VIP September 2015

September 2015

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vip magazine c o n t e n t s

inside september features 6

MId-county madness

The Rivalry, Tradition, History and Legacy

Editorial Specialty Publications Manager shelly Vitanza 409.838.2849 Editor beth gallaspy

26

10 cardinal rules

Tailgating from the Big Red Pit Masters Plus Their Winning Game Day Recipes

14 beard lotions to bath balms

Local Companies Offer Natural Body Product Options

18 lesson learned

Tips for Helping Your Child Make the Grade This School Year

22

food&entertainment

22 Doughnut Miss This:

Six to Find and Eat Now 24 Botanical Martini 26 Spirit Sourcing: Tailgating Trinkets

fashion&trends

28 W-I-N Best Dressed

14

at the Game

32 Watching the

Big Game in Style

for Gardeners

36 Swing Month

38 Cool Weather Color

art&culture

40 Coughlan:

Designer therÉse shearer Contributing Writers Beth Gallaspy Jane McBride Chrissie Mouton Gary Outenreath Holli Petersen Cheryl Rose Photography jim debes Silvia McClain scott eslinger Multi Media Coordinator Tina Breland Advertising To advertise in VIP 409.880.0700 Contact Us VIP of Southeast Texas 380 Main Street Beaumont, TX 77701 to subscribe PLEASE call 409.838.2821 or subscribe online at www.thevipmag.com

home&garden

Fashion Editor tammy crutchfield

28

An Artist with it All

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44 Things We Love

A Division of The Beaumont Enterprise The biggest name in Southeast Texas news!

Publisher MARK ADKINS

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48 Totally Social 58 Last Word:

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Be Your Own Fish

32

on the cover Friends Madelyn Meaux, Nederland Westernaires, and Leah Dismukes, PN-G drum major, become arch enemies Oct. 16 for Mid-County Madness, the football game between the PN-G Indians and the Nederland Bulldogs. The game has been played since 1925. This year PN-G will host, but who will win the game... and the half-time entertainment? The legacy continues, page 6.

Photo by Scott Eslinger Please note the correct spelling of Ted Boumans of Universal Operations as well as his phone number 409.718.7530.

His information was incorrectly listed in the August VIP Magazine and we apologize for the inconvenience.

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vip feature ort Neches, Groves and Nederland are land-locked communities separated by a railroad track, a name and little else. Residents share careers, friendships and backyard barbecues – and frequently marry outside city lines. One week a year, many of those couples split up – separated for four quarters by loyalty and a football field.

When Port-Neches Groves and Nederland meet for the 92nd time in October, they will bring a heightened level of competition, showmanship and energy - matched by neighborly respect.

There’s a reason it’s called Mid-County Madness. Few schools – even in football crazy Texas – can lay claim to a rivalry so historic that seasoned sportswriters call it one of the most intense in the state. Getting a ticket to this powerhouse match is a near impossible dream.

Nederland and PN-G met on the football field for the first time in 1925. Both hold lengthy records. But know this: perhaps no honor means more than the meeting of the boys in purple and white and black and gold.

Beaumonter Rush Wood spent his career as a sportswriter and editor, covering teams across the state. Nothing, he said, matched Mid-County Madness.

“The buildup to the game was huge. When you talked to the coaches you could see how hyped up they were, especially those who had played on one of the teams. They could lose nine games and win that one and feel like they had a successful season,” Wood said.

Even the press had to compete. Get there early and score a good seat in the press box. Arrive late and sit in the stands.

Both had multiple trips to state playoff games, setting record attendances. Their legacies are etched in the history books and, starting last year, on the Bum Phillips Bowl Trophy. And while it’s usually the boys who get the glory, the spectacle that is MCM is a multi-ensemble event. Mid-County Madness is the perfect place to show off the best of the best, from drill teams and marching bands to cheerleaders and mascots. >>

y t n u o C Mid 6 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Perhaps the most celebrated name to come out of MidCounty Madness is Oail Andrew “Bum” Phillips, followed closely by his son, Wade. Bum played football in Orange, at Lamar Junior College and after serving in the US Marine Corps, played his final year at Lamar before enrolling at Stephen F. Austin State University; he lettered in football in 1948 and ’49.

Bum coached at PN-G and Nederland. He was head coach and general manager for the Oilers and the New Orleans Saints, worked as a color analyst, then retired to his Goliad horse ranch. Wade played quarterback and linebacker during Bum’s PN-G years. Wade later coached under his dad in Houston and New Orleans, then coached at teams including the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

The creation of the Bum Phillips Trophy in 2014 by the Port Arthur News honors the historic rivalry. Wade Phillips was listening to the game when he got a phone call.

“Only seconds after PN-G tied the game 7-7, I got word that Daddy had passed,” Wade told PA News Editor Bob West. “Thinking back, that was perfect. That’s the way he would have wanted it – having his two favorite schools tied when he took his last breath.”

Best Bum Quotes: “Dallas Cowboys may be America’s team, but the Houston Oilers are Texas’ team.”

“There’s two kinds of coaches, them that’s fired and them that’s gonna be fired.”

About Earl Campbell failing to finish a one-mile run during training: “When it’s first and a mile, I won’t give it to him.”

After losing to the Steelers back-toback in the AFC championship game: “One year ago, we knocked on the door. This year, we beat on the door. Next year, we’re going to kick the son of a bitch in.”

Nederland and PN-G Stats

The Bum Phillips Factor

• The Indians and Bulldogs first faced off in 1925.

• PN-G leads the series 48 to 36, with seven ties.

• The longest winning streak goes to PN-G with 15. Count ties and that’s 19 straight years without a loss.

• The Bulldogs currently have the upper hand – winning the last five straight for 16 wins to PN-G’s six during the last 20 years.

• Nederland won the first Mid-County Madness Bowl – making it the first holder of the Bum Phillips Trophy.

Mascots Nederland has Big Ned, the jersey-wearing Bulldog; their fight song specifically mentions the Indian rivalry.

PN-G has the Indian Spirit; their fight song is Cherokee (The Cherokee Nation presented the school with its official seal and blessing in 1980).

Game Attendance Records 49,953: Plano vs. Port Neches-Groves, Texas Stadium for state title

in 1977 (state record) 39,102: Stephenville vs. Port Neches-

Groves, Astrodome in 1999 State Championship 38,570: Port Neches-Groves vs.

Houston Kashmere,

Astrodome in 1977 State Playoff Games PN-G has played for the state championship five times, winning three titles.

Nederland has made it three times, taking home the state title in 1957.

1953 PN-G 24/Big Spring 13 1955 PN-G 20/Garland 14 1956 Garland 3/Nederland 0 1957 Nederland 20/Sweetwater 7 1961 Dumas 6/Nederland 0 1975 PN-G 20/Odessa Permian 10 1977 Plano 13/PN-G 10 1999 Stephenville 28/PN-G 18

S S E N D A M by jane mcbride

photos courtesy of the beaumont enterprise theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 7

"It's like no other game I've ever experienced.

You'd think you're at the Super Bowl."

Laura Maldonado Kendrick

8 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Friends Madelyn Meaux of Nederland and Leah Dismukes of PN-G will play key roles this year. Meaux is the captain of the Nederland Westernaires, the multi-award-winning precision drill team.

Dismukes is the lone female of the three PN-G drum majors leading the multi-award-winning Indian band. It’s fitting that the two have been friends for a decade.

Although her mother was a cheerleader for Nederland, Meaux was pulled in another direction.

“When I went to football games, all I cared about was halftime. I was fascinated watching the Westernaires. I wanted to be like them.

Everybody was in unison, and I thought that was so great.”

As captain, Meaux’s responsibilities require maturity and leadership, said Laura Maldonado Kendrick, director of the drill team for the past eight years.

“You have to be the full package. Your grade point average has to be good, you have to have the respect of your peers, be able to speak well, have good composure, interview skills, think fast on your feet and have strong dance skills and technique. From the beginning, everything I teach them is an employable skill or life lesson. People often stop me and tell me my (past) girls are always polite, use great manners, and are always on time – all things they learned in drill team.”

Mid-County Madness has its own special hold, Kendrick said.

“It’s like no other game I’ve ever experienced. You’d think you’re at the Super Bowl. The crowds go crazy. My husband is from Crockett.

The first time I took him to a PN-G game I told him we had to leave an hour early, find parking and get in line. He said he had no idea a high school football game could be so exciting. It’s like that every year.”

