VIP June 2016

June 2016

Most Reverend

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inside june features 6

Walking the Walk

Five faith-leaders share their beliefs, traditions, the joys of shepherding their flocks and the challenges of identifying with the next generation.

Editorial Specialty Publications Manager shelly Vitanza 409.838.2849 Editor beth gallaspy Fashion Editor tammy crutchfield

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10 Mom & Pops that include Sons & Daughters

Some Southeast Texas dads took their children to work and never let them leave. Discover five successful family businesses and what the next generation loves about working with dad.

14 Creative Corrections

Percy Pitzer is in the business of righting the wrong.

The former prison warden started a foundation to ensure kids of incarcerated parents take a different path than one to lawlessness and prison.

Photography Jim Debes John Fulbright Debbie Sebastian Marilyn Tennissen

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Missing my Cowboy

The fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont beamed as little children scattered around him preparing for worship in the historic and ornate basilica. Guillory was consecrated auxiliary bishop of the Galveston-Houston Diocese on Feb. 19, 1988, becoming Beaumont’s bishop 12 years later.

52 Mike Fuljenz: Coining 54 Totally Social 58 Last Word:

18 16

Photo by John Fulbright CORRECTION: The photo in the May EventsBook on page 44 identified as Brian and Krisha Limbocker is a picture of Brian Limbocker and his niece, the wine fairy, Stephanie.

6430 Phelan Blvd.

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Most Rev. Curtis John Guillory

photography by john fulbright

vip feature

Five Church Leaders Talk the Talk about Walking the Walk by shelly vitanza The month of Father’s Day seemed a fitting time to connect with Beaumont’s most faithful fathers – religious leaders in our churches and synagogues. Five share tenets of belief, styles of worship, cultural challenges, joys and even some miracles they’d love to perform.

ters take place through the church and in loving community - we see past those things that make us different; we begin to see the humanity of each person. These encounters are especially important in communities that Most Rev. Curtis John Guillory, S.V.D., D.V.D to mind quickly. First, the poor, of course. are blessed with the kind of diversity that we Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont We have to constantly ask ourselves are we are blessed with. This is how we break down When Bishop Guillory was consecrated doing the most we can for the poor. This the walls of racism and prejudice. on Feb. 19, 1988, he chose for his episcopal is a priority for Pope Francis. And, then We are also constantly facing the seducmotto Romans 8:28: "For those who love immigration. Refugees. We have millions of tion of power and are exposed to advertising God, all things work together for good.” He people in the world who are on the move. that encourages us to fulfill every sensual came to be Bishop of the Diocese of BeauPeople who are fleeing from violence and desire. Pornography has become easily accesmont in 2000 and will celebrate the Diocese corrupt governments. This is a challenge not sible through the internet. Our bishops here 50th anniversary in September of this year. just for the church, not just for the United in the United States just addressed that in a On rewards of work: Celebrating States but for all of humanity. Closely tied to pastoral statement last fall. I am deeply conthe Mass, the sacraments – especially the these is the problem of persecution of Chris- cerned about how that is affecting the loving Eucharist and Reconciliation (confession). I tians. And then, of course, what we call relationships between husbands and wives. am always pleased when I have the opportu- evangelization – which is simply bringing On collective worship: We are called to nity to celebrate confirmation of our young people closer to God. Letting them see what be in community. This is where we receive people. And, of course preaching, teaching the church has to offer them – calling them support and spiritual nourishment. During and just being present to people. It is iminto our Lord Jesus’ loving community. the celebration of the Mass, Jesus comes to us portant to be present to people both in their On who inspires him: That is easy. The under the appearance of bread and wine. He good times and in their sorrows. people of Southeast Texas – their resilience, is truly present in those substances. Through On frustrations of work: I don’t see their generosity, their kindness to each other. the beautiful Gospel of John, Jesus tells us things as frustrations but rather as chalOn inspiring others to faith, especial- that, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of lenges. I have challenges, of course. We all ly men: I think by being present to them, Man and drink his blood, you have no life have challenges. But the Holy Spirit sustains by listening to them. And then, of course, within you.” So it is important for us to be at me. I go to God in prayer. Prayer renews encouraging our men to carry out their Mass to receive our Lord. Our Lord calls to us me, and I am ready to begin again. St. John responsibilities especially encouraging the constantly to be with Him in this way. And XXIII said, “Consult not your fears, but men who are fathers to be strong and loving. each of us – priest and lay person – carries your hopes and dreams. Think not about On cultural challenges to faith: Maour Lord’s invitation to the larger community your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled terialism, individualism, consumerism, racthrough our welcome, through our kindness. potential. Concern yourself not with what ism. These destructive “isms” are in direct We are constantly inviting others to pray you tried and failed in, but with what is still opposition to the Gospel message. When we with us, to be present. We become our Lord’s possible for you to do.” engage with each other, when we encounter invitation by our words and by our actions – On the church’s challenges: Four come each other – especially when those encounthat is what we call evangelization.

6 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

On helping others through struggles: Through the church, we learn of hope. God gives us hope. Jesus broke the back of evil. I rely on the good priests and lay ministers of our diocese to be present for people during these struggles. Their presence offers consolation and hope to people in despair and distress. And we have wonderful ministries like our Family Life Ministry and Catholic Charities. In fact, our Catholic Charities motto is “providing help, creating hope.” On political and social issues, we ask our people to be guided by Gospel values and the social teachings of the Catholic Church.

On comforting people: I rely on the comfort of Scripture. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that, “all things work together for the good, for those who love God.” Evil entered the world; that is reality.

But what this Scripture tells us is that God is always ultimately victorious. He sent us Jesus who - as I said earlier - broke the back of evil and set us free. That is the meaning of the Resurrection. We know the end of the story. God wins, and we are redeemed, saved, healed and set free.

If Bishop Guillory could perform one miracle: I would have everyone see just how much God loves them.

Faithful Founders

Holy Bible James Potts & Co., Publisher 1898, printed text and ink on paper; bound in leather

8.75 × 5.75 × 2 inches The W.H. Stark House, Orange, Texas OD.2011.276

The Stark and Lutcher families were devout Christians throughout their lives. They attended the First Presbyterian Church of Orange where W.H. and Miriam Stark were both active members for over 50 years. W.H. served as a deacon and elder, and Miriam taught Sunday school for 40 years.

Miriam’s mother, Frances Ann Lutcher, financed a new building for the congregation, known today as the Lutcher Memorial Church Building. Finished in 1912, it features brilliant stained glass from the Chicago World’s Fair. It is also considered the first airconditioned building west of the Mississippi River.

The church is now a Texas Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continuing a tradition begun by Miriam’s parents, each morning at the breakfast table the Starks would read a Bible chapter aloud, recite the Lord’s Prayer and then end with a personal prayer. Miriam’s obituary, published on Nov, 29, 1936, in the Orange Leader, commented that, “the continuance of such a custom in this day of rush and unrest seemed unusually touching and beautiful.” The mark that the Starks and Lutchers left on the religious life of Orange truly reflects their personal convictions.

secularization to find meaning and support.

In the midst of life’s crises, however, secular The Rev. James R. Fuller, PhD support may be limited or insufficient.

Senior Pastor, Calder Baptist Church Individuals in crisis often come to rely upon A pastor for 33 years who describes the the church as an emergency room instead of style of worship at Calder Baptist as diga partner on a daily pilgrimage. The church nity with warmth, a service incorporating can certainly extend “emergency care,” but hymnody, a formal choir, pipe organ, grand would be strengthened if such individuals piano and traditional preaching. then joined the “base” in order to strengthOn work rewards: While preaching is the most exhilarating aspect of my work, the en the congregation to extend helping minismost rewarding part is walking alongside my tries to others.

On who inspires him: “Balcony” people members during the great milestones of life who inspire me include the memory of my such as birth, growth, marriage, death, and parents whose virtues were forged during mediating the great strength and hope that the Great Depression, as well as common, is ours in God. everyday folks all around us who lend kindOn work frustrations: The church is the great conservator of social values. When ness, caring and competence through their those values need to change, the church sel- work and family life.

On inspiring others to faith: Strong dom leads the change, and often opposes it. men do not fear and thus can reach out in On the church’s challenges: Many love to those who fear excludes. By welcomindividuals turn to our society’s increasing

Rev. James R. Fuller

ing all who come authentically to worship, study and serve, we help men work through the fear that often excludes those who are different. My deceased brother, an author, playwright and actor, never found a home in the church. We welcome artists, writers, musicians, scientists, engineers, educators, refinery workers and others, believing that the church is strengthened by doing so.

On cultural challenges to faith: Faith has sometimes been presented and often portrayed as anti-intellectual. In an increasingly scientific day, many welleducated citizens believe that faith and science cannot be reconciled. The church has often demanded that modern humanity embrace the pre-scientific biblical perspectives instead of highlighting the truth those perspectives tried to convey and expressing those truths in a language that scientific humanity can embrace.

On collective worship: Regular participation in worship, Bible study, and service to others through the church strengthens the faith of individual believers and extends the heart of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to others. We use great music of the church performed with a commitment to excellence to inspire in worship, great hymns of the faith sung in worship to convey the theology of the church, and historic preaching in a language scientific minds can embrace to communicate the message of the church, the heart of which is John 3.16-17.

On helping others through struggles: We ground our approach in the broad historical sweep of God’s activity in humanity represented in biblical history and teachings.

We also engage the best accomplishments of the minds and hearts of humanity in such areas as psychology, sociology, medicine and science. We listen carefully to the teachings of theologians, ethicists and leaders in the fields of medicine, science and the arts. >> theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 7

And finally, we listen to one another’s stories of personal struggles, the great milestones of life we share with one another, and our political and social differences. The witness of God in the history of the world always plays the central role and enables us to include insights from others as we seek strength and guidance in life’s challenges.

On comforting people: Rabbi Harold Kushner’s book by the same title provides helpful insights, the most powerful of which is the question, “Can you accept that life contains a certain amount of randomness?”

Not all of life is random, but sometimes we are the victims of bad timing, bad genetics or simply a random act of violence. We may not always have a satisfying answer to the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people,” but we have a powerful response to the question, “How do we endure when bad things happen to us?” In such times, we have a God who promises a future and a hope and is able to walk with us through any circumstance.

On new initiatives: Five years ago, we began the Chamber Music Series of Calder Baptist Church. The goal – “music of enduring quality, in a sanctuary of worship, to lift hearts to Almighty God, the source of all good, all beauty, all hope” – has been enthusiastically embraced by our congregation and many friends in our community. The heart of our series invites the chamber musicians of the Symphony of Southeast Texas to an annual concert each fall. That concert includes classical music originally written for and performed in the church. Such music has an enduring quality and continues to inspire. Our spring concert has featured a string quartet, the Apollo Chamber Players, a harpist, Meghan Caulkett, a soprano, Julia Fox, a bass-baritone, Dorian McCall, and a jazz performer, Jimmy Simmons, joined by Maestro Chelsea Tipton, II, to bring a wide

Rabbi Joshua S. Taub

8 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

community. We lean toward more Hebrew and less English; our liturgical music includes “old standards” as well as contemporary compositions.

On who inspires him: My daughters inspire me. I am in awe of their accomplishments and chosen paths. My students inspire me. Our human capacity to overcome adversity; the triumph of the human spirit.

Rabbi Joshua S. Taub Ordinary people who do extraordinary Senior Rabbi, Temple Emanuel Congregation things. People who speak truth to power.

On the basic tenet of belief: Reform Discovering new meaning and insight in our Judaism sits on the progressive side of the sacred texts inspires me. Stories of courage Jewish religious spectrum. The central differences between Reform Judaism and other and conviction inspire me.

On the importance of collective worstreams of Judaism are the authorship of ship: Making communal worship meaningsacred text and the role of Jewish religious law in our lives. As a Reform Jew, I embrace ful and relevant certainly will help. Jewish identity is complex. The phrase, “I’m Jewthe human (albeit genius) authorship of ish, but I’m not religious” is a very common the sacred texts. Thus, I reject the concept phrase to hear. Synagogue affiliation and of divine authority and do not recognize as religious participation are not “required” binding Jewish religious law. I support the to consider oneself a Jew or a member of right of every Reform Jew to choose how the Jewish people. We are more than a they shall live meaningful Jewish lives. religious system. For some, being Jewish is On his calling to the ministry: Just only about religious practice; for others it is short of my 18th birthday, recovering from high school graduation celebrations the night about anything but religious practice. Worbefore, I read J. D. Salinger's “Catcher in the ship numbers at Temple Emanuel remain Rye” cover to cover. I was reading the section consistently strong (relative to our size and national attendance averages). We have from which the book's title emerges when I realized that being “a catcher in the rye" was a core group of attendees that have made Sabbath evening worship a regular practice what I was meant to do with my life.

The summer following my freshman year in their lives. We have an additional group of members that attend regularly but with in college, I worked as a bunk counselor less frequency; nevertheless the majority at one of our Reform Movement summer of our congregation simply does not attend camps. It was the first time I experienced worship. Yet, all of our members consider the power and responsibility of being a Jewthemselves serious Jews. They connect with ish role model. That experience and awareJewish life in a number of other ways. ness sealed the deal. My life’s path would On comforting people: Bad things hapbe serving the Jewish people as a rabbi. Our pen to good people and to bad people; good family rabbi (my mentor) concurred. The things happen to good people and to bad rest is history. people, as well. Things happen because we On the style of worship: Our worship live in a universe where good and bad things style at Temple Emanuel is very mainstream happen. When the universe came into being, vis-à-vis the North American Reform Jewish both good and evil came into being as well.

Whatever happens, whether good or bad, you are not the only one, nor are you alone on your journey. Seeking answers to “why?” something bad or unfair has happened may only lead to further disappointment and pain. I encourage folks to ask better questions: What (if any) responsibility do I have for what has happened? Now that this has happened to me, what does it mean? Now that this has happened, how shall I respond?

Dr. Viktor Frankel, renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, teaches when everything else has been stripped away from us, we will always retain this most important and sacred freedom: the freedom to choose our response, no matter the circumstance, to any situation.

Favorite features of the building: Our beautiful sanctuary with our literally oneof-a-kind stained-glass windows. There are many beautiful and inspiring sanctuaries in Beaumont, but Temple Emanuel’s sanctuary “Surpasses them all.”

On new initiatives: I think our Love Thy Neighbor initiative, the Rabbi Samuel Rosinger Humanitarian Award and Deli Day are the three jewels in our crown that will continue to bring meaning, knowledge, variety of music, much of which includes a faith emphasis. All concerts have sold out and indicate the power of music to inspire and bring unity.

