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Publisher

LETTER FROM THE

To our fellow Fulshear area residents,

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Imagine how it must have been in 1824, when the first Texas settlers came to our area. Hopeful, independent, self-determined, and apparently fearless, the founding families of Texas’ “Old 300” packed their belongings and trudged across many hundreds of miles of what must have seemed to be boundless wilderness.

They sought their fortune in a land far from the homes and loved ones they had left behind. As those determined pioneers blazed the trails that we now travel with such ease, they must have considered hardship and sacrifice to be an acceptable price to pay in order to find their future in such an untamed place.

Just as the founders of our area led the way for the new settlers that were soon to come, many new residents have, in more recent years, followed the lead of those that came before and that now call Fulshear home. Having traveled here from places that are likely far from Fulshear, these new residents are also settlers of a sort. They, too, have packed their belongings and left behind family and friends to come to this new place, often seeking a better future.

Let us never forget the sacrifices of those that came before us. It is upon their hopes and dreams, and upon their vision for the future that we now build in order to make their heritage our own. It is through the sacrifices and upon the shoulders of the pioneers that we are now privileged to stand enjoying the promise of a hopeful future. In our own way, as we participate in the growth of Fulshear and the area that it will soon become, we too are blazing a trail that others will soon and someday follow.

It has been estimated that by 2045, Fulshear’s population will top 130,000. If this indeed happens, Fulshear will become the largest city in Fort Bend County and by its rising population, a leader among all cities in our area. With such unrelentingly challenging growth, many opportunities will arise within our area.

The true challenge will be to determine the priorities and to set the standards for the next generation to build on.

As Fulshear becomes the city it is destined to become, let us agree to work together in order to get it right so that those that come after us will see our area with the same hopeful awe as those courageous explorers and settlers that founded our area so many years ago.

On behalf of the entire Fulshear Magazine team, I want to thank you for joining us on this new adventure. In the coming issues, we will present the best of Fulshear through the articles and features that we present. We will explore Fulshear’s historic past, chronicle its current character, and celebrate its plans for an incredibly bright future.

Respectfully,

Daniel McJunkin

PUBLISHER - Fulshear Magazine

Contents On the Cover FC

Photo by Nancy Jones Photography

Letter from the Publisher 06 Mayor Tommy Kuykendall 10

Serving Fulshear & Preparing for Growth

The Master Builder & His Legacy 14 A Tale of Two Cities 19 Fulshear’s Turning Point

Love of Family & Fulshear 24 The Works of Carole McCann

Cinco Ranch 27

An Interview with Bill Wheless III

Bass Time 31 Enjoy Quality Family Time 34 In Cross Creek Ranch

Arts Fulshear 38

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Dan M c Junkin Publisher

Katie Mecham Art Director

Jenni M c Junkin Media Director

Nancy Jones

Director of Photography

jaclyn ritter Staff Writer

TRINI STICKLE Editor

KRISTOPHER ELLIOTT Editor

ERIN ADAMS Editor

Ava & Kiara Mecham Junior Interns

Don M c Coy Chamber Consultant

P RO D UC T I O N S T A F F Kevin Ruthstrom

Ready for New Year

Circulation Manager

Fall Landscaping 42

Production Manager

Brings A World of Fashion to Fulshear

Second Baptist Comes to Fulshear 49 Lone Star Symphonic Band 51 Living the Dream 54

With Reverend James Edward Johnson, aka Papa J

Dawn Doves 57 The Public Face of Fulshear 60 Police Officers Have a Great Recipe? 62 Fulshear Area Chamber 64 of Commerce Chamber Directory 66 Advertiser Directory 71

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MAGAZINE STAFF

Randolph Retrievers 40

Gaby’s Team 46

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Shay Tidwell Bonnie M c Ferrin Bookkeeping

Efrin Garcia Accounting

Joseph Sonnier IT Consultant

C o nt r ib u ting W r ite r s Paige Canon Joe Doggett Linda Newsome Johnson Mike McCoy, Captain FPD Doug Pike Marcia Simmons Brenda Beust Smith Melinda Sperl

Fulshear media partners, llc george lane & daniel M c Junkin Principals

www . F u l s h ea r . c o m

Fulshear Magazine 832-377-7203

4017 Penn Lane, Fulshear, TX 77441 © Copyright 2014 Fulshear Media Partners, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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M AYO R TOMMY KUYK EN DA LL

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Mayor

Tommy Kuykendall Serving Fulshear & Preparing for Growth WRITTEN BY DANIEL MCJUNKIN

F

ulshear Mayor Tommy Kuykendall can be described as many things. To his family, he is a husband and a father. To his employees, he is their leader. To the citizens of Fulshear, he is a respected Mayor, neighbor, and friend.

Tommy Kuykendall has been the Mayor of Fulshear, Texas since 2010. When he took office over four years ago, he had a city staff of five. Today, he leads a staff of almost thirty dedicated employees. Now in his third term as Mayor, Tommy Kuykendall has hit his stride and he knows how to get things done in his rapidly growing home town.

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Tommy is proud to say that he has always lived in Fort Bend County. He was born in Richmond, Texas. He grew up near Pleak, Texas, in an area that has since been annexed by the City of Rosenberg. He attended schools in the Lamar Consolidated School District. He attended Wharton County Junior College and received his degree in Civil Engineering from the University of

Houston. Tommy has a number of family members living in Fort Bend County, some of which are active in farming, agriculture and ranching.

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Tommy met the most important person in his life, Rhonda, while in High School. Four years after they met, Tommy and Rhonda were married. Tommy’s first job was working for the Texas Department of Transportation in Rosenberg. He worked as a road construction inspector.

After ten years of marriage, Tommy and Rhonda started their family. In 2000, the Kuykendall Family moved to Fulshear from Pecan Grove.

Tommy is quick to point out the sacrifices that Rhonda made so that he could pursue his degree in Civil Engineering. He says “She worked and pulled extra weight while I was attending college at night. My classes took a lot of time away from my family, and studying took the rest. She would help me mow the yard and try to take care of what she could, so I could focus on my education. It was a team effort.”

In April of 2009, Tommy went into business with Mr. Ben Galvan from Victoria. They created a partnership and Tommy opened the Houston office of CivilCorp, LLC, which is a Professional Civil Engineering and Surveying firm, doing business throughout the State of Texas.

Tommy is proud to say that his local office firm now has over 20 employees. CivilCorp continues to grow and the company recently opened a new office in Round Rock, Texas.

As a Professional Civil Engineering and Surveying firm, CivilCorp is focused primarily on roadway and highway infrastructure projects. Tommy describes his partnership and his business by saying “We’ve had some great opportunities, and we are fortunate to have some dedicated and talented people working for us. We count our blessings every day for the success of our business.”

Tommy got his start in Fulshear government in 2003, when he joined the Fulshear Planning Commission, which he ultimately Chaired. His service there introduced him to others that had the same community spirit. Tommy’s experience on the Planning Commission gave him the background, as well as the confidence that he needed, to consider a run for Mayor in 2010. He was successful in his election and is currently in his third term as Mayor.

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Being involved in their children’s education has been an important aspect of family life for the Kuykendall’s.

Per Tommy, “With the kids, we’ve been through three different types of schooling. We did home schooling, which took a tremendous amount of work and dedication on Rhonda’s part. We did private schooling.

The private school was in the Sugar land area, which took a lot of commuting and parental involvement.

Now, both of our kids are in Foster High School, so they’re finally close to home. Alyssa, a senior, and Ty, a sophomore, now have their driver’s licenses, so that makes it easier, but I really have to thank my wife, Rhonda, for her tireless efforts. I could never thank her enough for what she has done for our family.”

M Ayo r tommy k uyken da ll

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The Interview

I had the opportunity to meet with Mayor Kuykendall to discuss his thoughts on a number of issues that may be relevant to our readers. Here are portions of what he said on subjects related to his life, his career, and his service as Mayor of the City of Fulshear.

Mayor Kuykendall’s Life in Fort Bend County

“It’s a little bit unusual these days, but I’ve always lived in Fort Bend County. I’m proud of that because it gives me a great perspective.” Tommy continued “I think it gives me a better understanding of how things have developed in our area.”

Managing at City Hall

“With all the things that Fulshear is responsible for, our employees are everything. They are the face of the City and they are its character. We are extremely fortunate to have some talented people working in key positions, from our city administrator to every level of employment that we have here at the city. We have set very high requirements for employment at the city and we’ve set high expectations.”

Tommy’s Management Style

“I do give our staff the benefit of the doubt and I trust people to get their jobs done and let them be the leaders of their departments. It’s worked great for us.”

He continued, “I think that we have a cohesive and team-oriented unit.”

Community Expectations

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“I believe that our community expects to receive great service from their city. When people pick up the phone and give us a call, they want us to be responsive. Our employees are very responsive. It’s definitely a team effort.””In my early years as Mayor, several employees had to juggle many functions simultaneously. Now we are growing into different departments like the Economic Development, Building and Permits, Finance, Municipal Court, Public Works and Police Departments.

We have department heads that are able to lead and oversee each department’s roles. The employees that we have really make my job much easier. I’m so thankful for their presence working for the City.”

Communication with the Public

“There’s been a much higher demand to know how the city is conducting its day to day business. So, we strive to have a policy of honesty and straight-forwardness. You may not agree with everything, but at least we have an honest conversation about it, and explain why we think something should or should not be done. I think the residents do appreciate that. They can email me or the city administrator and we’ll respond. If a citizen has an

issue or a problem, they may be the first person on the committee to help investigate and solve it. We’re here to represent the citizens, and they respect that.”

“We’ve employed a lot of communication tools, such as Blackboard Connect. We’re currently undergoing another upgrade with a revision to our website to handle all the new portable devices. We’re trying to respond to the needs of the community and the technology that we have available, because we want to be accessible.

Because we are here to serve, our city administrator and police chief have monthly forums where residents can come and ask any question. Service is our number one goal.”

“I’m a civil engineer, and sometimes I get accused of being the boring one in the room, so, I’m all for hearing great ideas. Our vibrant community organizations have been borne out of listening to these creative ideas, and if it’s a good one, we want it here.”

Area Growth

“You always hear that Fulshear could become the largest city in Fort Bend County. Sometimes I pinch myself and think I’m not totally sure I believe that yet.

We do have a tremendous amount of land mass. Our city limits are over 11 square miles, our ETJ is 40 square miles, which has given us a vision for long-term growth.”

Changing to a Home Rule City

“Today, we’re approaching a population of 6000. When I moved here in 2000, our population was probably about 700. The majority of our growth has just been in the last two or three years. We’re adding a thousand to twelve-hundred people every year. That puts us past the threshold to start looking to different forms of government.”

“We are currently a general law city. Since we’re over 5000 in population, we have the ability to change our government structure and adopt our own home-rule charter, which allows us to set our own future course.

We can decide how many council members we will have, whether to annex any other properties, what the terms of offices will be, whether there are term limits, and many other things. All of these will be discussed in that process.”

Article Continued on Page 68

T HE M AST ER B UILD ER AND h is l egacy

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The master

b u ild e r a n d h i s l e g a cy WRITTEN BY Jaclyn Ritter

Larry Johnson, President and CEO of the Johnson Development Corporation, is the innovator and mastermind behind Fulshear’s Cross Creek Ranch.

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Cross Creek Ranch was started by Trendmaker Homes. Fulshear’s growth trends caught Johnson’s eye, and when there was an opportunity to purchase the land, he jumped on it. Cross Creek Ranch exemplifies the innovative design and amenities Mr. Johnson and his team are known for. Its water park has a 200 footlong water slide that plunges into a large swimming pool. It also offers a splash pad and wading pool. For the sun worshippers, Johnson created tanning shelves with refreshing water jets. Cross Creek Ranch, like Johnson’s other developments, is known for walkability. Parks are scattered throughout the entire community, so children do not have far to walk before finding a place to play. Each play area encourages imaginations to run wild.

