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ROSENBERG W W W. E X P L O R E T E X AS . C O M

LETTER FROM TH E PUBLI S H ER

ROSENBERG M

- WELCOME TO ROSENBERG MAGAZINE HONORING THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THIS HISTORIC COMMUNITY. For the greater Rosenberg area, this is undoubtedly an unprecedented moment as longanticipated change has certainly arrived. As our area’s growth continues, Rosenberg Magazine will work to document and discuss the uniqueness of this historic community as we tell about its history, its citizens, and the businesses that we find in this time of growth, change, and opportunity. Rosenberg is a community in the midst of a remarkable transformation. Once considered a rural farming and railroad community, Rosenberg is increasingly becoming a popular suburban destination with bragging rights about its burgeoning upscale shopping, dining, medical, education, arts, and hospitality venues. There is surely much more on the planning table that our area will witness in the relatively-near future and we’ll be there to write about it. Opportunities that arise from increased mobility will lead to new local residential and commercial development. Employment opportunities will accompany the business and industrial growth that is being attracted to our area. Educational opportunities will continue to grow to suit the training and educational needs of businesses and workers in our area. We want to help our readers understand what is to come so that they can benefit from it. The staff at Rosenberg Magazine is pleased and honored to tell the story of this thriving city. It is our hope to help new residents and business owners understand that the greater Rosenberg area has a heartbeat and culture all its own. We hope to share stories, articles and essays that will remind the entire community of just how special Rosenberg is.

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On behalf of the staff of Rosenberg Magazine, please accept our invitation to join with us as we celebrate Rosenberg’s historic past, chronicle its remarkable present, and reveal the richness of the plans for our area’s bright future.

Sincerely,

Daniel McJunkin PUBLISHER ROSENBERG MAGAZINE

F O R

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CONTENTS On the Cover Photo by BAC Photography and Design, Inc.

Letter from the Publisher

ROSENBERG M

MAGAZINE STAFF DANIEL M c JUNKIN Publisher

STACEY GOOTEE Editor

KATIE MECHAM

BAC PHOTGRAPHY AND DESIGN, INC.

Wild About Texas

JENNI M c JUNKIN

It’s Technical

Photographer

TSTC’s Approach to Matching Training with Jobs

Building a Landmark Rosenberg Fire Deaprtment

24 26

A Day in the Life

More Than A Whistle Stop

Rosenberg Railroad Museum

Ocusoft’s Recipe For Success

Building their Brand in Rosenberg

The Grateful Gardener

Rosenberg Native

POW Camp in Rosenberg

Art Benches

Hafer Case Incorporated

Cool Guys who Make Cool Cases For Cool Stuff

Do You Know the Brookie Man?

ROSENBERG A

Media Director

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Hunan Garden

Art Director

Band of Brothers

STACEY GOOTEE JEREMY HEATH ALLISON HESS AMBER LUENG CJ M c DANIEL JENNY PAVLOVICH JACLYN RITTER ROSENBERG ARTS ALLIANCE ROSENBERG RAILROAD MUSEUM SUSAN LOWE STRICKLAND SHARON WALLINGFORD

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN, INC. ALLISON HESS LORENZO LERMA AMBER LUENG JENNY PAVLOVICH

ROSENBERG MAGAZINE DANIEL M c JUNKIN Principal

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BROTHERS

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BAND OF

WRITTEN BY ALLISON HESS

“I just screamed and didn’t know what to do,” Taylor

It was just his fourth day in Afghanistan. After arriving to his platoon, bullets began to pierce the sky. He was in his first gunfire exchange. Basic training had taught him a lot, but nothing could have prepared him for this.

Airborne Infantry Long Range Weapons Expert Taylor Nordt

At the monthly Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting in Rosenberg, everyone that surrounded the group were fellow veterans, but Taylor and his friends are the youngest in the room. The others inside the military insignia-filled walls of the building all seemed to know each other, greeting one another with a smile and a warm handshake. But Taylor and his close knit group of friends sit alone at a table.

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Nordt said. “If they started running, I started running.”

BA ND OF BROTH ERS

One of the senior veterans turns in their direction.

“How do you all know each other?” He asks the four men, in what could only be his habitual, boisterous voice. Taylor turns to his friends and smiles. Growing up near the Beasley-Rosenberg city limit signs, it would be logical for one to believe that Taylor’s had two homes. It was routine to see Taylor and his best friend, Logan Lindemann, together nearly every day from the time that they were in elementary school all the way until their high school graduation day. Logan lived four streets away, and always seemed to be one of the more sociable people in school. This mixed well with Taylor, who in contrast was the quieter type. “I was always the younger one,” Taylor said. “I would get picked on after school, and Logan would always get involved when he needed to.” Taylor and Logan, and later with their other friends, Justin, Cameron and Phillip, always looked out for one another. It was in the sixth grade at George Junior High that this band of brothers formed. Each of the five in the group were different — Phillip was the more traditional type, Justin was into agriculture, Cameron always remained humble, Logan was known by almost everyone in school and the Taylor especially loved tennis and golf. What they all had in common with each other was the joy that they had shared when they were together. Not even graduation and the desire to begin a new chapter in their lives could separate the group.

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It wasn’t until the Future Soldiers, a U.S. Armed Forces program, whose camouflage uniforms decorated the Wharton County Junior College’s parking lot one day, caught Taylor’s attention. After this day, things would never be the same as they were. Taylor and a few other friends meandered to the intimidating recruiters. Out of curiosity, he began to ask a few questions. Before Taylor knew it, he was running through the Future Soldier’s training simulator, leading the platoon, with no causalities. The recruiters were impressed. The next was the shooting simulator. Taylor shot a perfect score—he had been shooting his entire life. With no more obstacles to run through, one recruiter bet Taylor that he could not do triangle push-ups. To their surprise, Taylor spread out in the shape of a triangle and his competitive drive kicked in.

“Of course, because of my sister and her Marines background, I could do them,” Taylor said. Two days later and against his sister’s better judgement, Taylor signed the papers to join the Army. Sporting a maroon beret, he would become an Airborne Ranger. Like all the times that he would make the same drive after school growing up, Taylor immediately drove to Logan’s house to deliver the exciting news to him.

“We did everything together,” Logan said. “So when Taylor joined, I thought to myself that I couldn’t let him get hurt by himself. So I went the next day and signed my papers.” The guys decided they were all going to the army together. Within a week, all five of the best friends were enlisted in the military. Taylor was able to only make one phone call during basic training— when he got off the bus, to let his family know that he had arrived safely. With one rucksack on his back and another stacked on top of a duffle bag in front, Taylor was wished good luck as he stepped off the bus into the first hours of basic training. He was alone. Taylor and his four friends had been sent to different locations. For weeks, he and his other fellow soldiers endured the worst. They stood together in a room for days at a time, learning how to sleep standing up. With a drill sergeant for every soldier at times, the trainees ran countless laps, with a yelling drill sergeant running alongside of them.

“Mentally, they constantly break you down so much to the point where you think that it’s never going to end,” Taylor said. By the time that he finished, Taylor was built back up stronger, becoming the soldier that he is today. Without the security of his friends, Taylor developed the skills to lead soldiers. Almost as important, he obtained the understanding of when to follow instead. “You have to be able to follow, but you also have to learn how to lead from the front,” Taylor said. “This means

that if I am leading, I also get my hands dirty, in order to get things done.”

After basic training, the group’s bond was put to a further test when they all were sent to be stationed throughout the world. Whether it was the shores of South Korea, the warm weather of Italy or working inside the walls of Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, not one of the five friends was close to one another any longer. “The first time I was on that ferry to Cuba was during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake,” Justin Osborn said. “The waves were coming in extremely strong, but I thought the water was some of the prettiest I’d seen.” The five friends tried to see each other when they could. Each time one would come home, only one or two other men in the group would also be home at the same time. It would not be until years later, in 2013, that all five of the best friends would reunite and see each other again.

Reconnaissance & Heavy Weapons Expert Cameron Macha

“We kind of just started over like we were back in high school,” Cameron Macha said. While their friendship might have not changed much, the same cannot be said for other aspects of their lives. Returning to Rosenberg had been an adjustment for some more than others in the group, but what was clear was that things might not ever be the way they were for the group prior to being deployed.

Taylor answered the well-seasoned veteran’s question, simply replying and telling the story of how they all had had entered the Army together and were able to reunite much later.

Tactical Communications & Signal Support Specialist Phillip Crume

Justin Osborn & His Team Preparing to Snatch & Grab Unruly Inmates Inciting a Riot

“Now that’s the way it should be,” the elder veteran exclaimed to the entire room. Taylor turned to face his friends again. The room suddenly began applauding. For the five friends, some of who might have been pretty rowdy in their younger years, being commended together by so many well-seasoned veterans and members of their community was something special. Still, being in the Army was not about saving or improving themselves. It was so that the people that surrounded them would feel safe at home. And for that, they needed no applause. v

Combat Engineer & Explosives Specialist Logan Lindemann

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“I would say that people don’t understand how we veterans depict daily life,” Taylor said. “I walk into a supermarket and look to see how many exits are in the building. I live each day like it’s my last.”

WI LD A BOUT TEXA S

WILD ABOUT TEXAS

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WRITTEN BY AMBER LEUNG - Coastal Prairie Chapter President CJ McDANIEL - Coastal Prairie Chapter Training Director PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBER LEUNG

hether you’re a native, moved here a long time ago or very recently, you have likely heard the expression, “everything is bigger in Texas!” In many ways, it’s true. From Oklahoma to the Mexican border it is 801 miles and east to west the state spans 773 miles. With over 268,000 square miles of land and an ever-increasing population upwards of 27 million residents, Texas is the largest state in the continental U.S. and the secondmost populous. So what, you might ask? Thanks to the vastness of Texas, many of us may not realize that it is one of the most ecologically-diverse states in the country with 10 distinct climatic regions. These support more than 180 species of mammals, 645 birds, thousands of varieties of plants, and tens-of-thousands of invertebrates.

With all these plants and animals, Texas has always been a great place of discovery for naturalists. The first European naturalists to arrive studied and cataloged the new species for those who followed. For the settlers and their descendants, a desire to understand the interactions between nature and agriculture grew into formal disciplines of higher learning.

“To be whole. To be complete. Nature reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.” - Terry Tempest Williams -

What does that mean exactly? Perhaps it means the opportunities for a Texas Master Naturalist (or TMN) to serve their community are only limited by their imagination, time, and energy. Some TMN choose to specialize their knowledge in specific disciplines such as plants, insects, birds. Some enjoy giving public outreach presentations to adults and children, while others prefer the peace and solitude of habitat restoration. Usually, they will serve in a combination of ways. The Texas Master Naturalist Program is jointly sponsored by the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. From its inception in 1997, it has grown to 46 chapters and more than 9,600 volunteers. While final tallies for 2016 are not yet complete, in 2015 Texas Master Naturalist volunteers contributed nearly half a million volunteer service hours with a value close to $10 million to the state. There were 2,594 acres of land conserved or impacted including 68 miles of new trails. Chapters throughout the state hosted 4,144 events reaching more than 169,000 youth and adults. The local Coastal Prairie Chapter serves Fort Bend

and Waller Counties and has more than 100 dedicated volunteers. Why the coastal prairie? That is the name of the habitat that historically existed right under our feet here. It is a type of tall-grass prairie that extended along the Texas and Louisiana coasts from Corpus Christi to Lafayette. One could call it critically endangered today, because less than one-tenth of one percent of that habitat still exists relatively undisturbed. The other 99.9 percent of the land went the way of agriculture and development long ago.