The Westernaires bring everything they’ve got to MCM, she said, just as PN-G does.

“Our styles are completely different. We’re military, very structured, performing with precision. We always do our high kick routine because it’s what we’re known for. PN-G is a show band. They use props and the I formation and the Indianettes perform with the band. It makes halftime so entertaining. The girls want to win the halftime show – even though they don’t get scores. No matter what their record or how the season is going, Mid-County Madness is like nothing else. It brings out the best in both competitive nature and athleticism. They leave it all out there.”

PN-G band director Alex Wells spent time at both schools. The Hamshire-Fannett grad taught three years at Nederland, where he first witnessed the rivalry. Now, he views halftime performances as much as a display of respect as competition.

“We know the quality of the Nederland band. I tell our kids they’re going to see a really fine band on Friday night, and we want to strive to do our best.”

As a drum major, Dismukes represents the ideal student and musician, he said.

“The drum majors are the faces of our band. They lead the ensemble. But the most important role is to help us teach the other students. Coaches are lucky to have so many assistant coaches to help out. But we don’t have those resources for each section. We utilize our student leadership very heavily.”

It’s the chance to lead that attracted Dismukes. Of course, that magnificent Indian headdress didn’t hurt.

“I thought it was very interesting that rather than the band director or an adult leading the band, the student had an opportunity to lead. It was awesome to see. And the long headdress beaded in a very tribal, traditional Native American pattern really stood out.”

The three headdresses (homecoming queen and two for drum majors) are passed down each year. The new wearer replaces damaged or missing feathers and cleans the headdress. Dismukes’ was handmade in 1995. Drum majors get to keep the hand-beaded belts; Leah and her mother, Lori Dismukes, a former Indianette, made it together.

“When she made Indianette, my grandparents bought her a necklace with a sterling silver boot,” Leah said. “When I made drum major, my grandmother gave it to me, and we sewed it on my belt. When I’m on the field, I have a little piece of her with me for good luck.”

Meaux’s family has its own history.

“My aunt was a Westernaire, and my mom was a cheerleader. She

was all for me being a Westernaire. She said, you go be what you want to be.”

And that Nederland PN-G respect thing?

Last year Westernaire officers decorated personalized boots with PN-G colors for the Indianette officers and put them in their front yards the night before the game. The Indianettes returned the favor with small headdresses in black and gold for the Westernaires to hang on their mirrors.

MCM 2015 is scheduled for Oct. 16 at Indian Stadium.

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 9

vip feature

Tailgating

Kings

The Cardinal rules are

fun

food

at Lamar’s pre-game events

by CHERYL ROSE

The wafting scent of sizzling meat works like a magnet. Music is booming, and a crowd is milling about, from college students to city officials, football players to Rotarians, toddlers in strollers to die-hard alumni wearing red. Everyone is following their noses to the impressive mobile pits that are cranking out a variety of delectable dishes. It’s game day at Lamar University, and there is serious cooking under way.

Meat and Meet When Gerald Condon of Beaumont bought a 30-foot barbecue pit, it was listing in an abandoned field, head-high in weeds. His employees dragged it back to Collisions and Classics to restore.

Serious barbecuing has become a company ritual ever since. “We found out that men love to barbecue,” Condon said. “It’s the one thing everybody has in common; they eat. And in Texas, everyone has an opinion about barbecue, and no one is wrong.”

Condon’s team of employee volunteers have been part of the tailgating scene at Lamar University from the first home game of the current era. Condon, a Lamar alumnus, loves being part of the pre-game ritual. “It’s tons of fun,” he said. “You see a variety of people that come by. We have surround sound and two flatscreen TVs on our pit. It’s a rocking atmosphere. We always enjoy ourselves.”

Though individuals can pull up to picnic and grill, several stalwarts host large-scale tailgates. Like Condon’s group, Air Comfort in Beaumont also provides food and beverages for about 200 people at Lamar home games. “We give it away to whoever wants to come by,” said Slate Babineaux, the company’s vice president and part-owner, as well as a Lamar alumnus. “Our tailgate is open to all our coworkers, families, customers and new friends.

We make a certain amount of food, and we don’t want to take any home. We offer whatever we’ve got until it’s all gone.”

During the first four seasons of football, Lamar’s efforts to create a positive spirit event for the athletes and alumni is off to a good start, said Brad Klein of UBS Financial in Beaumont, another serious tailgater. Klein has tailgated at other Texas universities and finds the Lamar experience to be convenient and fun.

“Especially when the weather is good, it is a lot of fun to be out there, because there is nothing better than a good party,” he said.

Pit Masters Klein, though not an alumnus, loves to cook. He reigns as the pit master at his tailgate with partner Austin Dishman of Jefferson County Title. Klein has won awards for his barbecue skills, but he doesn’t limit himself to just brisket and ribs. “I might have pulled pork or chicken wraps,” he said. “I’ve done boudin, gumbo, chili, Frito pies and one specialty we call chicken poppers that includes bacon, pepperjack cheese, banana peppers and more, all soaked in Italian dressing.”

Over at the Collisions and Classics tailgate, lead cook Carlos Vela and his second-in-command, Victor Gutierrez, pride themselves on creative recipes and trying new things. Both men are employees of the auto shop who volunteer their cooking talent at the tailgates. >>

10 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

BBQ Spare Ribs

Carlos Vela, Head Cook, Collison & Classics Tailgate Cook Team

Pull off thin layer of skin on back side of rack.

Moisten rack with oil and liberally apply TexJoy BBQ rub on both sides.

Put on the smoker until the meat begins to separate from the bone, approximately one hour at 275 degrees.

Remove and place on foil.

Liberally coat ribs with honey, brown sugar and BBQ sauce.

Wrap and return to the pit for one hour and a half.

Voilà….eat and enjoy!

Tail R e c gate fro i p e s m Exp the ert s Special Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Slate Babineaux, The “Cool” Cook, Air Comfort Tailgate

1 (10oz.) thinly sliced rib eye steak ¼ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper 3 tsp infused extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup thinly sliced white onion ½ cup thinly sliced green bell pepper ½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper 2 oz. provolone cheese, sliced 2 hoagie rolls Heat a large cast iron griddle to medium heat. Add infused olive oil to griddle surface. Add sliced steak and saute two minutes. Add onion and peppers; saute until soft. Mix and fold steak and peppers together and top with provolone cheese slice. Brush hoagie rolls with olive oil, toast on griddle. Assemble sandwich; cut in half.

Charro Borracho Beans Victor Gutierrez, Second Main Man of the Collision & Classics Tailgate Cook Team

1 gallon Bush pinto beans 1 yellow onion, diced 3 roma tomatoes, diced 1 jalapeño, diced 1 2 / bunch of cilantro, finely chopped 1 pack sliced bacon, diced 1 small bag of pork rinds, crumbled (chicharron) 1 Mexican beer (modelo especial) In a large metal pan over fire, add yellow onion and bacon; cook until bacon is slightly crisp. Add beans to pan. Add remaining veggies, 11/2 cups of pork rinds and full bottle of beer. Cover with foil and let simmer away from fire for 30 minutes.

Chicken Wraps

Brad Klein, Pit Master, UBS Financial Services, Inc.

1 lb. bacon 2 bell peppers 2 onions 2 cups of jalapenos 2 packs of sliced Pepper Jack Cheese 21/2 lb. package of boneless, skinless chicken tenders 2 bottles of Leo’s Italian Dressing Spritz 1-8 oz. bottle of apple juice 1-8 oz. bottle of apple cider vinegar 1-8 oz. of lemonade

Cut pepper, onions and jalapenos. Lay bacon strip down and layer with cheese, onions, peppers, jalapenos. Wrap the layered bacon around the chicken tender and secure with a toothpick. Line in a casserole dish or foil pan and cover with Italian dressing. Leave overnight.

Smoke for two hours at 250 degrees and spritz with apple-lemonade mixture every 30 minutes. theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 11

“One early morning, Carlos and his friend caught fish at Sabine Pass, and we were eating fish tacos with cilantro and pico de gallo at the tailgate a few hours later,” Condon raved. “We’ve served barbecue, of course, but we’ve also had pork loin sandwiches and burrito wraps. One time Carlos butterflied pork loins, smeared them with cream cheese, added boudin and wrapped them with bacon. And his homemade guacamole – I could eat the whole bowl spoonful after spoonful.”