Active residents can also enjoy the fitness center as well as miles of hiking and biking trails that meander throughout this beautiful community. Even the family pet can enjoy the outdoors at Canine Commons, the neighborhood dog park.

Fulshear residents may know Mr. Johnson for his work at Cross Creek Ranch, but he is known in the real estate and development industry as a powerhouse. The Johnson Development Corp. was recently named Developer of the Year by the Greater Houston Builder’s Association. Johnson also manages more of the county’s top-selling master-planned communities than any other developer in the nation. In fact, according to a report by John Burns Real Estate Consulting, Johnson Development was the only group to have more than one development in the nation’s top 20 best-selling master-planned communities for 2013: they had four!

There is no luck about Johnson’s success. Mr. Johnson and his talented team have mastered the art of development. “All of our communities have a distinct personality.” After looking at the natural amenities available in the area along with the needs and wants of the population, Johnson’s team develops a plan.

Johnson Development’s priority is to stay ahead of the market. Johnson stresses the importance of variety. By offering starter homes, luxury homes, and multi-family homes, Johnson Development is able to appeal to all sectors of the market. They truly offer something for everyone.

Open space and trails are the number one amenity to date. Cross Creek Ranch, like so many of the others, embraces nature at its finest. “I always like to see some art scattered throughout the community. Lots of bronze statues and deer. Some ducks in the water,” says Mr. Johnson. The balance between residential community, art, and nature is essential.

Another aspect that sets Johnson’s developments apart from others is his definition of a community. To Johnson, community is not just about houses but rather about the people inside the houses.

He wants to see people out and enjoying the communities as much as possible.

In fact, this is so important to him that he hires a Director of Recreation at each development whose job it is to plan events and activities. Events like the Kite Festival and the Scarecrow Festival bring people out of their particular streets or subdivisions, so they may interact with their families, friends, and neighbors.

While many developers disappear as soon as the homes have sold out, the Johnson Development Corp. has set up a foundation that will continue to fund the community and their events. Every time a house sells, a small fee is paid to this foundation that, in turn, uses this money to continue funding events as well as maintaining the community’s natural beauty.

Johnson is adamant about the implementation of this fund so that his communities, like Cross Creek Ranch, will continue to thrive as years pass. “I want to be able to go back 10 years, 15 years from now and drive through them and be proud that they’re nice and well maintained.”

Larry Johnson is one of the most sought after developers in the nation, but he has not lost touch with his roots.

Most of this land we start with is just raw land, and being able to create whole communities, and the people, and the vitalities of the community is a challenge, but it is very rewarding.“

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When asked to reveal something about himself that could not be found online or in another magazine, Johnson responded, “Well, I’m the same guy I’ve always been. I enjoy people and I still enjoy what I do.” It is no surprise that when Johnson is able to take well-deserved time off, you will find him at his Hill Country ranch, spending time with his family, riding his bull dozer, and enjoying his animals.

Growing up in Kress, Texas - a small town between Lubbock and Amarillo - Johnson spent his childhood working on his family’s ranch and farm. His formative years led to a Bachelor of Science in agriculture economics from Texas Tech, but upon graduation, he realized he had a few other interests. He attended law school at the University of Texas, and it was there that he and a group of friends decided to try their hands in real estate. The rest, as they say, is history.

www.fu lshea r. com

While he may be the man in charge, he is the first and most adamant to give accolades to his team. He notes that each person is an integral part of the success of the company. Mr. Johnson is a man of integrity, and he genuinely loves what he does. The best part of the job is “taking a blank piece of paper and creating something.

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A Tale of Two Cities FULSHEAR’S

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TURNING POINT

Photo Courtesy of the Rosenberg Railroad Museum

WRITTEN BY DANIEL McJUNKIN

The

Texas State Historical Association has recorded a brief history of Fulshear, Texas as well as that of the village of Pittsville, Texas. The two towns were born of local landowners. Through opportunities, choice, and change, only one of the two towns would have a future.

A historical marker along the west side of FM 359 between Fulshear and Brookshire alerts passers-by to the approximate location of the all-but-forgotten village of Pittsville. According to the location of the sign, the community was located approximately 3.2 miles north of the current City of Fulshear along what is now FM 359.

Except for the historic marker, little remains of Pittsville, short of fading family memories, archived historical photographs, and opportunities sadly missed.

The Founding of Pittsville According to the historical marker dedicated and placed on the site in 2012, the village of Pittsville, Texas was founded in the 1840s. Pittsville was named after the major store owners in the area, A. R. and Amanda (Wade) Pitts. The Pitts’ were among the area’s early settlers. Their store must have been a veritable anchor to the community as the village enjoyed relatively consistent growth over the next twenty years.

In 1860, the village of Pittsville claimed 240 residents and by 1870, Pittsville appears to have been an up-andcoming town, complete with a post office, a school, a photo studio, and other essential services such as a blacksmith and millinery as well as other businesses.

These were certainly the types of businesses and accoutrements one would expect of such a young, but growing community.

As time progressed, Pittsville achieved a true milestone in the life of the small, but growing village. This came in the form of what today’s governmental leaders would call increased mobility.

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This is a story about the century-long rise and fall of the village of Pittsville, Texas. It is an illustration of how vision and planning impacts cities and how a lack of vision literally led one town to ruin.

a tal e of two citi es

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A Brief History of the Texas Western Railway Originally promoted in 1870, The “Western Narrow Gauge Railway Company” was planned to run from St. Emanuel and Commerce streets in Houston to San Antonio and points far to the west. Its founders offered investors a grandiose vision, which, due to insufficient funding and ongoing financial troubles, would never be fulfilled.

Some in the Pittsville community expressed their excitement regarding the proposal to build a railway line so close to Pittsville. Clinton Drake, in his essay titled “The Pittsville Neighborhood, Fort Bend County, Texas” reports of a letter from Lee Nesbitt in January of 1871 in which the writer states: “A lively interest is felt here in the success of the Narrow Gauge Railroad; as our whole trade lies in the direction of Houston. The connection would be of great material benefit. It would bring this productive section almost to the suburbs of your flourishing city. Two hours time would take us the thirty miles distance and the effect of it would be to rapidly settle up this neighborhood, make it the chief source of supply for your market of every variety of country produce.”

The relatively close proximity of a railroad that could take their agricultural products to markets in Houston in hours instead of days appears to have meant greater economic opportunities for those in the growing area.

Pittsville, it may have seemed, was destined for great things.

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The railroad broke ground in 1872. It got off to a slow start as actual construction didn’t actually begin until 1875, at which time it was renamed the “Texas Western

Narrow Gauge Railway Company”. Over the next two years, the railway would extend its westerly reach fortytwo miles from downtown Houston.

As it pushed westward, the Texas Western passed through the areas to the south of what would later become Katy.

The railroad continued along a northwesterly path that would bring it to approximately four miles northeast of Pittsville. From there, the railroad continued through an area to the north of what would become Brookshire. The railway construction paused when the tracks reached the newly-formed railroad town of Pattison, Texas in 1877.

Within two years, hard times befell the poorly capitalized railroad. After suffering a financial failure and a subsequent bankruptcy in 1879, followed by a reorganization in 1881, the railroad was renamed the “Texas Western Railway Company”. Following the reorganization, the line was extended from Pattison, across the Brazos River and is reported to have entered Sealy, Texas by 1882. Within ten years of breaking ground, the railroad had a new name, new owners, and it had grown to what was to be its ultimate length of 52 miles.

Opportunity Knocks Only Once It is documented in regional historical archives and often rumored in local lore, that Pittsville missed a golden opportunity to secure its anticipated place in history. In the late 1880’s, the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad (SA&AP Railroad) was expanding its rail system in an effort to serve markets as far south as Corpus Christi, Texas. To do so, the railroad needed a level, cost-effective route.

It turned out that Pittsville was the preferred location for the SA&AP Railroad as it happened to be well aligned for the intended expansion area.

Photo Courtesy of Ken E. Stavinoha Collection

The SA&AP Railroad offered Pittsville property owners the first right of refusal on the deal of a lifetime. The SA&AP Railroad asked Pittsville property owners to provide the right of way for the new railroad in exchange for the benefits that a railroad would bring by coming through their property.

There are any number of reasons as to why Pittsville rejected the SA&AP Railroad’s overture. It is said that some local ranchers felt the noise would frighten their cattle. It is also said that some of the landowners simply didn’t want to provide the right of way.

Mr. Ken Stavinoha, Railroad Historian with the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, recalls a quote to the effect of “... the leaders of Pittsville ‘saw no future for a town on a railroad’.” He says “This would indicate that Pittsville did not consider itself as being served by a railroad and wanted nothing to do with one.”

At the rejection of their offer, the SA&AP Railroad, remained intent on completing its objective and had no choice but to look elsewhere for willing landowners. As it turned out, they found one just over three miles to the south of Pittsville.

In 1992, one-hundred years after the death of Churchill Fulshear, Houston METRO acquired the SA&AP Railroad right of way, but allowed railroad operations to continue.

In 1996, one-hundred years after the Texas Western Railway ceased operations, the Southern Pacific merged with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Union Pacific continued to operate the rail line until 1999 - one hundred years after the Texas Western Railway was abandoned.

After Union Pacific ceased operations, METRO removed the tracks and sold most of the gravel ballast.

Fort Bend County is currently finalizing plans to acquire the railroad rightof-way from Houston METRO all the way to Eagle Lake.

After Fort Bend County takes ownership of the SA&AP Railroad right of way, Houston METRO will retain the right to someday utilize the corridor for future commuter rail.

Vision Meets Action Churchill Fulshear Sr., was an “Old Three-Hundred” settler that had received a land grant from Mexico in 1824.

He was the plantation owner and family patriarch that originally settled the area to the south of what would become Pittsville. By the 1880’s, his son, Churchill Jr. had inherited his father’s land, holdings, and fortune. More

Fulshear Said "Yes"

In 1888, Churchill Fulshear Jr. decided to embrace the SA&AP Railroad by providing the railroad rightof-way through his property.

This decision, combined with the economic coup that it would ultimately represent, must have set him apart from other area landowners.

Having a railroad on property that he controlled would put his holdings on the doorstep of an everexpanding marketplace.

The railroad could certainly put him in the position of leading the areas growth.

So it was in 1890 that the railroad platted the town of Fulshear. Its footprint is forever memorialized in Fulshear’s downtown streets that are still in place today.

The new SA&AP depot in that was built in Fulshear was slightly more than three miles from Pittsville.

Although the SA&AP Railroad is no more, its impact reverberates even now, 124 years after Fulshear’s founding in 1890, in the Fulshear area’s mobility planning.

FM 1093, for example, parallels the original SA&AP Railroad rail right-of-way. The presence of FM 1093 has led the way for many thousands of acres of development in and around Fulshear and to tens of thousands of acres to be developed in the growing cities beyond.

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Monday-mor ning quarterbacks might tooquickly question the reasons that a community might have for rejecting the increased mobility that a railroad would represent today.

Regardless of knowing the reasons why, we do know that Pittsville refused the SA&AP Railroad’s offer outright.

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There is no record of the conversations and negotiations that Churchill Jr. must have had in order to facilitate the railroad right-of-way and the transaction that made the railroad passing through his property a reality.

Neither is there a record of In 1890, the same year that Fulshear Churchill Jr.’s plans, visions, was laid out, the SA&AP Railroad or even his mindset related went into receivership. to advancing his own financial agenda. History Churchill Fulshear, Jr. died in 1892, does, however, record what just two years after the town bearing happened in 1888 after his family name was founded.