Seabourne Creek Nature Park Twenty-Year Vision, One Day at a Time Back in 2009, the city of Rosenberg partnered with the Coastal Prairie Chapter to utilize the volunteers’ depth and breadth of skills to help the city improve the 164-acre park for residents and visitors alike. A long-term plan was carefully designed that included the building of wetlands habitats, restoration of a 20-acre area to its former native prairie condition and the beautification of the park with a butterfly garden, prairie demonstration garden, and the addition of hundreds of native trees. The gardens and native prairie are in continual states of change and improvement, new additions to the park include the creation of a native edible and medicinal

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The Texas Master Naturalist Program’s mission is “to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their local communities for the State of Texas.”

ride around in horse-drawn wagons, get hands-on with caterpillars and butterflies, watch as thread is spun and fabric emerges from a loom, hold a reptile and even learn and sample some of the wild edible plants growing in the park. Visitors can also take home a variety of native plants for their own butterfly gardens and pocket prairies.

WI LD A BOUT TEXA S

Butterfly Gardens Big Help for Small Flyers TMN volunteers Gerald Trenta, Sal Cardenas, and Roger Hathorn setting fenceposts for hog proof fence in the Seabourne Park demo garden.

plants area and rustic cedar fencing surrounding the two gardens. The cedar fences are an attractive addition born out of a necessity to protect the investments of time and money in the gardens. With the torrential rains and flooding of last summer came a greater influx of feral hogs into the park. Previously, the much-loathed animals had been happy to root trenches along the trails and in the prairie, but this time they developed an affinity for the volunteer-tended garden areas. When they returned time after time to destroy borders, uproot plants, and damage irrigation systems, the Coastal Prairie Chapter was forced to the conclusion that trapping efforts alone would not halt the onslaught. Construction on special garden fences was completed early 2017. With the new rustic aesthetics, there is a growing excitement that this year will be prove to be the most beautiful since the gardensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inception.

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Feral hogs still roam the area and their numbers are on the rise statewide, despite residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; best efforts at trapping and hunting. They are bright, wary, and will learn to avoid traps when given the chance to escape. Feral hogs reproduce so quickly, in fact, that 70% of their population must be removed annually just to keep their numbers from growing. More research and many combined approaches will likely be necessary to achieve large-scale control over this particularly-destructive invasive species.

Roger Hathorn, Diane Shelton, and Linda Rippert prepare to re-plant the butterfly garden.

Every year on the first Saturday in November, Seabourne Creek Nature Park hosts the Prairie Heritage Festival. This is a day set aside to allow residents and visitors to learn about life on the coastal prairie during the 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The event is free and historical costumes are highly encouraged. It is a great way for visitors to envision early Texas life and receive a big dose of nature as they

Butterfly gardens are rapidly growing in popularity and are a great way to beautify homes and public spaces with wild blooms and colorful wings. Members of TMN have helped build butterfly gardens throughout Fort Bend County, including one of the primary features at Seabourne Creek Nature Park. The basic building blocks of a butterfly garden are host plants and nectar plants. Host plants are the preferred food source for caterpillars. Common host plants include milkweed for monarchs and queens and passionflower vine for gulf fritillaries and zebra longwings. Once these caterpillars complete their first life-stage and emerge as butterflies, however, they will need nectar sources. Lure them to your garden providing sustaining blooms. Blue and white mistflowers, purple coneflower, lantana, and coral honeysuckle are excellent native options to attract and feed the adults.

TMN working to protect endangered Monarch butterfly migration.

These gardens are a delight for observers but they also play an important conservation role. Texas is a critical habitat in the endangered migration of monarch butterflies because it is situated between the principal breeding grounds in the north and the overwintering areas in Mexico. Monarchs funnel South through Texas in the fall, with our region in the center of the flyway. The land has changed drastically over the last few hundred years. The future of the monarch migration is uncertain but we are hopeful it can be preserved by bringing back the flora that sustains it.

Birds of Many Colors Birding, sometimes called birdwatching, is the recreational observation of birds. As mentioned before, Texas is an extraordinary place to be a birder with 645 resident, migrant, and incidental species. It would likely not come as a surprise to anyone reading this article that

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natural fires helped to maintain the prairie boundaries by clearing invading trees and shrubs and thinning the fastgrowing grasses, thereby allowing greater plant species diversity. Fires also return nutrients to the soil and make them available for the new growth that many types of wildlife (including popular game species) depend upon. “Only you can prevent forest fires,” as the bear said. This is what many of us grew up hearing. In recent times, people developed the technology and means to adopt a policy of large scale fire suppression for the protection of life, property, and livestock. Sometimes this policy was also applied in a misguided attempt at conservation. To replicate those old natural conditions, TMN volunteers assist trained Texas Parks and Wildlife personnel to conduct prescribed burns on private property. Burns are conducted only under very specific wind and humidity conditions and are carefully controlled and monitored. Trained volunteers roam the perimeters to ensure no flames escape.

WI LD A BOUT TEXA S

The critically endangered Attwater’s Prairie Chicken. On the brink of extinction due to the loss of native prairie habitat and the spread of invasive species.

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many Master Naturalists are avid birders. Readers might be surprised, however, that birders have documented nearly 200 distinct species just in Seabourne Creek Nature Park. On the first Wednesday morning of most months (usually excluding mid-winter and mid-summer), the public is invited to join a Monthly Bird Hike in the park led by local experts. Many people don’t realize the surprising beauty and vivid colored plumage that are sometimes hiding in plain sight, such as the brilliant painted bunting. Far from a selfish hobby, birding checklists can contribute valuable scientific data to individual landowners, the state, and the world. On the most local of scales, TMN volunteers form survey teams to help local landowners understand their own species diversity and as an aid for their 1-D-1 Wildlife Management Plan. Citizens can be scientists when bird lists are uploaded to the eBird.org database. This is an online, publicly-accessible database created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It is crowdsourced science on a grand scale, providing population and migration data that professional ornithologists could never have imagined possible 20 years ago. Volunteers also help with the state’s effort to study white-winged doves through an annual dove banding effort. Basic statistics on each bird are recorded and an individually numbered band is affixed to a leg before they are released. When a banded bird is found, the location, age and date help improve understanding of the movements, population numbers, and harvest statistics for this popular game bird.

TMN volunteers assist trained Texas Parks & Wildlife personnel to conduct prescribed burns.

Each spring, the Coastal Prairie Chapter offers training to become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist. This 12-week course provides opportunities to see and explore some of the nearby Texas Parks as well as have experienced biologists, botanists, environmentalists and other specialty field experts provide hands on training in many areas of interest. There are 24 individual specialty training components that when completed provide new members a comprehensive overview of the critical areas of concern for Master Naturalists throughout the state. Should you have interest in these classes, the office is located in Rosenberg in the Texas AgriLife Extension office on Band Road. v

To learn more about

THE Texas Master Naturalist Program and the Coastal Prairie Chapter

A Prescription for Fire

visit - http://txmn.org/coastal

A part of returning natural prairie or farmland to its best condition is through burning. Hundreds of years ago,

Events & activities open to the public are always listed on the chapter calendar.

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I Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TECH NICA L

It’s Technical

TSTC’s Approach to Matching Training with Jobs WRITTEN BY JEREMY HEATH, Assistant Director of Economic Development, Rosenberg PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

ince January of 2015, Randy Wooten and John Kennedy have collectively been the faces of Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Fort Bend County. From earning the political capital necessary to secure the public and private sector funding that moved the project forward, to participating in the site selection process, to educating the public and marketing the brand, to overseeing construction, to managing the campus, Wooten and Kennedy have remained the rocksolid, go-to guys for everything at the new Texas State Technical College Fort Bend Campus.

campus of Texas A&M to an independent, statewide, multi-campus operation with its own board of regents. The Fort Bend Campus is the ninth permanent campus in the system, and the 260 students that registered for the fall semester exceeded even the highest of expectations system-wide, Wooten said.

Community

Support Wooten, a 29-year US Air Force Veteran who now serves as Vice Chancellor, said it helped that TSTC already had established regional brand equity through the extension campus it formerly shared with Wharton County Junior College in Richmond, but that the biggest key was support. Not only did community leaders throughout Fort Bend County invite Wooten and Kennedy to spread the message at various meetings and events, but many who received the message were quick to share it themselves.

John Kennedy

The duo’s short-term goals and primary objectives have shifted constantly to match up with where they are in the development of the campus. But now that they have had a full semester of overseeing the education of students on campus under their belts, they’ve been able to direct more of their focus to the TSTC System’s primary goal of preparing students for and placing them within the workforce.

Building on

Success

- One Phase at a Time As of February of 2017, the phase one building has been operational since the fall of 2016 and boasts about 300 students for the spring semester. The phase two building’s construction is well underway and should be operational in the fall of this year. When fully built out, the 80-acre campus on I-69 between FM 2218 and State Highway 36 in Rosenberg will feature at least five buildings and could accommodate more than 5,000 students, making it comparable to TSTC’s flagship campus in Waco. The TSTC System celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. In those 50 years, the system has grown from and extension

Performance Based

Funding Wooten said those who heard the message were impressed with the scope of the project and the projected regional financial impact that results from an increase in local workforce education. However, the real eyebrowraiser was a key aspect of TSTC’s funding formula, known as the Return Value Funding Formula. In a nutshell, TSTC campuses earn their state funding based on their ability to secure jobs for graduates and certificate holders. Each campus has a direct value-added score based on the incremental state tax revenue attributable to former TSTC students’ jobs. “When that topic (the funding formula) comes up, and we give a brief explanation of it, that’s when I get the most non-verbal reactions from the audience,” Wooten said. “You can see the eyebrows go up, watch them nod, watch their mouths open. You can see the literal surprise on their faces and watch the wheels turn. And when I get my message back to the folks at the home

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Randy Wooten

“In the two years or so since I’ve been in Fort Bend County, I’ve probably given about 50 different presentations – sometimes more than one a day, sometimes one or two a week,” Wooten said. “It just kind of depends on what’s going on and who the audiences were, but in that time, we’ve never said, ‘No,’ to someone who wanted to hear about TSTC.”

I T’S TECH NICA L

base in Waco, it’s that the funding formula that seems to be the biggest most interesting thing about TSTC – across the board. It resonates with every single person in the audience.” The funding formula not only ensures a strong return on investment for students by increasing the chance of them gaining employment upon graduation, it also ensures taxpayers a similar return. “One of the things we’ve always said, is that if you’re a taxpayer – and in one way or another we’re all taxpayers – you’ve got to love this. Tell me any other education institution, governmental institution, state, county, federal that looks at you and says, ‘You’re going to end up giving me some money, but I don’t want your money unless I deliver what I say I’m going to deliver to you. If I’m not 100 percent accountable and deliver what I’m supposed to deliver, you don’t owe me anything.’ It’s 100 percent funded by performance, accountability or results. Nobody else is telling people that, but people are hungry for that. I don’t care what your political persuasion, this formula is based on I-earn-my-keep, and I think people want more of that out of the institutions whose job is to serve them.”

New Guaranteed Programs Planned

If a student who earns an associate’s degree in an MBG program and participates in the Get-a-Job Program doesn’t have a job in six months, his or her tuition is reimbursed.