Babineaux said that at the Air Comfort tailgate, their menu includes just about everything but barbecue. “Our secret weapon is our excellent cook, Alan Johansson,” he said. “We’ve done Philly cheesesteaks, jambalaya, cheeseburger sliders, stir-fry and eggrolls.”

Slate Babineaux, vice president at Air Comfort Beaumont, has an outfitted tailgate trailer complete with mobile grill, television and air conditioning.

Brad Klein, vice-president - investments at UBS Financial Services, Inc., is a pit master and excellent chef. He has multiple pits but uses this one regularly featuring two televisions, lots of cook top and the invitation to Miller Time.

Tailgate Game Plan When football returned to Lamar University in 2010, tailgating was part of the plan. “Tailgating is a big part of any college game day, and we wanted it to be a prominent experience for fans and friends who come out to Provost Umphrey Stadium,” said Jason Henderson, director of athletics for Lamar University.

The university sells seasonal tailgating slots, but also supports the tailgate experience by providing a kid zone and live music. Henderson said the practice field becomes a kid play space with changing activities, such as inflatables and face painting. A variety of music bands have played at the tailgates as well. One popular part of the day is the “spirit walk,” where the marching band, student athletes and cheerleaders parade through the tailgate. “Seeing the excitement and energy of the fans who come out to see them is a plus for our athletes,” Henderson said.

The primary goal for the university is to provide something for everyone who comes out to support football. Henderson enjoys strolling the tailgate area, too. “I always go out to taste test,” he said. “There is always something new to try. I’ve had baconwrapped pork chops to all kinds of boudin. I gain some weight during football season.”

12 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Labor of Love All three men said they have several reasons for making the effort to tailgate. All want to support the university and its athletic team. They use the festive occasion to get to know employees and colleagues better.

They treat their customers and meet potential new ones. But putting on a meal for 200 guests every home game is no small commitment. “This is not for the faint of heart,” Condon said.

“It’s hot, sweaty work with smoke in your eyes for several hours. The pit has to be serviced, prepped and maintained. It has to be stocked with firewood, water and all the supplies.”

Babineaux arrives to the site about 8 a.m. on game days because he is in charge of the trailer.

He gets it set up and unloaded, getting the power hooked up and the canopies and tents prepared.

Once everything is set up and cooking is

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under way, Babineaux gets to enjoy his favorite part of the tailgate by mingling and visiting with friends until it’s time to go to the game and shut it down.

As the pit master, Klein often misses most of the mingling and even the game. “Many people would consider this work, but for me, it’s the best feeling,” he said. “I love to see everybody enjoying the food. I have a great time cooking.”

Tradition Evolving Tailgating at Lamar is open to the public, no ticket required. Klein, who took two years off tailgating at Lamar while his son attended another university, will be back this fifth season.

“The football program and the tailgating are still young and finding what works, but it’s great fun right here in town,” he said.

Babineaux encourages more people to come enjoy the complimentary food and the festive atmosphere. “If you need lunch, come on in,” he said. “We wish more people would do that. It would bring the fun up to have more people. We’re all passionate about the food and consider the more, the merrier.”

Condon values the tailgating time for making memories. “Just for laughing and enjoying moments together frames life a little better and relieves some stress,” he said.

Gerald Condon (standing left), owner of Collision & Classics, Gerald Condon Properties, Inc., and the big pit, with his tailgate team including Victor Gutierrez (standing left), Brian Ellis and Carlos Vela (kneeling). The Collision & Classics/GPC pit stereo system, two televisions, train horns, air compressor, griddle, burners and rotisserie, in addition to the grills.

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vip feature

Pure Clean Lotions, Potions, Bubbles & Balms:

Natives Make It Natural by chrissie mouton

14 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Did you know

that most of the ingredients in your personal care products have not been tested for safety? The Food and Drug Administration has no authority to require companies to test cosmetics products for safety. The agency does not review or approve the vast majority of products or ingredients before they go on the market.

Not so pretty right?

A small but steadily increasing group of locally based entrepreneurs have started whipping up their own brands of SAFE, natural skincare.

From beard soap and bath bombs to essential-oil-based skin- and haircare, these products are largely handmade by beauty junkies who are part of a global trend in handcrafted beauty products popular in European countries.

Vanlam Nguyen and Alisha Dungan launched Down to Earth, their handmade, locally sourced, organic home and beauty product business, in 2011.

Made with certified organic essential oils, the soaps ($6 each) come in a variety of scents and oils that can help with everything from acne and stress to promoting collagen production and fighting cellulite. (We could all use that right?)

It doesn’t stop there.

Shower gels like Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts, fondly referred to by Dungan as “LBOC,” make you feel like you’re in a tropical paradise. Body sprays and perfumes like Ancient Romance will certainly keep you from missing those chemical-laden name brand perfumes at department stores.

Down to Earth also has mineral makeup, lip balms, candles and herbal teas with a herbal specialist on site.

The bath bombs are the BOMB, Dungan said. Nguyen

The Harvard School of Public Health says that, on average, we are

exposed to more than

100 chemicals

from cosmetics, soaps & other personal care products in our morning routines.

added, “They are packed full of medicinal value as well as smell wonderful.”

Their products contain a variety of essential oils, herbs, goat milk and soy. They also have gluten-free, paleo-friendly and vegan products.

The real beauty here is not only can you feel safe about what you’re putting on your body, but they’ll also customize just about anything to suit your taste in fragrance or physical needs.

Part-time beard aficionado Ryan Olson started making natural products for the manly man, mainly for himself.

Olson, software designer by day, beard grower by night, said, “There was just a hole in the market as few other brands exist, so we saw an opportunity for business.”

Olson is one of four 20-something “Texas dudes” who formed the Texas Beard Company, offering high quality “man-made” all-natural beard care products.

Didn’t realize those furry extensions need some TLC? According to the Texas Beard Company, beard care is “very real. Men have beards; beards need care.”

They offer everything from beard oil and beard balm to mustache wax and all the accessories needed to keep the ‘stache and beard in check.

Big Thicket beard oil ($15.99 on their site TexasBeard.com) is their most popular item with a very “manly scent,” Olson said. “It’s very woodsy. It smells like pine needles and cedarwood - like the Big Thicket.”

All of their beard products are made with natural plant oils, natural butters, like shea and coconut, and recipes that are a result of a lot of research on oil properties and “a lot of trial and error,” Olson said. >>

Want Fido to be chemical free, too?

Down To Earth offers dog shampoo, “Fleas Flee” repellant spray and Beau-tanicals offers dog shampoo and fresh-baked dog biscuits.

If you want truly natural beauty, using resources like the Environmental Working Group’s SkinDeep database, you can learn about which potentially dangerous ingredients are hiding in your bathroom and makeup bag:

Parabens Parabens are preservatives that fall into a category of endocrine disruptors, which is a class of chemicals that can mess with our hormones. Studies from the Breast Cancer Fund found that parabens – which are linked to breast and other cancers – are present in the urine of the population from all socioeconomic backgrounds and lifestyles.

Fragrance Fragrance is used on ingredient labels to include a range of chemicals to create a proprietary scent for specific products. Companies are allowed to keep the actual ingredients secret under the guise of proprietary information, but what it’s really hiding is potentially allergenic and carcinogenic ingredients.

Make this Easier and more convenient than cooking at home, we offer a variety of entrées, salads, side dishes, desserts and gourmet coffee

Triclosan Triclosan is a common antibacterial agent found in hand soap and dish soap. Research shows that soaps with triclosan are no more effective than regular soap to wash off bacteria, but that triclosan is a potential carcinogen and is linked with environmental damage, specifically in waterways.

Sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate This is not the most dangerous chemical on the list, but it is on the “suspected” list for a range of dangers by Canada’s government. SLS is rated as low danger by the EWG, but is considered a potential eye and skin irritant. ewg.org/skindeep

at our new location

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Open Monday-Friday from 10:30 - 6:30 Contact us (409) 347-0030 katharineandcompanycarryout.com

or on Facebook theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 15

16 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Same goes for the ladies at Down To Earth.

“A lot of classes and books. Lots of studying and trial and error,” Dungan said. “It’s not hard when you’ve been doing it this long but getting started is never easy,” Nguyen said.

The boys at Texas Beard Co. have their products down to a science, but enlisted the help of Dungan and Nguyen for the one product they didn’t have - beard soap.

“We decided they were much more advanced in soap making, so we figured why not let them do it for us,” Olson said.

Sounds simple right?