Pittsville rebuffed the SA&AP Railroad’s offer. Churchill In 1892, the same year that Churchill Fulshear was ultimately Fulshear, JR, died, the SA&AP came asked to provide the rightout of receivership at which time the of-way for the new railroad.

Southern Pacific Railroad gained effective control of the SA&AP.

-Quick Facts -

Pittsville Said “No”

importantly, by all appearances, he had also acquired and refined his father’s business acumen.

Enter the MK&T Railroad

22 a tal e of two citi es

By 1893, the well-financed Missouri-Kansas & Texas railroad (MK&T) had out-maneuvered the Texas Western Railway Company by entering Houston market area from Waco and into Sealy, Texas. By the time the MK&T railroad steamrolled into the area, their rail line was already providing rail service to San Antonio and passed through many of the towns to the west that the Texas Western Railway Company had previously planned to someday serve.

The corridor created by the railroad in 1888 has made a way for the improved mobility that has been provided by the Westpark Toll road. The investment made in this now-indispensable mobility corridor has been singly-responsible for increasing access to business, employment and shopping centers of Houston’s vibrant Galleria and Downtown areas.

The SA&AP Railroad certainly did set the stage for the growth that the City of Fulshear now enjoys and is, in many ways, still making plans to accommodate.

As a visionary, Churchill Jr. showed vision and judgment in his approach to doing business and improving access to the area. As a farmer, rancher, and landowner, Churchill, Jr. undoubtedly saw that a new railroad traversing the area would bring vast improvement to how he got products to market and how business was done in the area. He clearly wanted to be a part if it.

The Texas Western’s Dashed Glimmer of Hope

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Even though the SA&AP Railroad had come through Fulshear in 1890, and clearly claimed its share of the railway cargo and passenger transportation market along its path, some might think that the Texas Western Railway would still be able to compete on some level.

After all, farmers and ranchers in the areas in and around Sealy, Pattison, and Brookshire as well as those in Pittsville and Katy still had to get products to and from markets in Houston. Considering that the Texas Western Railway was still the best option to serve these areas due to the proximity of the railway, it is reasonable to believe that there must have been plenty of business for the Texas Western Railway, right?

Photo from the Sethora West Collection Courtesy of Frances Smart

It must have been a dark day for the Texas Western Railway Company, when the MK&T railroad crossed westward from Sealy and continued laying their tracks.

In a move that would sap what remained of the Texas Western railway’s business, the MK&T would establish Brookshire and then Katy as new railroad towns, complete with their own depots along a much better railroad.

The new MK&T depot in that was built in Brookshire was just over four miles from Pittsville.

As fate would have it, the MK&T’s tracks intersected with the Texas Western’s tracks between Brookshire and Katy, in a location between what are now Woods and Igloo Roads near HWY 90. This symbolic severing of the rails, would end all hope of the Texas Western Railway recovering its former glory.

Irreconcilable Differences As often happens when technologies collide, there was no way to overcome the fact that the two intersecting railways were simply not compatible with one another.

The Texas Western Railway was, from its inception, a narrow gauge railway. By definition, the distance between its rails utilized a 3’ 0” “narrow gauge” standard.

The MK&T, on the other hand, was created to be a “standard gauge” railroad. Its design utilized a wider track width of 4’ 8-1/2”. Being designed as a standard gauge railroad, the MK&T’s cars were considered more Article Continued on Page 69

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lov e of fa mily & f ulsh ear

24

Love of

Family Fulshear The Works of Carole McCann Written by MARCIA SIMMONS

Fulshear philanthropist Carole McCann wants to talk about two things: family and Fulshear.

M

cCann is owner of the beautiful Bar O Ranch in downtown Fulshear. The land is part of a larger parcel once owned by husband Michael McCann’s parents.

The house on the ranch was built in 1963 at the location of an old ranch house, and Michael, a veterinarian who owned Lakeside Animal Clinic in Houston, took over that part of the property in 1994 when his parents Kenneth “Red” McCann and Anna Ruth passed.

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

McCann, born Carole Owens, was born and raised in the Richmond/Rosenberg area. She grew up in a closeknit family, where extended family all went to the First Presbyterian Church her grandparents helped start.

She attended the first elementary school in Rosenberg, and went to Lamar High School. Carole said she and Michael McCann were “high school sweethearts.” They met at Fort Bend County Fair, and she was immediately attracted to him because “he was different, being from Houston.” They married while he was in the veterinary school at Texas A&M, and Carole worked for a time as an X-ray tech before leaving her job to take care of Michele, the first of three children. Soon to follow were daughters Kristi and Monty.

Family members have fond memories of time on the ranch with Carole and Michael, and with the elder McCanns. Daughter Kristi Stephens “spent many a weekend stay and holidays with my grandparents in the Fulshear area…driving around the property and pastures with my grandfather, Kenneth ‘Red’ McCann, as he checked on cattle. First stopping off at Dozier’s or Meier’s for an ice cream treat of some sort to keep me from talking too much as he counted. Or the late afternoon car rides through town as my grandmother Anna Ruth honked through the streets waving at friends on their porches. I always sensed my father’s desire to one day be back in Fulshear.”

Carole McCann speaks wistfully of the years before the early death in 2007 of her husband Michael McCann when family would gather for every event and travel extensively together. The grandkids, McCann, Jackson, and Turner Stephens and Grayson and Langley Guidry, refer to Michael and Carole as “Cappy” and “Gammy.”

“Michael was able to see all his grandkids born, and he really liked both his son-in-laws (John Stephens and Jason Guidry),” men Carole describes as “amazing.”

Family members do all they can with the grandkids to “keep Mike’s memory alive.”

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In 1997, Michael and Carole McCann planted what became the first commercial vineyard in Fort Bend County on the Bar O. The vineyard, called Union Chappel, produces two different grapes, Blanc du Bois white and Black Spanish, a red, and each summer grapes are harvested and taken to the Haak Winery in Santa Fe for processing.

Carole’s years of philanthropic service began after the children were born. She served with various organizations, including Fort Bend County Mental Health, Calvary Episcopal School, and was President of the Fort Bend County Museum where she organized the second Lone Star Stomp to raise money for the museum. Today, Carole and her family give thousands of dollars every year to various causes in the Fulshear area.

Like her husband Michael, Carole McCann worries that the history of Fulshear will be lost as the town develops.

According to Carole,

“Michael envisioned a quaint, historical little town, but unfortunately there are so few buildings.” But, she added, “the land itself is our history, and we can’t let it go.”

So six years ago the family established the Michael McCann Foundation and began an annual charity bike ride to fund the foundation. Each year, hundreds of riders participate, and the event has become one of the top bike rides in the state. Funds raised at the event serve local groups and help maintain the historical integrity and small-town feel of the city, from fences and trees at local cemeteries, to town signage, to books for the local library. “Being able to donate our proceeds in support of programs directly in Fulshear is definitely gratifying whether it be the library, Arts Fulshear, Faith-FULL Kids at Huggins Elementary, the Volunteer Fire Department, the Police Department, the Brookwood Community, local Boy and Girl Scout troops, or the newly formed Family Hope,” Kristi said.

McCann, like her husband before her, has endeared herself to residents of Fulshear, many who have known her since the ‘60s, in part because of her efforts to keep

the town and its history alive. Linda Newsome Johnson describes Carole as “a lady with a great heart.”

McCann “embraces all people. She cares about the Fort Bend community and most especially, Fulshear. She is always seeking ways to be inclusive of all people. It is important to note that [through Bike for Mike] she is making a difference in the lives of countless children and families through her donations to the local library and area school. “

Carole’s not concerned that the family won’t carry on the tradition; all three daughters and John and Jason are committed to perpetuating the family legacy.

“As long as we continue to have the strong community involvement and support, the ride will go on!” vows Kristi. “My father never met a stranger, and it’s always wonderful to open up our home to other cyclists celebrating his memory and the Fulshear community.

One issue I see, however, is that as Fulshear grows rapidly, the country roads are no longer country, and that growth might limit the safety of our cyclists. We have accomplished so much during the 6 years thus far of the event. Between the vineyard setting, and the hospitality of our incredible volunteers, rest stops and police support, we’ve gained wide popularity, although we do hope to keep it under 1,000 participants to ensure all can enjoy.”

Carole McCann would love to see a Fulshear Historical Museum to maintain the history and integrity of the families who figure into the town’s growth - the Doziers, Helwigs, Huggins, Bentleys, McCanns, and more. She wishes her friend Sethora West, local teacher and historian, were still alive to help preserve that history.

“Sethora was a great lady,” McCann said, “and it’s sad that we are losing so many of the families who are part of our rich history.”

But first comes her own family. And for Kristi McCann Stephens, her sisters Monty and Michele, their spouses and their children, Carole Owens McCann has established her own legacy. Kristi believes that “for us as her children, our mother’s legacy will be of the countless sacrifices, strong commitment, and the unconditional love and support she’s always given.”

www.f ulshea r .com

Carole still remembers the early grape-picking events at Union Chappel Vineyards. More than 200 people would show up to pick, including the extended family on both the Owens and the McCann side. “My mom would make kolaches,” Carole recalls, famed barbecue establishment The Swinging Door provided lunch, and the family would have a band and margarita machine to entertain guests.

Ranch Cinco

27

REDNews Interviews Bill Wheless III

W i l l iam ( B i l l ) M . W h e l ess I I I

of a Top Selling Master-Planned

TEXAS Community Special Thanks to REDNews & Ginger Wheless Reprinted by permission from REDNews June 2014

Ted Nelson from Newland Communities gave a talk in April 2014 addressing the dramatic growth Southeast Texas is undergoing because of Eagle Ford and other energy developments and how that growth is affecting the real estate market. Mr. Nelson said that “between the medical and energy sectors, Houston now has the greatest accumulation of intellectual capital the world has ever seen.”

“Cinco Ranch, Telfair, The Woodlands and a number of ‘new’ communities skirting the edges of Houston and along the Grand Parkway are becoming selfcontained cities unto themselves and a major source for the housing and retail needs of the booming influx of workers,” he stated.

www.f ulshea r .com

Origins

grew up at Cinco Ranch. His family and the Abercrombie family bought it in the ‘40s. It was originally purchased by the Blakely family, who had it parceled to them by Stephen F. Austin, himself, in a land deal done before Texas joined the Union. Cinco Ranch, now managed by Newland Communities, is the number one top-selling community in Texas, and the number three top-selling community in the entire United States.

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Cinco Ranch is a mature community, having been developed in its current capacity for close to thirty years. But where did it all begin?

It started with the father of the father of Texas, Moses Austin. The Spanish government gave the blessing for Moses Austin to settle hundreds of families into the area.

His son Stephen F. Austin, the father of Texas, finished this settlement while Texas was still under Mexican government. One of those settlers was Randolph Foster who was deeded 4,000 acres in Fort Bend and Waller counties, which at the time were occupied predominantly by Indians and buffalo.

Foster’s daughter married Thomas Blakely, cattleman and future sheriff of Fort Bend County. His son, Bassett Blakely, followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps and became a cowboy and cattleman.

Bassett Blakely owned 15,000 acres of land, 14,000 head of Brahman cattle, and his grandfather’s land. The cowhands of his Blakeley Ranch annually drove 10,000 head of cattle to the railheads in Kansas.

Our interview with Mr. Bill Wheless elicited more history of Cinco Ranch post World War II up to its sale to Newland Homes.

Have you ever studied the history of Cinco Ranch, in books or online?

Mr. Wheless: Yes. There is information on you, your family, and the Blakelys owning the property in 1937.