If Pastor Fuller could perform one miracle: To write the Golden Rule on the hearts of humanity.

Rev. John Robert Adolph

inspiration, joy and blessing, not only to the Temple Emanuel, but to all of Southeast Texas for years to come.

If Rabbi Taub could perform one miracle: In the same year: the New York football Giants win the Super Bowl; the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup; the New York Knicks win the NBA finals; and the New York Mets win the World Series. Alternative miracle: my mother gets her memory/ mind back.

Rev. John Robert Adolph

Doctor of Ministry, Pastor, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church It’s a big year for Pastor Adolph. He’ll turn 50, and he’ll celebrate not only his 25th year “preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ” but also his 20th year “pastoring the best church in the whole wide world.”

On the basic tenet of belief: Jesus Christ is Lord. He is our all-sufficient Savior who died, was resurrected and is returning to claim all who are in Christ dead and alive.

On work rewards: The most rewarding aspect of ministry is helping others find their way to God. Witnessing to them to understand and not only accept but expect His promises to be become real truth in their lives.

On who inspires him: My inspiration comes from God through His word. The Holy Bible is good for direction, protection, reprove and correction. The issues of the day call for saints to develop a prayer life, increase the time one spends talking to God, teaching others how to pray, praying for others. Prayer changes things.

On comforting people: Bad things happen to good people because God is sovereign! He can do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants, and to whomever He wants. A relationship with Him makes the difference when bad things happen. For those in Christ Jesus there is help because He will carry you through the storms and struggles of life experiences. But without Him you must carry them yourself, and

that's mighty difficult and sometimes impossible! Ultimately, as the result of sin bad things happen to both the just and the unjust. God rains on both the just and unjust.

His sun shines on both the just and unjust.

One miracle Pastor Adolph would perform: I would save everyone I ever laid eyes upon in my entire life! That would be phenomenal!

Rev. Anthony P. “Tony” Clark

Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church On the basic tenant of belief: As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, and both our worship and our mission are in Christ’s name. In Jesus, we find that the nature of God is love, and through baptism, we share in his victory over sin and death.

On the style of worship: St. Mark’s offers a variety of worship settings that feature the proclamation of God’s word and the celebration of Holy Communion. These range from simple weekday celebrations of Holy Communion to musically rich celebrations of Holy Communion on Sundays.

On the church’s challenges: St. Mark’s, like other 21st century churches, wrestles with this essential multidimensional question, How do we engage and serve our 21st century American culture, society and neighbors with the words and deeds of the good news of God in Jesus Christ?

On who inspires him: I am inspired by lay men and women who seek to engage their faith with their vocation as a parent, co-worker, boss, neighbor or citizen. These men and women fight the good fight to connect Sunday with Monday through Saturday in the marketplace, the home, the courtroom or on the golf course.

On cultural challenges: Our culture has, over time, drawn a clear line of separation between faith, religion and values on one side and reason, the scientific method and facts on the other. This artificial separation leaves the culture adrift when it attempts to deal with profound evil, economic collapses and questions of meaning and purpose. How does the church recover its voice and good news of meaning, purpose and hope across the great divide in current culture? Will the culture allow the church a voice in the public square?

On new initiatives: I am excited about our call to serve as an outpost for the Gospel in downtown Beaumont. Downtown Beaumont is rich with opportunities for St. Mark’s to engage and serve our downtown neighbors: local businesses, the courts, Lamar University, local government, first responders and the homeless. I look forward to watching our downtown grow and develop around St. Mark’s over the next several years.

Favorite features of the church: St. Mark’s features a beautiful stained glass window of St. Mark, our patron saint.

Mark is portrayed as a lion in Christian art because his Gospel opens with the roar of one crying in the wilderness and proceeds to tell an action-packed and action story of Jesus of Nazareth. This window, along with the many other stained glass windows in the church, speak to the beauty of holiness and enhance an atmosphere of worship.

Rev. Anthony P. “Tony” Clark theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 9

vip feature

photography by john fulbright

Family Affair:

A Look at Some Family Businesses

by Elaine Wikstrom Leo and Seth Danna of Salad Soulmates

One of the bright threads in the tapestry of American nostalgia is the “mom and pop” business, which we often think of as lost in today’s impersonal, hurry-up commercial world. Those family operations are not history, however; all we have to do is look around to find them, big and small.

Here are a few home-grown examples of children working for or with their fathers, how they feel about their jobs … and maybe a word or two about their bosses, too.

the building of the Leo’s Dressings brand took off. The relationship with Jason’s has lasted 25 years; the company’s product lines have expanded, and “We’ve got some new ideas coming,” Seth says.

Seth says shoppers now tend to look at price or quality. They’re more educated about food, and “that’s certainly a good thing for us.” Recipes that have been “cleaned up” in terms of ingredients are designed to appeal to label readers and “foodies,” both at the retail and commercial levels.

Profit is a necessity, but Seth says, “It’s SALAD SOULMATES more important to us – especially my dad – When Seth Danna left Texas State Unithat we have a quality product.” versity in 2007 with his marketing degree, He and Leo work well together, he says. he headed home.

“We’re like best friends. We’re also very “It was kind of a natural fit for me,” explains the man who joined dad Leo Danna similar in the way we think about different at Salad Soulmates, parent company of Leo’s things.”

When they do differ, they tend to compleDressings.

The business, located on Liberty Street in ment each other, Seth says. “I may be a little downtown Beaumont, was familiar territory, more impulsive.”

Seth describes Leo as “a great role modboth physically and experience-wise. el,” who emphasizes respect for others and “We were breaking down cardboard personal integrity. “Those kind of values boxes for recycling when we were 10 and 11 take you a long way.” years old,” he says of himself and his two “This is where I want to be,” Seth says of brothers. During school holidays, you might the family business. “This is it.” find him at work at the Quality Café, the restaurant his grandparents then ran on the APEX PAYROLL other side of the building.

When a 2012 move to Dallas fell through, Salad Soulmates is something of a café Emily Brackin took dad Tommy Patrizi up spinoff. Leo was making the Italian dresson his offer of part-time work at the busiing used at the restaurant, and later began ness he had established back in 2008, an bottling it on a small scale. Café customers wanted it, and so did Jason’s Deli. With that, income she supplemented by waiting tables.

10 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

She kept telling Patrizi, “You know, I’m going to be getting a real job.” Instead, she says she fell in love with the one she had, going full-time at Apex Payroll in 2013.

“I loved the personal touch we have with our clients,” she said of the small businesses, often family run, that depend on Patrizi and Brackin to keep payrolls in legal trim and on time, leaving the owners to concentrate on their service or product.

Working for Dad has worked out perfectly, she says. There’s the occasional rough day, but “if you put your people first, things will work out for you.”

The very fact that they’re a family business is what draws certain businesses to them, she says. Not being tied to the strict corporate policies, they can offer flexibility.

The clients have Patrizi’s and Brackin’s cell phone numbers. Texting is common, and when clients call, real people answer.

Complementary personalities have made their office relationship work, she says, and they work well out of the office, too. Both are involved with the Chamber of Commerce and volunteer in local organizations and programs, separately and together.

Dad and daughter are a “tag team,” she says, which has provided all the flexibility she needed when she got married and recently became a mother – one who can bring her baby daughter to work.

For now, “I’m very blessed.”

And the future? “To us, the sky’s the limit.”

Larry and Jennifer Windham of Windham & Associates

WINDHAM & ASSOCIATES When Jennifer Windham was describing how her father, Larry Windham, came to have his own independent insurance firm, she ticked off the some of the work experience on his resume.

Then she stopped, a thought hitting her.

“I kind of followed the same trail, I guess.”

The Lamar graduate and Beaumont native was in banking from 1988 until 2005, when she went into agricultural lending.

Her father already knew a lot of the ranchers and farmers from his own work with them, and she got to know them a lot better.

It wasn’t much of a step from there to move into Windham & Associates in 2013, her intent being to help her father transition into retirement after 30-plus years. Their focus is on medical and life insurance, and they have clients all over the state, including members of the Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas.

“It’s been fun,” she says of working in the office, which shares a building with Wolf Bunt & Associates. Pluses are being selfemployed and managing her own schedule.

And not only is she working with her father -- “We’re a very close family” – but everyone in the building has become a sort of second family “that just kind of leans on each other when we have questions about stuff.”

Rather than parental pressure to join the firm, “It was always me wanting to help … to benefit my family.

“I hope I’m not making it worse,” she jokes.

Having an “actual, genuine interest in people” is one of the things her father encouraged, Jennifer says, a suggestion that has served her well.

She considers her job “the career I’ll get to stick with for a long, long time … if not forever.”

MERCY FUNERAL HOME A portrait of founder William Taft and his wife, Betty, looks out at visitors from a lobby wall in Mercy Funeral Home, which opened for business back in 1957 with son Donald among the staff.

The Taft face that often greets clients now belongs to Penny, who grew up around her late mother Gloria’s Gladys Street flower shop and the funeral home just up the block. The baby of the family, Penny says she’d never thought of the funeral home as her career until she realized “nobody was coming behind him (her father, Donald).” She enrolled in a Houston mortuary school in 1986, graduated in 1987, “and I’ve been here ever since, and I do not regret it.”

It was a three-generation operation from the time she graduated until William Taft died in October 2001 – “He worked until he went into the hospital,” Penny says. There was no pecking order among them. “We all worked together... as one. My grandfather stressed that.”

Her father, who retired this spring but still will be around most days, passed along the dictum that “you don’t treat one person differently from another,” regardless of economic or personal circumstances.

The people she serves keep her where she is, “helping them do something they’ve never done before, seeing the relief afterward. They don’t know where to start.”

Her empathy for them increased greatly when Gloria died unexpectedly in 2003.

Nothing was planned or written down.

Penny, like so many of the people she helps, was left to do the best she could with the help of another funeral director.

“From that day, I was really able to relate to people.”

COBURN SUPPLY CO. Working at Coburn’s just wasn’t something that young Michael and Patrick Maloney saw themselves doing as adults. They already had been there, done that, starting out as middle schoolers shredding paper for 25 cents a bag for their father, Don Maloney, who now is Coburn Supply Co. president.

The shredding gig later turned into summer warehouse jobs, which they say they had to interview for just like anyone else.

After being hired, there wasn’t any standing around doing nothing, either. Michael, now director of marketing, says that’s how he learned about his responsibility to the business.

“As far as special treatment being provided, there wasn’t any,” says Patrick, now director of sales.

So they could have been fired?

“We still can,” Michael quips.

Contractors know the firm, founded in 1934, as a wholesale plumbing, HVAC, water works and electrical supply source. >>

Emily Brackin and Tommy Patrizi of Apex Payroll theVIPmag.coM theVIPmag.coM | June | June 2016 11

Area residents likely think of it in connection with kitchen and bath showrooms.

The business has always been big enough that the sons never worked directly for their Don, Patrick and Michael Maloney of Coburn Supply Co.

father; the closest they came was having him real life, “We were encouraged to do something else,” Michael said. drive them to and from work before they So they did. Michael went to Auburn and had their licenses. And while they knew the then took his marketing degree to New York business, when it came time for college and to work in advertising. He came back to Beaumont and worked for a local TV station for a couple of years, then joined Coburn’s in April 2004.

“The idea of working for the company got stronger as I got older,” he recalls.

Patrick intended to use his TCU marketing degree to go into medical device sales, which he did while staying in the DallasFort Worth area. The opportunity to work for Coburn’s in the Metroplex came to him in March 2003, where he stayed about five years before going on to a Coburn’s operation at Mandeville, La., for five years. He’s been back in Beaumont for almost three years.

“A lot of the people we met, who showed us the ropes (as young men), are still here,” Michael says. In some cases, former counter people now are managers; the brothers agree that the culture of the company is to provide opportunity for advancement from within at sites in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Another constant is the example set by one generation, then passed down to the next, about leadership: “Your role is to serve the employees and the customers.”

“It wasn’t until later... the idea of working for the company got stronger as I got older,” Michael says.

ALL DAY MONDAY- THURSDAY

MARGARITAS ONLY $3.49

Tuesday Special Fajitas for 2 for $20.99 All beer for $2.99

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4414 Dowlen, Beaumont, texas 77706 across from Parkdale mall 12 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 13

vip feature

orrections

Vision & Opportunity

for the Right Path Forward

by Marilyn Tennissen

awarded with funds including $45,000 donated by prison inmates.

Since then, the foundation has expanded into the Right Path Program, which is open for any young person who wants to go to college but has Percy Pitzer had already spent more than financial needs.

Many of the kids are at risk for becom30 years as a warden in the federal penitening involved in behavior that could lead to tiary system, but a few years after retiring trouble with the law. But with the help of he realized he still had more to give to the scholarships to the Lamar Institute of Techinmates and their families. nology, Pitzer’s organization gets these kids In 2012, Pitzer and his wife, Sununt, on the “right path.” used their own money to start the non-profit “They’ve been told they won’t amount to Creative Corrections Education Foundation anything or that an education is not an opto provide college scholarships to children of tion. We want to help them have confidence incarcerated parents. For some, the incarin their abilities,” Pitzer said. ceration of a family member can go back The program can help students navigate generations. through the admissions or financial aid pro“So many kids have no vision of success and offer support and encouragement cess,” Pitzer said. “If you can’t visualize as they take classes. Some learn a trade like something, it’s very hard to attain it. We welding while others might go on to a uniwant to open their eyes to their potential.” versity. Currently 31 students are attending LIT through the program.

More than 150 scholarships have been ts Above: Studen elves enjoying thems at a barbecue r Left: Percy Pitze

14 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

“I couldn’t get back in school because I owed money, and a teacher told me to go see Mr. Percy,” said Marques Johnson, a current welding student. “He talked to me, and he told me that if I could pay half then he would pay half. Now I’m back in school, and they have helped me and believed in me.”

Pitzer said that the $2,800 that most students receive is a small price to pay considering the $3 billion a year the state of Texas spends on incarceration.

“The money stays right here and helps our community, and we’ve got to have community support,” Pitzer said. “We rely on donations and through this program the community has a chance to make a difference. If we do nothing, then crime is high and poverty is high, the tax base is low and then the prison starts to fill up.”

To learn more about Creative Corrections and the Right Path program, visit www.ccefscholarships.org or call 409.861.2536.

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 15

vip food entertainment

Pinterest-Perfect

Parties

by Holli Petersen

Throwing a kid’s birthday party is not for the faint of heart.