The folks at Beau-tanicals – Shari Cribbs and her family – turned the desire for a simple lifestyle and healthier alternative to conventional products into a way of life. From their 15-acre farm, the entire family works together to brew up hand-made soaps, herbal salves, lotion and shampoo bars and other items.

Beau-tanicals uses locally produced products from family farms in the area for their products including goats milk (from their own goats), dried herbs, and raw honey and beeswax (from their own hives).

These local companies are a great source for all of your natural needs, and you can feel good knowing all of the ingredients in your

products are safe. You’re supporting local businesses, and you can smell good, too.

You can’t beat that.

Down to Earth’s Bath Bombs are the bombnot only do they smell wonderful, but they are packed full of medicinal value.

Keep your facial hair in check with Texas Beard Co.’s Beard Oil and Stache Wax.

Beau-tanicals’ soaps are all natural and handmade on the Cribbs’ farm by the entire family.

Down To Earth 1455 Calder | Beaumont In the Mildred Building 2908 Avenue H, Suite A | Nederland 409.527.4808 downtoearth-nederland.com Facebook: down.to.earth.nederland

Vanlam Nguyen cooks up a batch of beard soap at Down to Earth.

Beau-tanicals Beaumont Farmer’s Market Beaumont Athletic Complex, between Langham and Dowlen on College St. Every Saturday from 8-11 a.m.

March-December Down to Earth’s Farmers Market 2908 Avenue H, Suite A | Nederland Every Tuesday 4:30-7:30 p.m.

11th Street Market 2470 N. 11th Street | Beaumont M & D Supply 4580 College St. | Beaumont Basic Foods 229 Dowlen Road | Beaumont Beau-tanicals.com Facebook: beautanicals Texas Beard Company texasbeard.com Facebook:texasbeardcompany theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 17

vip feature

10 TIPS

to Help Your Child

Succeed

in School This Year by shelly vitanza

1.

Connect with the Teacher Meet the teacher and stay in communication with him or her all year long. Most schools offer varying opportunities to meet teachers. Before school starts, schools offer times when teachers are in their classrooms preparing, and after school, there are open houses and conference times when teachers don’t have class and parents can schedule a brief visit.

Denita Jones, a teacher at Memorial Ninth Grade Academy in Port Arthur, said she has an open-door policy and wants to stay connected to parents no matter what is happening with a child.

“I strongly encourage parents to reach out, at least once every couple of weeks. Progress reports come out every three weeks, so reach out for positive info – passing or failing – but also just for a consistent and steady line of communication. Ongoing is best.” Jones suggests email as a great way to stay connected to teachers.

2.

Impart Enthusiasm.

Talk to kids of all ages about school, positively sharing the benefits of attained knowledge. For example, if you know how to tell time, you’ll know when your favorite TV show comes on; if you know how to count money, you can buy things; if you know how to play a musical instrument, you can be in a marching band and perform.

One of the best ways Sallie Curtis Elementary School teacher Rochelle Celeste said parents can encourage kids to go to school and stay enthused throughout the year is to help them prepare from day one forward.

“Kids get excited about school if they feel good about themselves and have the supplies they need, are on time and know their parents are excited about school. Kids want to fit in and appear confident. If they are not prepared or don’t have everything they need, they are easily embarrassed. There is nothing worse for a kid, lining up for lunch, having to admit they don’t have lunch and there is no money in the account. Try to prepare them with everything they need.”

3.

Read.

Get into a habit of reading to your children every night at bedtime no matter what age. Even as they get older into high school, read a novel together and talk about it. >>

18 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 19

Have children read everything from the grocery list to the childhood magazines and newspaper cartoons, anything that interest them. Celeste says that reading to kids of all ages is extremely important to their success.

“Have children read. A child’s success totally depends on their ability to read because reading carries over to math and every other subject,” said Celeste. “If a child can’t read, he’ll really have challenges in every aspect of school.”

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4.

Be on Time.

Late happens sometimes and can’t be helped but consistent tardiness is detrimental to learning, stressing kids out. Habitual tardiness is a social stigma, which is embarrassing, but can also land parents and kids in truancy court.

“If kids are late it, messes up the whole day,” said Jones. “This rough start from home carries over to the day because we’ll question them - ‘Why are you late?’ ‘Where is your tardy pass?’ It’s best if parents do everything they can to get kids to school on time.”

5.

Know What Your Kids Are Learning.

Parents who know their children are learning Texas history can ask questions about Sam Houston and reinforce curriculum with movies about the subject. If a child is learning measurements, mom or dad can ask her to bake a cake or help measure the air conditioner filter with a tape measure to determine what replacement size is needed.

Celeste suggests asking kids what they are learning, and Jones says parents should look at homework every day.

“Set aside some time to do homework and ask, ‘What did you learn?’ ‘What do you know this afternoon that you didn’t know before you went to school?’” said Jones. “Generally, talk to your children and ask them, ‘How was your day?’”

6.

Don’t Wait to Address a Problem.

Both teachers recommend addressing any concerns early on, from bullying to academics to homework. Waiting weeks or a month, which is a long time in a child’s world, to address an issue can negatively impact a school year.

“Nothing is too small for me to know about,” said Celeste.

“Something may seem minor to me but perhaps something else is happening and a sit down will unveil that.”

7.

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One-of-a-kind, custom window coverings 20 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Be Empathetic.

When there is contention between your child and another, realize there are two sides to every story and trust the teacher and administration to resolve the issue fairly after both sides have been heard.

“Parents only get their child’s point of view, and a lot of times their own child is not as innocent as they thought but correct from their own viewpoint,” said Celeste. “We work hard with students to look at a situation from everyone’s viewpoint and to be fair. Parents have to trust this process and not be concerned about punishment of the other child.”

8.

Support Extracurricular Activities.

Learning is the primary purpose of school, but there is a vital social component as well. Jones suggests parents support

school-related extracurricular activities.

“Kids need to see school as a learning environment but also a fun social environment, too,” said Jones.

Celeste concurs seeing extracurricular as paramount to learning to get along with others.

“Children spend so much time playing video games and don’t play sports or do anything else, so they don’t have people skills yet, especially in lower grades,” said Celeste. “School and learning is more than academics but how to work and collaborate with other students, and extracurricular activities enhance those skills.”

9.

Have a Presence.

Not every parent can be the president of the PTA, volunteer regularly for lunch room duty or chair the carnival. Schedules, work and other children limit the amount of time parents can commit to be on-hand at school. However, Celeste and Jones suggest there are several ways parents can be involved no matter their other commitments.

Attend meet the teacher night, a PTA meeting, keep up with school programs, plays, carnivals, bake sales, field trips, parties, teacher conference days and commit to one or two a year. If the teacher emails, email back. If the teacher has a homepage or blog, read it. Keep current with papers children bring home informing parents of upcoming events.

“Parent involvement is really key,” said Jones. “Schedules are tight, and it’s unrealistic to make everything. Parents who can’t attend physically can still be in touch. Teachers have class pages that parents can log in to and see what’s going on with their kids’ grades.

School districts have apps helping parents stay abreast of what’s going on in the school community. Parents who can’t come out can stay involved in other ways.”

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10.

Expect Success.

Remain positive and expect your child to succeed.

“No child comes to school not wanting to succeed,” said Celeste. “Those that don’t succeed have other issues going on that need to be addressed.”

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vip food entertainment

D UGHNUTS To Die(T) For

by shelly vitanza

Life

doesn’t get much better than the ooey, gooey circular goodness of fried dough‌glazed, filled, sprinkled, frosted and powdered.

Because we at VIP strive to bring our readers the best life has to offer, we spent hours, weeks, practically a month, sourcing, sampling and savoring doughnuts, and donuts, from across Southeast Texas to find the most scrumptious of the morning-noon-and-night sugar snack. Everyone on the tasting team had a preference. Some liked glazed, others liked filled and one insisted on sprinkles, but we were all willing to put on a few pounds to bring you the best of the best doughnuts, doughnuts to die for and diet for.

Starting left, clockwise: Maple Bacon, Bavarian Cream, Strawberry Sprinkle, Cronut, Chocolate, Buttermilk

22 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

MAPLE BACON DOUGHNUT Daviss Donuts & Deli 1706 FM 365 in Nederland The most unusual doughnut in the land is Davis’ maple bacon doughnut combining our favorite breakfast flavors – maple syrup, bacon and bread – in one perfectly puffy pastry.

strawberry-sprinkled doughnut Dunkin Donuts 4370 E. Lucas Drive, Beaumont 920 N. 11th St., Beaumont Kids love it, and we do, too! The strawberry-sprinkled sweetness from the chain bakery that took the ‘ugh’ out of doughnut is simply spectacular. Just looking at it makes us smile.

cronut HEB 3025 Dowlen, Beaumont 3576 College, Beaumont We’d heard rumors that HEB had a cronut, a croissant deep fried and then glazed like a doughnut. We went to check it out one morning around 10 a.m. The cronuts rack was empty, sold out. We waited for a fresh batch and behold a masterful mouthful of luscious light bread with glazing galore.