Mr. Wheless: Yes, I’ve seen some of that. My grandfather, William M. Wheless Senior, was head of the Land Department for the Gulf Oil Company. He did a lot of transactions representing Gulf with Mr. James Abercrombie who was an extremely successful independent oil man.

Bill Wheless III

Mr. Abercrombie asked my grandfather to quit his job, which at the time was a very good job, to be his partner.

Mr. Abercrombie proposed putting up the financing, and he wanted my grandfather to acquire property for their venture.

My grandfather took that step and became partners with Mr. Abercrombie. That was in the 1940s, right around World War II. Mr. Abercrombie was on a trip, a grand tour of Europe.

My grandfather was here. The head of Texas Commerce, now JP Morgan Chase Bank, came to my grandfather and said, “We foreclosed on a large ranch and we want you to buy it. We want to get it off our books.”

My grandfather was reluctant to do that because it was such a huge deal, 10,000 acres. “I don’t want to do that because it’s too big a deal,” he said “I have to consult with my partner before taking on such a huge obligation.”

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

At that time Jesse Jones was the head of the bank.

He was also the head of the Reconstruction Finance

Club House Circa 1955

Committee in Washington for FDR. Mr. Jones told my grandfather, “No, I talked to Jim before he left. He said you can buy anything you want. Here are the papers, and I want you to sign them right now!”

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With much trepidation, my grandfather signed the papers without communicating with Mr. Abercrombie, there being no faxes or emails at that time. He then owned 10,000 acres between Westheimer and Katy and Highway 6, formerly the Blakely Ranch.

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he was with what he had done, so he found partners to bring in on the deal before Mr. Abercrombie returned from his vacation in Europe. One was his good friend, the president of Gulf Oil Company, Mr. W. B. Pyron. The others were Mr. H. G. Nelms, a successful oil man and Mr. Lenoir Josey, another good friend of my grandfather.

Now there were five partners, hence the name Cinco Ranch.

When Mr. Abercrombie got back from his trip, my grandfather met him at the dock in Galveston and said, “I don’t want you to be mad, but I want to tell you what happened . . . Jesse Jones made me buy this ranch . . . But, don’t worry . . . We got three more partners and now there are five of us.” Mr. Abercrombie looked at the deal for a second and said, “I am furious. This is the best deal I’ve ever seen in my life. They purchased it for ten dollars an acre. You go buy those other partners out immediately and give them double their money.”

Mr. Abercrombie and my grandfather owned the ranch 50/50 for over forty years. My father operated it, and they grew rice and raised cattle.

When I finished graduate school, my grandfather was in failing health. He decided to sell half the ranch to Robert Mosbacher. I have fond memories of working with him on that sale.

Cinco Ranch Rice Fields

So now Mosbacher and Abercrombie were partners?

Mr. Wheless: Yes. Mr. Abercrombie’s daughter Josephine owned one half and Robert Mosbacher and a group of his friends owned the other half. That was in the ‘70s.

Then in 1984 Abercrombie and Mosbacher decided to sell.

The first part of the ranch that sold was to Vincent Kickerillo. That was eight or nine hundred acres, now called Kelliwood.

That was closer to I-10.

Mr. Wheless: Yes, closer to I-10 off Fry Road.

In 1984 the purchasing group consisted of US Homes, the largest home builder in America, American General, one of the largest insurance companies in the nation, and the Mischer Corporation, one of the largest land developers in Houston. Each one played a role. One was the developer, one was the financier, and one was going to build the houses. That sale was $84M. When you add in the Kickerillo transaction, it was a raw land sale in excess of $100,000,000.

In total?

Once they had it, Mischer, US Homes, and American General, developed it through several business cycles, and American General wound up with it. Their subsidiary was called Newland, who had an affiliation with a company called Newland Homes, and Newland’s is to this day the developer of Cinco. They added several more tracts to the west toward Fulshear as they ran out of land in Cinco.

It was two years ago, I think, that Cinco was rated the top-selling Master-Planned Community in the United States. I believe it even surpassed the Woodlands.

William M. Wheless Senior

Article Continued on Page 68

www.f ulshea r .com

Mr. Wheless: Total. Which was and still is, to the best of my knowledge, the largest raw land sale in the history of Houston.

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Bass Time written by DOUG PIKE

tip bounced and the line came tight, angling to the left along the reed-rimmed shoreline.

Rickey and I watched Liz Coulter lower the rod, reeling to keep pace, and, then, finally, stricking hard to the open side of the johnboat.

A two-pound largemouth bass promptly jumped, showing an open mouth, flared gills and the flapping plastic worm pinned in the corner of the jaw. The hooked bass fell back, pulled hard, then jumped again. Rickey Morris nudged the stern-mounted electric trolling motor, maneuvering to deeper water. “Good job,” he said. “You did that exactly right.”

“It’s about time,” Liz laughed. “I didn’t do so well on the first two strikes. Or ‘taps,’ or whatever you call them.”

We were fishing a small lake near Morris’ home south of Houston. The bass plodded close and I reached with thumb and curled index for the classic “lip grab.” I held the chunky green and gold fish aloft.

“Congratulations; your first bass.”

We snapped several photos then released the fish. It flashed away, diving into the clear green.

Coulter is an avid saltwater angler, but that recent foray was her first for largemouth bass. She was wielding a 6 1/2-foot two-handed rod and a free-spool casting reel,

www.f ulshea r .com

The rod

b ass tim e

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and handled the casting tackle with growing confidence as Morris eased the 12-foot aluminum boat along the shoreline.

The lure of choice was a crawfish-type soft plastic rigged snagless “Texas style” on a 4/0 worm hook below a 1/4-ounce bullet-type slip sinker. The same setup, with various modifications, has been used a jillion times in the lakes and ponds of southeast Texas, and it remains a killer for summer bass.

It also is an excellent choice for the newcomer.

First, with the hook point turned back into the soft plastic lure body, the offering is virtually snagless amid “hard” cover such as logs, stickups. and reeds.

The weighted “worm” is relatively easy to cast; the compact lead bullet sinker provides a positive payload for tentative lobs.

Conversely, other effective bass lures demand a higher skill level for smooth deliveries.

Air resistant payloads such as tandembladed spinnerbaits and balsa thin-minnow floating/diving plugs are among the worst.

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

For example, during the same session, I attempted to wham a thin-minnow plug into the gusting southeast wind and, well, the backlash easily was among the top 10 in my 50-year fishing career. Maybe the top five. The spool was absolutely buried amid exploded monofilament. One look and I started snipping with line clippers. It was brutal, especially with semi-pro credentials riding on the effort.

Also an advantage, the pace is slow with a bottombumping weighted plastic. You don’t wear yourself out with chunk-and-wind. And, on the sluggish days of summer, allowing the bait to dawdle in a “fishy” spot gives lurking bass plenty of opportunity to seize the moment.

Finally, bass absolutely love soft-plastic baits. The strikes usually are confident and fish tend to hang onto (even

attempt to swallow) the lure. The hit typically transmits as a “tap” or “bump” then the line comes tight as the fish moves off with the chewy plastic in its mouth. This deliberate tempo gives the angler time to react.

The single drawback at the beginner level for fishing bottom-bumping Texas-rigged plastics is the violent hook-set required to set the barb. Remember, the hook point is pressed back into the soft body of the lure to keep it from snagging as it bounces and flutters over the bottom contours. Also, the line in deeper water encounters more water resistance as the angler raises the rod on the strike.

Liz missed the first two fish simply by not hitting back hard enough. The bass were there but she failed to reach them with a soft reaction. No question, bass are more difficult to hook on Texas-rigged worms than on fast-moving plugs with exposed trebles. On the latter, the solid contact is automatic.

But the tuned angler willing to pay attention can make the adjustments.

During our two-hour lateafternoon session, Coulter caught six bass to three pounds. Her skill level increased markedly as she understood the drill.

I caught four bass. Of course, I was in the center seat and forfeiting most of the “ice cream” water. Well, that sounds good. Rickey caught two but he was driving the boat and, way back in the stern, fishing seriously used water. Needless to say, in a desperate game of catchup, I was giving him few uncontested shoreline shots.

Come to think of it, even with solid contact on the hookset, I jumped off a “solid 5.” So did, well, never mind about her.

But, regardless of experience and on large water or small, the angler using a snagless soft plastic has taken a major step forward in catching summer bass.

CROSS C REE K RANCH

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QUALITY ENJOY

Family Time

in Cross Creek Ranch

fu lshea r ma ga zi n e

WRITTEN by Paige Canon

time around the dinner table has been replaced with “it’s-go-time” around the car console.

Let’s face it, we live in a fast-paced society where people regard time as a force to be reckoned with, and the ironic victim in this mismatched battle is the quality family time we’re desperately trying to create. Well, battle no more. Cross Creek Ranch, a premier residential community in Fulshear, TX, hosts exceptional, family-friendly events throughout the year and graciously invites the public to attend and enjoy.

“What I really, truly enjoy is seeing families make memories,” Cross Creek Ranch Lifestyle Director, Robin Mitchell, beamed as she

explained her inspiration in planning events.

“It’s great for families and the community to come to an event where everyone can enjoy good, affordable, quality time because nowa-days that is hard to find.”

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Cross Creek Ranch regularly teams up with the city of Fulshear to showcase the local lifestyle as well as the talented individuals that live in the area. Elementary school choirs and high school bands perform, local restaurants serve as vendors, and local businesses are often asked to participate. Public attendance increases each year as these events continue to provide excellent family fun and nurture the sense of community found in the city of Fulshear.

What I really, truly enjoy is seeing families make memories

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Family

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

- Albert Einstein -

FULSHEAR m

a

g

a

z

i

n

e

AR TS FULSH EAR

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WRITTEN BY MARCIA SIMMONS

A

ccording to a study completed in 2010

by Americans for the Arts, art and culture organizations and audiences spend more than $900,000 a year in the Houston area, “creating an industry that support jobs, creates government revenue, and is the cornerstone of the tourism industry.”

To the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of Arts Fulshear, this comes as no surprise. In the three years since the non-profit’s inception in the summer of 2011, growth of classes and events has been, some would say, meteoric.

Community support forms the basis for this growth, and the funding for this growth. Like most non-profit organizations, Arts Fulshear exists to serve the community, but can only exist through business and individual donations, grants, tickets for events and tuition for classes.

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

The organization began with a donation of $5,000 that first year from Fulbrook resident David Hawes, and now has a facility, a part-time staff, and more than 30 volunteers, in addition to an annual fundraiser that provides more than half the operating budget.

WWW.

According to Cheryl Stalinsky, Economic Development Director for the City of Fulshear, Arts Fulshear has had an immediate impact on the City, engaging adults and children alike. More than 600 people attended the Spring 2014 “Art, Wine and Chocolate” art walk, bringing business to local shops and restaurants. Stalinsky suggests that “a vibrant arts community leads to a vibrant business community.”

In 2013, more than 100 children were served in afterschool workshops at Huggins Elementary and summer camps, and with the opening of Randolph Elementary and the acquisition of space on Harris Street, that number promises to double in the immediate future. This summer, more than 50 children were served in summer camps and classes alone. Some of these students attended on a scholarship basis. Parents were thrilled with a summer theater camp added to the lineup. One parent wrote, “I am very impressed at how much effort you and all the kids put towards the show in such short time; the show is amazing!” Kristin and Jason Bonilla said their son Noah “had a great first experience on the stage.”

“Art, Wine and Women” has become one of the most popular events for adults. The first Friday of every month, ladies are invited to register for this fun painting class. A teaching artist provides canvases, paints and instruction, and Arts Fulshear provides snacks and beverages.

However, these paint and sip parties are also available as a private event, or can be adapted to birthday parties for young children.

