many new e citing programs with some additional new things planned in the coming months.

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

ne of the roles of the reater Bea mont hamber of ommerce is that it serves as the economic development lead for the ity of Bea mont. n the rst half of Bea mont and the State of e as received more leads from companies interested in e panding their operations in o r area than the last three years combined. Beca se the pro ects are con dential the p blic o en does not hear abo t o r economic development e orts ntil they are o cially anno nced and it can take years for the site selection process to nfold.

Bea mont is attractive to many companies beca se of o r strategic location to highways ports rails and pipelines. n addition we have a trained workforce to help meet some of the demand b t we m st contin e to ll o r talent pipeline to meet the pro ected needs of the f t re. at is why it is important for parents teachers co nselors and comm nity leaders to

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ice President of Economic Development reater Bea mont hamber of ommerce

Follow s on

s pport the trades and skills training as an aven e for st dents to p rs e. any of the high schools thro gho t So theast e as have career and technical ed cation programs that e pose st dents to skills that are in demand. Some of the high schools have early college high schools that o er d al credit programs with some st dents earning an associate degree at the same time they earn their high school diploma. n addition to economic development activities the hamber has recently la nched a omm nity oncierge program that helps people moving to Bea mont assimilate into the comm nity more easily with the help of hamber vol nteers. e hamber is also participating in ake y ove a platform designed to help recr it remote workers to o r area. emote workers can o en work anywhere and when they move into a comm nity they add to the pop lation and bring a ob with them Earlier this year the ina g ral class participated in Bea mont A P S. Developed in Leadership Bea mont this e perience is designed to inform residents abo t what is really happening so they can help spread positive acc rate information on social media and thro gho t the comm nity. e ne t class will begin in an ary and a second class in will be anno nced at a later date. e hamber also recently began a nior Leadership program. odeled a er Leadership Bea mont this program is for high school niors. e reater Bea mont hamber of ommerce is e cited to be a part of the moment m and we hope yo will oin s for one or more of o r programs or events in isit o r website at bmtcoc.org or follow s on social media for more details on all of o r activities.

isit s at www.bmtcoc.org

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Viva | News From The BBB

WELCOME NEW BBB Accredited Businesses

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

These businesses have been evaluated for meeting and adhering to our BBB Standards of Trust such as: Honesty – Transparency – Truth in Advertising – Honoring Promises – Being Response – Safeguarding Privacy. Every BBB Accredited Business must agree to be responsive to BBB with a promise to answer and resolve any customer disputes fairly.

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Business, City, State Granger Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Orange, TX Retirement Education Partners Inc., Jasper, TX Southern Alliance Construction LLC, Orange, TX Your Guise, LLC, Beaumont, TX B & D Metal Detectors, Spurger, TX Elite Creations Firearm Academy, Beaumont, TX Guillory’s Sanitization Service, Beaumont, TX H&H Architectural Solutions, Beaumont, TX Jonathan Wyman, CPA, LLC, Beaumont, TX Premier Exteriors, Kirbyville, TX The Sprinter, Beaumont, TX Bolton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat, LLC, Port Arthur, TX Coastal Winds Publishing House, Port Arthur, TX Fregia Insurance Services TWFG, Liberty, TX SETX Unlimited, Beaumont, TX West Water Well, Batson, TX Erika Harris Consulting, LLC, Beaumont, TX J Lopez Roofing, Liberty, TX Saga Construction and Rentals, Beaumont, TX Secretarial, LLC, Beaumont, TX Guard & Defend Firearms, Silsbee, TX Justice Claims LLC, Orange, TX JB III Fire & Security Services LLC, Buna, TX Performance Services, Orange, TX Texas Select Roofing & Construction, LLC, Liberty, TX Reed’s Metals, Inc., Jasper, TX Global Currency Reserve, Beaumont, TX Orange County Services LLC, Orange, TX