- Students in TSTC’s Industrial Maintenance Program -

“From a recruiting standpoint it’s a little different because if I have someone who asks about the funding formula, I reach out and I say, give me your hand. And I grab their hand, and I say, ‘I am a partner with you. I have as much invested in your success as you do. If you’re not successful, I don’t get paid.’” Wooten Said. “So from a recruiting standpoint, I let them know my mission is to get good paying jobs for my students.”

Better

Training

for a Better Life

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- TSTC’s Industrial Maintenance Classroom -

In the fall of 2016, TSTC started another system-wide program to ensure its focus remains on putting its graduates into the workforce, a program affectionately known as MBG – Money Back Guarantee. The MBG applies to programs such as Diesel Equipment (Heavy Truck, John Deere Construction & Forestry and OffHighway), Electrical Lineworker, Electrical Power & Controls, Instrumentation and Welding, all programs that are either currently offered or might be offered at the Fort Bend Campus in the future. Since the crux of TSTC’s mission is to prepare and place highly skilled students in the workforce, students in MBG approved programs are also eligible for the ‘Get-aJob Program’, which teaches students how to find and secure high-paying jobs within their areas of training.

The Fort Bend campus currently offers degrees or certificates in HVAC Technology, Diesel Equipment Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Precision Machining Technology, Cyber Security, Telecommunications Convergence Technology and Welding Technology. When the second building opens in the fall, added courses will include Electrical Lineworker Technology, Robotics/Industrial Automation Technology, Electrical Power & Controls Technology and Environmental Technology - Compliance Specialization. “If someone asks me why we’ve chosen these specific programs, the seven current and about to be eleven programs,” Wooten said, “They’ll ask what makes us come up with that determination, and I tell them it’s demand and earning ability. For example, and this is a far-reaching example, but I’m not going to put snowremoval equipment repair in Fort Bend County, on the Gulf Coast of Texas. We want our graduates to get great-paying jobs near where they live, so we do a lot of investigation, a lot of research up front before we make those determinations.” It’s that research that establishes the foundation for TSTC’s entire educational model. It goes beyond

preparing students for jobs. It’s about preparing them for the types of in-demand jobs that will afford them opportunities to get ahead in life. “I’ve heard Randy say this a thousand times: we provide the pathway to the American Dream.” said Kennedy, TSTC’s Field Development Officer.

we’ve said we can do. And that is to provide a very well-trained workforce that can contribute to Fort Bend County. It’s been incredible to say the least, the amount of support Fort Bend County has given us.”

Wooten agrees. “As I listen to John’s answer, and everything he said is correct, I’m thinking, ‘What more could we have asked for from a community that this community has not given us,” Wooten said. “And there’s nothing.”

Satisfaction in a Job Well Done

“It’s a pretty simple formula: We train them well, and they go out and into the workforce make our region a better place to live…”

Local and State

Support Kennedy, like Wooten, has maintained a high level of visibility in Fort Bend County for the past 24 months, building support for the brand and establishing partnerships to help the long-term viability of the Fort Bend Campus. Financial incentives from groups such as the Rosenberg Development Corporation, the Development Corporation of Richmond, Fort Bend County, the George Foundation and the Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation helped launch the project. Overwhelming support from local elected officials and state representatives helped push House Bill 658 through the state legislature in 2015. The bill allowed for the expansion of the then extension program to a full campus.

“We want to get the students jobs, and we want them to be goodpaying jobs,” Wooten said. “We want them to have the kinds of jobs where they can afford to get married, to buy a big truck, buy a house or raise their kids – to realize their dreams. The reason they work is to earn a living wage, and we allow people who never could have had the dream of earning a living wage to do just that.” In helping people find more satisfaction in their lives, Wooten finds more satisfaction in his own. “I believe the vast majority of people want to do something that gives them self-satisfaction. And my self-satisfaction derives from being a part of something bigger than me. Something, that makes a difference.” v 26706 Southwest Fwy Rosenberg, TX 77471 832-595-8734 www.tstc.edu

“The community has been extremely supportive,” Kennedy said. “There has not been one obstacle that has not been overcome. Now, we very much look forward to continue to prove that we can do what

TSTC Through the Years 1965

1967

1969

1991

TODAY

James Connally Technical Institute in Waco - as an extension of Texas A&M

JCTI South Texas Campus built in Harlingen

JCTI left the TAMU System, renamed Texas State Technical Institute

The System took on its current name of Texas State Technical College

The Fort Bend Campus is the ninth permanent campus in the system

FOUNDED

EXPANDED

SEPARATED

RENAMED

STILL GROWING

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- TSTC’s Precision Machining Laboratory -

Ultimately the impact of the TSTC Fort Bend Campus - and the journey taken to make it a reality - goes well beyond funding formulas, public-private partnerships, political capital and marketing. The impact is immeasurable, because there are not units of measurement capable of gauging the improvements education can make in people’s lives, and Wooten never loses sight of that.

BUILDING A LANDMARK

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WRITTEN BY SHARON WALLINGFORD PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

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ou may not know you can experience the taste and flair of the Orient without having to fly thousands of miles. Elaine Yang and her staff at Hunan Garden always present her culinary skills at their best and have done so for more than a quarter of a century. A vivacious hostess determined to please her diners, Yang has delivered her more than 30 Asian family dishes to tables and taste buds who visit from across Fort Bend county and the southeast region. You know you have arrived at her doorstep when you enter the plaza located at 4601 Avenue H in Rosenberg and are greeted by the Dragon Fountain. Step through the golden door in the center and be seated to enjoy a charming and relaxing event achieved with food, decor and pampering. The decor of bamboo, guilded gold and twinkling lights, includes a large mural depicting the ancient Orient community lifestyle and a room dividing window designed by her brother and built by her late father. The enrichment continues as voices enter and fill the room. Yang and her two brothers selected the site in 1984 and it has remained at the same location for more than four generations. They established a second site

in Kingwood. Many of her loyal customers include Mike and Cindy Newlin, the late Houston Oilers Head Coach Bum Phillips and his family members, Southwest Airlines pilots, and Houston notables. Frequent business people and elected officials join the local residents; including Del Webb community members and other master planned communities for lunch and dinner. “I see 2017 as an exciting year for us,” says Yang. She and the staff begin each year with a Spring festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year and they continue to open 364 days a year, including Christmas and New Year. The restaurant closes for Thanksgiving. “The three of us, my brothers Peter and Paul, and myself, came from a small community in Taiwan,” says Yang, describing how they came to select Rosenberg. “It was Peter, an architect, who loved Fort Bend’s history and the layout of the community. Today, Yang is the sole owner, but there are things that have never changed: the friendliness, fresh ingredients, and the flavor and presentation. These have brought four generations of clients returning for more. Many new diners find us through the Internet. Yang, and her staff, enjoy sharing stories about the history of their dishes and encourage them to experiment with the menu. “Hunan Garden still has the best Chinese food you will ever eat,” touts former Rockets star Mike Newlin who, with his wife Cindy, frequents the restaurant often, bringing many of their friends.

Victoria, and Katy and Freeport, or other locations along the Gulf Coast. Yang, who understands businesses well, is aware of the ups and downs of business and family systems. She survived, like others, the 2000 economy crash which converted business growth to the Southwest Freeway (US 59/ I-69) as she maintained a family lifestyle at home as a single head of household and a life support when it came time to extend care to her parents and family members. “Elaine does so much for the community we cannot afford to lose her,” quips Cindy Newlin, who has shared some of her interior design secrets with Yang. She is very loyal to her customers, and greets them often by name as she and the staff recall their favorite entrees. Each table is personally checked. As Yang enjoys her hosting duties, her loyal staff attends to the soft music, napkins and table cloths on their checklist. Hunan Garden often caters parties to as many as 75 attendees.

“God has enriched my life by placing me here,” chimes Yang, claiming she is still passionate to do more. And, by all means, don’t forget your Fortune cookie. v

“I insist on fresh ingredients and a pleasing presentation that includes great taste and color to enhance each dish served. I am proud to introduce our authentic cruisine to all the people who come.” Yang, a former nurse, is aware of health concerns and so she insists on fresh—not frozen, ingredients that do not have additives. This makes her food consistently the highest quality.

“We often tell our diners food is best when it is shared.” Restaurants are no different than other small businesses. Over the years, as the region has grown, the Hunan Garden location has served as the halfway point for business people who wish to meet between Houston and

A DAY I N TH E LI FE

Fire Department

A Day in the Life

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WRITTEN BY JENNY PAVLOVICH, PHOTGRAPHY BY LORENZO LERMA & JENNY PAVLOVICH

easoned chorizo found its way into my nose, making my stomach growl despite the microwaveable breakfast sandwich I’d inhaled as I made my way through morning traffic to Rosenberg’s Fire Station Number One. Aptly named since it is the first station built in Rosenberg, I climbed the stairs of the historic-looking building where I was greeted by Captain Jason Johns and Senior Firefighters Blain Rogers and Corey Harrison—and of course, the heavenly smell of home-made breakfast tacos.

I decided not to tell them that sometimes I also sleep all day since I had never in my recollection been awake for days at a time saving lives.

“Our first morning at the beginning of each shift we check every piece of equipment on the truck,” Rogers announced as we made our way through the giant garage where the firetruck was housed along with a rescue boat, and some firefighting gear. He began opening doors and compartments I never would have known existed on the truck

They invited us to have a cup of coffee and tortilla full of chorizo, explaining that they like to grocery shop at several local spots to save money and get more mileage out of their meals. They sat together around a cozy looking table just outside the kitchen in a large room that had a TV and some rather comfortable looking chairs. I figured this was where everyone relaxed in between calls to the station and frankly, it wasn’t such a bad way to start the day; I told Captain Johns as much.

“Oh, we’ve been up for hours,” he said with a smile, starting on his second cup of coffee. I glanced down at my watch and found the time still shy of 8:00 a.m.

“We work a 48-hour shift,” Johns added. “48 hours on and 96 off starting at 7:00 a.m., typically, and ending at 7:00 a.m. two days later.” Of course, everyone knows that an emergency can happen at any time. This particular day, for example, the team was up and responding to a call well before their alarm clocks went off. I figured it would probably take a fire to get me out of bed before my alarm too.

“Sometimes we are awake the whole shift,” Harrison told me. The whole shift… that’s 48 hours right? Two days? I didn’t even realize it was possible to stay awake for two whole days. As we were talking, I hadn’t even noticed that the dishes had been cleared and cleaned and now we were ready to head downstairs to check out the massive firetruck. “Well, even when we do get to sleep, there’s a good chance it will be broken sleep,” Rogers pointed out as we descended the stairs and past an impressive hand-crafted wooden wall of hooks put together and stained by one of the firefighters, adding a personal touch to the space. “We sleep with one eye open. Even when I get home, my wife likes to give me a little space on that first day back. She knows I can be a little grouchy. Sometimes I sleep all day.”