Long gone are the days when a little cake and ice cream were all the ingredients needed for a perfect party. Universally, expectations have risen, leaving many parents scrambling to find the perfect way to impress their child… and maybe a few parents in attendance.

“Moms have really stepped up the birthday party creativity, but in a different and craftier way,” said Emily Wheeler, mother of two and City of Beaumont marketing division manager. “Pinterest sets the bar really high, and I definitely get ideas from online boards and blogs.”

Wheeler is notorious for throwing squeal-worthy parties for her two daughters. From a lemonade stand party to Peppa Pig, Wheeler manages to add a personal, DIY touch to every detail, maintain focus on the birthday girl and incorporate themes that reflect her daughters’ interests, all while creating an easy, comfortable atmosphere for parents.

In order to accomplish this monumental task, Wheeler plans her daughters’ parties well in advance and considers even the smallest of details. “I usually don’t include activities for kids that are parentled or need parents to accomplish,” Wheeler advises. “I also have food and drinks that are kid-friendly and adult-friendly.”

Local Etsy shop owner Allison Montes helps parents who don’t have the time or crafting expertise to give their celebrations a unique, individualized flair. Her business, Bangin’ Bannerz, specializes in custom party banners and décor that echo the themes and interests of each customer.

“There is a lot of pressure to create the perfect party,” Montes said. “But parents have more help than ever before to get the look they want at an affordable price. Remember, you will be looking at these pictures for a lifetime, so I always suggest investing in party elements that will reflect your child’s personality, but with a creative, custom look.”

Of course, the most important element of every party is fun!

Gowns on the Town hosts princess-themed parties, complete with your child’s favorite glittery characters. With 13 characters to 16 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

choose from (and more on the horizon), parents can create a Disney World atmosphere in their own backyard. These princesses boast impressive performing arts resumes and stay in character for the duration of the party. An “off-duty” princess, Gigi, serves as an assistant to mom and princess liaison to ensure that parents and children are equally pleased.

“Your child only gets a party once a year,” co-owner Vanessa Melancon said. “Eventually, they will outgrow their interest in princesses and fairytales. We love that we can help parents capture that magic for as long as possible and in a very special way.”

Certainly, backyard parties aren’t ideal for every family. Many parents opt to pay a little extra to host parties at outside venues, where cleaning, decorating and entertainment are outsourced.

Wheeler hosted her daughter Haddie’s third birthday party at the Beaumont Children’s Museum.

“The museum party was a huge hit, and I highly recommend it to anyone with young children,” Wheeler said. “The museum staff will do a science experiment with the kids. Parents don’t have to watch over their kids because the museum is extremely safe and confined. There is a private room for the party attendees to sit down and enjoy food and cake, and it’s very affordable.”

Tenth Planet Jiu Jitsu of Beaumont also offers a unique party option for birthday boys and girls looking for high-energy fun.

“Parties at 10th Planet can be adapted to the needs of each child,” said owner Brian Debes. “We can offer a full martial arts themed party or even create a Nerf gun obstacle course, along with pizza and lots of fun.”

Beyond this high-octane excitement, many parents love the fact that 10th Planet underscores anti-bullying and stranger awareness messages and techniques into all its activities to encourage children to be confident and safe in sometimes turbulent social situations.

Whatever your child’s interests, Southeast Texas is fully equipped to make your child’s birthday party the Pinterest-worthy event of your dreams. With a little ingenuity and help from professionals, your next birthday party will be full of memories to last a lifetime.

Who You Gonna

Call?

Our party experts give a sneak peek into their preferred party professionals Cake Decorator: Kelli Patrizi Rao’s Bakery HEB

Above left and left: Gowns on the Town princesses in actionPrincess Ana and the Snow Queen visit with a group of tiny ballerinas; Tinker Bell shares a story; Snow White admires some face painting; the Little Mermaid assists with the birthday cake.

Above and right: Emily Wheeler created a fabulous lemonade stand birthday party. From the food (including girly PB&J sandwiches for the children and “Adults Only” lemonade for the grown-ups) to the décor (a pink, yellow and cheerful color palette, a special “First Lemonade Stand” for Haddie, and, of course, lemons!)

Below left and below: Tenth Planet Jiu Jitsu of Beaumont customizes their parties for the child. Whether it be Nerf guns or martial arts, the parties are high energy and fun, but also share anti-bullying and stranger awareness messages and techniques into all the activities, encouraging confidence and safety.

Décor: Bangin’ Bannerz Catering: Amuny’s Sandwich Trays Entertainment: Pappy’s Ponies Gowns on the Town Venue: Beaumont Children’s Museum 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu of Beaumont

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 17

vip food entertainment

Low

Slow

or High-Heat Searing Butchers’ Top Tips for Meat Selection & Cooking

by Helen Sohlinger ou might think the neighborhood butcher has gone the way of Norman Rockwell illustrations, but you’d be mistaken.

Trained butchers preside over local meat departments at Jack’s Pak-It, a specialty market, and at local Market Basket, Kroger and H-E-B grocery stores.

And what the butchers cut and sell, they know how to cook. So if you’re eyeing a new cut of meat but don’t know how to cook it, talk to the butcher. We did.

VIP collected cooking tips from Sam Blanda of the family owned Jack’s Pak-It on Calder Avenue; Ron Romeo, meat director of the family owned Market Basket chain; Russell Schexnaider, meat market manager at the Market Basket on Texas 105; Sean Cauthron, meat department leader at Kroger on Dowlen Road; and Gerald Holmes, certified meat cutter for the HEB on Dowlen Road.

They offered some general cooking tips: • The tougher the meat, the longer it needs to cook.

• Some cuts may be cooked dry and some need added stock or other liquid. If you choose the wrong method, you probably won’t like the result.

• Whichever method you use, the meat needs to be seared first.

• Get a good meat thermometer, preferably one that displays different types of meat and the recommended internal temperature.

• Don’t get in a hurry. Slow cooking generally makes for more tender meat.

Here are their tips on cooking different cuts of beef and pork: BEEF Tenderloin (filet) or ribeye steaks The most popular steaks for grilling, Schexnaider recommends 18 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

searing them, then grilling over low heat to the desired doneness.

“We sear everything,” Blanda said. “If you season it up and then sear it, that seals in all the juices and that flavor you put on it.”

Both cuts are tender, but filets are the best choice for stovetop cooking in a grill pan or heavy skillet. No added liquid is needed.

Sirloin strip or T-bone Blanda said a sirloin doesn’t cook like other steaks. He recommends searing it on both sides in an ovenproof pan and then finishing it in the oven at a low or medium heat.

When grilling it, sear it, then finish it over lower heat, he said.

Sirloin should be cooked to no more than medium rare, Romeo said.

A T-bone is basically a sirloin strip on one side of the bone and a filet on the other, and should be cooked like a sirloin strip.

Flat iron steak This lesser-known cut is second only to the filet in tenderness, and can be cooked the same way.

Brisket Arguably the most well-known Texas meat, brisket is a tasty cut of beef. It’s also tough and can turn into a disaster if not cooked properly. “I always tell my people, if you want to do a brisket, you inject or marinate it and cook it with the fat side up,” Cauthron said.

He recommends leaving about one-fourth to one-half inch of the fat cap to keep the brisket from drying out. You also should stab a cooking fork through the fat into the meat several times, so the melting fat goes through the brisket instead of draining off to the side, Cauthron said.

Brisket is perfect for a smoker, but can be a little tricky on a regular gas or charcoal grill.

Schexnaider likes to cook brisket at about 200 degrees in the oven until the internal temperature is around 120-125 degrees. >>

Cuts of Beef Steaks: Bottom Round* Chuck Eye Eye of Round* Flank* Flat Iron Petite Tender Medallions* Petite Tender Roast* Porterhouse Ranch* Ribeye Sirloin Tip Center* Sirloin Tip Side* Sirloin Tip* Skirt Strip* T-Bone* Tenderloin* Top Blade Top Round Tri-Tip* Roasts: Chuck Back Ribs Bottom Round* Brisket* Chuck* Eye of Round* Ribeye Shank Cross Cut* Short Ribs Shoulder Pot* Sirloin Tip* Tenderloin* Tri-Tip* Denotes a lean cut. Although there are other lean cuts, any cut with “loin” or “round” in the name will be a lean choice.

*

Grilling Ranch Steak Ribeye Steak Porterhouse Steak T-Bone Steak Chuck Eye Steak Top Blade Steak Tenderloin Steak Flat Iron Steak Strip Steak Back Ribs Top Sirloin Sirloin Tip Steak Kabobs Marinate then Grill or Broil Top Round Steak Shoulder Steak Chuck Steak Western Steak Eye of Round Flank Steak Skirt Steak

Grades of beef and what they mean

Beef quality grades are a measure of palatability traits such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor.

Prime: The highest grade given by the USDA. A high degree of marbling will be found and is considered the “elite” of steaks. Only 3 percent of meat is given this mark and is usually found in high-end steakhouses, but can also be found in specialty meat markets.

Choice: This grade is the most widely available by retailers and restaurants. Choice can represent a wide range of marbling.

Select: The least amount of marbling will be found in this grade. It tends to be leaner and a little less juicy and flavorful than the other two grades. However, proper preparation with marinades and rubs can help offset this and make it a good choice as well.

Beef Facts

★ A three-ounce serving of lean beef provides 25 grams (about half) of the daily value for protein. ★ Protein leaves your body feeling more satisfied, helping curb your appetite. ★ Exercise is more effective when paired with a higher-protein diet. ★ Lean cuts have less than 10 grams of total fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat. ★ The B vitamins in beef help boost energy levels throughout the day. ★ Other nutrients that beef is rich in help maintain brain function, maintain a healthy immune system, build bones and teeth, and support a healthy metabolism.

Herd?

Have you

From Cuts to cooking...

Marinade or Rub? Marinades: Marinades are intended to add flavor and/or tenderize. An already tender cut such as a ribeye would not require tenderization, just an infusion of flavor. Marinade times for flavor are shorter - 15 minutes to two hours. A marinade for flavor infusion usually contains herbs, oils and spices. However, a marinade for purposes of tenderization needs to contain an acidic ingredient (flavored vinegar, lemon or lime juice, yogurt) or ingredients such as pineapple and ginger that have natural tenderizing enzymes.

When marinating, always refrigerate the meat. For every pound of meat, allow for about ¼ to ½ cup of marinade. Once you remove the meat from the marinade, it is a good idea to pat dry the meat to allow for even browning and prevent a steaming effect. If you want to use some of the marinade for a sauce or for basting, remove it before adding the raw meat.

Lime Jalapeno Marinade ½ cup red currant jelly, warmed ½ cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup chopped, seeded jalapenos 2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp, salt 1 clove garlic, minced ¼ tsp. all spice

Rubs: Rubs are used to add flavor but do not tenderize. Dry rubs are made of spices, herbs and dry seasonings. Paste rubs contain a wet ingredient such as crushed garlic or oil. Rubs can be applied immediately before cooking or up to two hours before.

Espresso Rub 2 T finely ground espresso coffee beans 1 tsp. ancho chili powder

1 T garlic pepper 2 tsp. brown sugar

Never salt beef before cooking as salt draws out moisture and restricts flavor achieved from browning. Always use tongs when turning beef to avoid piercing and losing flavorful juices.

get the brief on

BEEF!

by Stacie Jannise

Cooking Methods Stir Fry: Choose a tender cut that can be sliced into even strips including all sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye, top loin, tenderloin, ranch steak, flat iron and shoulder petite tender. If marinated first, round steak, flank steak, brisket or chuck arm can be used.

Stewing: Already cubed and trimmed beef can be purchased for stewing. Additionally, you can make stew meat from round or chuck. The key to a good stew meat is one with some marbling and connective tissue to impart flavor and tenderness.

Pan Frying: A quick method best used with tender cuts of beef such as ribeye, shoulder steak, chuck eye steak, shoulder petite tender medallions, porterhouse steak, T-bone, sirloin, ground beef and cubed steak.

Broiling: This is another quick method of cooking tender cuts of beef without adding any fat. Most of the same cuts as pan frying, including rib eye, shoulder steak, chuck eye steak, T-bone, sirloin, porterhouse steak and ground beef.

Oven Roast: Oven roasting takes quite a bit longer, but requires very little monitoring. Thicker, larger cuts of beef are best for roasting. Rubs are always good for imparting flavor.

Steak, Asparagus and Walnut Stir Fry Total time: 25 minutes; Serves 4 1 lb. beef strip steaks, boneless, cut ¾ inch thick 1 cup uncooked instant brown rice 1 lb. asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths ½ cup fat free, reduced sodium beef broth ½ cup crumbled blue cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 T vegetable oil, divided ½ cup walnut halves ½ tsp. salt

1. Prepare brown rice according to package instructions, omitting butter. Set aside; keep warm.

2. Cut beef steaks across the grain into ¼ inch strips; set aside.

3. Heat 1 tsp. oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add asparagus; stir fry 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp. Add walnuts, garlic and salt. Stir fry 1 minute. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

4. Heat 1 tsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of beef and stir fry 1-2 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Repeat with other half of beef. Return all beef to skillet. Stir in asparagus mixture. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve over cooked rice. Top with crumbled blue cheese. theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 19

Then he puts it on the grill another hour over low heat until it reaches 145 degrees.

It also can be seared, then cooked in the oven the whole time, he said.

Ribeye roast, tenderloin roast and top sirloin roast These can be seasoned to choice, seared and roasted in the oven without additional liquid added. Always use a meat thermometer and be careful not to overcook.

Tri-tip roast “The tri-tip is the roast that cooks like a steak,” Blanda said. ”It will cook like a rib-eye roast or a tender.”

Blanda and Holmes said they sell a fair amount of tritip, mainly to “transplants” from California, where the cut originated. Holmes recommends cooking it at a high heat.

Blanda said it makes good fajita meat. It can be cut horizontally and grilled like steaks.

Chuck, shoulder, rump or sirloin tip roast These are wonderful braised for pot roasts. They also may be seared on top of the stove and then simmered in a slow cooker.

“My favorite roast is a chuck roast... What I normally do is put it in a cooking bag with onions, potatoes, whatever vegetables you want,” Schexnaider said. “Bake it at 350 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 145 degrees for medium.”

Eye of round roast This is a pretty roast, but dry.

Like all meats from the round, it needs to be cooked at a very low temperature with lots of liquid, and never beyond medium rare.

Round steak This steak needs to be cooked “wet and slow,” Romeo said.