Powdered Sugar Doughnuts Not one doughnut distributor sells a powered doughnut, excluding the tiny ones in a bag, and sometimes you just need a powdered doughnut. Our Specialty Publications Manager Shelly Vitanza has been making powdered doughnuts from Pillsbury biscuits since she was a kid and passes this recipe along for MYOD – Make Your Own Doughnuts!

Ingredients 2 cups vegetable oil 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits 1 cup powdered sugar In a heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat to 350 degrees.

Separate dough into biscuits. Using a small round cookie cutter, soda cap or ketchup lid, cut hole in center of each biscuit.

Place two or three biscuits – doughnuts and holes – in the hot oil. Fry on one side until golden brown, turning with a slotted spoon or tongs; fry until other side is golden brown.

Place on cooling rack; until cool enough to touch.

Roll slightly cooled doughnuts and holes in powdered sugar to coat.

Eat.

chocolate doughnut Rao’s Bakery 2596 Calder Ave., Beaumont 810 Hospital Drive in Baptist Hospital, Beaumont 4400 Dowlen Road, Beaumont 3504 FM 365, Nederland Rao’s chocolate doughnut is a frosted feast, a decadent meal for anytime of the day or night. Oversized and slathered with rich, thick chocolate icing, it’s the doughnut for all chocoholics.

buttermilk doughnut Tasty Cream Donuts 6392 Phelan Blvd., Beaumont Ever wonder why there always seems to be a line at the Tasty Cream on Phelan? It’s the cruller, a more cake-like doughnut, twisted and curled, fried and glazed. But don’t order the cruller, because Tasty Cream calls their cruller the buttermilk doughnut. We love it. We love to pull the crusty spiraled edges off one by one and then eat what’s left of the soft goodness. Or dip the cruller in coffee and savor the combo of bitter with sweet.

Bavarian cream Doughnut Shipley Do-Nuts 550 S 11th St., Beaumont 2737 Memorial Blvd., Port Arthur For all you requiring filled flavors, we sourced the most heavenly hole-less in all the land – Shipley’s Bavarian cream. It’s a hardy handful of soft dough packed with rich cream, not jelly, but more of a pudding. Divine!

If you have a favorite doughnut not listed above, please contact us at vipnews@thevipmag.com or 409.838.2849 and let us know. We’d love to continue the sugar rush and sampling sacrifice for the benefit of our readers. theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 23

\lī-’bā-shən\

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

by Jane McBride Steve Grillo has mixed many a cocktail during his 30 years as a bartender. For the past four years, he’s been keeping track of customers’ preferences at The Grill by Arfeen, Smith and Payne. While he has mixed his share of complex, up-to-the-minute cocktails, most of the restaurant’s customers choose drinks to complement The Grill’s classic continental menu, which is heavy on sumptuous meat and seafood that stands on its own merit, with light sauces that don’t overpower the star of the dish.

“About half of our customers order martinis that go with our chef’s straight-forward dishes. Everyone has his or her own preferences,” Grillo said. “Often, people tend to avoid a lot of things I think are wonderful.”

For those who like something with a little more botanical flair, Grillo often chooses mint, basil and rosemary. This twist on The Grill’s Club Special blends citrus flavors with the unmistakably assertive snap of rosemary, sometimes described as a cross between pine and mint.

Tip: the first time you try this drink, less is more. Use the rosemary needles sparingly. If it doesn’t come forward on the taste buds, muddle a few more needles and let it sit a minute or two.

Rosemary

li•ba•tion

Club Special with

vip food entertainment

Rosemary needles 1 oz. Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka ½ oz. Cointreau Splash of simple syrup 2 oz. sweet and Sour 1 oz. lemon/lime soda Muddle rosemary leaves in a tall glass. Add vodka, Cointreau, simple syrup, sweet and sour, and then top with lemon/lime soda.

Add crushed ice to a cocktail shaker; shake and serve with crushed ice.

This is a drink best sipped slowly to enjoy as the rosemary opens up with time.

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24 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 25

vip food entertainment

r 8 g tail by shelly vitanza

Rooftop Seating: Few things are hotter than tailgating on concrete in Texas September through October, so take cover and sit in a chair with a covering. We found these at M&D Supply.

26 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com 26 September2015 | the VIP mag.com

Tips and s Trinket y a D e m a for G Fun

F

riendships, field goals and food…it’s football season and time to get your game on, for tailgating that is.

Now we love the idea of a posh den-like atmosphere with a couch, big screen TV, generator connected to cooling misters and oscillating fans, and if you know some ‘gaters who create such a pre-game party, get invited and include us, too.

When the party is on us, we’re keeping things simple for easy set-up, stress-free but good food and quick tear down so not to miss kick off. Here are some tailgate time favorites we found around town plus a few recipes from local chefs to help you score come tailgate time.

Head Gear: Of course, games caps are every-

where. Get one for your team or go for fashion with a monogramed wide-brimmed hat from Heartfield Designs. The Lamar University Bookstore has great straw hats, too. The bigger hats give you a little more face and shoulder coverage from the sun than a ball cap. Sweat is a factor.

To keep your head cool and hair back, Bando’s has fan gear headbands good for girls and guys.

Cooler Coolers: Yeti is the bomb for keeping perishables cooler longer, but for a day party when you want to maximize mobility, an ice chest with rollers and a handle for pulling is more practical. Also found at M&D Supply. If you’re hydrating for a few, soft-sided totes (found at Bando’s) as well as open crates with personalized info like team and Greek affiliations allow you to walk in style from one tailgate locale to another.

Accessorize: See our fashion section,

page 28, for personal fan gear, but for the best-dressed tailgate space, get a football field plastic wipe-ready tablecloth from Bando’s and flags and banners from both Bando’s and M&D Supply. We love the the DuraWave Lamar University flag at the Lamar University Bookstore. Go Cards!

Sippy Cups: Every fan likes team

Tervis because they make plastic ware for nearly every college, Aggie, Tiger, Horned Frogs and Longhorns.

Bando’s has Tervis and M&D has a host of plastic Red Solo as well as Rubbermaid serving utensils.

Buckets of Fun: For the easiest load and go fun, stick with Rubbermaid buckets in all shapes and sizes at M&D Supply or get some smaller softsided carrying crates with team logo at Bando’s.

Play Before the Game: Eat, drink and play games at your tailgate. Academy Sports & Outdoors has bean bag, washers toss games and ladder ball in every collegiate color and mascot we locals want. M&D Supply also carries washer boards.

Cook Like Cutter: You don’t have to be a professional chef to play one on game day. Get a little Hibachi Grill from M&D Supply and then pick from some of the recipes we collected from our big grillers. See page 11. Plus local chefs including Katharine Carmichael of Katharine & Co., Debbie Bando from Bando’s and Chuck Harris with Chuck’s Catering have shared their favorite tailgating recipes. Find those on southeasttexasevents.com/blog. theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 27

vip fashion trends

Fashion Fans: There’s Always Plenty to

CHEER ABOUT in Southeast Texas…

by Tammy Crutchfield Whether your favorite game takes place under the Friday night lights or on Saturday Game Day, the passion for football is deeply seeded in our everyday life. Some of you out there might be more interested in showing your team spirit through your colors tailgate gathering than in watching the game itself, but regardless, the perfect outfit is a must, and we guarantee that you will be cheering in comfort and style from opening kick-off to the final buzzer with finds from some of our local boutiques.

For those of you out there doubting the ability of white jeans to be seasonless, I am here to tell you that you CAN wear white after Labor Day, and it makes perfect sense to do so in Texas climates, where September through October temperatures hardly feel fall-like! These days, white has had more than its fair share of time on the fall and winter fashion runways, and a combination of black and white is forever au courant, no matter what the season. So, don’t hesitate to wear your white denim with your favorite team colors for tailgating. Especially trendy - frayed or fringed hems. Complement your school colors with a crocheted vest or macramé racerback tee using two old high school or college T-shirts. Check out Pinterest to make your own.