A significant aspect of Arts Fulshear’s mission, in addition to education, is to provide the local community with art events, and by extension, to support local artists. Much of the space at 8418 Harris Street functions as an art gallery for local artists, who pay an annual membership and a small space rental to Arts Fulshear. Arts Fulshear also holds a monthly Arts & Drafts event at Ray’s Grill on the first Tuesday of each month to show and sell art of its member artists, and beginning in September, these same artists are featured in the gallery for a special exhibit culminating in a gallery reception.

Efforts have been made to support public art in the Fulshear area, first through support to Friends of Huggins for completion of a mural in the school cafeteria, and most recently to the City of Fulshear Parks Department for a water feature sculpture at the new Pollinator Garden at the Irene Stern Park. Former Board member Ramona Ridge spearheaded the project. “Knowing that our Pollinator Garden would require water for the visiting pollinators, Arts Fulshear searched for something made by an American artist,” Ridge said. “Ryan Steffens’ gurgling water feature supplies the needed water, adds a peaceful sound, and gives the garden a strong focal point.”

“The Sweet Life in Fulshear,” Arts Fulshear’s third annual fundraising dinner and auction, was held Oct. 16 at Agave Road. The event honored local resident and philanthropist Carole McCann. Sylvie Andrews, chair for the fundraiser and party planner extraordinaire, provided a fun evening, along with an extraordinary committee of volunteers. “We have a fabulous host committee whose members were responsible for helping us sell tickets and gather great auction items,” Andrews said.

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What’s next for Arts Fulshear? Along with expanded classes already being booked by new Program Director Debbie Crawford, theatre is on the horizon.

A generous donation by Bike for Mike and the Mike McCann Foundation will fund a production in 2015, so theatre volunteers and teaching artists are tossing ideas around, hoping the play really will be “the thing.”

Find out more about Arts Fulshear online at www.artsfulshear.org or call 281-533-4109.

www.f ulshea r .com

The future looks bright for Arts Fulshear. A newly formed Facilities Committee, comprised of artists, theater people, members of the community, and Arts Fulshear staff and Board members met in August to begin creating a “wish list” for a visual and performing arts center in Fulshear. After several meetings, the committee will hand their list over to an architect for a rendering, and plans a capital campaign next fall. Features already discussed include theater space, gallery space, studios, dorms for summer camps, a coffee shop, and more.

FULSHEAR.ORG

randolp h re tri ev ers rea dy for ne w y ear

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Retrievers Randolph

Ready for New Year Written by MARCIA SIMMONS

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

Norman the Retriever isn’t the only one excited about the recent opening of Randolph. His “mom,” Kristin Harper, is pretty pumped, too.

Harper is principal of the new James Randolph Elementary in Fulshear.

J

ames Randolph Elementary, located at Flewellen Oaks Lane in Cross Creek Ranch, opened August 25th as Katy ISD’s 37th elementary school.

James Randolph taught PE at Katy’s Alexander Elementary and died of cancer in 2013. Harper felt privileged to work with Randolph and said he touched each and every child’s life. James, who Harper describes as having a “heart of gold,” built relationships, knew the name of each of the 1,200 children, and “made every child feel special.” In fact, Harper says, the kids kept Jim going in the last few months. Harper hopes to continue that legacy of nurturing.

Randolph opened with a teaching staff of 76, only 23 of them new to Katy ISD. Most faculty members bring a wealth of experience - only a small handful are beginning teachers. They’re all thrilled to be building something big together. Katie Dolan, Randolph’s librarian, is one of those veteran teachers, and talked in August about the upcoming opening. “Everyone is so excited and proud to be a part of the JRE family,” Dolan said, “and we’ve been working hard since early last spring to make JRE an incredible learning environment. We feel Randolph is going to be something special and can’t wait until it’s filled with kids!”

The Cross Creek community, now over 1500 families according to Rob Bamford, General Manager for Johnson Development’s Cross Creek Ranch, looked forward with great excitement to the new facility, too.

Bamford says Cross Creek and the City of Fulshear “welcome the opening of James Randolph Elementary along with Principal Kristin Harper and her talented staff.

This is a great addition to Cross Creek Ranch and the legacy of KISD schools. We wish every new student and

teacher a safe and prosperous school year. Our best to the inaugural class!”

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Administrators and architects for the district select the color scheme for new schools, but incoming students, who met with Harper in the spring of 2013, nominated and voted on a mascot. James Randolph loved dogs, so when Harper heard the idea of a Retriever, she knew they were barking up the right tree. “The faculty has had a blast with this one,” Harper said. “Wag more, bark less,” is one new slogan, as well as the ever-popular “Unleash Your Potential.” Dog paraphernalia and drawings abound in the welcoming new facility. Harper’s brown Labrador Norman feels right at home - but of course he only gets to visit.

Some of that uniqueness shows up in the layout of Randolph. Between every two classrooms is a door allowing double coverage and coverage of both classrooms by one teacher in case of emergency. And no teacher has a desk in the classroom, something

Harper brought to Alexander Elementary, too. “Kids want teachers on their feet and among them, not sitting at a desk all day,” Harper said.

But with the challenges come plenty of perks. Randolph will have cutting-edge technology, especially in the school library which will feature eBooks in addition to print. The district is relying on students to BYOD (bring their own devices) as all Katy ISD schools now have controlled Wi-Fi access in the building.

In the first few days of school, Harper’s goal was to “get all children here safely, get them fed, and get them home safely,” but from there the sky’s the limit. Harper and her staff want parents to feel comfortable about leaving their children at Randolph, but they also want each family to carry great memories of the school with them when they move on.

Harper hopes when a child leaves Randolph Elementary, parents will know their child not only got an excellent education but also that he or she was happy, loved, and nurtured. “We hope the children feel special in some way.”

“We want James Randolph Elementary to be a sort of lighthouse for the district - every child and every parent will want to come here because we have the best environment.”

Norman agrees - paws down - it’s going to be a great year for Fulshear, Cross Creek Ranch, and the beautiful new James Randolph Elementary. www.f ulshea r .com

Harper comes from Alexander Elementary where she was principal for six years. Prior to taking the position at Alexander, Harper was assistant principal at Cimarron Elementary in Katy, and a language arts teacher in Alief. Harper said the challenges in opening a new building include thinking of every detail, making all the decisions for the building like traffic flow and parking lot assignments, and determining arrival and dismissal logistics due to the proximity of 1463. She met this summer once a week with her team leaders, and the consensus is that Harper and her staff want Randolph to be unique.

fall land sca pi ng

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WRITTEN BY Melinda Sperl of Dream Landscape Design, Inc.

Fall

preparations are a very important part of a well landscaped yard. In fact, what is done in the fall can make the difference in how well the plants and grass survive the following spring and summer. By following a few simple steps you can cut down on weeds, time and money for the succeeding year.

Mulch is one of the most important pieces of the landscape.

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

Mulch gives insulation to the plant roots, covers weed seeds to prevent germination, retains moisture around the root area and oxygenates the soil, then biodegrades to feed the plants. Mulch will also protect the plant roots from freezing. It is important to note that although a generous amount of mulch is recommended, mulch should never be piled around the roots of plants or trees. Avoid the “Mulch Volcano� on trees where the mulch is heaped around the base of the tree, resembling a volcano. Instead, a doughnut approach is more desirable because it creates a well for the water to collect and absorb into the trees root system. Also, mulch should only be applied to the base of the tree no higher than the lowest visible root to avoid the development of new stabilization roots at the new soil level. This can also add soil level roots in the grass and cause trees to fall.

The type of mulch is also very important to your plants.

While colored mulches are available, those can contain treated lumber in their mix including particle board, 2x4’s, and other shredded building materials.

Black mulch is created by burning wood and red mulch is created by dyeing it. Neither of these has any nutritional value for the plants. Plants that use these types of mulch over time have been shown to decline

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Fall is also a wonderful time to fertilize your landscape.

Generally a slow released fertilizer is recommended as they are insulated against root burn making it worry free.

Winterizing grass with a low nitrogen, slow released fertilizer will feed the roots of the grass keeping it healthier and more prepared for spring. Fertilizing the flowerbeds with a slow released product is recommended in the fall.

Many plants are flowering during this time so applying a high nitrogen, slow released fertilizer to the flowerbeds will give them the energy to bloom.

Landscaped areas with little or no blooming fall foliage should still be fertilized in the fall to assist with root growth throughout the winter.

Application of a pre-emergent herbicide in the late fall will help cut down on the weeds for the following years. This is true for the grass and flowerbeds. Preemergent herbicides work by killing the weed seeds that are present in the flowerbed ultimately cutting down on the amount of weeds in the yard. This is not a fast process and does not give the immediate satisfaction that the post-emergent herbicides like Round-up or weed-n-feed have. However, these also carry a negative environmental impact. Using a pre-emergent is a preferred method because eventually the majority of the weeds will be gone, eliminating the need for postemergent herbicides altogether.

As the temperature lowers, this is the time to prune your trees.

Trees take 5-10 years to recover from one pruning so proper planning is important. Using a certified arborist is recommended to get your best results.

Insects can be detrimental to your trees so it is very important not to trim them during the warmer months when the sap is flowing. When tree branches are cut the sap drips which is like happy hour for harmful insects. In cooler months the sap of the trees starts to slow, making it a great time to complete this landscape chore. That does not mean that you will not find a contractor willing to do the work when it is warm. Just keep in mind that avoiding this mishap can save a valuable tree. A properly trimmed branch will leave at least ½” of limb to allow the branch to heal from the scarring. The cut should also have a downward slant so that the healed wound will not collect moisture & disease over time.

Damage over the year can also occur from using string trimmers at the base of the tree which will remove the exterior bark from the tree. This opens a wound on the tree allowing insects and disease to enter the tree. A mulch ring is highly recommended for all trees to avoid the need for trimming grass from the bark.

Landscaping projects for the fall include removing dead leaves in flowerbeds, installing fall color, and cleaning up summer perennials. Hold off trimming any tropical or spring blooming plants like azaleas or loropetalum.

Climbing roses can be trimmed after their last fall bloom by removing dead wood and any crossed branches.

And don’t forget those fall vegetable gardens! Plant cold hardy crops now like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, spinach, turnips & radishes. Make sure your garden gets full sun daily and regular watering.

After all preparations are complete, sit back and enjoy the holidays. Then wait for spring which is luckily right around the corner for us warm weather lovers.

Happy Gardening!

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in health. Bagged mulch can be light and float away with heavy rain fall or leaf blowers, resulting in frequent replacement. Hardwood mulch is the preferred mulch for our area.

A good hardwood mulch has a nice dark brown color and does not have a chemical smell. It also should be composted over time, eliminating the weeds.

Beware of the landscaping crews showing up at your door with “extra” mulch. You will usually pay for their cheap work with weeds later.

ga by ’s tea m

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WRITTEN by Paige Canon

GABY’s team

f ulshea r ma g a zi n e

brings a world of

FASH ON t o f u l s h e a r

Gaby’s is family-owned-and-operated that one senses immediately upon entering the store through its atmosphere of warmth, comfort, and feelings of “home.”

In fact, Gaby’s is named after Barbara’s daughter-in law who also co-owns the business. Barbara and Gaby work as a creative team and regularly attend the Dallas Market Center to scout out the latest fashion trends, apparel, gifts, and in-home designs to bring back to the Fulshear community.

“The Dallas Market Center can be overwhelming, but it’s the best of the best,” Barbara explained. “We have a lot of new communities in the area, and you have to evolve and keep up with what’s going on… to know what people need.” From up-to-date women’s apparel, jewelry, handbags, accessories, specialty gifts, and baby gifts, Gaby’s offers a discretely selected array of quality items suitable for any occasion. Gaby’s also offers innovative designing services to include home interior consultation or full-service designing, such as selecting custom items such as area rugs, chairs, and bedding.