“Years ago, the round was rice and gravy,” Schexnaider said. “That’s what we used the round for.”

photography by john fulbright

London broil Don’t let the name fool you.

This is a dry piece of meat that needs braising. Romeo recommends searing it at high heat,

then adding liquid and cooking it covered at a low temperature.

To keep it tender, it should be cooked only to medium rare or medium.

Sam Blanda of Jack's Pak-It

20 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

PORK Pork chops Blanda said pork chops are very popular for grilling, but they need to be at least an inch thick or they’ll get tough and dry.

Schexnaider prefers to sear them and finish them in the oven. In general, pork is cooked much like beef, but will handle a higher heat and cook more quickly, he said.

of the most flavorful and popular cuts of pork. He likes to cook it in an oven bag with a little chicken stock, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Blanda recommends braising it or using a slow cooker. This is the meat typically used for pulled pork or tamales, he said.

Crown roast These are usually prepared to order and are “really cool,” Tenderloin Blanda said.

A pork tender is the equivaThe butcher takes a whole lent of a beef tender, the best pork loin and turns it in on itself piece of meat, Blanda said. with the bones to the outside.

Tenders can be seared, then roasted or grilled. No added liq- The bones are Frenched, or trimmed of meat and left bare. uid is needed. They also can be This cut is seared and cooked grilled over medium-high heat. like a rib-eye roast in the oven.

This cut cooks quickly.

These are popular around the holidays because they typically Ribs weigh 13 to 15 pounds and can Blanda said the highest quality are the baby back ribs, which feed a crowd, Blanda said.

Holmes and Romeo said the come from the pork loin. They’re more tender than the spareribs or crown roasts also can be grilled over slow heat.

St. Louis ribs, larger bones that come from further down the pig.

For the grill, he recommends A taste of the wild searing them, then wrapping Southeast Texans love their them in foil so you don’t lose brisket and spareribs, but if you the tasty drippings. Put the foil want something with a bolder, packet on the grill and cook gamier flavor, Kroger and H-E-B, at medium heat, or low heat if both on Dowlen Road, carry you’re using sauce. a small selection of bison and Schexnaider likes to include a little brown sugar in any spice lamb, with other cuts available by order. rub to add caramelization and Jack’s Pak-It on Calder Avflavor. enue also carries some lamb.

Ribs also may be cooked in Sean Cauthron, meat departthe oven at medium heat, with ment leader at Kroger, said bison or without barbecue sauce. No cooks much like beef but cooks added liquid is necessary. more quickly and dries out more easily due to the low fat content.

Whole loin Ground bison needs to be Because it’s so lean, add liqcooked on low heat to an interuid, the butchers said. nal temperature of 165 degrees.

Blanda likes to dredge it in And don’t make the patty too flour, sear it, and cook it in a Dutch oven. Schexnaider prefers thick, he said. Because it cooks so quickly, the outside of a thick to roast it in an oven bag with a patty will burn before the inside little chicken broth added. is cooked.

“A lot of people use WorcesPork shoulder roast, sometimes called a butt roast tershire sauce in it,” Cauthron said. >> Schexnaider said this is one

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 21

inject a marinade just like you would a turkey. Then sear it on both sides; that way it stays in the meat.”

Lamb shanks should be seared and then cooked slowly with added liquid.

“What a lot people do is, they’ll have it cut about an inch thick, and they’ll make osso bucco (a classic Italian braised dish usually made with veal shanks) out of it,” Cauthron said.

Longhorn: the other beef Steaks may be cooked much like beef, but at a lower temperature. If you want them well done, Cauthron suggests using a marinade or adding a little lemon or lime juice to the seasonings as natural tenderizers.

Gerald Holmes, a certified meat cutter for HEB, recommends not even trying for well done. “You do not want it overdone,” he said. “Rare is going to be the best eating experience, just as it is with beef.”

A bison roast usually needs moisture, so Holmes recommends searing it, then roasting at a low heat with added liquid.

Cauthron recommends a slow cooker for a bison roast, which is typically smaller than the same cut of beef.

“A lot of people add the organic red potatoes, the organic carrots. They’ll get a little bit of garlic, a little bit of bell pepper, and add water,” he said.

Cauthron and Holmes both said they sell a lot of lamb, which is a fattier meat and can have the same gamey taste as wild-caught meat.

Cauthron said lamb sells to a very diversified group. Middle Eastern customers especially like lamb and use it in their native cuisine, he said.

Ground lamb can get greasy and needs draining after it’s browned, he said.

A lamb chop can be cooked like a steak or can be braised.

Holmes and Cauthron also said they can get rack of lamb by request.

People watch cooking shows on television and see the French rack, which has round chops with the bones stripped and bare, so that’s what they want, Cauthron said. This cut is roasted, but needs added liquid.

“You can marinate it and baste every five or 10 minutes to keep the meat from drying out,“ Cauthron said. “You also can 22 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

A rancher’s whim more than three decades ago has brought an extra lean type of beef to Southeast Texas.

James Gentz of the family owned Gentz Cattle Co. in Winnie said his father, Jimmy, bought his first longhorn in 1979.

“He just liked their different colors,” Gentz said. “Like an old auctioneer said, they’re the color of a rainbow. You don’t have just black or white; they’re all different colors. And basically, all the horns are different. And he enjoyed that.”

Now the family raises a herd of 200 longhorn cattle and processed 132 calves last year.

The pasture-raised longhorns are never force-fed or given growth hormones. The longhorn beef is leaner than other types of cattle, he said.

“I got some of it tested, and I’ve had some of it that was 5 and 6 percent fat,” he said.

Because of the low fat content, it cooks more quickly than other types of beef, which means you’ll have to watch it carefully so it

doesn’t overcook and dry out.

Steaks may be grilled or broiled. He recommends a medium hot fire for grilling with damp mesquite or cherry wood added for extra flavor if you like.

And don’t expect to see much shrinkage in this super-lean beef.

Broiled steaks will be juicier if you start them while they’re still partly frozen. Position the meat 3-4 inches from the heating element, and remember, watch it closely.

Longhorn beef roasts should be cooked at 275 degrees. He recommends a meat thermometer to

be sure you get the right degree of doneness. The ground beef should have an internal temperature of 160 degrees, he said.

Gentz longhorn beef is for sale at the Beaumont Farmer's Market every Saturday except the first Saturday of each month. On the first Saturday, he sells at the Mont Belvieu Farmer's Market.

Buyers also may call ahead to 409.267.5201 and pick up their order at the ranch.

Family longhorn recipes are available online at www. gentzlonghornbeef.com.

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 23

24 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

vip food entertainment

li•ba•tion \lī-’bā-shən\

Noun: a drink poured out as an offering to a deity

by Jane McBride Megan Williams has been bartending for about six years, but her current position as bar manager at Portus Lounge is less than six months old. That’s because the energetic head bartender chose to help open the popular hotspot for those more interested in an elegant setting than an unruly evening.

Portus Lounge is for actual adults – those 25 and older who appreciate a well-appointed space with drink choices that offer well-crafted cocktails and top-of-the-line spirits.

“Our goal is to make the lounge a place where you come and have a good cocktail and relax with friends, to mingle and enjoy your time without a lot of loudness interrupting you,” Williams said. “With cocktails we’re trying to bring back classics as well as introduce some new cocktails our customers might not have had before.”

As an example, she spotlighted two drinks made with St. Germaine Elderflower, the Elderflower Smash and Portus Flower.

But one of the more interesting takes on her cocktails includes a bit of a burn.

“We have a couple of spicy drinks Phelan 2 3 6 6 that we use hot sauces from the Bravado t Spice Company based in Houston. People eaumon B who like spicy love them. I’m a crybaby .5758 so they’re not for me,” she laughed, “but I 409.225 can see why people enjoy them. They’re so us.bar t r o p . w ww popular we almost sold out of them right rtusBar o P / away and had to reorder. It has been more k o o Faceb popular than we expected. It’s a very sweet drink, but the hot sauce cuts that sweetness.

It’s the aftertaste that lingers.”

Bravado ChocolateBerry Bastard Coupe glass 1 oz. 360 Double Chocolate Vodka ½ oz. Light Crème de Cacao ½ oz. Razzmatazz Raspberry Liqueur Dash of Bravado Ghost Pepper

and Blueberry Hot Sauce

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a coupe glass and serve.

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 25

vip fashion trends

anch rs

aweigh Give Your Summer Wardrobe the Royal Treatment

by Tammy Crutchfield

VIP asked members of the Neches River Festival royal court and scholarship recipients to model summer fashions from local boutiques. The seniors selected clothing most suitable to their personal styles.

photography by john fulbright

The 68th Neches River Festival Queen, Olivia Katherine Lombardo, is a graduate of Monsignor Kelly High School and will attend Baylor University in the fall where she plans to begin pursuing a career in nursing. She says she admires her brother, Sam, “more than anyone else because he has a love for others and inspires me to work hard and be my most genuine self.” Olivia choose clothing from the Ya Ya Club. This precious olive romper ($82), Free People Sunseeker Gladiator Sandals ($142) and stone necklace ($26) represent her style. Queen Olivia, you wear this outfit well!

The Ya Ya Club Clothing store is proud to help Southern women who are on a quest to fill their closets with fabulous clothing, their minds with the realization that they are amazing individuals and their hearts with the urge to give back! Located at 414 Dowlen Road (across the street from Jason’s Deli) in Beaumont.

Neches River Festival 2016 Best Escort Jordan Wade Crutchfield graduated from West Brook High School and will attend the University of Texas in Austin to work on a degree in computer science to fulfill his dream of becoming a video game designer/programmer.

If Jordan could be any superhero it would be Batman because “he is all about acting upon what he thinks is right. He also doesn’t use the aid of any superpowers and is a billionaire philanthropist who doesn’t just help people when wearing a mask.” Jordan is sporting a Barbour Multi laundered shirt ($129), Castaway Island Canvas Short in sherbet ($68) and the very trendy Smathers and Branson needlepoint belt ($165) from For Heaven’s Sake. Typically known for their bridal registry, fine china, and silver and specialty baby items, home décor and printed invitations, For Heaven Sake now has various lines of men’s clothing, making it Beaumont’s one-stop shop for your sportsman or preppy guy!. Whoohoo! Located at 4190 Calder Ave. in Beaumont.

26 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

Third Lady-in-Waiting of the Neches River Festival Mollie Ann Nelson is a Monsignor Kelly High School graduate attending Louisiana State University in the fall where she will study communication. She plans to pursue a career in sports medicine. Mollie says the three words that best describe her are “fun, outdoing and easygoing.” Mollie is modeling a super cute navy paisley V-neck romper ($44) and fuchsia stone necklace ($26) from the Pink Chandelier, a women’s clothing and gift boutique catering to all ages. Their clothes are unique, fun and trendy, and their goal is for you to leave the store feeling better than you did when you walked through the doors. Located at 5905 Phelan Blvd. in Beaumont.

Neches River Festival Second Lady-in-Waiting Caroline “Coco” Carson Bean is a graduate of Monsignor Kelly High School, attending Texas A&M University to study psychology beginning in the fall 2016. Coco hopes to go to law school and study international law. If she were famous she says, “I’d be famous for being named Second Lady-in-Waiting of the Neches River Festival.” Coco chose to wear a very feminine yet flirty drop-waist floral dress ($48) and wrap-around bead necklace ($28) from Ella + Scott, where a love for fashion and the spirit of style come together.

Ella + Scott’s motto is Wear it. Rock it!

Located at 460 N. M.L. King Jr. Pkwy. in Beaumont.

Neches River Festival First Lady-in-Waiting is Ashley Brooke Brandimarte, who graduated from West Brook High and is attending the University of Texas McCombs Business School in the fall. About her future she says, “I have no idea what God has planned for me, but I can assure you I’m excited to see.” She does know that if she had a time machine she’d travel to “1920s Paris.” Here, Ashley is modeling a pair of embroidered denim cutoff shorts ($34) along with a pink fringe top ($32) from Pappagallo. Look out Austin... Ashley is ready for the music festival scene in this outfit! Pappagallo is a women’s boutique that features a large selection of Brighton and Vera Bradley accessories. They also have a great selection of fashion-forward clothes, shoes and accessories. Located at 3350 Dowlen Road, Suite A in Beaumont. >>

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 27

YOUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT. SO IS THE HOSPITAL THAT CARES FOR IT. At Houston Methodist, our team of specialists is devoted to the highest level of care for our patients. That’s why we’re the highest ranked hospital in Texas. So join the 28,000 patients from 50 states and 90 countries who traveled last year to receive the leading care that only Houston Methodist can provide.

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28 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

Shelby Elizabeth Harris is one of two recipients of the Neches River Festival Otho Plummer Scholarships. She is a graduate of Monsignor Kelly High School and will attend Lamar University for a year and then transfer to Baylor University to pursue a path toward medical school. Shelby says if she could be invisible she would “probably spend my time stealing people’s food. Who doesn’t love free food?” Shelby looks so stylish wearing these embellished and beaded shorts ($73) with a cropped lace beaded top ($89) from the Ya Ya Club Clothing store.

Located at 414 Dowlen Road in Beaumont.

Remi Kate Kimball was named Miss Congeniality at the Neches River Festival. She is a graduate of West Brook High School and will attend Texas State University later this year. She has two dreams for her future. First, she would love to “make it to Broadway,” and second, she wants to “start a theatre program for special needs children. I want to redefine the ‘special’ in ‘special needs.’” If she could win any award she would win a Tony. She says, “Every year I watch the Tonys in total awe.

I dream of being up there myself. If I work hard, maybe someday I’ll make it.” Remi choose a Gingham and Pearls classic red dress with navy trim ($45) which really highlights her classic preppy style. Gingham & Pearls is a women’s lifestyle brand with a coastal influence. The owner was born in Connecticut and transplanted to Beaumont. For that reason the store embraces the sophisticated comfort and tradition of the East Coast, complemented with the etiquette and charm of the South. Located at 4393 Calder Ave. in Beaumont.