28 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

If you do decide to pull out your white ensemble after Sept. 1, be sure not to dress for another season. For example, cotton, silk, cashmere and wool are fall-ready materials, so wearing them in white will simply add a sleek element to your fall attire. Also, white denim looks great when paired with a black ankle boot and your favorite vintage football T-shirt. You can even throw on a denim jacket if needed. However, let’s keep that cute white eyelet sundress as a summertime favorite!

historic fan gear The charms pictured belonged to Southeast Texan and University of Texas graduate H.J. Lutcher Stark. They are watch fob charms that attached to a pocket watch made in commemoration of a 1910 game between Texas and Auburn.

In that game, the first game the two teams played one another, Texas beat Auburn 9-0.

Those were the only points scored on Auburn the entire season. All nine of the Texas points came in the fourth quarter, three off a field goal and six off a touchdown. Each team completed one forward pass, though they attempted several more. Texas’ touchdown came after the Texas quarterback kicked the ball 50 yards downfield to the Texas left end, Joe Estill, who took the ball to the end zone.

The victory celebration, as described by

newspaper accounts, included the UT football team parading down Austin in their nightshirts, led by the Assistant Secretary General of Texas, also in his nightshirt.

H.J.L. Stark was assistant football manager for the 1909 season; he graduated from UT in 1910. However he was a loyal Texas Ex continuing on as manager of the football team as an alumnus. He gave the team blankets on an away trip in 1912 that had Texas Longhorns emblazoned on them. The blankets were the first equipment ever to say “Texas Longhorns.” In later years, as a member of the Board of Regents, H.J. Lutcher Stark Watch Fob Charm, 1910 was the chief fundraiser for building Texas unknown maker, gold (14K) Memorial Stadium.

Images by Will France; Information courtesy of the Stark Cultural Venues

The W.H. Stark House, Orange

For those of you who are still in doubt and uncomfortable breaking the “No White after Labor Day” rule, you can rest assured that cream is a color for all seasons and most skin tones, and it will still look good with your favorite school colors! Don’t hesitate to mix lace and leather and your team colors.

Lace pants with a leather jacket and either cowboy boots or a great pair of neutral wedges make you a winner.

Another easy look is to throw on an oversized shirt, sweater or tunic in your favorite team colors and cowboy or riding boots and watch your white jeans transform from a summery look to a stylish fall football outfit. >>

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 29

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30 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

ire We found our Game-Day Att : es qu uti bo al loc ing at the follow

Cowboy boots branded for your team wear well with a short sundress or with jeans tucked in to show off your sole’s spirit.

MAKE SOMETHING OLD NEW AGAIN! The next time you think that you have nothing to wear to the big game, learn how to craft something fun and fabulous in just a few minutes out of what you already have in your wardrobe. You will be surprised to discover how many fabulous one-of-a-kind pieces you can “upcycle” out of your own closet.

An easy way to start this D-I-Y project is to search for UPCYCLED CLOTHING tutorials on Pinterest.

Ella + Scott 409.835.8280 1415 Calder Ave. Beaumont

Hannah Bay 409.962.3400 4343 Lincoln Ave. Groves

Two Chix 409.751.5200 88 N. LHS Dr. Lumberton

Mollies 409.853.4542 3316 HWY 365 Nederland

Center of Attention 409.751.4247 689 S. Main Lumberton Sassy Trendz 409.853.1255 4700 HWY 365 Suite Q Port Arthur

Pink Chandelier 409.225.5726 5955 Phelan Beaumont 409.920.4724 2228 MacArthur Dr. Suite A Orange

Gaudie and Co. 409.729.2700 1143 Boston Ave. Nederland 409.860.4433 6025 Phelan Beaumont Vintage Republic 409.729.1197 1126 Boston Ave. Nederland Team and football themed heels shown can be ordered online at www.herstar.com.

Gypsy Rose 409.751.0889 305 Ave. E Silsbee

There are endless ideas out there, but some of my favorites include a macramé racerback tee using two old high school or college T-shirts, mentioned previously. You may also choose to make a pair of “spirit jeans” out of some of your favorite old denim: or even an infinity T-shirt scarf if you want to make a more subtle statement. The best part about these ideas is that you are guaranteed to be the only one wearing your outfit, and everyone will want to know where you got it!

Simple says a lot about your style, and your team spirit, and it’s versatile too.

A simple solid-colored dress in any hue can serve as the base for adding a red scarf or earrings for our Lamar Cardinals or LSU pumps. Big block colors are still stylish from previous seasons and work well for layering on your team spirit.

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 31

vip home garden

by shelly vitanza

Yvette Crorey Designs

This media room has complete movie quality surround sound, media seats, three rows on platforms with movie projector and a fiber optic star field ceiling.

32 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

illuminate your ceiling with fiber optic lighting and watch your favorite stars under the stars.

Yvette Crorey Designs

I

nterior Designer Yvette Crorey’s favorite room to decorate is a media room because rooms designed for entertainment lend to greater creativity and personal style.

“Media rooms are fun because they can have a theme and express the personality of the owners,” said Crorey. “A media room can be totally different from the rest of the house. You can mix a media room with a game room, making it even more fun for entertaining. It’s really about however much money you’d like to put into it because there are so many fun features from lighting to surround sound systems to giant screen TVs, popcorn machines, bars and even fiber optic lighting.”

Crorey recently designed and decorated a Nascar-themed media room using official Nascar memorabilia from the Nascar enthusiast, including official Nascar flags and signed and numbered prints. She even created doors made from real Nascar doors and hoods.

This room, like so many new media rooms Crorey creates, has state-of-the-art electronics. New builds include large televisions and surround sound systems replacing media systems of old such as projectors, screens and large speakers. Most media rooms are typically built separate from the bedrooms and have extra insulation in the walls to enhance the sound without disrupting the entire house. Crorey says the more closed off the room is – the lower the ceiling and smaller the space - the better the sound is.

Further giving that “movie-going” feeling is furniture. While some media rooms have couches and large sectionals, Crorey is installing more theater chairs, complete with cup holders, in two or three rows on tiered flooring so that everyone can see, even the back row.

Although Crorey works with builders on new construction of media rooms, she also works with homeowners to add entertainment or media rooms. Most recently she helped a homeowner add a room that not only houses a gigantic big screen but actually has a stage with working curtain where the owner’s children can perform plays.

“Most homes have a room you can enclose upstairs away from the main part of the house,” said Crorey. “Over a garage is a perfect location to build out and add a fun movie room where you can turn up the volume and enjoy.”

Crorey is also discovering that many clients are big football fans who want their media rooms to second as Monday night football watching locales and Super Bowl party venues. For multi-functional spaces, Crorey designs bigger rooms and recommends more furniture to accommodate larger numbers of people. These rooms typically have refrigerators and bars or are located in closer proximity to the main kitchen in the house. >>

A media room is an opportunity for you to let your personality shine! Anything goes, from sleek and modern to more elegant. If you just want to keep it fun, pick a favorite theme like NASCAR. Express yourself, but remember, comfy seating is a must.

Theater chairs fit the bill and are ideal for optimum viewing and a true cinema feel.

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 33

Dean and Gina Halbert’s Entertainment Room Floor to ceiling, wall-to-wall, Dean Halbert, a family practitioner, and his wife, Gina, have built an entertainment room with personality plus. Although the personality expressed is mainly Dean’s, Gina has added some nice touches to the space, and the whole family gathers in the room (some would consider it a “man cave”) for sporting events (Aggie games) and movies.

“It’s where we entertain, have poker games and relax after work,” said Halbert. “Now our 15-year-old son and his buddies have invaded and play pool and poker and watch TV, also.”

The 500-square-foot room is located at the back of the house between the kitchen and backyard, both accessible from the entertainment room. In fact, Halbert can watch one football game on the big screen in “his” room and walk a few steps out the back door and watch another football game on the big screen on the covered patio area.

Halbert and his friend Jim Debes, who is a general contractor, completely remodeled the room shortly after the Halberts moved into the Wuthering Heights home in 2007. Halbert wanted the room to not only showcase his personal favorites, like his trophy animals resulting from bow hunting trips, an old radio and domino table that his dad made, farm implements used for horseshoe maintenance, stirrups, a shingle maker and a Johnny Manziel-signed football, but to also replicate his family’s farm in Chireno, Texas, in Nacogdoches County.