Tidy by Taylor LLC, Beaumont, TX Crossroads Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Liberty, TX Showtyme Strong Fitness LLC, Orange, TX Hatch Construction, Port Arthur, TX Livol Herbal and Cleansing Store, Beaumont, TX The Glow Skin Spa, Beaumont, TX High Quality Roofing & Construction, LLC, Dayton, TX Exceptional ER, Beaumont, TX Beaumont Urgent Care LLC, Beaumont, TX Mosquito Joe of Baytown-Beaumont, Bridge City, TX Pool-Aid, Nederland, TX Powerhouse Gym, Port Neches, TX Adkins Steel Inc., Beaumont, TX Diamond Roofing & Const LLC, Dayton, TX Gilbert’s Assisted Living, Beaumont, TX Texas HVAC, Inc., Beaumont, TX Balloonyz, Port Neches, TX Kevin Reed - Reed Realty Group, Beaumont, TX FivePoint Credit Union, Nederland, TX Oxford Law, P.L.L.C., Nederland, TX Tailored Home Care LLC, Beaumont, TX Arthurs Reparacion LLC, Port Arthur, TX Jack and Jill’s Storybook Co., Nederland, TX Proper Remodels & Construction, LLC, Beaumont, TX Courageous Coaching MT LLC, Beaumont, TX Edmonson Cleaning Service, China, TX Jami’s Snacks & Snowcones, Groves, TX A’ La Mode Floors & Countertops, LLC, Cleveland, TX Aarin Penry Insurance Agency LLC, Lumberton, TX

BBB Southeast Texas services provided by Accredited businesses that support our mission: Dispute Resolution Services - providing this free service to improve marketplace satisfaction BBB Scam Tracker – helping consumers avoid fraud by reporting local, current Alerts BBB Ad Truth – consumers reporting misleading or confusing advertising, while educating businesses on advertising transparency Media Outreach – empowering consumers For Reservations, Sponsorships an with knowledge to make Event goodDetails, purchasing Contact Candace Car 409-835-5348 ext. 110 o decisions Student of Integrity Scholarshipscandacecarver@bbbsetexas – supporting future leaders through college scholarships Torch and Spark Awards – recognizing local role models that exhibit Character, Culture & Community.

BBB Professional Women’s Conference – celebrating local professional women and providing a platform to Educate, Empower and Engage in SETX.

Follow BBB Serving Southeast Texas on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter and get current, relevant trends, consumer tips, updates on local companies and information on our upcoming events. #StartwithTrust #StartwithBBB For Reservations, Sponsorships and Further Event Details, Contact Candace Carver-Brooks 409-835-5348 ext. 110 or candacecarver@bbbsetexas.org

Better Business Bureau

Serving Southeast Texas 550 Fannin, Ste. 100 | Beaumont, TX 77701

BBB Serving Southeast Texas events and new are published on our website at BBB.ORG. We invite all local businesses to join our community of trustworthy businesses in networking and education.

Viva | News From The BBB BBB – Building Better Together

Trust is critical for positive, productive marketplace relationships. BBB research indicates that 82% of consumers report that trust is important in their buying decision, only 28% feel businesses are more trustworthy today than they were in the past, with fewer than half reporting they trust companies in general.

BBB Purpose: To build trust in the marketplace with the purpose of enabling consumers, businesses, and ultimately our communities to thrive. We believe an honest, fair, and equitable marketplace for all benefits, and requires the support of, both businesses and consumers BBB services build trust - Providing business education programs aimed at building consumer knowledge and fostering business growth and prosperity -Providing free BBB services to the community which helped to prevent, directly or indirectly, marketplace losses estimated at $3.51 billion in 2020.

BBB helped prevent, directly or indirectly, marketplace losses estimated at $3.51 billion in 2020.

Consumers value trust, rating the importance of trusting a company when doing buisness with them at 8.6 out of 10.

70% 84% M

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A E YO ANT N TO O YO OCA S NESS Y

SETX

Revenue received through referrals this year is $1.7 million!

Our Total Referral Revenue is over $10.2 million!

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550 Fannin, Suite 1200 Beaumont Texas 77701 Beaumont@htohh.com Office: 409-813-1028 • Fax: 409-838-9939

Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

Heart to Heart Hospice of the Gulf Coast

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Viva Southeast Texas | Volume 9 Issue 1

The Emergency Facility TheYou Emergency Facility Trust is Now You Trust is Now

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