Jeremy Clinton Michalk Jr. is one of two recipients of the Neches River Festival Otho Plummer Scholarships. He is a graduate of Legacy Christian Academy who will attend Lamar University in the fall and hopes in five years he’ll be managing a power and HVAC company. If a movie was made of his life, he says, “It would for sure be a comedy movie. Owen Wilson would play me because we are similar, and he is a hilarious guy.” Jeremy’s attire is from Games People Play and includes a Southern Marsh striped golf polo shirt in navy and mint ($80) along with Nike Golf Tour Performance Shorts ($68) and an Honest by Brighton leather belt ($50). Games People Play is definitely a multifaceted operation. Not only does it include golf retail and a practice center, but also a wide selection of men’s active clothing. Located at 5945 College St. in Beaumont. theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 29

photography by john fulbright

vip home garden

c i t s e j a eM

h T 30 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

In 1904,

a young man by the name of Miles Frank Yount caught oil fever and headed from Arkansas to Beaumont following the 1901 discovery at Spindletop. He was 26 years old. He worked hard, and when he was 45, gained instant fame and riches on Nov. 14, 1925, when he brought in a well that regenerated the Spindletop oil fields, which many thought were played out.

Yount spent the rest of his life using his wealth to help his fellow man and his community. On at least two occasions during the Great Depression, his company, Yount-Lee Oil, loaned the City of Beaumont money to pay city workers. Because of his philanthropic work, he earned the nickname “The Godfather of Beaumont.� One of the great treasures he left behind still stands at the corner of Calder and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. It is the majestic Mildred Building named after his beloved daughter.

Previously the site of the Oak Hotel, which burned to the

by Micah Shanks ground in 1919, the complex was envisioned by Frank and his wife, Pansy, to include retail stores and apartments for his employees. It took two years and $700,000 to build. Today it stands as one of the finest examples of Mediterranean Revival style architecture in the state of Texas.

“Yount was one of Beaumont’s most prominent citizens. He gave a tremendous gift to the city,” says current owner Tom Flanagan.

The attention to detail is incredible. One look at the building sets it apart. From the original stained glass and terrazzo tile to the leaded glass and decorative mouldings, the Mildred is unique.

The three-story apartment complex features terra cotta glazed brick, projecting bays, hipped roof porches, parapet walls and a red Spanish tile roof. There are six apartments on each floor.

“This is such a special place to live that we are always full, and there is a waiting list,” says Flanagan.

Longtime resident Norma Crane agrees. >> theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 31

32 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

“There is a family feel to the building,” says Crane. “We often have hallway dinners and parties or just meet on the rooftop terrace for wine. We all watch out for each other.”

Originally, each apartment was fully furnished, and many antique showpieces are still in use. There was a highly decorative painted headboard in each room, along with a Murphy bed that slept extra people. Each also had a campaign desk covered in painted leather. Crane still uses the one in her balcony apartment, which overlooks Calder.

“This is considered the premier apartment because of the balcony. Tenants used to sit here and watch the trolley go by,” says Crane.

Each apartment has a fireplace, and each fireplace has a different surround made of stone or tile. Other special touches to the building include European style lanterns, a specially designed crest and gargoyles on the outside. A New Orleans style courtyard sits in the center of the building and is another place for residents to enjoy.

“Living here is like living in a movie,” remarks Flanagan. “It is a timeless way of living.”

Today, Katharine and Co. restaurant serves gourmet lunch Monday through Friday in the space that was once the corner drugstore. Other shops include Finder’s Fayre, which caters to people from all over the world in search of special antiques.

First Thursday has become a popular event at the Mildred.

On the first Thursday of each month, Katharine and Co. opens for dinner, retail shops stay open late, and vendors set up their wares along the sidewalks. Shoppers are often treated to live music as they stroll around.

The Mildred Building is a true asset to Beaumont and is still very much alive.

“I’m committed to historic restoration and downtown revitalization. It is an honor to own this building, and I’m proud of its success,” Flanagan says.

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 33

vip home garden

Plant groups that beat the

Heat

by Gary Outenreath

Director of Horticulture, Beaumont Botanical Gardens

As summer temperatures approach, cool weather plants begin to wane. This usually occurs as overnight temperatures start to stay in the upper 60s. Some signs of heat stress are smaller and fewer flowers, elongation of stems and setting of seeds. This is telling us that the plants are tired and need to be replaced.

As opposed to cool season plants, warm season items thrive in temperatures above 65°F, and some even seem to handle the mid and upper 90s. For the best looking plants, plant in raised beds with good drainage, fertility and moisture retention. Also, even plants designated “full sun” will benefit from a little shade during the hottest part of the day. The following is a description of five plant groups that will thrive during our heat and humidity.

A few well-placed plants of these five groups can really make your landscape stand out.

Acalypha (Copper Plants)

These plants have a worldwide distribution of 450 species. The most colorful of the group is Acalypha wilkesiana and its varieties. These occur naturally in Vanuatu and other islands in the South Pacific. They are wind, heat and salt air tolerant. Best growth occurs in full sun to very light shade. A soil with high organic matter and good drainage is ideal for maximizing growth. Best growing temperature is 65°F and higher. Best coloration occurs in the fall. They are not prone to insect problems, but can be effected by spider mites, aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs. A few of the many varieties are: Inferno: multi-colored, fast-growing, small leaves Brazen: dark purple foliage Tahiti: green, yellow-edged curly leaves Tequila Sunrise: large ivory and green with red spots Kona Gold: similar to the above without the red spots Raggedy Ann: dark serrated leaves, upright growth Orange Giant: leaves to 12 inches, multi-colored mostly orange Chenille Plant: pink tasseled Trailing Chenille: like above but trailing with small leaves

34 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

Hibiscus Rosa – Sinensis (Tropical Hibiscus)

Of the 200 or more species, this native of tropical and subtropical zones in Asia is considered to have the most exotic flowers of any of the tropical flowering plants.

Additional to the species, there are over 3,000 varieties worldwide that are used in landscapes where the climate will allow.

New varieties are continually hybridized and made available in the nursery trade. Flower colors vary widely from white, pink, red, yellow, near purple and almost any shade except true blue. Flowers may be single or double, most lasting only one day. A few varieties may last two days. Some flowers are six to eight inches. During the warmer months, flowering is continuous. Also, there are some varieties with colorful foliage.

Plants may exceed 15 feet or more with good growing conditions, but five feet to six feet is a usual size. Hibiscuses are very good container plants, especially in conjunction with training plants. Container items may be placed in protected locations when frost or freezing temperatures are predicted.

Established plants in well-drained soil have the best chance of surviving low temperatures. Cold, wet soils generally result in plant mortality, especially if the plants are

not adequately established and healthy. The best fertilizers should be low or no phosphorus and contain microelements. Fertilizers are available that are specially formulated for hibiscus and other tropical flowering plants. As for insect and disease problems, hibiscuses are not usually prone to severe outbreaks. However, it can happen. The most common of these culprits are aphids, mealy bugs, white flies and soft scales. The safest control is a hard stream of water that will knock most of these pests off if done on a regular basis. For more difficult insects such as the hard scales and snow scales, a safe chemical like any of the pyrethrumbased products is effective. As always, consult the product label for proper handling and usage of the product. Insecticidal soaps containing peppermint and eucalyptus essential oil can be effective. Every summer garden can be brightened up using a few hibiscuses. Choose some from the following:

nutrients are also beneficial. I have found that azalea, camellia and gardenia fertilizer works very well on tropical color plants.

Another tip is to allow the plants to dry to the point of wilting before watering. Doing this until color starts to show will stimulate color production. This mimics their conditions in the wild. Do not do this to plants already showing color. Pests are usually not a problem. Slugs may chew holes in the leaves and looper caterpillars may chew along the edge of the leaves. For photos of 80 varieties of these plants look up “Bougainvillea varieties” on the internet.

Caladiums

These highly ornamental foliage plants have been developed from seven species native to Central and South America.

Over 1,000 named cultivars exSingle Flowered ist, primarily from Caladium Seminole Pink – Pink bicolor. They are a part of Butterfly – Yellow the family Araceae, which Brilliant – Red also includes elephant 5th Dimension – Multi-colored ears. Caladiums grow from Ross Esty – Pink and buff tubers, sometimes incorrectly Hula Girl – Yellow called bulbs. A process called “de-eying” inAll Aglow – Orange, red and yellow pinwheel volves removing the central growing point on the top of the tuber. This allows the smaller Double Flowered “eyes” to develop, resulting in a shorter, fullElephant Ear – White er plant. There are two basic classifications Kona – Bright pink of caladiums, fancy leaf and lance leaf. The Crown of Bohemia – Gold/bronze center fancy leaf varieties are larger, heart-shaped Double psyche – Red leaves and are less wind and sun tolerant than the lance leaf varieties. Both groups enVariegated Red Wave – Mottled dark red, pink and purple joy a well-drained, organic soil that is always moist, but not wet. Planting should be done Snow Queen – White, pink and green when the soil temperature is higher than Cooperi – Same as above but darker 70°F. Cold, wet soil will hinder development Hummel’s Fantasy – Highly variegated of the tubers. Caladiums may be purchased white and green as growing plants or tubers. All parts of these Additionally, two relatively new series, plants are toxic if ingested and some people Belize and Cajun, are very exciting. They are sensitive to the plant juices. have great landscape potential as well as Fancy Leaf Varieties exotic and colorful blooms.

Calypso – Pink/white blotches Fire Chief – Red Bougainvilleas for Hot Color Moonlight – Solid white Bougainvilleas have been in cultivation Pink Splash – Pink, dark green edge since the mid 1700s. There are two speRaspberry Moon – Pink cies, Bougainvillea glabra and B. spectabilis.

They are members of the four o’clock family, Summer Pink – Pink, white, green Tapestry – Red, white, green Nyctaginaceae. They are native to Atlantic coastal areas of Brazil. The climate is tropiLance Leaf Varieties cal with distinct wet/dry seasonal changes.

Peppermint – Red, white, green They are large, woody climbers with most Red Ruffles – Red, green edge having thorns. The “flowers” are actually Miss Muffet – Green/white, red spots modified leaves called bracts. Best growWhite Wonder – White, green edge ing conditions are soils with high sand and organic matter compositions to insure good Cannas drainage. Best temperatures range from These are tropical and subtropical plants 60°F at night to mid to high 90s F. Frost and with large leaves and impressive flowers. freezing temperatures will cause varying There are 19 species with cultivars and degrees of damage and even death, dependhybrids in the hundreds. They are the only ing upon the size and age of the plants and genus in the family Cannaceae and are native the severity of the cold event. B. glabra and to the New World, southern South Carolina its hybrids are hardier than B. spectabilis. west to south Texas and into Argentina.

Maximum sunlight is best for bract produc- Worldwide, cannas are one of the most used tion. Cooler temperatures enhance bract ornamental plants. Some have high levels of starch and are consumed by people and color. The best fertilizer has a 2:1:2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Micro animals. Other uses for the rhizomes include

medicinals, alcoholic beverages, paper from fiber and leaves, and purple dye from the seeds. Also, they are very tolerant of contaminants and pollutants in wetlands and are sometimes used to extract undesirable elements from these areas. Best growing conditions are soil that is fertile, organic and moist. Some species and varieties may be used as aquatic plants. A minimum of eight hours of sunlight is necessary for plants to properly develop. Cannas may be grown indoors if they are located in a bright location. They may be subject to pests under less than bright light conditions. Some are spider mites, slugs and snails. Outdoors, cannas are subject to rust and certain viruses which over time will effect growth negatively. Possibly the most damaging organism to cannas is the canna leaf roller moth. They eat foliage, usually starting along leaf edges, eventually rolling up in a protective tube-like structure.

Best control is to cut the effected stems off at ground level. Place cut stems in a plastic bag and dispose properly. This procedure can also be applied to stems that have completed their bloom cycle, as well as any plants that are infected by any other maladies.

Some really attractive cannas are: 5 ft.

Australia Dark purple foliage, orange flowers 6 ft.

Bengal Tiger Green and yellow stripes, orange flowers 6 ft.

Blueberry Sparkler Purple foliage, pink flowers 4 ft.

Cleopatra Purple and green foliage, red, yellow flowers 3 ft.

Ermine Green leaves, white flowers 8 ft.

Red Stripe Green with red stripes, red flowers 4 ft.

Orange Punch Green leaves, orange flowers 7 ft.

Phasion Pink and purple leaves, light pink flowers 12 ft. Thai Rainbow Green, cream and purple, red-orange flowers theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 35

vip art culture

finder’s Fayre A Showplace of

Unique Objects

Photo by Emily Lockhart-Furry

by Beth Gallaspy

For 50 years,

Finder’s Fayre has housed a unique, ever-changing collection of antique furniture and decorative objects catering to discriminating shoppers from Beaumont and beyond.

For all but the first few of those years, Dexter Augier has been a steady presence at the Mildred Building shop, curating that collection and helping clients choose the right pieces to wow visitors and enjoy for decades to come.

36 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

courtesy of beaumont cvb

Augier says he never intended to get into the antiques business. But after helping the original owner at a few antique shows in Houston, he was asked to come aboard as Finder’s Fayre manager in 1974. Faced with an unappealing rural relocation for his job as a lumber company purchasing agent, he decided to say yes.

“I gained hands-on experience going to Europe and around the world buying things and getting to see collections both in museums and private collections, getting to meet people. It’s a fascinating business,” Augier says. He gradually bought into and eventually took over the business after the death of the original owner, James Steinmeyer.

From the beginning, Finder’s Fayre has focused on 18th and 19th century antiques, primarily European furniture and decorative arts rather than American pieces. However, Augier introduced a contemporary twist to the established shop in late 2013 with the creation of the Contemporary Local Artist Show Series, or CLASS. “It’s to encourage local artists that might need just a little extra to make them go on with a career in art,” Augier says. Four times a year - February, April, September and December - Augier invites selected local artists to show and sell their work in a prominent display space at the entrance of Finder’s Fayre, with artists keeping 100 percent of the profit. He also promotes each show, including with opening and closing events during First Thursdays on Calder.

Augier first connected with several local artists a few years ago at a backyard arts festival hosted by Nathan McCray. “There’s so much energy and so much talent, but they’re showing their stuff basically to each other,” Augier says. So he decided to broaden their audience. He found that many of his friends and long-time clients knew little to nothing of the Southeast Texas arts scene. Using his venue and connections to help talented local artists in their careers - and to show his clients something new that they might enjoy - has been rewarding, Augier says. All of the CLASS artists have made at least a few sales, and some have sold almost everything they exhibited.

“You may make beautiful paintings, but if someone puts money in your hand, you have the validation that what you do is of value,” he says.

As with his background in antiques, Augier has no formal training in art but learned on the job, sometimes viewing 100,000 paintings or more in a few days on buying trips to Europe. “Whether you intend it or not, you get an education in what’s good,” he says.

“There’s something about a good painting that speaks to you. You get sensitive to that. It moves you.”