He and Debes ripped out the closets, built-ins and desks in the former study and transformed the room to a rustic cozy space for entertaining complete with bar shelves for resting your drink while playing pool or poker, which is much more manly than a coaster, according to Halbert. Halbert and Debes worked together to install B-grade cypress from Elders Hardwood Mill on all the walls, eight-inch, and the ceiling, six-inch, and textured and stained the concrete floors.

“It reminds me of the old farm house,” said Halbert. “I wanted something rustic, durable and easy to clean, low maintenance and manly, and that’s what it is.”

Gina had little say in the space (aside from being thrilled her husband had somewhere to put his prized positions) but did help him pick out a rugged but comfortable leather couch from Alyson Jon Interiors and a shabby chic coffee table to complement the sofa.

“I’ve tried to be diplomatic, and it is a space we all gather to watch movies even though we have other TVs in the house,” said Gina.

34 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

“

I wanted something rustic, durable and easy to clean, low maintenance and manly, and that’s what it is.”

From pool to poker, and even an outdoor space, The Halbert’s entertainment room is the ultimate man cave. Gina left most of the “guy” decor up to Dean, but she did assist in the selection of the sofa and coffee table.

Tube Choices Options for Sports Fans

Super plush comfy sectional sofas and the most lazy of loungers have little to no value if the tube is crude, especially during football season, right?

If the TV is the reason for the room, go big, with apps, surround sound and the best social media of the day. Here’s how.

According to Taylor Jones, sales associate and home theater representative at Best Buy in Beaumont, here’s what sports fans need to know when shopping for a TV.

BIG DEALS

If you want the biggest of the big without compromising viewing quality, purchase a projector. Get a screen to go with it or use a white wall to project.

You’ll get a larger than life experience with high definition clarity even at 100 inches or bigger depending on the size of your room. Jones said the brighter the bulb inside the projector the better the quality and the experience.

SIDE VIEW

When it comes to viewing large (80-inch) flat screen TVs, the best picture quality and clarity are light-emitting diode (LED) TVs. For the best viewing angle so that you can sit anywhere in and around the TV and not just in front of it, you want organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs.

AMP THE UMP

If your room is small and enclosed, a sound bar is ample amp. But if you’ve got a big room and big screen, you’ll need big sound. Think arena.

More is better. In order to hear the call of the umpire, you’ll need multiple speakers installed in multiple places within the room.

GAME BRAND

Smart TVs all come with access to varying sports apps. The trick is to figure out what apps you like and buy the brand of television that gives access to your preferences. Sony offers ESPN’s ScoreCenter that provides live scores on the side of the television screen, allowing viewers to track multiple events. Viewers with a Samsung smart TV have access to ESPN Player app with access to social media and the Internet for real time updates to sporting events. Each has its own, and it’s up to you to find yours.

GET SMART

About the only thing a smart TV won’t do is bring you a brew but still not all smart TVs are the same. Before you shop decide if you want to be able to Skype with your brother while you simultaneously watch the Cowboys game, get continuous Twitter feeds from ESPN during the Super Bowl and/or watch several games at once all within your one big screen. There are smart TVs with all of these features and more. Determining what “smart” features you want before you shop is just good thinking.

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 35

vip home garden

Prep Now for

Cool-Weather Planting

by Jane McBride Jefferson County Master Gardener

Two bulbs that do well here: Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) Blooms in February; needs partial shade to full sun

Golden Dawn Jonquil (Narcissus tazetta) Blooms in March; needs full winter sun

F

or gardeners, September is what is often called a swing month - it’s that in-between period after spring and summer blooms are spent, but it’s often not quite cool enough to put in cool-season ornamentals.

That makes it a great time to assess the state of your beds and attend to clean-up issues. When at all possible, it’s much smarter - and less frustrating - to prevent problems rather than correct them.

And digging in the dirt (OK, soil is the correct term, but I love alliteration) is one of the purest joys of gardening. It’s akin to an expectant mother nourishing her body for the benefit of that little thing growing inside. The anticipation is invigorating.

Here are a few basic preparations that will help ensure a healthy cool-weather flower garden: • Pull spent annual plants and vegetables and, if they are disease-free, toss them on the compost pile.

• Check for any insect infestations or other pests that need attention and treat appropriately.

• Clean up any spent leaves or other debris and make sure the border around the bed is clean to avoid mold or other captured-moisture or spore-driven problems.

• Add compost and other soil amendments such as micro-nutrients and till in well. Level and check for proper drainage.

• Do your homework. Design beds and select plants by height, texture, bloom times, light, pH, and water requirements and colors that complement each other. Be sure all your choices are plants that do well in our climate.

• If planting spring bulbs that require chilling hours, get those in the refrigerator. Be sure to separate them from vegetables which put off ethylene gases that can damage or even kill undeveloped flowers. Store in a paper bag.

When the time is right later this month or in early October, you’ll be ready to go with a bed that offers a greatly improved chance of success.

36 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

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theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 37

vip home garden

cool weather can still be

colorful

by Gary Outenreath

Beaumont Botanical Gardens

Begin planning your cool weather seasonal plantings. Check with your local nursery for specific questions. Some plant varieties may be seeded at the beginning of the third week of August. Additional information can be obtained on the internet.

Early planning will improve the chances for a successful seasonal color display.

On the following list of plants, you may want to try your hand at growing some of them from seeds. Most on the lists are relatively easy to grow. Look for pelletized seeds, a technique that makes small seeded plants, such as petunias, much likelier to germinate. Most seed packets will have detailed information on the back on how the seeds should be planted.

Cold Hardy, Most Winters Alyssum Bachelor’s Button Calendula California Poppy Cardoon* Carnation Dianthus Dusty Miller* English Daisy Larkspur Ornamental Kale* Pansy Parsley* Petunia Rumex* Shirley Poppy Snapdragon Stock Sweet Pea Swiss Chard* Viola* Wall Flower *Mainly grown as a foliage plant Yarrow Most of the plants listed above can be seeded around the beginning of the third week of September.

Bulbs, Tubers, Roots, Etc. This group needs to have a period of pre-chilling before spring planting.

Chill time/weeks

Crocus 10

Daffodil 12

Hyacinth 10

Tulip 14 Some varieties and species of daffodil and tulips do not require chilling, as does anenome and ranunculus. Tulips bloom about 45 days after planting.

Marginal: Cool but No Frost or Freezing Cyclamen Geranium Nasturtium Schizanthus The above items are probably best suited for container growing so they may be placed in a protected place during frosts and freezes.

We are fortunate that we can grow so many interesting plants in Southeast Texas.

Supertunia® Mini Silver Petunia, Supertunia® Royal Velvet Petunia and Blushing Princess® Alyssum from Proven Winners

38 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

One of the most asked-about plants we have during the cooler months is cardoon.

It has impressive, large grey foliage and a thistle-like flower. The leaf stems are edible. It is easy to grow from seed.

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 39

vip art culture

enaissance an R M

by Beth Gallaspy ainter. Playwright. Teacher. Journalist. Director.

Actor. Illustrator. Any one of those words might fit Andy Coughlan at any given hour of any given day, but to him they’re all expressions of how he has thought of himself for as long as he can remember.

“I’m just an artist. All of that is just facets of being an artist,” he said.

“When I’m painting, I’m painting, and then I’ll go write a play. I don’t see those as separate things. That’s the creative outlet that I happen to be working on at that moment.”

For Coughlan, 56, the choice of creative outlets seems nearly limitless.

He guides emerging journalists in their craft at Lamar University as director of student publications, where he has also taught in the communication and English departments. His editorial cartoons have amused, and sometimes annoyed, readers of the Beaumont Enterprise for two decades. Theater enthusiasts have seen him on stage in productions by Divergent Theater, Lamar University and various community theater groups. His theater interests also extend to the page and backstage, having written plays, translated classic Spanish works into English with his friend and colleague Catalina Castillon and directed. And then there are the visual arts. Coughlan has been a tenant at The Art Studio, Inc. for 15 years with a large space on the second floor to paint, mainly acrylics, and explore whatever else might interest him in the moment. For nearly as long, he has served as editor of the non-profit arts organization’s monthly arts magazine, The Issue.

“I like the fact that people look at me and say, ‘That guy does everything.’” He feels lucky that a few times students have told him they decided to take risks and try to do things that interested them because of his example.

“I do everything I do because it’s what I do. It’s who I am. I do these things because that’s how I want to live my life. If somebody else looks at that and says, ‘I’ve always wanted to do this,’ I would say, ‘Go do it!’ God knows you’re not going to make any money at it, or maybe they will. I don’t do it for the money,” he said. “For me it’s the doing.