“There are over 280 pieces of equipment that we look over and sign off on every single day in order to make sure that the trucks are ready and in good working order.” Rogers opened each compartment so we could take a look at the incredible amount of equipment that they needed in order to be prepared for any scenario. There were axes and cutting tools, duffle bags full of tools and gadgets, the always intimidating “jaws of life”, a wall of gauges and meters, and of course, extra air packs. “Air packs are also checked daily,” Rogers said pulling an SBCA (self-contained breathing apparatus) out to explain how they work. He pointed to a small translucent box on the side of the pack. “This is the T-PASS,” he said. “If ever you stop moving for an extended period of time, it will start to beep to warn you to let it know you are okay. If you don’t move after that, it will assume you are trapped, or something like that, and go into full alarm. It will update on the computer and the battalion’s ride and let them know that one of your firefighters is down. That’s why you might see a firefighter wiggle around when he’s outside; we call it the firefighter shuffle. It keeps their alarm from activating.” He pointed out another gauge that did the same thing so that each pack had a back-up alert system. Up to this point, my visit to the fire station had been pretty fun. I got to see the guys relaxed and joking around, and it felt like they had let me in on some big secret when I got to take such a close look at the truck—but now, the reality of a firefighter’s job was really starting to set in.

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“We’ve already been out on a call today and back,” Harrison added. “But now it’s time for breakfast!” He got up to pour another cup of coffee as Captain Johns shook his head at the Senior Firefighters who spoiled their black coffee with flavored creamers.

A DAY I N TH E LI FE

Of course, I knew how they put themselves in danger every day, but actually seeing the equipment and hearing about how it worked from an actual firefighter put a face on a job that not many of us would line up to do. The air packs also keep measure of how much air is left in the tanks. The truck has extra air tanks and the pack also has, what’s called a “buddy-line.” This allows firefighters to, in essence, share their air by equalizing their tanks. The packs will beep letting the firefighter know when it is time to change out their tank.

Rogers nodded in agreement. “At fires the temperatures inside our gear can reach over 160 degrees while we’re working, so your body is over heated, you’re having to suck your air through a regulator so it’s harder to catch your breath than normal, all while you’re basically doing an intense workout and your adrenaline is going. That is why most firemen die from heart attacks and not actually fire. If you see a fireman standing around, he was probably told to rest after a lot of hard work.”

“Air tanks are rated to have about 45 minutes worth of air in them,” Rogers said as he returned the air pack to its rightful place tucked into the seat for easy access on the ride to a call. “Guys typically last 20-30 minutes, but I have seen a guy go through a tank in only 11 minutes.” We continued walking around the truck, looking at various equipment. Some of it was self-explanatory, like the giant axes, or the multitude of ladders in all shapes and sizes, but some of it was unique to the field of emergency services. The Blitz Fire, for example, is set up to protect nearby buildings from spreading fire by creating a water curtain. The Holmatro is a contraption that contains the Jaws of Life and is used for extricating victims from motor vehicle accidents, or as the firemen say, MVAs.

Blain Rogers

Firefighters will go in to a structure fire for about 20-30 minutes at a time and then exit the building only to prepare themselves to go in a second time. The time outside the fire is referred to as “rehab.” “After finishing two bottles at 20-25 minutes each, you have to recharge,” Harrison said. “You rehab. You hydrate. You breathe air. At this point, your heartrate and blood pressure are way up. This is when a fresh crew goes in.” I looked back down at the RIT bag that Rogers was putting away and asked if that was the RIT team that went in as the fresh crew. Rogers shook his head. “No, the RIT team is there in case of an emergency for the crew inside. Your job on the RIT team is not to exert yourself. You’re preparing to save a life.”

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(L-R) Blain Rogers and Corey Harrison “This is our RIT bag,” Rogers continued. “It stands for Rapid Intervention Team and it is considered the last line of defense for the firefighters who are in a burning structure.” He opened the large, heavy-looking duffle bag and explained that it contained extra equipment like air and masks in order to replace compromised gear. “The mask is the weakest part of our gear,” Rogers said. “If it melts, a firefighter is in imminent danger.” Looking at the masks, it was hard to envision them in a fire where, Harrison told us, it could be between 600 and 1200 degrees. “When you go into a fire, you’re wearing 70 extra pounds of gear and equipment,” Harrison said. “You’re breathing hard before you even get to the fire.”

Rope lines with a series of knots and rings guide members of the RIT team in their efforts to search for and rescue a crew member in danger. The rope helps them to find their way in and out of an environment black with smoke and difficult to see, allowing them to follow the path out and know how far they have gone into the structure. “Ideally you would have four people on a RIT team,” Harrison said. “We usually try to have at least two or three. It can take 12 people to save one firefighter.” Before I had a chance to let that sink in, everyone’s radio went off and the whole Fire Station One crew was loading into the truck before I had a chance to figure out an emergency call had just come in. “If it’s a fire, we get dressed outside the truck,” Rogers said, pointing out quickly where they had even more

gear inside the truck. “On the way to the call we put on the air packs. This is a medical call and we get more of those than actual structure fires.”

I climbed into the seat behind Rogers, who was the driver, and he shot me a look that suggested everyone was waiting on me. “What?” I asked. “Seatbelt!” everyone chorused. To think, I’d almost forgotten. With that important safety concern out of the way, we were off with full lights and sirens, maneuvering through the streets to a life alert call. Just like Rogers said, last minute gear was adjusted en route and I was handed a pair of safety glasses to put on. On the scene we met with Fort Bend County EMS and the emergency crews quickly ascertained that the victim was okay, but not before a brief struggle to get into the house. After all that action, I figured we would go back to the station and sit in some of those comfy looking chairs. Maybe even put our feet up. But this crew has a jampacked schedule. We only spent a moment back at the station where everyone changed into blue, button-down shirts that are for any time you’re not on a call, but not at the station. Then, Harrison loaded the back seat with two large coolers. “Every day, we deliver Meals on Wheels to Rosenberg citizens,” Harrison said as Rogers turned up the volume on his favorite Fleetwood Mac song. “After this, we will head back to the station and start on our reports for the call we just went out on.”

of seeing a fireman in full gear. It teaches kids not to hide from firefighters or to be afraid.” Community outreach is very important to the Rosenberg Fire Department. They attend events like National Night Out and host Fire Department Open Houses. They even install smoke detectors with the American Red Cross. “One of our favorite initiatives is called Operation Baby Safe,” Rogers said. “Parents of babies born in Rosenberg hospitals can sign up to have smoke detectors installed and get trained on proper usage.” Even with all these positive and uplifting ways that the fire department makes a difference in their community, I couldn’t help but wonder what made Harrison and Rogers want to become firefighters—a job where you put your life on the line every day. There definitely wasn’t much downtime. And it takes an incredible amount of courage and physical strength.

“I couldn’t see myself sitting behind a desk,” Harrison said. “I’m a firefighter because I get to help people. And I like staying active.” Rogers agreed with a laugh. “I think the main reason we all do it because we want to help people, and I guess I’m a bit of a thrill seeker too. I like that there is always something different happening and that we’re expected to be a Jack of all Trades.”

Rosenberg firefighters attend a training session. In between calls, Johns, Rogers, and Harrison checked and inventoried all the station equipment, attended hazardous railroad safety training with BNSF, and met with a group of elementary school kids, talking to them about fire safety.

“Talking to kids at school is something that we do on a regular basis,” Rogers said. “Almost every shift we go talk to kids somewhere, not only about fire safety, but so we can prevent them from being scared

I thought to myself, “I could never be a firefighter.” Rogers shook his head in thought. “I couldn’t do anything else.” v

ROSENBERG

Fire Department (832) 595-3600

4336 Hwy 36 S. • Rosenberg, TX 77471 www.ci.rosenberg.tx.us

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Rail fans rejoiced at the up close look of the Santa Fe War Bonnet.

WRITTEN BY THE ROSENBERG RAILROAD MUSEUM PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

Whistle Stop THE Rosenberg Railroad Museum is F u n f o r t h e W h o l e Fa m i ly

“Clang, clang!” T

he Rosenberg Railroad Museum’s railroad bell is a favorite of Museum patrons both young and old. Nestled up against three active train lines in downtown Historic Rosenberg, the Museum is a hidden gem within city limits.

Starting with a dream 25 years ago, the Rosenberg Railroad Museum had over 20,000 visitors come through last year to learn more about Fort Bend County and the county’s rich railroad heritage. Senator Lois Kolkhorst and museum supporters in front of the Quebec, a fully restored 1879 passenger car.

to a central dispatch in 2003. Visitors can operate the interlocker (an electro-mechanical machine), pull the levers just as the tower operators did and operate actual semaphore signals during their visit. In addition, the Museum has amassed an interesting collection of artifacts housed in the Museum’s replica, Union Depot gallery. Visitors can also learn about the original Rosenberg Harvey House restaurant that paved the way for today’s fast food restaurants and about the women that help settle the West. The brightly painted “Quebec” is a fully restored passenger rail car from 1879 that transports visitors to a bygone era and a favorite back drop of local photographers, looking for a “vintage” feel. The Museum’s rustic MoPac caboose is currently going through a restoration with the Museum asking for help through its #saveourcaboose campaign. Both the young and young at heart squeal with delight as they watch the Museum’s outdoor “G” gauge

The original Rosenberg Tower 17. It was the last operational interlocking tower in Texas.

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Dedicated to preservation and education, the non-profit Museum is home to the original Rosenberg interlocking tower, Tower 17, and the last working interlocker in Texas. Moved from its original location a quarter mile down the tracks, Tower 17 has recently been lovingly restored and preserved for future generations so that they may learn how rail traffic was controlled by the interlocker and its operators prior to operations being relocated

(1:29 scale) railroad come to life. When completed, this garden layout will be a representation of the Rosenberg and Richmond area, complete with working Brazos River and miniature favorites of local landmarks and businesses. The Museum partnered with the Houston Area “G” Gaugers (HAGG) for this project and the club hosts a “run” day every fourth Sunday (weather permitting) in which club members bring out trains from their extensive collections for public viewing.

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Children and adults are fascinated by the trains at the museum.

The Museum also has three popular annual festivals: RailFest in April, Fall Fun Fest in September and WinterFest in January. (rosenbergRRmuseum.org for more information) These festival fundraisers are an area favorite with many rail fans coming year after year from all over Houston. Festival patron Lee Gaston stated “It was so cool watching the kids be amazed by the little trains and wave in excitement at the real engines that came through blowing their whistles and waving at the children.”

Musical group plays live at the RailFest.

In addition, the Museum has extensive educational programming for kids to participate in. Classes range from the Preschool level with the Wig Wag Learning Series, to model railroad camps, to Boy Scout merit badge classes and home school classes for all ages. The Museum is committed to making it fun to learn about history and STEM concepts.

So, no matter if you are new to the area, just passing through or a long-time resident of Fort Bend County, the Rosenberg Railroad Museum invites you to come take a closer look.

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At Fall Fun Fest, crowds saw a Santa Fe War Bonnet pass by and stop briefly at RRM.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit the Museum’s website at

rosenbergRRmuseum.org HOURS OF OPERATION: 10am-5pm Wednesday-Saturday 1-5pm on Sundays

According to the Museum’s executive director, Ratha Liladrie “ Whether a rail fan, history buff or a novice at both, the Rosenberg Railroad Museum has something for everyone and our awesome docents will make learning fun for the whole family.” v

OCUS OFT ® ’S RECI PE FOR S UCCES S

OCuSOFT ’s ®

R E C I P E

F O R

S U C C E S S

Building Their Brand in Rosenberg WRITTEN BY STACEY GOOTEE PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

CuSOFT®’s story and success is literally the stuff of the American dream. In 1986, Cynthia Barratt, President/CEO, and Nat Adkins Jr., Chairman, founded CYNACON as a research, development and funding company for ophthalmic products. Shortly thereafter, a second company, OCuSOFT Inc., was formed to market over-the-counter ophthalmic products. However, OCuSOFT® needed to come up with an innovative product. They developed their very first commercial eyelid cleanser.