Antiques can have a similar effect. In choosing items for the shop, Augier says his number one criteria is lasting quality. “Quality things, you can look at it every day of your life and never get tired of it.” he says.

Being able to provide a full ownership record of a particular piece - known as provenance - is rare and expensive in the antiques business. However, knowledgable dealers and customers will be able to enjoy the craftsmanship of a marble-topped Louis XVI center table or an exquisite Oriental rug and perhaps deduce parts of the object’s story.

“You think about the culture that created it, where it might have been, whose house it was, what the people were like. It has a personality, and it gives you a connection to the past. There are people who appreciate the quality, and they want that connection,” Augier says. “It’s a sense of value outside of money, that the thing has a meaning, a purpose.”

Casual shoppers might consider Finder’s Fayre expensive, Augier says, but his prices are generally lower than Dallas, Houston and New Orleans shops for items of similar value and age, and his repeat customers recognize that. His Beaumont location is one of the factors Augier keeps in mind when he considers inventory for the shop. Along with value, he lists three criteria he weighs when buying for the shop. First, “it has to be something unusual.” Second, “it has to be something that fits the market here in Southeast Texas.”

Finally, “it has to be something that I like so much that I’d be willing to take it home and live with it. If it meets those things, the next thing of course is the price.”

When the criteria are met and the price is right, those quality items might find a temporary home in Finder’s Fayre, at least until the right customer comes along looking for her own connection to the past.

You think about the culture that created it, where it might have been, whose house it was, what the people were like. It has a personality, and it gives you a connection to the past.”

Dexter Augier

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 37

vip art culture

Summer

Float Plans

River Adventures Here

There

by Chrissie Mouton

River Getaways With more than 3,700 named streams, 15 major rivers and some 3,300 miles of tidal shoreline along the Gulf Coast, Texas offers unlimited possibilities for paddling adventures and angling opportunities of all types. In other words, Texas is the place to be for some river recreation. And with triple digit temperatures, we all have the urge to jump into the closest body of water to cool off.

Whether they like canoes, kayaks, tubes or just rope swings, Texans know how to enjoy rivers and streams.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, activities like canoeing and kayaking are increasing in popularity. In fact, the state estimates a paddling increase of 200 to 300 percent in the last 10 years or so.

“That’s still smaller compared to motor boat use, but as people become more interested in outdoor fitness [paddling] gets you into more quiet areas, and you can experience more than you can in a motor boat,” says Tom Harvey, spokesperson for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Harvey says motor boats are still the most popular way to experience Texas rivers, especially when it comes to fishing for largemouth bass, but there’s a growing interest in another type of fishing.

“Kayak fishing has come on as a major growing niche,” Harvey says. “A lot of people still like to fish from motor boats, especially lake fishing, but more and more people are fishing from kayaks.”

Outside of fishing, tubing, of course, is one of the state’s most popular river adventures, and you can’t talk tubing without talking the Guadalupe in New Braunfels.

“What a great weekend with friends! The water was so cool and refreshing, and it was a great way to spend the day,” says Kelly Johnston, Beaumont resident.

The Guadalupe Considered the most popular, and “most intense” river in Texas, the Guadalupe has 230 miles of rapids, boulders and tube chutes.

The Guad is also one of the more ever changing rivers in the state, as its flow is dictated by water release rates from the dam at Canyon 38 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

Lake. Due to that release, the water is cold, which is great for beating the Texas heat, but it also has the honor of being the only river in the state that can support trout fishing year round.

“The Hill Country has wonderful, clear, spring-fed streams that are super popular and very different than Southeast Texas,” Harvey says.

San Marcos and Blanco San Marcos, home of the San Marcos and Blanco rivers, is also a popular destination year round. Of course, the city truly shines when temperatures rise.

The San Marcos River is spring fed, making it some of the cleanest water around. Because the river stays at a constant 72 degrees, no month is off limits for visitors, says Rebecca Ybarra-Ramirez, executive director of the San Marcos Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“You can drive by in January, and there can be people just hanging out in the water. People come year round to canoe, kayak, snorkel, paddle board, tube,” she says.

Any vacation from spring break on, people are tubing on the river. Ybarra-Ramirez says retail stores almost always have tubes ready to go. Or you can marvel at underwater marine life and watch hundreds of springs bubble up from a glass bottom boat at the Meadows Center, formerly Aquarena Center. You can also run your fingers along the tile of the “Unity Mural” at City Park before hitting the water.

The Blanco River joins the San Marcos River near the city and is a popular destination for fishing and a variety of water sports. Annual events like the Lavender Festival and Blanco Classic Car Show also draw visitors to the area.

The Frio For another river getaway, you can head to the river whose name literally means cold. The Frio River in Concan is just 90 minutes west of San Antonio and three hours southwest from Austin. The Frio River area is popular for tubing, but also a popular place for bikers, cyclists and car clubs. >>

The Frio Rive r

Whether they like canoes, kayaks, tubes or just rope swings, Texans know how to enjoy rivers and streams.

The Meadows Center glass bottom boat tour in San Marcos

texas rivers Trinity River Fort Worth Difficulty - Easy Length - 30 miles/6-7 hours Swimming, fishing, biking, running, tubing, picnicking, kayaking and more The Trinity River in Fort Worth has 58 miles of trails, tubing, kayaking and lots more in the heart of Fort Worth.

Frio River Third crossing to Texas Hwy 127, Concan Difficulty - Easy Length - 4 miles/2 hours Kid-friendly, kayaking/canoeing, tubing, rapids, overnight camping Pure, cold water, limestone and gravel bed, cypress trees and chute-like rapids describe this area. The long narrow channels are overhung with dense vegetation like a natural water park. This stretch of the river is both safe and exciting.

Brazos River Texas Hwy 16 to FM 4 near Mineral Wells Difficulty - Moderate Length - 20 miles/2-3 days Kayaking/canoeing, tubing, overnight camping The longest and most storied river through sparsely populated ranch land known as “Scenic North Texas Hill Country.� Deep valleys cut into the rolling landscape. Grass tussocks cover the sandbanks with steep wooded slopes.

Try this trip in the fall.

Canadian River North River Road, US 83 to Texas Hwy 70, near Canadian Difficulty - Effortless Length - 22 miles/1 hour minimum Kid-friendly This river is usually too dry to be good for floating, but is great for duck hunting, ATV trails crisscrossing the riverbed, birding and spectacular scenery.

Medina River FM 2107, 5 miles west of TX Hwy 16, near Kerrville Difficulty - Effortless Kid friendly, tubing, kayaking/canoeing Great place to just take a trip to the river to cool off. Tall cypresses line a long pool that is deep enough to swim and even snorkel.

Trinity River Access at Cedar Hill Park on Lake Charlotte Road near Wallisville Difficulty - Moderate Length - 6-7 miles/4-5 hours Kayaking/canoeing Experience this swampy wonderland which takes you through three ecosystems and centuries of human history.

Neches River US 69 to Recreational Road 255, near Woodville Difficulty - Moderate Length - 18.5 miles/2 days Kayaking/canoeing, rapids, overnight camping You can have a relaxing two-day trip winding through pine forests with gleaming white sandbanks and water that is the rich East Texas tea color. Two miles in, you will come to the river's only natural waterfalls.

Colorado River Between Roy Guerrero Park on the south and the Colorado Wildlife Sanctuary on the north Difficulty - Easy Length - 1 mile/1-2 hours Water sports, fishing "Secret Beach" is a stretch of undeveloped Colorado River shoreline in Austin.

San Marcos River Lions Club on Austin Drive, San Marcos Difficulty - Easy Length - 1 mile/1 hour Swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving, tubing, kayaking/canoeing The crystal clear San Marcos River attracts many for its popular recreational activities in San Marcos. Spring fed, this short gem was made for floating. The river is a constant 72 degrees. There are several beautiful campgrounds. downstream of San Marcos.

South Llano River South Llano River State Park to Schreiner Park, Junction Difficulty - Easy Length - 5 miles/2-3 hours Kid friendly, kayaking/canoeing, tubing, overnight camping Fields of crops and cattle line the western riverbank and steep limestone hills shelter the east. In the winter, flocks of wild turkeys live in the pecan-forested bottomlands and in the summer humans flock to the river.

Guadalupe River 12 miles west of New Braunfels, exit 191 off Hwy 35 or FM 306 near Canyon Difficulty - Easy Length - 2 1/2 miles/ 1/2 to 6 hours Tubing, whitewater rafting, kayaking/canoeing, fishing Used for all sorts of recreational activities. Since the water is released from the bottom of the lake, it is cold, making it the only river in Texas that can support trout fishing year around.

San Antonio River US 59 to Goliad State Park and Historic Site, Goliad Difficulty - Easy Length - 6.6 miles/2-4 hours Kayaking/canoeing, tubing, overnight camping Plants and animals thrive in this mild South Texas climate and the lush woodlands along the river support a large variety of bird life, including herons, hawks and kingfishers.

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 39

The Neches River

If you plan to travel away from Southeast Texas to have your river experience, do it now! “In late spring/early summer, the rivers start to dry up,” Harvey says. “There’s no rain flow; it’s just spring flow feeding the rivers.” So for the best Hill Country or West Texas river experience, get your tubes and canoes ready and go now.

However, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy beautiful waters.

“There are outstanding wild and scenic rivers right near us, the Neches and Sabine primarily,” says Harvey. Plan a “staycation” right here in Southeast Texas.

Southeast Texas: Village Creek, Neches and Sabine Village Creek is a popular destination for those wanting to just enjoy the outdoors or canoe, but what makes it so popular? According to Jason Ginder, park ranger with the Big Thicket National Preserve, it’s the mystery behind this ever-changing waterway.

That mystery is why people continue to return. “Even though you put in at the same spot, the experience can be dramatically different because the creek is constantly changing,” Ginder says. Village Creek is a major drainage through Southeast Texas, so sometimes the water level is high and sometimes it’s low. The constant change in the flow of water carves out unique channels.

“That fluctuation impacts banks of creek bed and changes the en-

R i v e r F u n Fa c t s • The Frio River is mentioned in George Strait’s song “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” Strait grew up in Frio County.

• The Texas Water Safari is a boat race down waterways from San Marcos, Texas, to Seadrift, Texas totalling 262 miles. Racers must take all equipment needed with them, receiving only medical supplies, water and ice along the way. The primary requirement is a boat powered only by human muscle. The event was first held in 1963 and is run annually. The race begins on the second Saturday of June of each year, barring bad weather.

• In 1962 Frank Brown and Bill “Big Willie” George navigated from San Marcos to Corpus Christi without a motor. In 1963 they created the Texas Water Safari. vironment,” Ginder says. “Every time you paddle Village Creek or the Neches, it’s an opportunity to see water flow. Sometimes sandbars appear when water is low. New areas of soil and rock formations are exposed, and perhaps that sandbar that you saw previously is gone.”

The fact is, according to Ginder, Southeast Texas is a transition zone, allowing a lot of biodiversity. “The ecosystem looks dramatically different if you travel east or west,” Ginder says. “This place is the collision of these two ecosystems. Here you can find animals indicative of eastern ecology living next to those of western ecology.”

From prickly pear cactus to palmettos and armadillos, east meets west, and everything lives in harmony. “We like to say it’s a place to stop, look and listen,” Ginder says. “It’s not a place where you can stand on a grand vista; you have to stop and look at the small things, wait for birds to sing, lizards to come out, notice the fungus by your feet.”

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He says it’s the diversity that makes our area so significant and important. “There is opportunity to explore our ecosystem on foot with lots of hiking, or you can explore by boat, canoe or kayak. We often feel like have to travel far distances to see amazing things, but we often overlook the amazing things that are in our own backyards.”

Harvey agrees. “The Neches and Sabine rivers are wild and densely overgrown. They’re wonderful rivers. You can bird watch from kayaks or just float down the river.”

Friesenhaus, voted the Best German Food in New Braunfels, not only offers authentic German food, but 16 German beers on draft, and on weekends, foodies are entertained by live German accordion music.

Or you can stop at Alpine Haus Restaurant and Winegarten, located in a 164-year-old historic building, which specializes in Bavarian-style cooking with influences from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

San Marcos When you’re done being a river rat, get dry and warm heating things up at Wimberley Glassworks with daily demonstrations. The New Braunfels When you’re not floating the Guad, the New Braunfels area offers company uses a little air and a lot of fire, along with bits of sand, to create amazing works of art. Or maybe you’d like to just watch evmany other interesting attractions, including tastings of Texas fine eryone along the river. Three Dudes Winery overlooks the San Marwines. “We visited a winery and snake farm,” Johnston says. “We cos River and offers tastings of some of the finest wines in Texas. can't wait to go back and visit other fun things to do.”

Other things to do outdoors abound in the area. Within the city The area is also known for its German food. Willkommen at limits are 1,000 acres of green space. “People can hike, bike or run through the trails,” Ybarra-Ramirez says. “One of our more popular year round attractions is the trails.”

San Marcos is also about shopping! In fact, according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, about 14 million people travel to the city just to shop. There’s the San Marcos Premium Outlets, with 140 luxury brand name outlet stores, Tanger Outlets, and local options. Ybarra-Ramirez says people travel in from all over the world — from China and Brazil to Mexico — just to shop at the outlet malls. “We are a true shopping destination with brands only found in Texas,” she says. “There are also quite a few luxury brands; that’s what makes the outlet malls so unique.”

For information on Texas paddling trails, canoe rental, shuttling and local/cultural things to do near a river you’re interested in, visit: Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo in New Braunfels

tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails Another great resource: southwestpaddler.com And one more: texasoutside.com

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409-684-7233 theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 41

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H

ome brewing could be considered the craftiest of craft beers, the ultimate smallbatch microbrew. With explosive growth in craft beers both locally and nationally, is it any wonder that DIY brewing has grown in recent years, too?

For Alan Ponce, a love of sampling craft beers combined with curiosity and hubris two years ago to entice him into brewing his own. He wandered in to Beaumont’s Brew Shop on Calder where he found the equipment he needed, a kit containing ingredients for a Belgian tripel and plenty of helpful advice. Now he sometimes brews in front of the shop to introduce others to the craft of craft beer and brings in bottles for friendly home brew competitions on First Thursdays. He hopes to debut a chocolate coconut cream ale this month.

“It’s the process that’s fun,” said Sandra Sutherland, Brew Shop manager. “It’s a hobby. You’re not trying to go out and start a business on your first try. Everybody’s looking for something fun to do, something relaxing and fun and not hard. And the process of fermentation is awesome!”