“Along with our retail, we create custom designs for our clientele, do in-home consults, and also have a local decorator who is affiliated with our store that does window treatments and design work.”

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Barbara Hubbert, owner of Gaby’s, an eclectic gift, fashion, and design boutique located in downtown Fulshear, opened her doors nearly six years ago. Today, her thriving business exemplifies what Fulshear businesses are all about: providing big-city excellence with the charm and ambience of small-town friendliness.

FASHION

IN

a time of economic decline, one local businesswoman boldly looked to the future and decided to stake her claim in the potential she saw for the small town of Fulshear, TX. Needless to say, she made the right choice.

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Second Baptist written by Jaclyn ritter

S

econd Baptist Church is excited to open a new campus at FM 1463 and FM 1093 in Fulshear. This will be the church’s sixth campus to date.

The Fort Bend location is projected to open mid to late April of 2015. Situated on 45 acres, Second Baptist Church will be able to hold up to 4,000 people when complete.

The preaching team for this campus, headed by Pastor Dave Riggle, is more than ready to lead Fulshear in prayer and worship.

Second Baptist Church is not your ordinary church.

There is a reason they have over 66,000 members in the metropolitan Houston area. They emphasize the importance of family. Family at Second Baptist includes actual blood relatives, as well as, the church family. Dr. Ed Young, senior pastor and author, believes that “sometimes

you join the church to serve, and sometimes you join so you can be served.” In other words, life happens, but it helps when we have faith, family and friends to help us find the light in our moments of darkness. Second Baptist Church offers a variety of ministries to support members in different seasons of life. Ministries include prayer, care, adoption and orphan ministry, professional counseling, divorce recovery and numerous other groups. Whether you are battling addiction, illness or loss, the church and staff are there to help you through the crisis. “That is ministry.” says Dr. Young.

Second Baptist is invested in making each one of us a better version of ourselves.

They have even incorporated opportunities to get fit and stay fit. The church’s webpage has information about their “Weight a Second” program. Mind, body and spirit – all three are an integral part of one’s well-being.

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Comes to Fulshear

s e co n d b a pti st com es to ful sh ear

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their Vacation Bible School this year! Talk about getting kids involved!

The theme at Second Baptist is, “Second Loves Kids.”

They do not just say it, they genuinely live that motto.

“We pour everything into our sons and our daughters – our next generation.” Dr. Ed Young goes on to emphasize this point by saying, “Most of our staff is directed to kids. Most of our funding is directed to kids. Most of our programming is directed to kids, and this is why so many people feel welcome at our church. In fact, there are activities available almost 24/7 for kids of all ages.”

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The church nursery is led by a caring and personable staff who are dedicated to providing a clean and safe environment where our youngest feel loved. Learning the Word and love of God begins at the earliest of ages.

Elementary age kids begin to explore the Bible and are shown how God’s Word is still relevant, practical and powerful. Kids learn while having fun in a wide range of activities such as Mommy and Me groups, sports, and games. Second Baptist had over 10,000 children attend

Jr. High and High School aged students dig even deeper. Through worship and Bible study they are able to strengthen their relationship with God and better understand themselves. This summer, Second Baptist took 2,400 high school students to Pensacola, Florida for a week, where they discussed what it is like to grow up in the 21st century. The topics discussed included peer pressure, stress and temptations. Second Baptist and its leaders strive to give these students the tools they need to make good choices and to be model citizens in the community.

Dr. Young knows we all share the goal of love and care for our kids and hope to see others love and care for them as well. “We reach so many adults who would never come to church because of their kids.”

Second Baptist Church is unique. They lead by example. Everything is done in the name of God, and with excellence. They are excited about the new campus being built in Fulshear and look forward to building a relationship with its residents. In Dr. Ed Young’s words, “We want to be a part of your community, and be able to build a body of faith that will be relevant and powerful, and make a difference.”

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Lone Star

Symphonic Band

WRITTEN BY JACLYN RITTER

In the words of Plato, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” That, is exactly what the Lone Star Symphonic Band (LSSB) has been bringing to the West Houston area for over 20 years.

The Band’s Beginning Years Originally formed in 1993 under the direction of Tom Stuchbery, the band (then known as West Houston Concert Band) struggled to bring in the numbers of both members and patrons. The band had also found it hard to find a place to call home, and had to rehearse at various churches and schools in the West Houston area.

In 2005, the West Houston Concert Band changed its name to the Lone Star Symphonic Band in the hope of reaching a broader audience. The newly titled group then made a deal with Houston Community College – Spring Branch Campus. The LSSB was allowed to rehearse and perform at the college auditorium, so long as their schools registered music students were able to sit in and play with the band for course credit. This was a wonderful collaboration, and worked well for many years.

“It is so rewarding to be able to work with people who are following a passion, their talent, and their interests,” said LSSB director Bob Bryant. The former Katy H.S. band director, and current Fine Arts Director over all of Katy I.S.D., has been impressed with the dedication of his

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Music and melody is in the air, and it is working its way towards Fulshear!

community band within the United States each year. Mr. Richard Crain, president of the Midwest Clinic, shocked and delighted the musicians by flying out and personally presenting the award to the band during one of their concerts in December of 2012.

L one s tar s ymp hon ic b and

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Some of the group’s most notable performances have been held at the Stafford Centre, Sienna Plantation amphitheater, the Kemah Boardwalk and Reliant Stadium. In addition, they have put out two CDs. One is comprised of the 2011 and 2012 concert series highlights.

The other CD will have listeners singing along to their favorite holiday hits.

members since he took the job in 2007. “Our members are volunteers – they only receive as a reward, the enjoyment of making music and providing music experiences for their audiences. Each member has chosen to make the sacrifice of time to participate in the LSSB, therefore I must embrace their trust in this gift of time to provide a positive, engaging, enriching, and meaningful experience that will be both gratifying and challenging.”

A Time of Growth Bob took the band to new heights. Under Bryant’s baton the band has grown to well over 70 members, including one of his longtime colleagues and friend, James Morris, who serves as the band’s witty and memorable announcer. The band not only grew in numbers, but also in following. Every year the average number of concert attendance grows. Bryant feels this is a direct result of each band member’s commitment to improving his or her own musicianship. Because of their rise in popularity, the band outgrew the venue and were forced to relocate in 2011.

They were able to find open arms, and a comfortable home in Katy at CrossPoint Community Church. The Lone Star Symphonic Band now holds practices and concerts in the church’s sanctuary. Because of the outpouring of support from the church, the band is finally able to reach its full growth and potential.

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Accolades & Accomplishments The bands dramatic diversity in music ranges from classic rock, ‘40s Swing, Paso Doble, and heroic marches in any one concert. The age range is also widespread. “The Lone Star Symphonic Band truly exemplifies the definition of a ‘community band’. Our members range in ages that are over 70 years apart from the youngest to the eldest (with our most senior member being 91 years young)!” says director Bob Bryant. “You will find a large variety of occupations, musical education experiences, ethnicities, previous music education experiences, and interests among the members of the LSSB.” These differences helped the musicians become stronger as a band, landing them the coveted Sudler Silver Scroll award by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation. This prestigious award is given annually to one outstanding

Growing Beyond the Performance Walls As the Lone Star Symphonic Band continues to grow, they hope their following and appeal grow too. “We have been in the West Houston area for over 20 years already.

We are not a group that is just starting out,” said the Lone Star Symphonic Band President, Beverly Buis. She hopes to see the band become more established in the Katy/ Fulshear area in the years to come. Buis would love for the LSSB to one day become the “go-to” musical group for an afternoon of music and fun. “We have been able to iron out most of our performance kinks throughout the years, and as a result have a concert experience that most other groups in the Houston Metropolitan area cannot or do not provide,” said Buis.

The Lone Star Symphonic Band’s next concert is Sunday, December 14th at 4pm and is entitled “Joy, Love, Peace.” Check out the band’s webpage at lssb.org. On their webpage you can purchase tickets, season passes and read more about the band and its members. Their holiday concert often sells out, so buy early and get ready to celebrate in song!

livi ng th e drea m

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Living the Dream with Reverend

James Edward Johnson, AKA papa j Written by Linda Newsom Johnson

M f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

y life with Papa J was one of love, family, church, and community: a life in which I lived the biggest dream possible. But even more importantly, James Edward Johnson, aka Papa J, lived out his dream as businessman, local celebrity, and social force in Fulshear.

I met Papa J in the library where I worked as the Missouri City Branch manager with Fort Bend Libraries. While he was an avid reader, we often found ourselves talking about how our families showed love to others through baking. He often spoke of opening a small business: a business where he could show his love and appreciation for people by baking cookies. He wanted very much to be a smart business man and more famous than Amos in the cookie business. One evening, he brought me a tray of cookies to sample and not long after that, he opened Cookies by Papa J in Missouri City.

I began my life as one of 11 children of sharecroppers in Simonton. My parents Mandell and Ethel Newsome

worked hard and had great expectations for all of their children. They taught us that reputation always precedes you; that you must serve God and honor the family name, and that the world can take a lot from you. But, they believed, if you get an education that is the one thing that the world cannot take from you.

Following my parents’ advice, I graduated from Lamar Consolidated High School and was the first in my family to go to college. I attended Texas Southern University and then, later, graduated from Texas Woman’s University. I returned back to Fort Bend County to work in the George Memorial Library.

After returning from Denton, my aged parents needed regular attention, especially my mother. I was prompted to find housing in Fulshear-Simonton. It was a great opportunity to live in the home of a very historic Fulshear family. The home had been owned by Mr. Ed and Betty Huggin. It now became my domicile. At Huggin’s Hill, James and I began dreaming of building our life together in Fulshear.

James asked my parents for my hand in marriage before my mother passed on April 23, 2001. Our marriage soon followed. In excitement for a new life together, we planned a wedding and the reception took place at First United Methodist Church in Fulshear on Saturday, November 16, 2002.

As James made plans to retire, this next part of his life was devoted to his dream of opening Cookies by Papa J. No other location would do but Fulshear, Texas. He loved Fulshear, especially for its country, hometown feeling. To James, it was a place where people knew and cared about each other.

James grew up in Third Ward in Houston, and he resided in Missouri City for quite some time. When he relocated to Fulshear, he knew only my family. But James never had any trouble making friends. After retiring, he began a part-time job with Fort Bend Senior Citizens.

From that experience, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels. His love of listening to people made him a local celebrity around town. Mrs. Viola Randle, former Mayor of Fulshear, fondly referred to James as her son.

As Reverend James Edward Johnson, he was the happiest he had ever been in life. On May 1, 2008, he achieved his dream by opening Cookies by Papa J in the town he loved so dearly, Fulshear, Texas.

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In the cookie business, he often said his success was due to the parents, students, and staff of Huggins Elementary and Simonton Christian Academy. The children regularly stopped into the shop for cookies and ice cream. Seeing them filled his days with joy. The children, he thought, were his best customers. When they were around, Papa J laughed the loudest. They were his most honest and sincere critics. They showed their love to Papa J through their words of kindness, especially in the way they conveyed how good the cookies were. For Papa J, these were his proudest moments.

One day in September, 2009, Papa J became ill. The cookie shop had to be closed temporarily. As his illness continued and became more serious, the cookie shop was closed. We were all focused on Papa J getting well. But, despite our efforts, it was not to be.

Papa J entered hospice care on February 14, 2012.

It was the worst Valentine’s Day of my life. While we spent many precious days talking about life and faith, the one last charge Papa J left me with is this: “You have to take it from here.” Papa J passed on June 7, 2012.

Many of our friends encouraged me to continue Papa J’s dream, our dream, for the cookie shop. As I began considering reopening the business, many friends here in Fulshear helped me start baking again. They helped me continue the cookie dream.