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This became a breakthrough in the eye care industry and remains the #1 Doctor Recommended Brand of Eyelid Cleanser on the market. Rose Mary Martinez is the Senior Vice President of Sales and has been with the company since the beginning. She helped to market and sell their first product, OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub®. She describes how until OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub came to be, the only method of cleansing eyelids that doctors offered their patients was baby shampoo applied with a cotton swab. This company has truly changed the face of eye care for hundreds of millions of people across the world. What began as direct-to-doctor office sales calls is now a nationwide, as well as global, sales and shipping enterprise. Today, OCuSOFT® products can be found in pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and local grocery stores, and are also shipped overseas to 56 countries. OCuSOFT® participates in

Pictured Above: Stacy Foster, Thomas Mason, Rose Mary Martinez, Cynthia Barratt, Troy Smith and George Haines.

over 70 trade shows a year and sends out over 15 million samples to doctor’s offices annually. The company also employs 40 outside sales representatives throughout the country. The original sales box that was once used for the direct-to-doctor sales, is still on display in one of their many historical museum sites on location. Today, doctors regularly approach the company with requests for new products and the company does their best to meet these needs.

Stacy Foster, Executive Vice President, explained, “The Company prides itself on presenting the doctors and the public with the newest innovations in eye care products.” It is clear that the ingredients that began their success were a belief in the product they had and the knowledge they could do more. OCuSOFT®’s first five years were spent in a small building in Richmond on FM 359, and their past five years have been spent in their latest 72,000 sq. ft. facility, located on the Southwest Freeway in Rosenberg. Cynthia Barratt, President/CEO explained, “We decided to continue growing our business in Rosenberg because of the business-friendly environment.” Upon expanding to the new location, they needed to have access to city sewer and water. Past Rosenberg mayors Vincent M. Morales, Jr. and Cynthia McConathy and their respective staffs were more than happy to accommodate their needs so the business could continue its growth. The Company is already making plans to add an additional 40,000 sq. ft. This expansion will begin in 2017. Of course, this continued growth means hiring more employees and bringing in even more revenue for the City. OCuSOFT® employs over 140 people, including their out of state sales representatives. Over 70% of their employees are based in Fort Bend County. The company encourages its employees to stay in the area and to stay with the company through its Employee Development Program. OCuSOFT® recognizes employees or “Team Members” (as they refer to their staff) with potential or the drive for growth and promotes from within. OCuSOFT® trains Team Members in-house with extensive online courses and education. Virtually every Team Member is offered OCuSOFT®’s training program as they move up

New Warehouse Facilities

within the company. Thomas Mason, Vice President of Corporate Development, jokingly commented, “We are just too lazy to hire new people!” Everyone laughed and then he said, “Seriously, we believe in giving our people every opportunity to go as far as they want with us.” Promoting from within is very advantageous as well as business savvy for any company to do. It gives employees goals, makes for a positive work environment and cross trains staff in multiple disciplines. It is plain to see this is another of the ingredients that makes OCuSOFT® so successful. The Houston Chronicle began choosing “Best Places to Work” seven years ago and OCuSOFT® has been chosen every year since the beginning. These results are based upon employee surveys. The survey answers are taken very seriously by the company and each year they strive to do even better. OCuSOFT® began an in house program called “Hack-A-Thon”. All the employees are divided up into teams and challenged to come up with something the company can do better. The suggestion needs to include a workable idea with a plan that illustrates the cost and benefits for the company and staff. The cash prize for any ideas implemented is $500. The process of selecting a winner is comparable to what is presented on the popular television series “Shark Tank”, except at OCuSOFT®, it is more friendly and positive. The first year they began the program 17 ideas were submitted and 15 were implemented. An example of one such plan was submitted by a Team made up of members from multiple departments. The company was printing invoices for sample boxes being sent to customers. The samples were free and the Team Members couldn’t understand why they were taking the time to print invoices and stuff them into the boxes. So, the company stopped producing the unnecessary invoices and this saved the company $60,000 a year in both time and printing costs.

Cynthia Barratt and Shantell Hurt

Another idea was adding “Live Chat” on the website in the product purchasing area. This change provided a benefit to both the sales department and the consumer. The result was that the sales department was able to better serve the consumer by answering questions and heading off problems before orders went to the warehouse to be shipped. By

business-friendly environment.”

“We decided to continue growing our business in Rosenberg because of the

OCUS OFT ® ’S RECI PE FOR S UCCES S

implementing a program like the “Hack-A-Thon,” the Team Members are given a real opportunity to contribute to the company’s growth and put something of themselves into their careers. Valuing what their team members have to offer is most definitely one of OCuSOFT®’s most important ingredients for success. When asked about Rosenberg’s current and future economic development and what role OCuSOFT® might play in it, the answers were quite forward thinking. Thomas Mason, Vice President of Corporate Development, and Charles Hewitt, Vice President of Finance, both agreed that Rosenberg has a bright future. Both are happy to see an influx of commercial and retail business moving into the area. They also feel that Rosenberg is a city ripe for light manufacturing as well because of its proximity to both railway and the freeway infrastructure improvements. The City is also well suited for easy access to the Port of Houston. Both Mason and Hewitt believe that an increase in light manufacturing would bring continued economic stability to the City as people move into the area and this type of employment continues to grow. Randall Malik, Economic Development Director for Rosenberg expanded on these comments. Part of the City’s business-friendly atmosphere has to do with the cost of land as well as the size of the tracts. The tracts cost less and are larger. Basically, businesses get more for their money by moving out of the “big city”. Malik commented, “Light manufacturing moving into the area has what we call a ‘multiplier effect’, it attracts more residential growth.” When asked what type of residential growth Rosenberg was hoping to expand he replied, “Single family homes.” Rosenberg has a Triple-fork class one railroad depot that ships products across the country. The expansion of I-69

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and the proximity to the Port of Houston via route 36 is also attractive to many businesses. Texas State Technical College has opened their doors for students and will only continue to grow. The City is proud of their new college campus. OCuSOFT® is projected to bring in revenues of over 42 million in 2017. The company is more than pleased to share the wealth with their surrounding community through charitable donations. OCuSOFT® is a company that not only donates monetarily to various local charities but all of their employees willingly donate their time and energy in support of various causes. It was easy to see that from its conception, the company’s mind set has always been that of giving and caring. However, as Cynthia Barratt, President/CEO, pointed out, “We weren’t always able to give monetarily. Now that we are a larger and more economically stable company, we enjoy giving back.” The company’s spirit of giving trickles down through their employees. They take care of each other. If there is a tragedy, the company takes care of their own by coming together to ensure that family is taken care of. The overwhelming sense of camaraderie and family was evident throughout the building. OCuSOFT® provides its employees with a food court that serves hot meals three days a week as well as a full salad bar for a donation of $6.00 per meal. The proceeds from the food court help support three annual holiday functions that the company puts on for their employees. These include a family Christmas party where every child receives a gift of their choice, an Easter celebration with huge egg hunt and a Halloween bash. During Halloween everyone gets into costume, some teams dress-up together in a theme, and the whole building is decorated. As part of the Halloween festivities, OCuSOFT® invites local day care facilities to come

OCuSOFT T H E

C O M M U N I T Y

Light of Hope Ceremony - Child Advocates

Blood Drive

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Secret Santa for Seniors - Meals On Wheels

Children’s Museum

Arbor Day Tree Planting

Boys and Girls Club - Skeet Shooting

Artwork in the Chilren’s Museum

enjoy a huge party and collect candy in a safe environment. It is fun for everyone. The company has hosted the event for four years and this year, the children of one day care came back at Christmas. They sang carols as a thank you. The event was so special to everyone.

to sponsor the new “OCuSOFT® Art Academy” at the Fort Bend Children’s Museum located at the renovated Imperial Sugar Mill in Sugar Land. For Cynthia this sponsorship was twofold. Her late mother had been a wonderful artist and Cynthia wanted to honor her mother’s legacy while giving children a place to experience and learn about art. All of the art hanging in the OCuSOFT® campus was created by Cynthia’s mother. If success can be measured by how a company and its people touch the lives of others, both inside their walls and in the community, then OCuSOFT® has certainly achieved it. Their outreach and caring for people is, by far, their largest ingredient in this recipe for success.

As a company, OCuSOFT® wanted to have a real impact in the lives of children every day. They do this in a couple of different ways. Through the local Boys and Girls Club, OCuSOFT® sponsors the “Kid Café.” With the Kid Café, OCuSOFT® wanted to be able to provide these children with a hot nourishing meal. Additionally, they also chose

OCuSOFT® Doctor’s Lounge

Walking through the campus a slogan can be seen; “Every day I play like a Champion and Finish Strong.” This sentiment is evident and present in all that they do. George Haines, Vice President of Supply Chain Operations, explained that in both the warehouse and sales call room are screens with systems in place that depict real time events as they are unfolding. The warehouse personnel are able to see how many orders are being processed, the type of order and the time it is taking for orders to be processed. Beyond that, they can see the accuracy level of each processed order and how many are going out. In the sales room, all sales are tracked by individual, group, and type of sale and region of the country being sold. If they are down in projected sales for an hour, a special power hour can be run and as a team they can get sales back on track. These tools are not in place to pressure employees, but to assist them with their accuracy in completing their jobs. It also allows department heads to see areas of improvement more accurately and faster, rather than waiting until months end or even quarter end. With these systems in place, the company has seen improvement in productivity and job satisfaction. Caring about employees and giving them the tools they need to be successful is yet again another ingredient for continued growth throughout the whole company. v

Author’s Note; The company motto is to be Passionate about LIFE, the acronym for “Loyalty Integrity Fun Energy.” These words are embodied by every member of the team that I met. The pride they showed me, not only for their company, but for all the people that work for them was inspiring. When speaking about their products, their care and concern for the doctors and their patients and ensuring that they are always striving to improve and be a leader in this industry is a wonderful example for all to follow. Listening to the stories about the parties and celebrations and how they simply value each other and strive to get each day right. Passion about LIFE at OCuSOFT® would be the final ingredient for their success and continued prosperity.

To learn more about OCuSOFT® please visit their website www.ocusoft.com

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Rosenberg Meals on Wheels is just one of the many local organizations that OCuSOFT® donates both time and money to. In 2016, the volunteers for Meals on Wheels needed help in finding out what the local seniors wanted for Christmas. What normally took their volunteer group three months to do, the sales group at OCuSOFT® tackled in a week. The sales group at OCuSOFT® called and chatted with over 900 area seniors to find out what they wanted for Christmas. Of these 900 seniors close to 400 of them had their needs met directly by employees at OCuSOFT®. The employees weren’t asked to do this by OCuSOFT®, they took it upon themselves to help out. Keep in mind there are only a little over 100 employees on campus. When talking about her people, Cynthia speaks with immense pride and admiration and it is easy to see why.

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TH E GRATEFUL GA RDENER

The Grateful

GARDENER R O S E N B E R G N AT I V E WRITTEN BY JACLYN RITTER PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

osenberg native, Judy Tackett, recalls the many sweet memories of her childhood. Days spent riding bicycles to Cole Movie Theater, and choosing a treat at the local candy store, are the early building blocks that led her to her genuine love of downtown Rosenberg. Now, years later, Judy is giving back to the community that has given her so much. At the center of 3rd Street, the very street she used to skip down as a child, stands Judy’s flourishing floral business.