42 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

How-To

She’s right. I started brewing about a year ago, joining two friends with more experience. The conversion of malts, hops, water and yeast into delicious homemade beer might be simple science, but it still seems

by Beth Gallaspy like magic to me. And opening a bottle of that magic to share with a friend is delightful fun. all the ingredients you’ll need to brew a Getting started in home brewing just specific type of beer, along with a detailed requires the right equipment, the right inrecipe. After you get the hang of it, you can gredients, and a little time and patience. start experimenting to suit your taste or find a recipe to try. A variety of malts, malt extracts, hops and yeasts can combine to Equipment create your perfect brew, and ingredients Like any avocation, the equipment list can be found at the Brew Shop and online. for a home brewing hobbyist can run the Ponce still loves brewing from kits gamut from bare bones necessities to derather than buying individual ingredients, luxe, top-of-the-line tools and gadgets you maybe adding a little spice here or a little ornever knew existed.

For beginning brewers, starter kits can be ange peel there to make his brews his own.

“Whatever you decide to mess around with, an easy, economical option. Kits with all or most of the equipment you need to get going as long as you write it down, you can do it again. It’s a good basic,” he said. (see sidebar) are available for about $150 at Kits for five-gallon batches start at about the Brew Shop and from online vendors. $35 with costs varying depending on ingredients included for your chosen style of beer.

Ingredients

For the first batch or two, Sutherland recommends choosing a kit containing

The Brewing Process

On brew day, start by collecting all needed equipment and ingredients. All equipment should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized following instructions on the sanitizing solution. In assembling ingredients, don’t forget the water and ice. My brewing crew prefers to use bottled water, but some brewers use filtered or straight tap water. Ice will be used to help quickly chill the finished wort.

Next comes the fun part - creating the wort, which is the sticky, sweet liquid that you’ll ferment into beer. Step one is heating about two gallons of water in a large pot. If you’re using any crushed grains, you’ll place them in a grain bag and steep them in the hot water for the time specified in your recipe, almost like you’re steeping an enormous pot of

Brewing Terms Beer Any beverage made by fermenting malted barley and seasoning with hops.

Bottle Conditioning Carbonating beer with additional fermentation in the bottle, usually for a minimum of two weeks.

Carboy Large, usually glass jar used to hold your brew during fermentation and for aging beer.

Fermentation The conversion of wort to beer, a process in which yeast turn sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Secondary Fermentation A period of settling and conditioning beer after the primary fermentation but before bottling.

Trub Sediment at the bottom of the fermenter that includes coagulated proteins, hops and dormant yeast.

Wort Malt-sugar solution boiled with hops prior to fermentation Source: “The Homebrew Handbook” by Dave Law and Beshlie Grimes

Next you’ll “pitch” the yeast, tightly seal the fermenter, place it somewhere with a stable temperature where it can rest undisturbed and insert an airlock into the top of the fermenter. For the next two weeks, you can take periodic peeks at the airlock to watch bubbles show you that your wort is fermenting into beer.

Bottling

tea. After removing and draining the grains, bring the mixture to a boil and add the malt extracts (available as syrupy liquids or dry powders) required for your recipe.

As the mixture boils, you’ll add different types of hops at times specified by your recipe. Hops added early in the boil are for bittering. Finishing hops added in the last 15 minutes contribute flavor and aroma to the beer. As the wort boils for the specified time (usually at least 60 minutes), keep watch to prevent boilovers.

After the boil, the wort should be cooled as quickly as possible. One option is transferring the boil pot into an ice bath in a large sink or cooler. Wort chillers can also be purchased to aid in the process. Once the wort reaches about 70 degrees F, you’re ready to transfer it to a fermenting bucket, incorporating as much air as possible to aid fermentation, and stir in enough water to bring the volume to five gallons. At this point, you can use a hydrometer to measure and record the original gravity of the brew, which will allow you to determine the alcohol content later.

About two weeks later, after fermentation is complete, gather all bottling equipment and make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Next, prepare a priming sugar solution of sugar dissolved in water. After it cools, pour the priming sugar into a sanitized bottling bucket. At this point, you can use a hydrometer to measure and record the final gravity of your beer to calculate alcohol content. Then siphon the beer into the bottling bucket, taking care not to disturb the trub at the bottom of the fermenter.

After gently mixing the sugar and beer, you’re ready to bottle. Use the siphon to carefully fill each bottle. Place a sanitized cap on top, and use the bottle capper to seal.

Once all the beer has been bottled, set the bottles aside out of the light for at least two weeks to allow the beer to carbonate.

Enjoy

After two weeks of bottle conditioning (or longer for some beer styles), chill a few bottles and invite over a few friends. Pour slowly into a glass, avoiding any sediment that may be in the bottom of the bottle. Sip slowly, noticing the aroma, the flavors and the level of carbonation. Enjoy the praise of your friends and the taste of your own brew.

Equipment List For Brewing Airlock To keep contaminants out and let you let you check on the fermentation process.

Boiling pot A five-gallon stockpot works well.

Fermenter A six-gallon food-grade plastic bucket with a lid - included in most starter kits - is a good choice.

Sanitizer Use a chemical sanitizer to sanitize EVERYTHING that will come in contact with your brew to prevent contamination.

Stirring spoon A long-handled metal or food-grade plastic spoon to stir the wort during the boil.

Thermometer To check the temperature of the wort. A floating thermometer works well.

Hydrometer (optional) To measure the specific gravity of the brew along the way so you can determine the alcohol content.

For Bottling Bottles For a five-gallon batch, you’ll need about 48 clean, sanitized 12-ounce bottles or 30 clean, sanitized 22-ounce bottles. You can purchase bottles or save and reuse your empties. Do not reuse twist-offs, which won’t seal well when capping.

Bottle capper A simple hand capper or more expensive, but versatile, bench capper.

Bottle caps At least 48 for standard bottles, or 30 for the larger size.

Siphon Clear plastic tubing to transfer beer from the fermenter to bottles. Look for one with a racking cane (to keep sediment out of bottles) and bottle filler (to start and stop the flow from fermenter to bottle).

Source: “How to Brew” by John J. Palmer

Where to buy supplies The Brew Shop 2410 Calder Ave., Beaumont 409.356.7891 Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking www.midwestsupplies.com Northern Brewer Homebrew Supply www.northernbrewer.com theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 43

vip art culture

things we love 1. downtown trailblazers

Members of a Leadership Southeast Texas (LSET) team from the Class of 2016 call themselves the Downtown Trailblazers and for good reason. With the help of some financial partners - Foundation for Southeast Texas and United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County – the team purchased and installed “Born Learning Trail” in the Beaumont Rotary Centennial Playground. The walking trail, stroller and wheelchair accessible, encourages conversation and interaction. For example, a hopscotch-like sign asks kiddos to point to the letter “A” and then name a word that starts with the letter “A.” Another sign suggests, “Listen to the Birds in the Trees.”

Trail features seek to help kids with motor skills, creativity and critical thinking.

2. Prada

That Pays

1 2

The gala has come and gone.

You got the photos on Instagram to prove it, so what can you do with that pricey gown now. Lend it. If you’ve worn a gown or cocktail dress once or twice and it’s in great condition, check out StyleLend at stylelend.com. The website lets you easily become a lender of your name brand, gently worn garments.

StyleLend insures, ships and sends you half the cash for your rentals.

3 3. Doggy Dining Out

More and more restaurants around Southeast Texas are offering pooches patio dining. Leashed and friendly fidos with their bipeds are invited to eat out and only outside at Luke’s Icehouse, Madison’s on Dowlen Road, the Grill by Arfeen, Smith and Payne, the LogOn Café, Bar Local, DaddiO’s Burger, Crown Pizza, Tacos La Bamba, Ana’s Mexican Bakery, Rao’s Bakery, Katharine & Co., Jason’s Deli, Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp, Gather: Paleo Café and Market, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.

4. Resale for a

Community Cause

When you drop off your gently used furniture and house decorative items at Heirlooms for Hospice, located at 5926 Phelan, Suite I-2, proceeds benefit those in hospice care. Revenue from tables and chairs, lamps and pictures go to the People Helping Community Foundation, which grants requests for end-of-life care, like hospice.

Recipients of the funding include patients who are too young for Medicare, don’t qualify for Medicaid but don’t have an insurance provision for hospice, and others who have needs but no funds. All donations are tax deductible. The West End shop is open for not only shopping but also for hosting meetings. Any group is invited to hold meetings, even during business hours, at no charge as long as Heirlooms for Hospice team members can talk about its cause. Follow them on Facebook at heirlooms4hospice.

5. Air-Conditioned Kid Entertainment

During the hot part of the day, find cool entertainment for kiddos at the Texas Energy Museum. Each summer the museum hosts a hands-on interactive exhibit that both educates and entertains. This year’s summer science interactive is “Experimenting with Balance” targeting children 8 years old and up. Kids will test the laws of gravity, practice balance and experiment with engineering principles arranging and manipulating mobiles. Moms and dads can play along — because the experiment is fun to work on as a group — or sit on benches provided within the exhibit room. The Texas Energy Museum is open Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Entrance cost ranges between $3-5. Admission is free for 5 and under and 65 and older.

44 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

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theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 45

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Southeast Texas’

photography by john fulbright

Pinball Wizards

A Love for the Motion of the Plunger

by Jane McBride

“He's a pinball wizard There has to be a twist.

A pinball wizard's got such a supple wrist…”

Preston Moncla loves the motion of the plunger sending a stainless steel ball into play, the sound of the ball hitting a bumper and the score that rises higher with each hit. Like generations before, he’s a pinball addict.

46 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

Preston comes from a family with a serious love of playing the machines. His father, Leon Moncla Jr, and Uncle Dennis Moncla, grew up working with their dad at his catering business. Like many kids of the day, the brothers spent a lot of free time playing pinball. They passed that love to their children, Preston, and Dennis’s daughter, Kelly.

The Moncla brothers own Colorado Canyon, the Beaumont family entertainment center with a large arcade that includes pinball machines. Preston, 22, is a computer networking student at Lamar Institute of Technology and a manager at the center.

In 1977, Leon’s and Dennis’ parents, Leon Moncla Sr. and Bernadette Moncla, bought them a Bally “Nip-It” old-style pinball machine with bells and chimes for scoring. They played the game many times through the years, but didn’t get serious until 1992 when pinball machine manufacturer Bally released the Addams Family game.

“It had so many cool features and game modes that we knew at once we had to own one. We still have it today,” Leon said.

“My love of the game exists because of my father's love for it,” Preston noted. “When I was a child I was a bit spoiled, and from as early as I can remember I had the best-selling game of all time (Addams Family) in my house.”

“Even on my favorite table He can beat my best.

His disciples lead him in And he just does the rest.

He's got crazy flipper fingers Never seen him fall...”

With a hundred or so machines rotating through his and his grandparents’ home, Preston had plenty of opportunity to explore the intricacies of each. He’d immerse himself in a particular machine for weeks at a time before they were sold and replaced with new ones. They currently have 13.

He “really got serious” about the game in 2002, when he and his dad attended the Texas Pinball Festival in Dallas.

“We decided to play in the parent/children sub-tournament. We went up against teams with children much older than me at the

time, yet we ended up dominating the tournament and walking out with a first place trophy. That was the turning point for me,” Preston said. “I realized that this was a game that I had a skill for.

The game changed from being something that I did just because we had these big toys in my grandparents’ house to something I was actually pretty good at and could be competitive.”

Kelly, 14, is a strong competitor who doesn’t get to travel to tournaments the way her cousin does because of school commitments, much to her disappointment, her dad noted.

Preston is drawn to the physics of a game played with a steel ball on a wooden playing field with ramps and targets.

“It’s not like a video game. If the ball jumps over your flipper while you're playing and that's the reason you drain, sorry, that's pinball. If that were to happen in a video game, you would feel cheated, like the game isn't coded properly or there was a glitch that made that happen. In pinball, whatever happens, happens.

There is something very rewarding to me about being able to think, ‘The reason I'm getting all of these points is because I put that ball exactly where it needed to go at exactly the right time.’”

Like all participants in a competitive sport, Preston put in the time to hone his craft. On average, he plays around two to three hours a day.

“Some days I'll just play one game, and others we might have someone over, and we will do nothing but play pinball all night.”

Preston has other hobbies, but none on the level of pinball. He played baseball from age 2 through his senior year and football from the sixth grade to his sophomore year.

The hours of practice and chasing the competitions wouldn’t have happened without his parents’ support.

“We do all the local tournaments in Beaumont, Houston, Austin and Dallas, but we also fly to places like Pittsburgh where they hold some of the biggest tournaments,” dad Leon Moncla said.

“So it certainly requires a bit of time, scheduling and money to stay competitive.”

Preston doesn’t make a big deal of his state championship.

“It’s just another part of my life. The only time pinball comes up around (my friends) is when they try to make plans with me, but I can't because I'll be in Dallas, Houston, Austin, Pittsburgh or Vegas playing pinball.”

He never created a scrapbook with his honors because he never saw himself attaining that level of success.

“Being really good at pinball is nothing that a little kid dreams about. When I was young you could look to, say, the NFL and see where practicing and being good at football could really pay off. There was an end goal there. Pinball to me was this awesome thing that we had in our house but no one else did; it was this tiny thing that was a huge part of my life, but it couldn't ever take me anywhere.”

At the time, pinball had become a dying game, he said.

“Bally Williams (arguably the best manufacturer of pinball machines ever) stopped producing pinball machines when I was little kid. Pinball grew up as I did. Slowly, there started to be more and more machines at every show, bigger and more numerous tournaments, more prize money, and a lot more people. At the first Texas pinball festival I attended in 2001 there were probably 30-50 machines. Now there are over 300 each year, and that number is only growing.”

“He stands like a statue, Becomes part of the machine.

Feeling all the bumpers Always playing clean.

He plays by intuition, The digit counters fall…

He sure plays a mean pinball.”

In 2015, Preston won the Texas State Championship. The invitational tournament pitted the top 16 ranked players in the state against each other on machines calibrated to be extremely challenging. Preston beat them all.

“The tournament directors try to set the machine up as hard as they can while still being fair,” Preston said. “Even the easiest playing machine can be set up to be much more difficult, but still possible. Pinball is a great game because anyone can win at any given time. Someone brand new to the sport can beat you in one game.

Although it’s mostly skill, there is a bit of luck. It only takes one ball to have a great game,” Preston said. “You might drain without making any points or you might keep it going for 30 minutes. It’s the way the ball bounces.”