During that first Christmas, 2012, I decided I would rather bake than grieve. Our closest friends spread the word that Papa J’s cookies were once again available. I renewed the vow James had made to the community: I would oversee the business’ return to Fulshear.

Our Cookies

Are Baked With

LOVE

Here, James served as a member of the Board on Fulshear Development Corporation. Cookies by Papa J was where his heart was happiest: he was meeting people and having fun getting to know and serving his customers. Since James never met a stranger, people from all walks of life would come by the shop to talk to him. He spent time ministering to people as they traveled to work or as they took their children to and from school.

James, a former Marine, would also entertain many of his fellow veterans who would stop by and talk about their military experiences. Many exchanges of “Semper Fi” filled the shop.

In his love for the community, Papa J considered it an honor to donate cookies to many organizations, including schools and families in need. It was his desire to help anyone that he could. Papa J joined in events such

Papa J loved God, country, family, community. He showed his love, in part, by baking cookies. My mission is to re-establish Papa J’s Cookies in Fulshear to the place it was when James was alive. Like the saying, go big or go home, I am already at home. So, in honor of Papa J, I’m hoping to go bigger with the business. I end this story as it began. As Papa J believed, with love for God and community, “Our cookies are baked with love.”

In keeping the dream of Cookies by Papa J’s alive, please visit our website at www.papajscookies.com or communication can be sent directly to papajscookies@ papajscookies.com.

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In fact, James loved the Fort Bend community and enjoyed serving on many local community projects.

Shortly after settling into Fulshear, James was called into the ministry on February 22, 2004. He served as the Associate Minister at Lively Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

as Carol McCann’s Bike for Mike and other communitysponsored activities that allowed people the opportunity to help their neighbors.

Doves

Dawn

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written by Joe Doggett

An abundance of doves represent rich natural bounty.

This abundance provides many opportunities for the bird hunter during the 12-bird South Zone daily limit.

Both mourners and whitewings prove challenging to the shotgun, but they are a treat on the table. And, the dove

of either feather is one of the outstanding game birds available to the Texas hunter. Both are also easy to lose.

Their small size and drab coloration combined with their fast flight challenge the best hunters. Too often the dove folds cleaning amid a puff of feathers, slanting to the ground and vanishing. This common occurrence can be a cause of great frustration. Additionally, the substantial ground cover often swallows up the few prize falls, even within close range. While these and other opportunities are forfeited, the exasperated hunter pokes and prods and sweats and mutters.

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T

he South zone of dove season peaks during the golden days of early fall, which is reason enough for the hunter to spend an afternoon or two in the field. Despite recent troubled times, the silent sunset over a ripe furrow and green brush re-affirms that all is right outdoors.

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“Over you! Over you!” is the recurring chant that any hunter with an MIA dove can relate. At best, valuable minutes under a hot flight are sacrificed; at worst, a worthy resource is lost and no conscientious sportsman is comfortable with the “wanton waste” of failing to recover downed game. A trained dog is a strong ally in recovering game.

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This is a no-brainer. But a good dog is not always available. Even a semi-good nose may not muster for a casual afternoon trip. Also worth note, a dog cannot be everywhere at once especially during the heat of an early-season South Zone hunt.

The wagging tail and chuffing snout might be on the far end of the levee or regrouping with a bowl of water when your smooth swing connects. Dog or no dog, the serious dove hunter learns to be self-sufficient in the business of retrieving birds. This requires discipline and concentration but once the focus is achieved few birds will be wasted.

The first step in minimizing lost falls is to select a shooting station that puts close birds over open ground. This may not always be possible, but at least you can reduce the angles of thick cover. If no reasonably open area is available then relocate to a more favorable position

for recoveries, even if it means forfeiting shots under a defined but brushclogged flight line.

Standing under a hot flight and knocking one dove down after another serves little purpose if most of the falls slant across a water-filled levee or into an impenetrable wall of brush. These are game birds, not clay targets; shooting averages mean nothing if unacceptable numbers of doves are lost.

What is acceptable loss? The idealist, of course, would say zero, but a perfect score on recoveries can be hard to meet in the real world. Based on more than 40 years of dove hunting, I believe a score of one or two losses per each 12-bird limit is acceptable for the hunter working alone. Anything more than that on clean falls within 40 or 50 yards means too much ground cover or too little concentration or both.

The oft-preached key is to lock eyes on the hit, follow the bird down, and walk directly to the mark. We all know that, but tunnel vision can be difficult to master. You turn to acknowledge a buddy, or you look up to see another crossing dove, or you bend to reload or recover the spent shell. Regardless of reason, the moment of distraction can unravel the precision necessary to pace straight to the mark.

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The Public Face of

Fulshear

Police Officers written by captain mike mccoy

W

hat is the perception of a police officer to the general public?

Too much of the time, it is the terrible incidences of a few that go viral on YouTube or that make the news that make all of us wonder about our shields in blue who are supposed to be keeping our communities safe. In my thirty-two years in law enforcement, I have attended gatherings where it is inevitable that someone tells me that they are shocked to find out that I am a police officer. The reason for their surprise, until recently, has been shocking to me: I HAVE a sense of humor.

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But after hearing these comments for many years, I took that perception to heart. I wanted our community to know us, their police force, for the fellow neighbors, community members, the individual persons we were.

That was the impetus for the Fulshear Police Facebook page back in May of 2013. Sure, like most of us, we had our challenges at first. How do we show that we, too, are human beings yet instill confidence with the pubic that we are here to defend you, protect you. We were not sure what to post, how often to post, and how to monitor what we had posted. But keeping a splash of humor in my post was never a question. It was not hard to notice that these incidences of humor were drawing a lot, if not most of the, attention. Many comments from our “fans” on these humorous posts indicated that the humor was well received, and, in turn, we gathered comments stating that our community members were happy to see that officers are actual humans and not emotionless robots. While the majority of our posts involve crime statistics, crime prevention tips, and positive stories involving our officers, this information did not get as much response in the form of comments and tweets as when our posts showed us being the individual characters that we are - including anecdotes of humor.

Humor generates “buzz,” “shares”, and comments that, in turn, increases our fan base. For the most part, humor connects with many individuals on many different levels.

It confirms that we are humans with feelings just like the folks we serve. If we make fun of ourselves once in a while, and show our emotions, and tell funny stories, people make note of it. They respond by letting us know, wow, you are like me.

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The response we have seen from our community reinforces to us that the connection between law enforcement and community – via social media – is here to stay.

The community wants this information; they connect with personal stories about our officers on their beat; they crave critical information about crime trends; they relish the opportunity to help us catch a bad guy. They like it, they appreciate it, and they want MORE of it!

Most importantly, through this medium, officer and community member become a team. And, if or when “the big crisis” hits and we need to distribute critical information rapidly and efficiently to the community, the community knows where to look, where to contribute. For me, this collaboration is the one, huge advantage of social media. It is where social media has the most positive effect on the public.

Captain Mike McCoy

Fulshear Police Department Fulshear, Texas Please follow us on www.facebook.com/fulshearpolice www.twitter.com/fulshearpolice

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In closing, I welcome and encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. In these days when we can seem less connected than in generations before us, it is more important than ever to keep up with us, your police department, and the other members of the community. Who knows, by following us, you may find out when the local donut shop is having a sale.

HAV E A GREAT RECIP E?

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Have A Great

Recipe?

Do you have a great recipe you want to share?

Well this is a great place to do it!

WRITTEN BY Jaclyn Ritter

E

very issue we will feature a few recipes submitted by our readers. We encourage you to try all of these yummy recipes and go online to fulshear. com and vote for your favorites. At this time next year, the recipe that received the most votes will get a great prize that is in the works.

Food brings people together.

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In Fulshear alone, there are people from all over the world. These people bring with them different cuisine.

This is a way to share those foods and the stories behind them.

As a born and raised Midwestern girl, I have always had my fair share of good food. Going out to eat was simply not an option at our house. My mom had a nice home cooked meal on the table every night. While she tried to encourage me to cook with her, I was not the least bit interested. In college I survived off the stash of chili and soups my mom would fill my freezer with. It was not until I got married that I took up the desire to learn to cook – or was it out of necessity? Over the last few years, I now find myself flipping through magazines just to get to the recipe section. I get a thrill out of trying new dishes – well the successful ones that is. I am no chef by any means, I simply love to eat and sharing that love with my family.

To start this off, I am submitting one of my favorite wintertime meals, Balsamic Pot Roast. When it is cold outside, who doesn’t look forward to warm soups, stews and pot roasts at the end of the day? And better yet, it practically cooks itself! I love any crock pot recipe! You may ask, why the balsamic vinegar? Balsamic vinegar is like olive oil in my house. I put it with everything.

Balsamic vinegar possesses a complex sweetness that transforms anything it touches. A good balsamic should also pick up some of the flavors of the wood it matured in. At the store you will be confronted by a plethora of different bottles ranging drastically in price. I urge you to skip the cheap stuff, it’s worth it. I like to serve fluffy potatoes, sautéed sweet peppers and some crunchy bread alongside this roast. This recipe is a huge hit at my house and I hope that you and your family will enjoy it this holiday season too.

To submit a recipe, please send an email to recipes@fulshear.com.

Be sure to include a detailed recipe, a picture if possible, and a few sentences about why you and your family like the recipe. We will then select a few to feature in each magazine. So keep your eyes out, your recipe might be highlighted in the next issue. My tummy is growling just thinking about all the great recipes that will surely be pouring into my inbox! Stay warm and happy cooking!

Balsamic 1 beef chuck or bottom round roast, about 3 ¼ lbs ½ tsp salt ½ tsp dried thyme 1/8 tsp black pepper 1 sweet onion, chopped 3 carrots, chopped 3 ribs celery, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 cups unsalted beef stock 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Pot Roast Spray slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray.

Season roast with salt, thyme and black pepper.

Place in bottom of slow cooker.

Scatter onion, carrots, celery and garlic over roast.

Pour stock and balsamic vinegar over top. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours.

Remove roast and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Mash vegetables in cooking liquid to slightly thicken sauce.

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Make: 6 servings Prep: 15 minutes Slow cook on LOW for 10 hours

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f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

F UL SHEAR AREA CHA MBER OF COMM ER CE

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Dedication to Service and Personal Relationships

Fulshear Area

65

Chamber of Commerce

WRITTEN BY Jaclyn Ritter a generation consumed by technology and face-toscreen communication, the Chamber hopes to return to interpersonal communication and a good ‘ole handshake. It is important that no matter how big we grow, our goal is to maintain that human element within the Chamber. We have a real opportunity now, while the Chamber is young, to grow relationships from the very beginning”.

In only ten months the FACC has grown to 168 members and continues to grow. Randy Stacy, Chamber President, is proud to say that “we are looking to surpass our goal of 175 members early and we have implemented a new goal of 300 members by January 2016.”

The Chamber is also interested in creating a genuine sense of community. This year they have partnered with the City of Fulshear on three big events: St. Patrick’s Day, Freedom Fest 4th of July celebration and the Festival of Lights Christmas event. The FACC is hosting this year’s Fulshear State of the City address at which Mayor Tommy Kuykendall will speak on all things Fulshear. Broken Boot Casino Night was a huge success and will surely be a go-to event in the years to come. This year also marked the first annual Fulshear Area Chamber of Commerce Stampede of Golf Tournament. It was a beautiful day spent playing golf, making connections, and learning more about Fulshear. These events would not have been such a success without the hard work and dedication of the event Chairpersons, members of the Chamber and wonderful sponsors.