An Early Love of Rosenberg

“When I was a little girl, the building over there was Benjamin Franklins,” smiles Judy as she points across the street. “When you would walk in the front door, straight ahead of you would be this big glassed-in candy counter. My mom would give me a nickel and I would get to choose any kind I wanted. The person behind the counter would then take a little scoop, and I would watch them scoop my candy of choice on the big balance scale.” To this day, Judy loves these kinds of scoops. They spark fond memories, and over the years have become a symbol of her happy childhood here in Rosenberg. “It was not long ago that there were no real businesses in town,” notes Judy. While a stayat-home mom for many years, Judy recalls volunteering close to forty hours a week in town cleaning, raising funds for the railroad museum, and promoting the downtown. Judy saw the city’s potential. She knew it was only a matter of time before all their hard work paid off and their city would blossom once again. “After so many years of hanging in there, we are finally starting to reap the rewards of all of our hard work. It was worth it.

For the last twenty years, Judy has been in the antique business. Ten years ago, when near and dear friends Jeff Messer and Noel Valdes opened Red Queen’s Attic along 3rd Street in downtown Rosenberg, Judy was quick to join the team. Renting space there allowed her to fulfill her love of antiques. However, nothing could have prepared her for the amazing turn of events that was coming into reach. In the spring of 2012, owners Jeff and Noel cleared out and opened the outdoor courtyard at the back of their shop. Judy took the initiative to set out a few potted plants to add a pop of color and make it more inviting to customers. “Next thing you know, I’m in the antique and garden business!” laughs Judy. Having had little gardening experience, Judy was surprised to find herself with her very own business. You would not know this when meeting her! Judy knows the name of every single plant displayed in the courtyard, as well as many neat tips and tricks for better plant nutrition and hydration.

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Repurposed with Love and Passion

Judy is also always on the lookout for new and interesting plants that are harder to find. A personal favorite of hers is Moses in the Cradle, also known as Moses in a Boat, and is an easy to care for houseplant that blooms yearround. In the morning hours, the pod-like structures, or boats, begin to open and fill with clusters of little white flowers. Around four or five in the afternoon, the flowers tuck back into the boats and close back up.

TH E GRATEFUL GA RDENER

I was privileged to be given the grand tour of the courtyard by Judy herself. It is obvious that Judy loves what she does. As she talks about the different plants and the neat items she and her husband managed to turn into a container, the love and passion is apparent. Judy is not your average gardener. Upon entering her shop for the first time, I was taken aback by all the beautiful colors and attention to detail. Not only that, Judy’s vivid and free imagination is on full display. I see colanders, vintage bicycles, oil cans, old bake pans, mugs, and even an antique oven – all filled with a beautiful assortment of plants!

Thanks to all the support Judy has received over these last few years, she has been given the opportunity of a lifetime. Located just two doors down from Red Queens Attic, sits Roots & Relics Antique & Garden Shop, Judy’s new store! A place of her very own, Judy is grateful, indeed.

“I repurpose plants in repurposed items.” Judy adds with a chuckle, “if it has a hole in it, I’m going to put a plant in it!” This is precisely why Judy’s pieces cannot be found at the local hardware store or plant nursery – they are, in a way, pieces of art that tell a story. Customers often ask Judy to arrange custom arrangements inside of antiques and treasures they bring from home, a piece that means something to them personally. These are some of Judy’s favorite requests.

Giving, Gracious, & Grateful

“My business is called The Grateful Gardener because I truly am Grateful,” says Judy. “I am so grateful to God that I can do this at this stage of my life, where I am able to look at His beautiful creations on a daily basis. I am always seeing and learning something new, and I love sharing that with my customers!”

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“My husband, Steve, is really the best,” notes Judy. “Newly retired, he has gotten roped into drilling all of the drainage holes in the fun repurposed items I find.” Judy wants her plants and flowers to be enjoyed by all, avid gardeners and green thumbs alike. With proper drainage and good nutrition, you cannot go wrong. Judy crushes and cuts up old water bottles to fill the bottom of containers, especially something that will hang, so that not only is it lighter in weight, but it also allows the plants roots to continue to grow. While roots tend to knot up as soon as they reach the gravel or rock beneath the soil, the cut-up plastic allows the roots to weave in and out throughout the entire container, therefore resulting in a happier plant. “We also use Miracle Grow soil,” adds Judy. “We find that this combination really gives the plants a leg up and leads to a more successful, and therefore, more satisfied customer.

Judy is grateful not only for her business, but for the city that made it a possibility. She is grateful to the small town that raised her, to those early customers that took an interest in those few pots she set out on the courtyard just for looks, and the many that have continued to stop by. Judy is happy to be able to continue to give back to this great city by donating pieces for charity auctions throughout the area. “We, as a community, worked so hard for many years, and now to be able to finally enjoy all the time and dedication we put into the downtown is really pretty awesome. Rosenberg is my home. I would not be anywhere else.” v

Roots & Relics ANTIQUE & GARDEN SHOP

828 Third Street • Rosenberg, Texas 77471 (832) 945-5111

“Hands to Work…Heart to God”

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- This has been a family saying for many years and has become Judy’s personal motto. -

POW CA M P I N ROS ENBERG

POW CAMP

IN ROSENBERG WRITTEN BY SHARON WALLINGFORD

A World War was raging overseas so why would Fort Bend county be in distress? It was the 1940s and the area was mostly rural land that ranked high in the production of cotton, rice and cattle in the state. Electricity had yet to make its debut to most farm houses and barns, but water was abundant via windmills, cisterns and creek beds.

streamlined the daily news into homes; televisions were not yet common in households. The projectors at the Cole and State Theatres on Third Street flashed short reels on the war zones in black and white, along with the scheduled cartoons and hot Hollywood flicks.

Life During the War

Family and farm supplies had to be obtained in town or by mail order from Sears and Roebuck catalogs. The largest number of citizens (nearly 3,500) resided in Rosenberg. The city limits encompassed a radius north to the Brazos River, east along Old Richmond Road near the county fairgrounds and Fairview Courts and Café, south on SH 36 to City Hall Drive and Luksa Grocery near Southgate, and west to Fred Blasé’s City Service station and café (Tuckers) located above the intersection of SH36 and 90A.

By 1943, Fort Bend County had shrunk drastically in agricultural production and was experiencing lock down under a war that was consuming its men and separating the families who met at the kitchen table every night for a fresh out-of-the-garden supper prepared at the kitchen stove. The evening meal was often followed by a session on the front porch consisting of self-told stories and songs strummed and sung to relax and cool down after a hard day of labor. A radio, usually situated in the living room,

Third Street served as the center of town. It was commonplace for the store fronts to support local activities. Local men, photographed in uniform, would hold shoppers attention for the length of the war. The

More than a two-mile stretch of brush and a concrete underpass divided what would become known as the twin cities of Rosenberg-Richmond, or RichmondRosenberg if a resident of Richmond. Women learned to drive, children learned to take on more chores, and neighbors helped neighbors, but a stronger labor force was desperately needed.

German POWs Come to Texas

Soon the guttural sounds of German military began to ring clear at train stations across Southeast Texas, including Rosenberg. As the movement began some 45,000 German, Italian and Japanese prisoners found themselves located in encampments, with Texas hosting nearly double the prisoner of war camps as any of the other 47 states in America. As more soldiers of the embattled Afrika Korps were captured and shipped to Texas, their blood-caked uniforms and cattle torn shirts exposed their youthful faces mired with apprehension. Across the oceans, the late actor and comedian Bob Hope made stage appearances to entertain American troops with a purpose to keep the morale high. Here, the Rosenberg Baptist Church made a plea for German Bibles and they and other surrounding congregations opened their doors to the men. The Masonic Lodge in Richmond extended a welcome to the guards.

Rosenberg’s

POW Camp The Geneva Convention of 1929 had ordered the war department to divide POW camps between officers and enlisted men. Guards were housed separately outside the guarded fence. The POW buildings contained a kitchen, a living room, an infirmary and barracks which quartered 250 men. Bunks filled the tightly spaced rooms and pinup girl posters adorned the walls. Hilda Mattheus Morris was a teenager during the war. She recalled: “…the POW camp was considered off limits to civilians except for the quarterly dances held for the 100 or so guards and staff who guarded the prisoners. She recalled how live western bands played under the pavilion while various German pastries prepared by the POWs were served. “I remember the prisoners were not allowed to dance.”

Life as a POW Local residents often reported hearing the POWs whistling and singing inside the campground fence.

Life as a WO R K I NG P OW

prisoner of war

street was split by four sets of rail, divided by the railroad depot on the right and the control tower to the left. A siren on the water tower would blast to announce noon.

POWs working in the field at the George Ranch

COM MUNI TY

prisoner of war

Storefront with photos of Fort Bend soldiers serving during WWII

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Entrance to the POW Barracks in Rosenberg, TX

POWs working in the field at the George Ranch

Others confirmed they sang as they marched to and from work readily obeying commands. The men usually dressed in Afrika Korps shorts and caps, or in blue fatigues with “PW” printed in large letters on their backs. Their professions included sign painter, piano tuner, shoe cobbler, mathematician, artist and merchant and once they were settled, all volunteered to work in the community. Many had served two to three years of service to Germany prior to being captured. Most were married and had children. Evenings were often devoted to classes in a variety of subjects, including piano, and some transferred university credit hours back to Germany after the war. Camp newspapers were written in German and printed in most camp locations, but German speaking interpreters among the American guards were scarce. Many of the POWs felt anxious when there was not sufficient work and still others felt abandoned by their own country and despised by the captors. Despite this, they seldom displayed aggressive behavior.

Allied Victories Bring More POWs

The Normandy Invasion, which occurred the following June, sent the POW numbers soaring to 30,000 a month across America. This continued through December. By the last months of the European War, the count had climbed to 60,000 a month. By the end of the war, America held more than 400,000 enemy captives in 511 camps. Records show the POWs contributed 90,629,233 man days of labor between mid-1943 to December 1945 for a government savings of more than $131 million. Retired pharmacist Johnny Scott of Rosenberg recalls having lunch with some 50 of the men. He accompanied the late local businessman Raymond Rude to the POW camp. Rude knew the commanding officer. “The visit occurred while I was home on leave,” said Scott, explaining he was attired in his Navy officer uniform. “I remember the men saluting me in military manner and with respect.” The majority of military police who worked as guards came from the 21st Battalion in Houston. Captain Richardson was the officer of camps in the area including those in Wharton, Alvin and Bay City.

Putting the

POWs to Work Prisoners in the Alvin camp constructed an irrigation canal for rice farms and worked in the cannery. Others planted oak trees. In Clodine, a grain dryer for the rice was built. Retired pecan farmer Andy Anderson recalls helping his father, Newell Anderson, when he was a youngster. Riding with his father in the pickup he could see the prisoners being escorted to their work stations. “These men were building the Clodine rice dryer and the officers were in charge of the blueprints.” He continued, saying “I remember listening to Edward R. Murrow’s commentary on my head crystal set that German soldiers were mean and dangerous. And then I would see their calm, clean and smiling faces and I would feel confused.”