Earlier this year, Preston took third place in the 2016 competition. He plans on taking his title back next year.

And yes, Preston laughed, he’s listened to “Pinball Wizard,” the song quoted above by the Who’s Pete Townshend from the rock opera “Tommy,” “way too many times.”

Gulf Coast Pinball Club In 2015, Leon and Dennis Moncla formed the Gulf Coast Pinball Club for lovers of the game from Southeast Texas and the Lake Charles area. It now has 180 members. The club hosts home tournaments and charges a $20 entry fee. That money goes to Project Pinball, a national charity from Florida that places pinball machines in children’s hospitals.

Leon Moncla’s wife, Kim Moncla, executive director of Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas Foundation, met Project Pinball Charity Group’s founder and senior director Daniel Spolar at a Professional & Amateur Pinball Association Show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that she attended with Leon and their son, Preston.

The Moncla family, Gulf Coast Pinball Club and an anonymous foundation raised enough money to have a Shrek pinball machine placed in the Teen Room at Baptist Hospital’s pediatric wing. The Monclas maintain and repair the machine.

Facebook: Gulf Coast Pinball Club theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 47

vip people places

Lucky Bug

Gardens

photography by john fulbright

A Backyard, Certified Wildlife Habitat

James and Barbara Riley

48 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

by Marilyn Tennissen idden behind a row of trees and brush, a world away from the noisy traffic whizzing past, lies an oasis – a yard so friendly to birds and bugs and plants that it’s been certified as a wildlife habitat by the state and the federal government.

This natural wonderland has been a 40-year labor of love for Barbara Riley, 78, and James Riley, 81, who transformed their property off Washington Boulevard into an ecosystem that’s home to an abundance of native flora and fauna.

“We planted everything here,” Barbara said. “There was nothing here when we bought the house. We leveled it, put in the dirt and put down the grass. Eventually we put in the bushes and trees. We plant for birds, butterflies and for scent.”

Providing food, water, cover and a place to raise young are the four basic requirements for a certified wildlife habitat by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the National Wildlife Federation. In addition, the gardener must use sustainable gardening techniques, like planting native species, conserving water and eliminating pesticides.

“We lose habitat every day, especially in urban areas,” said Diana Foss, an urban wildlife biologist from the Houston office of Texas Parks and Wildlife. “The Texas Wildscapes habitat certification program is one way that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department can congratulate landowners on their much appreciated efforts to create quality habitats that support native wildlife.”

Because Barbara doesn’t use pesticides, she calls her green space the “Lucky Bug Garden.”

And if a branch falls or a plant dies, the Rileys don’t rush out to remove the dead growth. “The birds use the small branches and the decaying wood attracts bugs, and bugs attract more birds!” she said.

Barbara said it doesn’t cost a fortune to have an eco-friendly garden. When the couple first started planting for their urban habitat, they used to go into the woods to collect native plants. (But never remove any vegetation growing in a protected state or federal park or wilderness area!) >>

How to Create a Wildlife Friendly Garden Tips from the National Wildlife Federation

Provide food for wildlife Planting native flowers, shrubs and trees is the easiest way to provide the foliage, nectar, pollen, berries, seeds and nuts that many species need to survive.

Supply water for wildlife Water sources may include ponds, lakes, rivers and wetlands or manmade features like birdbaths, puddling areas for butterflies, rain gardens or installed ponds.

Create cover for wildlife Use things like native vegetation, brush piles or even dead trees to provide places for wildlife to shelter from inclement weather, predators and people.

Give wildlife a place to raise their young Many places for cover can double as location where wildlife can raise their young. That can include wildflower meadows and bushes for butterflies or caves where bats roost and form colonies.

Help wildlife thrive in a healthy habitat Practicing sustainable gardening with the use of native plants, water conservation and not using pesticides or herbicides helps ensure wildlife abundance.

theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 49

ored shrimp plants in abundance since it’s a favorite of both hummingbirds and butterflies. Thick jasmine and pink ginger spread fragrant blooms near Cherokee roses.

Red and pink salvia draw butterflies, but Barbara said the hummingbirds are a little more picky. “The hummers don’t like the pink salvia, only the red. Isn’t that funny!� she said.

James’ forte is day lilies. He has grown and crossbred dozens of varieties that pop up around the house in a multitude of colors.

Sixteen different types of trees call the property home, including magnolia, cypress, pecan and four species of oak. There are also fruit-bearing bushes like mayhaw.

As a matter of fact, she said everything in Bushes of all sizes and colors abound, the garden has come from someone else or with the round white blooms of the aptly somewhere else. named Snowball viburnum contrasting the “All our plants came from a seedling, a pointy red flowers of the Turk’s cap. cutting or a pinch,� she said.

Step around back, and enter the shaded Once James went out on a bike ride and area that Barbara calls “The Bog.� came home with a rose cutting from some“We used to have a koi pond, but the one else’s yard, she said. neighbor’s Labrador liked it too much, so we The couple can walk around the yard and got rid of that. Now we have the Bog; it has name every plant and where it came from. things that grow in the water or the swamp.� “The garden is always evolving,� Barbara Among those are flaming pagoda vines said. “The thing about native plants is that and a curly bird’s nest fern. they grow where they want. I’ve planted The garden is designed so that something flowers in the front yard that have come up is in bloom all year long. But that doesn’t in the backyard!� mean the Rileys are toiling away 365 days Letting the plants do their thing means a year. “We don’t worry about it much. If little maintenance for a wildlife friendly yard. something doesn’t grow then we move on! “I don’t go to a lot of trouble. That’s the And we don’t spend a lot of money on plants point of using native plants,� Barbara said. or fertilizer. We leave the grass clippings and The Lucky Bug Garden features coral-col- the pine straw on the ground – that makes

natural fertilizer. We just take advantage of what’s here.� “Through thoughtful work and careful plant selection, including a majority of native Texas plant species, a home landscape can become a beautiful oasis enjoyed by birds, butterflies, pollinators and people,�

Foss said. “We at TPWD applaud the Rileys and hope their successful effort will encourage others to create more habitat!�

For more information on the TPWD Wildscapes program, visit tpwd.texas.gov/ huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/wildscapes/ wildscape_certification.phtml.

For the certification process by the National Wildlife Federation, visit nwf.org/How-toHelp/Garden-for-Wildlife/Create-a-Habitat.

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theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 51

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Marathon PluMbing Today

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52 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

2012 WINNER

2013 WINNER

2014 WINNER

2015 WINNER

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SETX Writer of the Month:

Coin King, Award-Winning Author Mike Fuljenz: Type Three Double Eagles

by Nicole Murray Most people know Mike Fuljenz as America’s gold expert and the president of Universal Coin and Bullion in Beaumont. But he’s so much more; he’s a father, husband, philanthropist, community leader, educator, family advocate and an award winning book author.

Fuljenz’s latest book, “Type Three Double Eagles 1877–1907, 2nd Edition,” provides beginning and advanced coin collectors a date-by-date analysis of every coin in the Type Three Double Eagle series. Also included are historical descriptions of the coins and more than 100 full-color photographs.

“The Type Three $20 denomination gold coins of 1877 to 1907 are my personal favorites, and I’ve frequently lectured and written articles about these historic coins,” said Fuljenz. “My customers and many of my staff members repeatedly suggested over the years that I write a book about them. It took over two years to research and complete the awardwinning book, but it was certainly worth it, and I appreciated everyone’s encouragement and support.”

“Type Three Double Eagles 1877–1907, 2nd Edition” recently won the 2015 Numismatic

It took over two years to research and complete the awardwinning book, but it was certainly worth it, and I appreciated everyone’s encouragement and support.”

Mike Fuljenz

Literary Guild Book of the Year Award during the World’s Fair of Money. The Numismatic Literary Guild is a nonprofit organization composed of the country’s leading rare coin hobby/trade marketplace editors and writers.

Fuljenz’s love of silver and gold started as a child in Lake Charles, Louisiana, when his grandfather gave him a silver dollar for making all A's on his report card. From there he started buying, selling and trading them. After several years in education, Fuljenz’s hobby turned into a lucrative business, and he became a full-time authenticator and grader of coins. In fact, in recent years Fuljenz has worked hand in hand with local law enforcement to solve several counterfeit cases involving rare coins.

“He’s a great individual, a great father and an outstanding business watchdog,“ longtime associate Forest Hamilton said. “Most of all, Mike cherishes freedom, whether it’s financial freedom or our Second Amendment freedoms.

Liberty is what it’s all about for Mike Fuljenz.”

Copies of “Type Three Double Eagles 1877–1907, 2nd Edition” can be ordered online at www.

UniversalCoin.com.

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theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 53

totally social

Gift of Life Champagne & Ribs 1

1. Left to right: Tania Steele, Suzette Broussard, Rebekah Eudaley, Devyn Gravley, Miranda Cartwright and Bianica Starr 2. Left to right: Hope Standley, Jim Broussard, Rachel Gray and Blue Broussard 3. Left to right: Roy and Trisha West, Kevin Born and Carol Albrecht 4. Left to right: Carla Tucker, Tanya Hansen and Nancy McGrade 5. Scott and Paige Snyder 6. Left to right: Rudy Garcia, Everett Linscomb and John Myers 7. Left to right: Jamie Snider, Brian Abney and Micky MItchell

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photography by jim debes

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DINNER SPECIALS MONDAY-SUNDAY

7

HAPPY HOUR

Monday-Friday, 3-6 PM

“A GREAT TRADITION” LOUISIANA TO TEXAS

www.floydsbeaumont.com 2290 IH-10 S at Washington - Beaumont • 409.842.0686 theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 55

Nutrition & Services for Seniors Deliver The Difference Luncheon 1

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1. Allison and Mike Getz 2. Left to right: Kelli Arfeen, Susan Byrom, Jessica Whitney and Lisa Kethley 3. Andrea Deaton, left, and Bridgett Hlavinka 4. Adanna Henry, left, and JoAnn Broussard 5. Left to right: Greg Wall, Joe Ochoa, Steve Lyle and Chris Colletti 6. Left to right: Agnes Collins, Sandra Womack and Marcie Guillory 7. Left to right: Marilyn Gregory, Virginia Bean and Jamie Smith 8. Clark and Tommy Colvin 9. Willie and Carol Burford 10. Lee Ann and Terry Garth 11. Robin Troy, left, and Stephanie Shoemaker 12. Joseph and Sandy Fertitta 13. Left to right: Becky Hunter, Norma Sampson and Charlotte Mains 14. Sonny Perkins

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photography by Debbie Sebastian

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vip people places

Shortage of

cowboys by holli Peterson

My pawpaw was an honest-to-goodness cowboy who roped calves and rode crazed bulls in rodeos. He lived the sort of life that required real guts, and fortunately, he had them to spare. War was romanticized during his time, and boys lined up at recruitment offices to prove their patriotism with their lives. Naturally, he joined the queue, lying about his age to enlist in the Army.

Just before the start of World War II, he worked as a horse trainer for the cavalry, breaking wild stallions until they were fit for battle. Once the war was fully under way and the cavalry was replaced by more modern machinery, he was shipped off to Germany to fight on the front lines under Gen. George S. Patton.

I don’t know much about my pawpaw’s

58 June 2016 | the VIP mag.com

military service because he emphatically refused to discuss it. War was a dirty word.

No one was allowed to watch anything in his presence that mentioned battle of any kind.

Even the news was forbidden. The only visible indictor of the war’s effect on him was during a thunderstorm, when he’d pace from window to window, watching the sky for bombs.

If you wanted to know about my pawpaw, you’d have to study him because he certainly wasn’t going to offer any information himself. He’d strut across his pasture in starched, dusty Wranglers, and I’d notice the power of his quiet confidence. He’d tuck a puppy up under the arm of one of his western shirts with the pearl snap buttons, and I’d understand how a man could be tender without being weak. He taught me that service was the antidote for suffering one day when I accompanied him to a doctor’s appointment. He bought doughnuts along the way and passed them out to all the nurses.

They gave him quick little smiles and hugs as they passed him, which was more than enough payment for his trouble.

My pawpaw only ever watched one channel on TV – Country Music Television.

He’d prop his cowboy hat on the edge of the hearth and offer his hand to one of his granddaughters. I still remember him shuffling me around the living room, whispering quick, quick, slow, slow in my ear.

For most of my life, I thought my pawpaw was invincible. The Nazis couldn’t kill him. The bulls and wild horses couldn’t kill him. Not even bullets could kill him.

As it turns out, the only thing that could really defeat the old bear was cigarettes.

He picked up the habit in Germany when soldiers who got a little shaky were given a pack of cigs and an admonition to pull it together. A raging addiction to nicotine was the one battle that didn’t go away with the armistice.

If you’re new to lung cancer, I assure you, it’s a terrible way to go. I’d hide behind my parents when he answered the door – refuse to sit in his lap, recoil at the touch of his yellowing hands. From one week to the next, he’d be absolutely unrecognizable.

It was as if he shriveled before my

very eyes, and we were all forced to watch cancer steal him away, breath by breath.

When I was 9 years old, my mom got the call we’d all been expecting. She sat down on the couch and said, “I don’t have a daddy anymore.” Just like that, the toughest man in the world was gone.

I didn’t really appreciate the loss until I became an adult. I didn’t comprehend the history, the memories, the example that vanished with him. I didn’t consider all the questions I wish I’d asked him - all the memories I wish I’d collected.

Sadly, great men like my pawpaw are lost every day. Despite the advances of medical technology, on average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women. The old jokes about how hard it is to get a man to see the doctor are actually a sad reality. Men really don’t go to the doctor as often as they should or take preventive measures to preserve their health. As a result, men’s health issues are diagnosed far too late, when treatment options and outcomes are limited.

June is the month when we honor the special men in our lives. We wander aimlessly through stores, wondering what to get old dad this year for Father’s Day. We read card after card, looking for one with just the right sentiment. Yet, most of us don’t know how to start a conversation about health. We find it awkward to ask the men we love if they’re getting the right annual screenings, making healthy lifestyle choices and doing all they can to prolong their lives.

However, June is more than a celebration of fatherhood. It’s also National Men’s Health Month. Take advantage of this awareness campaign to educate yourself about men’s health concerns and how you can help the men in your life make decisions that will benefit them for years to come.

After all, the world needs more cowboys, more veterans, more pawpaws and papas and grandfathers. I certainly wish I still had mine.

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theVIPmag.coM | June 2016 59

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help your family live well.

So do we. Your family’s health means everything to you. And to us too. That’s why we

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