Serving with Mr. Stacy of Texas Insurance AgencyFulshear, is a dedicated board that includes: Vice President - Rebecca Hafner of Independence Title, Treasurer – Terry Crockett of NewFirst National Bank, Secretary – Tricia Wright of Silpada Designs, Mark Ball of Pro Image Promotional, Nancy King of Keller Williams Premier Realty and Michael Martin of Martin Mortgage.

The Executive Director of the FACC is Don McCoy.

The Chamber’s mission is to create a network of nearby businesses that in turn, utilizes everyone’s strengths and resources to better the group individually and as a whole. Services that are included in the membership are but not limited to: the BFF Card “Buy Fulshear First” discount card available to consumers in the community, educational programs, committees, networking, leadership development, promotion and advertising.

Current members are already enjoying the benefits of being a part of the new Chamber.

What sets Fulshear’s chamber apart from others? Randy Stacy, Chamber President, feels it is their dedication to service and personal relationships. “We hope to maintain that same one-on-one relationship with our members as we grow.” Don McCoy, Executive Director of the Chamber built on that point by noting the predominant use and reliance on electronic communication. “In

Going into their second year, the Chamber will focus on adding new educational services at no cost to their members, motivational and educational speakers as well as business coaching that will help provide their members with new tools to better their businesses. The FACC feels that having these resources readily available is just one of the many reasons they stand out as an exceptional Chamber.

The Fulshear Area Chamber of Commerce is making a positive impact on the community while being a partner and advocate for its members and the City of Fulshear. To join the FACC please contact: Don McCoy @ 832-600-3221 or dmccoy@fulshearareachamber.com.

Visit the FACC office at 29818 FM 1093, Suite 100, Fulshear, TX 77441. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook.

www.f ulshea r .com

IN

October of 2013, local business owners Randy Stacy, Michael Martin and Mark Ball along with Cheryl Stalinsky Economic Development Director for the City of Fulshear, came together to discuss the rapid growth of Fulshear and the need for a Chamber of Commerce. By January of 2014, the Fulshear Area Chamber of Commerce (FACC) was born.

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articles

68

MAYOR KUYKENDALL FROM PAGE 12 CONT. “As a city we’ve come of age, and now we have the chance to set our own course. I think our citizens would like to see us head in that direction.”

Growing Pains

“When I moved here in 2000 there wasn’t a single master planned community within Fulshear’s jurisdiction. It was a few years after that, in 2005 and 2006 time frame, I had worked on the planning commission and I was able to see some of the inceptions of master planned communities such as Firethorne in our ETJ to the north, Cross Creek Ranch, and Fulbrook on Fulshear Creek.”

trying to maintain our unique identity.

I am confident that with the help of our leadership, and the continued involvement of our citizens, we will always be Fulshear.”

“We want our kids, growing up here, to have an identity of Fulshear as home.

Fifty years from now they can bring their children back and say, ‘this is where I grew up and this is our great downtown area,’ or town center or City Hall area, ‘this is where I had my ups and downs and it helped build my character and personality. It helped shape who I am today’. Ultimately, we want our kids to say, ‘My home is Fulshear, TX.’.”

Yes, it will be a big deal.

“I think that the master planned communities have put a lot of thinking CINCO RANCH FROM PAGE 29 CONT. into all aspects of their developments.

Being a small city, it would have been very hard for us to provide a water plant, a sewer plant, all the parks, all the recreation needs, all the drainage and flood protection. The master planned community wraps that up into a package to take care of those needs.”

“There are trade-offs that you make with developers. They bring a benefit to the city, and then the city in turn tries to help them, so they have a successful development. The people that are moving out here really have identified with Fulshear. They have a great sense of wanting to preserve the small town character and small town charm.”

“Developers and the city must have a unique partnership.

The city can encourage the vision and try to guide that vision, but it takes a willing partner to make it happen. I think that the people that are moving out here want to see that vision continued to preserve our small town character. That’s part of our comprehensive plan we completed in 2014.”

f ul she ar m a ga zi ne

Legacy as Mayor

“If we can garner a trust in city government, then everything else will take care of itself. Along with the trust, considering the tremendous amount of growth that we have, we must see that the growth occurs in a guided way, according to an overall vision, an overall plan, and that it’s sustainable.”

“A sense of community is the most important part of the legacy that I would like to leave. We are a community that is going from a very small general law town to a home rule charter, all the while

Mr. Wheless: When you develop large tracts, it takes a long time to absorb all the land.

What was the best time and the worst time?

Mr. Wheless: The best time for me personally was growing up as a kid out there and having access to all that property, hunting and fishing. My brothers and sisters and I have great memories. It was a Tom Sawyer type of existence. We That is quite remarkable. What do you hated to part with it, but my grandfather think made it so successful? was in ill health, and he wanted to get his estate in order before he passed away.

Mr. Wheless: Staying power, the ability to go through two really bad cycles Anyway, it was hard emotionally to part because there were some bleak times. with the ranch. I was privileged to be in It wasn’t all straight up. They had such a a position to help him sell our property as huge land cost, and in addition they had well as to be involved with the subsequent a huge infrastructure cost. They had to sale in 1984. channel Buffalo Bayou through Cinco.

The headwaters of Buffalo Bayou start I remember reading, years ago, that your just on the northwest corner of Cinco grandfather was considered to be one of near Katy. As you know, the Bayou goes the largest land owners in Texas. through the middle of Houston and all the way to the Ship Channel.

Mr. Wheless: He and Mr. Abercrombie were the second largest land owners in When did they start developing?

Harris County when he died. They also owned the Atascocita Country Club, as Mr. Wheless: Kickerillo started in the early well as most of the land on the western ‘80s. Cinco started in the late ‘80s. If you shores of Lake Houston. He certainly was remember, Houston’s economy was a role model for me. horrible in the late ‘80s.

REDNews would like to thank Mr. Wheless What was the price of an acre back when for his travel back in time through you sold it? one of the nation’s great burgeoning communities. The history of land and Mr. Wheless: Divide 5,200 acres into 84 the big power brokers of Texas are million. It was an all-cash transaction. fundamentally the history of Texans, from Stephen F. Austin to William M Wheless Mr. Wheless: Now we have Bridgeland big people, big deals. As George W. Bush and the Woodlands. Both are really big said, “Some folks look at me and see a deals. Camp Strake will be a very big certain swagger, which in Texas is called deal. ‘walking.’”

A TALE OF TWO CITIES FROM PAGE 22 CONT. stable and potentially safer. Due to the improved rail standard, the MK&T’s trains had greater capacity and could achieve greater speeds. In short, the MK&T was a better railroad than the soon-to-beoutdated Texas Western Railway.

willing to pursue it. It is by being willing to support good vision with commensurate investment that a community is able to keep pace with the opportunities and challenges that invention, innovation, and technology will always bring.

Anticipating the Future Today, Fulshear is growing, in part, due to the early vision and subsequent decisions of the City’s Founder, Churchill Fulshear, Jr. He deserves credit for the foundation on which Fulshear’s future is being built. Since the time of Churchill Fulshear, Jr., there have been many decisions made that have shaped the current City of Fulshear.

Be assured, that in the coming years, there will be many more decisions to be made.

Many of those future decisions will have equally significant potential outcomes.

In his ongoing commitment to work with others in order to shape the city’s future, Fulshear Mayor Tommy Kuykendall is continuing the tradition of visionary leadership. Along with the Fulshear City Council and the entire municipal staff at Fulshear City Hall, Tommy and his team are dedicated to capturing, communicating, and fostering the vision that Churchill Fulshear Sr. set into motion when he received his original land grant from Mexico over 190 years ago. Through such dedicated planning, Fulshear’s Pittsville’s last residents are said to have leaders will surely continue to provide simply migrated away from Pittsville to for the growth that is now occurring in Fulshear and to Brookshire over the next Fulshear. fifty years. History records that the last residents left Pittsville in the late 1940’s, Special Thanks to Jim Vollmar and Ken E. Stavinoha, Directors of the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, leaving little to be recovered.

A Lesson Learned?

for their invaluable assistance and direction that provided important factual elements,that significantly improved the of accuracy and historical context of this article. Thanks also to Lisa Rickert, Program Director for the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, Chris Craven, and Glenn Fair for their assistance and railroad insight.

Wisdom teaches that a lesson is best learned only once. By comparing the choices and decisions that Pittsville and Fulshear each made, we see that For a list of reference materials used for this the future rewards those who remain article, please visit www.fulshear.com/fm-01-01

www.f ulshea r .com

their livelihoods to the newly-minted Fulshear community in order to take advantage of the improved railroad and the expanding market it brought with it. The eventual exodus sealed the fate of the once-thriving village, relegating Pittsville to be recorded as a footnote to The differences between the gauges of our area’s future and placing it on the their tracks meant that the two railway path of relative obscurity. companies could in no way share the tracks. This unavoidable incompatibility Consequence of a Crossroad Moment certainly sealed The Texas Western Railway Company’s fate as there was no It is reasonable to see how the SA&AP way to share the MK&T’s tracks.

Railroad serving Fulshear, with its increased regional reach, higher speed, and better Though it was once considered a useful freight and passenger service, instantly and cost-effective regional railroad, it became a better option for farmers and took just sixteen years for the vision of the ranchers in the area than was the Texas Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railway Western Railway. As well, most would also to be eclipsed and confounded by the agree that the MK&T entering the market opportunities and progress presented by just three years later, being well financed, the superior railroad technology. spanning three states, and being equally close to Pittsville as was the Texas Western Texas Western Railway Fades into History Railway, further sealed the community’s fate.

In 1895, five years after the SA&AP Railroad came through the new “Fulshear” area, The issue that truly doomed Pittsville may and just two years after the MK&T rolled have simply been the village’s own failure into the new “Brookshire” area, the Texas to choose well at a crucial “crossroad” Western Railway was sold. It ceased moment. It might have been Pittsville’s operations in 1896. own decision to pass up their best opportunity to adapt to the changes In 1899, twenty-nine years after it was brought on by invention, innovation and originally promoted, and twenty-two technology that brought their community years after it began serving the village of to ruin. A different decision would almost Pittsville, the once proud, state-of-the-art certainly have resulted in a different Texas Western Railway was abandoned outcome. Had Pittsville embraced the altogether. By mid-summer of 1900, the SA&AP Railroad, we might be heralding tracks had been removed. the growth of Pittsville today instead of Fulshear’s bright future.

For its part, the village of Pittsville struggled to remain viable throughout the coming It was by the residents’ own choice, years. It is reported that after the SA&AP not by chance, that Pittsville failed to Railroad came through Fulshear that embrace the change that improvements many Pittsville residents and business in technology always bring. As Pittsville’s owners simply shifted their interests and future ultimately passed it by, it was a lack of vision that brought the once hopeful and confident village to its ultimate decline and downfall.

69

a dv er ti ser di re cto ry

70

It is Action that ProvesVision Many months ago, before we found our first advertiser, the staff at Fulshear Magazine began working to fulfill the shared vision that would bring to the community this, Fulshear’s first locally-produced magazine.

We are pleased to say that it is a journey worthy of the pursuit.

You are reading this magazine because of the partnership of the advertisers that you now find referenced within it. As they heard our vision for what the magazine could mean to the community, each one of them said “yes” to the opportunity to be a part of it. More importantly, they took the action to pay for the advertising that makes the vision possible.

Please join with us as we acknowledge with grateful appreciation, the support of our charter advertisers.

Fulshear Magazine could never have happened without our advertiser’s financial commitment, encouragement, and trusting support at all levels.

As you utilize the products and services of the businesses that you find represented in the pages of Fulshear Magazine, you are saying “yes” to their ongoing commitment to the community as we partner together to bring you the finest community journal possible. Thank you for that.

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By the way, when you do business with the advertisers found in Fulshear Magazine, please do thank them on our behalf.

The Entire Fulshear Magazine Team

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