“For the soldiers, there was usually one guard with one rifle.” said Anderson, adding he can recall being told that the rifle didn’t have any ammunition. “I was told that as they built the dryer with only one tree to shade them. They built a lookout station in the tree and took turns watching for the morning and afternoon guard checks, while the others swam in the rice canal. The POWs would bang on sheets of tin when the checkers would approach. Lunch was delivered daily at noon. They were not allowed to wear watches, so they used a sundial.” County Judge Hunter Harris, the father of Richmond resident Billie Wendt and grandfather to Richmond’s Mayor Evalyn Moore, was raising potatoes in Fulshear (Weston Lakes) and hired some of the men to assist with the sorting of the annual harvest. “I can recall he was unable to attend my college graduation because he was in charge of a Fort Bend County Blackout,” said Wendt. “During a blackout, you couldn’t even light a candle in your home,” said retired newspaper family editor Betty Dawes Humphrey. While often waiting for her father to return home from work in Freeport, she and her siblings would have occasion to wave at the POWs in the fields.

Paying the POWs By 1944, new labor contracts offered the men 25 cents an hour and transportation. In Texas, as well as other states, while the public utilized their red meat stamps and counted their ration points, white bread and coffee (items rarely found in American kitchens and far better than American troops had on the front lines) were served in the camps. Army rations were served with the bread and coffee. The reason for allowing this, according to the Journal of International Law, was to better the way our own soldiers would be treated. Post war, it was discovered that other countries had declined to pay American POWs for their labor. Fort Bend farmers had to sign up for as many as 10 prisoners at a time. Rice farmers willingly paid 40 cents an hour for 10-hour days. They supplied the transportation and the Army supplied the guards and food. According to various records, 50 prisoners were contracted to Sugarland Industries planting cabbage, and another 100 were contracted for 60 days at 25 cents an hour. One hundred prisoners were hired by Richmond Irrigation Company for 60 days at 40 cents an hour. A few earned up to 80 cents per day. With monies earned they purchased soap, hair oil, and personal items which often included two bottles of beer a day at 10 cents a bottle, along with cigarettes.

Fort Bend County Fairgrounds

Other Area

POW Camps Two-thirds of the POW camps in America were located in the South and Southwest of which 120 camps were located in Texas. Word passed quickly that Adolph Hitler’s soldiers were clean, neatly dressed and polite. More than 1,000 of the Japanese POWs were shipped to Kenedy. Camp Mexia was the largest Texas camp. The others included Tyler, Hearne, Kaufman, El Campo, Bastrop, Gainesville, Abilene, and Marfa. Over 6,000 Italian soldiers were captured in Tunisia and held at Hearne.

From Fairground to

POW Camp

In Fort Bend county, Rosenberg was the largest city and strategically situated, so the Fort Bend county Fairgrounds proved to be an ideal accommodating facility. It was located where Fiesta is today, across from Amegy Bank on Avenue H, and north to the railroad tracks. Built in 1933, the one-story wood structures and acreage provided ample room and there would not be any conflicting situations. The fair had been cancelled because of the war. Retired rice farm and rancher William Vallet, a member of the State Guard, recalled he was 36 and farming near Beasley when a crew of local men was recruited by Commissioners Court to shingle newer additions to the fairgrounds meet accommodation requirements for the prisoners and guards. The crew also fenced the grounds and prepared the roads. On September 30, 1942, the first POWs arrived by rail in Rosenberg.

POWs Across Texas Many other counties offered their fairgrounds, auditoriums and vacated buildings as well. The nation had never held large numbers of foreign prisoners of war in its entire history and was unprepared. The responsibility included feeding, registering, clothing, housing, entertaining, and reeducating POWs for the length of war. Numerous government agencies competed for jurisdiction over POW programs which created even more confusion. Some Texans were apprehensive. With their fathers, husbands, sons and brothers away in battle daily work

and chores needed completing and workforces were scarce. Residents began to refer to the camps as the “Fritz Ritz.”

COM MUNI TY

prisoner of war

More than 150,000 POWs arrived after the North African campaign and an average of some 20,000 arrived monthly between May and October in 1943.

Headlines from “The Texas Coaster” newspaper

The Need for Laborers

Texas farmers had followed the attack on Pearl Harbor (1941) and had sent food supplies, the largest reserve supplies in history, to the front lines. Radio stations kept the public aware of the “Back the Attack” campaign, but as the war continued it seemed more futile.

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Crops needed planting, tending and gathering, hay needed baling, pecans needed picking, and meat packing plants were vacant. As early as July 1943, The Rosenberg Herald (today the Fort Bend Herald) ran advertisements for farm labor assistance, but the ads went unanswered. With so many engaged in war, nervous farmers began battling a critical labor shortage, which was made worse by the Army’s red tape and delays in getting approval for the POWs to work. Many other items were in short supply as well. Consequently, a group of farmers insisted on emergency assistance. A local labor committee composed of Julius Junker, W.V. Dungan, Jimmy Miller, County Judge Hunter P. Harris, W.G. Wendt, C.I. Snedecor, and County Agent H.B. Ross, urged the farmers and ranchers to meet July 13 to sign a petition that would be sent to Austin. Products such as tires, gasoline and batteries were becoming more and more scarce.

Community Relations

Back at the POW Camp, townspeople could often be seen standing outside the fences talking to the prisoners. Many noted that prisoners read American publications through interpreters and that some also utilized small radios that were allowed in the barracks. Political viewpoints could not be expressed between the POWs and local residents.

“I remember them playing volleyball and German football, which was much like our game of soccer,” added retired Lamar history teacher Dick Haygood. “The strict discipline of the German army was bred into these men even more than a lot of our soldiers.”

After the War In November 1945 the POWs left Rosenberg and Texas by rail for Long Beach, California at a rate of 50,000 men a month. Their goals were to return to their families and rebuild their war-damaged cities. In January, 1946, they sailed in ships and arrived in Liverpool, Great Britain. After Easter, 1946, they were no longer POWs and were released to return to Germany. Upon returning home they found family members and millions of Germans dying from starvation. “There is nothing but hunger and misery,” penned one POW in a letter to Mamie George at the George Ranch. “as long as we were POWs we always had something to eat and wear.” Another former POW wrote: “Life was good (in America), except for barbed wire, but it was definitely better (for us) than for the German POWs held in the Soviet Union.” The Rosenberg POW encampment was demolished when a new Fort Bend County Fairgrounds was constructed along SH 36S and the intersection of Band Road outside the city limits. The city’s first Kmart filled the former location and later it became Fiesta, which continues as a site marker. POWs who died from wounds or natural causes were buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

Historical Remnants Two cedar chests, once owned by POWs who worked on the George Ranch, were identified in the George home, and the Fort Bend History Museum is the home to a chair and another small chest. Heavy table and chair sets made by the POWs also remain in a few area homes. Jerry Humpola, a local photographer during the era, captured albums of photos of the men during their stay at the Rosenberg POW camp and at their many worksites. Postcards were also made. After his death, his wife Margaret kept the collection of negatives, but over the years many were ruined by moisture. As years passed, it was not uncommon for the former POWs to show up at her doorstep. They had returned with their families to show them where they had been held captive. She told of one man who arrived at her shop and handed her a postcard. She instructed him to turn it over and there were their lines. It had come full circle. v Photos Courtesy of The George Memorial Library, Richmond, TX. Photos Courtesy the George Ranch Historical Park Richmond, TX. Photos Courtesy of the William C. Butler Collection - Humpola Photography, Rosenberg, TX.

A RT BENCH ES

Art Benches WRITTEN BY ROSENBERG ARTS ALLIANCE

PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

Art, at its truest, most basic form, is about evoking emotion, thought, and conversation. It is about telling a story in a poignant way, or encouraging the viewer to find new perspective. While some seek out a creative outlet all on their own, others are not so quick to do so. The Rosenberg Arts Alliance (RAA) is a non-profit organization committed to growing the arts community in Rosenberg and spreading the benefits of creative freedom and expression to those who may not normally seek it out themselves.

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In 2015 the Rosenberg Arts Alliance engaged in a public art campaign. Businesses and citizens were encouraged to purchase benches and commission artists to turn the benches into public art. The groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to fill the streets of downtown Rosenberg with benches reflecting different styles, backgrounds, and points of view. The RAA aggressively sought out funding support, and was awarded a $2,250 grant from the Anice Read Fund for Communities Foundation through the Texas Downtown Association.

The city of Rosenberg’s story is already being displayed across sixteen benches. These functional art forms have started numerous conversations, and continue to draw people in with their compelling artistry and perspective. Janice Vyoral, longtime business owner in downtown Rosenberg, chose an artist for her bench that she knew well—her son Dustin. The bench, which sits on 2nd and G street near Vyoral’s office, is a depiction of the Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad and its impact on Rosenberg. This piece is personal for Dustin, as he works as a conductor for KCS. Connections like this are organic, and result in art that is authentic and rich in meaning. “Rosenberg was founded because of the railroad, and 150 years later, my son works for one of the same railroads that helped found the city of Rosenberg. I wanted the bench I donated to tell that story,” noted Vyoral. The Rosenberg Historians, a group of Rosenberg citizens who enjoy learning and cultivating the city’s rich history, have worked for over a year producing a book detailing the history of the city. Using some of the book’s proceeds, the group purchased a bench and dedicated it to the long-standing history of the city they love. Conversely, a bench, not far from the Historian’s piece, was commissioned by Brandon Campbell, a local photographer who only recently relocated to the area. He does not have years of history or connection to the community, yet he reflects the “new” Rosenberg. As someone with no historical ties to the community he finds the same acceptance as those who have been here for many years. Not long after Brandon and his family moved to the area from out of state, his father became very ill and eventually passed away in Indiana, where Brandon is from. Brandon’s family and history is in Indiana, however, in downtown Rosenberg sits a bench commissioned by Brandon dedicated to his father. The bench honors his father’s military service and love of our country, something Brandon always respected about his father.

“As a photographer, I am an artist, and so it was a natural fit for me to honor my father through art,” said Campbell. “It gives me great joy and fulfillment to know a piece of my father is here with us in our new home. This is something I can share with my baby daughter, who he did not get to meet.”

Nick Maresh installs an Art Bench One bench, which sits at the corner of Third Street and Avenue H, tells a very different story. The RAA used some of the funds from the Anice Read grant to dedicate their own benches, three in total. The eclectic bench, bedazzled with glass beads and a large pocket watch, shares the story of change and the movement of time. It focuses on change and growth, something this 150-yearold community is embracing. “I have lived all of my life in Rosenberg,” smiled Butler. “For the last 12 years I have owned a business in the downtown area. I understand its history, and respect it, but I also see the change. All the new people, ideas, and commerce that have found Rosenberg excite me. That’s what we wanted this bench to reflect.” The art benches tell the story of Rosenberg in an authentic, tangible way—the story of history and the story of change. v

H AFER CA S E I NCORPORATED

HAFER CASE

INCO R P O RAT E D CO O L

GUYS WHO MAKE

CO O L

CASES FOR

CO O L STUFF

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Title paraphrased from an autographed photo from Pat Green to the guys at Hafer Case, signed— “thanks for all the cool stuff to put stuff in.”

WRITTEN BY SUSAN LOWE STRICKLAND PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

never thought about how one might ship a dozen priceless Jimi Hendrix guitars from a small Texas Hill Country town to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I never gave much thought about how the Texans get their football equipment from Houston to Pittsburgh for the big game. I guess I always figured that if Alabama’s Roll Tide planned to trample the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, they just packed up all the gear in a trailer and voila, it was there. Like magic. Well, I was wrong about that. Apparently, this is not how it works, at all. If you have specially-designed equipment or instruments that must make it to a destination unscathed, you need a specially-designed case to get it safely there. If you’re a major oil company giving a training presentation on a rig in the North Sea, and you need for all those big video screens and gadgets to arrive safely, you’ve got to have a protective case that can weather salty air and water.

Hafer Case has made a stellar reputation for itself. The cool guys at the company build cases for some of the biggest musicians, sports organizations, major corporations, and medical teams in the world.

JUST WHO ARE THESE

“COOL” GUYS? When I say these are cool guys, I mean just that. I met with a front office man, Don Drachenberg—who is also a musician and has been with the Triumphs since he sang with B.J. Thomas and had a number 3 hit on the Billboard Charts. We met in his somewhat chaotic but most interesting office at Hafer Case, with its assortment of esoteric musical instruments; file boxes and shipping crates; and photographs from days gone by. The first thing I noticed—besides the smiling, ponytailed, mustached, t-shirted, ball-capped Don, himself—was a sign that read, “No Stupid People Beyond This Point.” Hoping I could pass muster and not fit into that category, I did have to reluctantly admit to him that, prior to two weeks before, I had never heard of Hafer Case. He told me that was all right; I wasn’t alone. The company doesn’t advertise much; rather, they prefer to earn customers through word of mouth. He then proceeded to teach me everything I needed to know about the customers, the equipment, and the techniques of building a Hafer Case. While I spent the morning with Don, some prospective buyers came in to look through the Bone Yard. Hafer Case’s Bone Yard consists of shipping containers that were never picked up or were the wrong size or were built as prototypes—just something a little off but now offered at a discount price.

Chris Gray sanding internal compartments for a case.

SO, HOW DO YOU GET

STUFF FROM HERE TO THERE?

When ZZ Top needs their instruments to arrive unscathed in Chicago for a concert, they call their good buddies over at Hafer Case in Rosenberg. Billy Hafer, the founder and owner of the company has been building indestructible transit cases since the 1970s. Billy has been building all of ZZ Top’s cases for decades, and he affectionately refers to ZZ Top as “the boys.” As a musician with the band Krystal Blue back in the 70s, and later with the Barons and Texas Pride and Chance, and now with the Triumphs, Billy knows the importance of protecting musical instruments and equipment. In the 70s, he bought a speaker box and wasn’t at all happy with it. With a real knack for woodwork and metal work, he thought, I can do this. I can make a better case. He did, and when his wife, Karen, convinced him that he could not make a living solely as a musician and when other musicians asked him to make cases for them, a business was born. Working first out of his garage and now in a large facility near downtown Rosenberg, the team at Hafer Case constructs the finest shipping boxes money can buy for musicians, churches, trade shows, and athletic trainers.

The business is run with a democratic sensibility. Billy Hafer won’t ever ask anyone to do something he would not do. Self-taught, he can operate and fix any machine in the facility. The relaxed atmosphere was evident when Billy’s granddaughter Brandy came to work with her basset hound Walter. Walter stopped by to say hello and receive a tummy rub then moseyed into the office. “We’re a family, here,” Don says. I could certainly see that. To be sure, there is also a serious side to Hafer Case, Incorporated. They build the best custom-built, reusable shipping cases money can buy. Designed to protect highly regarded cargo in transit, they are constructed out of ABS plastic-covered plywood in whatever color the customer wants, with long metal edges and corners that are cut and shaped in house, with sturdy reinforced hinges and latches.

Office Staff (left to right): Don Drachenberg, Billy Hafer, Brandy McCullough, and John Anderson

H AFER CA S E I NCORPORATED

Most containers have heavy-duty wheels and metal handles geared for the heaviest loads. Using ozite (a carpet-like material), different densities of foam, or sometimes velour, the interior of the cases are meant to coddle and protect any cherished cargo.

COOL CASES A couple of years ago when Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys needed a case built especially for a “tannerene”—a strange little keyboard that makes that eerie, whining sound in their song “Good Vibrations,” he called upon Billy Hafer.

Jeremy Rodriguez assembling a case with the split rivet machine

Carlos Vasquez doing custom foam interior for a case

All of the cases are designed by Bill Hafer and John Anderson, a long-time friend of Billy’s who has worked with him (and performed with him in various bands) since he got his business going. Hafer Cases are made for conventioneers, for church keyboardists, for trade show video screens, for weird tools with weird shapes that extract oil from the ground, for laptops, and for medical equipment needed by athletic trainers (some even equipped with fold-out tables for treating injured players). One case held an electric refrigerator, complete with built-in electric sockets. Every case is a bit different, uniquely designed by Billy Hafer for the individual needs of the client. A few years ago, the New York Chief Medical Examiners office submitted a huge order for a disaster medical treatment setup (just in case the city might ever need one). When there was a modification needed with the New York order, Billy and Don flew to NYC and rented a big truck to bring the entire case order back to Rosenberg. After loading up the cases to bring back to Texas to make the adjustments, they turned the drive home into an adventure. They got lost somewhere around Memphis in the middle of the night, saw flashing lights behind them, and waited for the officer to take one look at their long hair before asking, “Where you boys headed? And, whatcha got in the back of the truck?” Billy started explaining to the officer about the order needed for the medical examiner’s office, about the ozite and the foam densities and the modifications requested for the containers, and the journey from Texas to New York to pick them up. At that point, the officer raised his hand to stop the overly complicated explanation. “Nobody would make up a story like this,” he said. “You boys go on now.”

ROSEN BE RG M AGA ZIN E

I did not make up this story, either, and “the boys” are still going. The cool guys at Rosenberg’s Hafer Case are still making cool cases for cool stuff. v

HAFER CASE, INC.

1018 Mulcahy • Rosenberg, TX

(281) 341-5070

hafercase.com (Group Photo): Joe Kirkpatrick, Manuel Vasquez, Jeremy Rodriguez, Chris Gray, John Anderson, Rajean Lott, Willie Tondre, Carlos Vasquez, Jessie Jasso, Brandy McCullough, Billy Hafer, and Fred Rubio

When the Rockets needed cases for their players’ shoes, they sent along one of Hakeem Olajuwon’s, just to make sure the cubicles were large enough to fit the rest of the team members’ shoes. When the Vatican needed holy relics shipped from diocese to diocese around the United States, they relied on Hafer Case to make sure the antiquities were safe.

When ZZ Top drummer, Frank Beard, goes on tour, his dog Gizzmo travels with him. Hafer designed and built a “touring wardrobe case” just for Gizmo.

When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held an exhibition of Jimmy Hendrix collectibles, Hafer Case made all the containers in a “Purple Haze” color.

When a large oil company needed a $35,000 case that weighed over 1000 pounds, housed sensitive instruments and tools, and had to be impervious to salt water, the company trusted only Hafer Case. For a presentation, Samsung wanted all lime green cases for video screens. Hafer built them lime green ones. Hafer made the case for the Rotary Lombardi Trophy— which is actually a big block of granite that is awarded annually to the best college lineman or linebacker.

4 6 0 1 AV EN U E H • R O S E N B E R G , T X

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(281) 342-7279

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK • GROUP SEATING • TAKE OUT MENU M - TH: 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM • FRI: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM • SAT: 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM • SUN: 11:30 AM - 9:30 PM

TH E BROOK I E MA N

DO YOU KNOW THE

BROOKIE MAN?

ROSEN BE RG M AGA ZIN E

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JENNY PAVLOVICH

ot since the invention of the Reese’s Cup has there been a marriage of snack treats guaranteed to make mouths water like the “brookie”. Half brownie, half chocolate chip cookie, this snack craze has found a special home in Rosenberg, Texas. It is here that Leroy Lopez, also known as The Brookie Man, has a pretty sweet business.

“I’ve lived in Rosenberg all my life,” Lopez said. “Growing up, my mom was a baker. She made great cakes for weddings and birthdays—I grew up around her baking.” It seems the talent for baking wasn’t lost on Lopez. On the streets, people recognize him as the Brookie Man and friends and neighbors honk and wave when they see him coming. “I used to ask my mom to bake for me when I had a craving for something sweet,” Lopez said. “The browniecookie combo, I made myself. A friend of mine saw it on Facebook and asked if she could order some for a birthday party. That was my first order and it has just blown up from there.” Lopez makes a few dozen brookies for orders each week, but during the holidays and busy times, he makes as many as 10-15 dozen. “The first year I started baking, the holidays brought in a lot more money than normal. I felt like I could bless people with that extra money—people who need it more than I do,” Lopez said. “I found a family online and gave them a great Christmas with the brookie money.” Lopez and his girlfriend of almost two years, Leanna Gomez, have been working together ever since to touch the lives of their Rosenberg neighbors. “I met Leroy at a family function where he had donated brookies,” Gomez said. “We were friends and then our relationship blossomed into more.” Together, the couple spends plenty of time baking the brookies, noting that their home always has that delicious aroma of fresh baked cookies and brownies. With the extra income, they are always on the lookout for ways to brighten the lives of others.

Leroy Lopez and Leanna Gomez Lopez, a beloved member of his community, has worked for the City of Rosenberg for 15 years in the Streets Department. He hopes to spend another 15 years at the City, noting the pride he feels in a job well done and the ability to help citizens. On the side, he plans to continue his brookie business with some big goals. “In the next 3-5 years, I hope to be 100% non-profit,” Lopez said. “I want to give everything back throughout the year, not just the holidays.” On February 11th, 2017 Lopez proposed to his long-time girlfriend and brookie partner, Gomez. They plan to stay in Rosenberg and continue with their business. Family is very important to them, as well as giving back to the community. “I make a lot of people happy,” Lopez said. “It’s a good feeling—seeing the smile on people’s faces. When people try a brookie for the first time and say how much they like them, that’s worth more than money to me. This has never been about the money. I do it to bless others.” v

LEROY LOPEZ

THE BROOKIE MAN FROM THE STREETS OF ROSENBERG

(832) 344-6050

ROSE NB ERGMAGAZIN E .COM

“We’ll go to restaurants and see a family we want to help,” Lopez said. “And we’ll go through drive-throughs and pay for everyone’s meal behind us. Sometimes we’ll hit every drive-through.”

It is

Action that Proves Vision

Many months ago, before we found our first advertiser, the staff at Rosenberg Magazine began working to fulfill the shared vision that would bring to the community, Rosenbergâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namesake magazine. We are proud to say that is has been a journey worthy of the effort. You are reading this magazine because of our partnership with the advertisers that you now find referenced within it. Please join with us as we acknowledge, with grateful appreciation, the action and support of our charter advertisers. Rosenberg Magazine could never have happened without their financial commitment, encouragement, and trusting support at all levels. As you utilize the products and services of the business that you find represented in these pages, you are saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;yesâ&#x20AC;? to their ongoing commitment to the community as we partner together to bring you the finest community journal possible. Thank you for that.

The Entire Rosenberg Magazine Team

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Photo by BAC Photography and Design

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Explore Rosenberg Magazine

Articles inside

Art Benches

Hafer Case Incorporated

POW Camp in Rosenberg

Rosenberg Fire Deaprtment

Wild About Texas

Ocusoft’s Recipe For Success

The Grateful Gardener

Building a Landmark

It’s Technical

More Than A Whistle Stop

Band of Brothers