I just have to be doing things.” >>

photography by Scott Eslinger

Andy Coughlan 40 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 41

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A native of Brighton, England, Coughlan has made his home in Southeast Texas since 1983, returning to England for three years in the late 1980s and for intermittent visits to friends and family in the years since. “I like to say I’m a refugee from Thatcherism.”

Being away for so long from the country where one was reared can lead to a sense of displacement, but Coughlan does not see that as a negative. He recalls discussing the phenomena a few years back with a South African artist visiting Southeast Texas. “You no longer belong. I’ll never be American, but I’m not really English anymore either. You occupy this vague space that’s really from nowhere. The beautiful thing about that is, if you recognize it, you’re free to be whoever you want to be. You create the persona.”

The influence of that reality appeared in his last solo art show, paintings inspired by real and fictional English women from literature and history exhibited at the Beaumont Art League in fall 2014.

“It was a nostalgic look back at where I was and where I’ll never be again. I’ll never be that English again.” He enjoyed two weeks in England with family and friends this summer, but “I don’t know where anything is. The culture has moved on from me.”

Coughlan has continued to move on as well. His paintings have appeared in Southeast Texas art shows for decades, and those who have followed his work have seen it evolve. “I think if you look at a piece I did 20 years ago and a piece I did today, you might not see that they have any sort of relationship to each other, but I saw the steps. I took a piece there, and I changed a piece here. Stylistically, a lot of my shifts have come from ‘I’m bored with this style. Where can I take this?’ I don’t want to be one of those people that do the same thing for 40 years.”

In his current paintings and sketches, Coughlan is incorporating the influences of several weeks spent in Corme, Galicia, Spain, this summer as artist in residence at the Fundacion Torre-Pujales Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Costa da Morte. The residency in northwest Spain requires artists to donate a work to the museum. Rather than taking a finished piece with him or completing a painting during his stay, Coughlan focused on absorbing the culture and promised to complete and ship a painting inspired by his stay soon after his re-

“I like the fact that people look at me and say,

‘That guy does everything.’” turn to the U.S. Less than a week after getting back to Beaumont, as he sat at a computer in his Lamar office putting finishing touches on an editorial cartoon, Coughlan described an abstract painting called “Dreams of Galicia” that existed in that moment only as sketches, photographs and ideas.

“Huge portions of it are already running around in my head, but that’s just part of the process,” he said. “I have to work out how all the pieces in my head come together.”

He plans multiple pieces, but one in particular will be an abstract,

that he will know is a landscape. It will have percebes - the edible barnacles prized as a regional delicacy - and shapes inspired by algae and seaweed creating patterns on rocks near the ocean and suggestions of the flowers and doors and petroglyphs he saw. It sounds fantastic, as fantastic as the place and people he described in photos and blog posts on social media during his trip. “When you get me, you don’t just get a painter. You get an advocate and a writer.”

In other words, you get an artist.

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4414 Dowlen, Beaumont, texas 77706 across from Parkdale mall theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 43

vip art culture

things we love 1. Southeast Texas Celebrities…

…like Chris Stroud who was just inducted into the Sports Legends Gallery at the Museum of the Gulf Coast. Stroud, a professional golfer from Nederland, attended Lamar University and was a twotime All American. He won the 2003 North and South Amateur and played on the 2004 Palmer Cup team. You can learn about his life and career as well as see some of his personal memorabilia and view the same of more than 60 athletes representing disciplines including football, baseball, golf, tennis, track and field, boxing, weightlifting, martial arts, motor cross racing plus famous Southeast Texas musicians and other notables. The 39,000-square-foot museum documents Southeast Texas history from pioneer days to current. The museum is the pride of our area and a treasure to visitors.

2. Facing the Music

1

The Music Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas Chelsea Tipton II, takes to the podium with his baton for the opening concert of the 62nd season Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre. Maestro Tipton will conduct “Latin Treasures” Classics Series Concert featuring guest artist Arturo Sandoval.

3. Recycled Bling

2

Alter’s Gem Jewelry carries Alex and Ani, beautiful bracelets all made from recycled metals. Each bracelet is named and comes with its own story. For example the “Sand Dollar” bangle comes with the story of ancient adventurers and says, “Like the fearless explorers who ventured off the beaten path, lose yourself to the will of the journey, and follow the divine accidents that steer you toward treasures untold.” Alex and Ani bracelets are reasonably priced so the more the better. They look great stacked on the wrist and with a mix of gold and silver. Additionally Alex and Ani donates an enormous amount of its profit to charity, designing specific bracelets for non-profit causes.

Most recently the company designed the “Zest for Life” piece of jewelry to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand which increases awareness and research for children’s cancers. There’s also a “Prints of Love,” that is a bracelet with a paw print and some of the profits benefit the Humane Society. Rumor is Alex and Ani is coming out with necklaces, rings, earrings and even handbags. We’ll likely love those, too.

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4. Ten Pigs Relief

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When this little piggy has none - no energy just pain and stress - get to King Spa for a reflexology treatment, basically a foot massage. Located in the World Gym shopping center on Dowlen Road, King Spa has two foot massage chairs in a low lit room where you and your beloved can receive full body massages with 30-minutes devoted solely to…well, the soles of your feet. (Wear loose-fitting clothes and pants that can be rolled up to the knee easily or shorts.)

5. Being Cheesy

Beef isn’t the only thing smoking at Clayboy’s BBQ Pit Stop in Groves. Clay is smoking cheese! Every day you can drop by, if you’re early enough, and get you some fresh smoked mozzarella, pepper jack and/or cheddar cheese. After cooking turkey, sausage, beef and chicken all night, Clay lets his pits cool and then loads ’em up with cheese. Cheese is grilled until just soft enough to melt but not so soft that it runs through the slits in the grill. The locals know it’s the best cheese for homemade pizzas, pastas and just outright eating. Did we say to get there early?

44 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

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vip people places

VIPersonality: June Badon 1955’s Sassiest PN-G Indianette by shelly vitanza Prior to football season 1955, the Port Neches-Groves Indianettes were a cheer squad, sitting on the sidelines yelling their team to victory. But then came June Badon, a senior who had opened her own dance studio, with 31 other girls. They began marching out onto the field with the PN-G band and performing a half-time routine.

Q: How did the idea of the Indianettes moving from sidelines to the field happen?

A: It started with Mrs. Braswell. She was a tough cookie. She recruited me because I was the only one in the whole Indianettes who had dance training. I had to teach the dances that Mrs. Braswell wanted and that automatically made me the captain. I think we were the first to perform on the field, but I can’t be sure. It was a long time ago. And I wasn’t even going to do it because I had started my own dancing school that same year. The Indianettes all practiced after school, but Mrs. Braswell approached me about it and said we’d have practice during P.E., and I’d be done by 3:30 p.m. I didn’t have to try out, and that was it.

photography by Jim Debes

Q: What did you wear?

A: (Laughter) A reversible satin circle skirt with bow and arrow on it and then a sleeveless high-neck shirt and jacket with the same bow and arrow as the skirt. We didn’t have a headdress, but we wore headbands with a feather and white boots. I think we wore white boots, but I’d have to look in my annual to make sure. But, oh this is funny. Back then, all the skirts had to all look the same length.

I was a shorty, 5-feet. (I have no legs.) So when they put everyone in this line, they had to cut my skirt off, and the tallest girls’ skirts were below their knees. Those girls 5’5” and 5’6” had a long skirt, and I had a sassy skirt.

Now everyone’s skirt is short. Back then I had sassy, and the tall girls had long. (Laughter)

June Badon then and now.

46 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

Q: What kind of routines did you do?

A: Oh I don’t remember but for this one tap dance we did. We had to take circle boards out on to the field and then do this tap dance.

It was fun. I had to teach the girls to tap. No one knew how to tap on those circle boards.

And the rest of our dances were kick routines.

If I’m not mistaken after our first year we were invited to a bowl game to perform, but we couldn’t afford to go. But we did go to all of the out-of-town games and Mrs. Braswell, (I think her first name was Jan, but I never called her anything but Mrs. Braswell.) she made us tow the mark. When we’d go to out-of-town games, and we’d be coming home early in the morning, 2 a.m. sometimes on these long trips with the band, we’d all stop at the same place to eat. The band would drag out cause we were tired kids. But Mrs. Braswell stood at the front of the bus, and if we had a pin curl, we had to take it out. We had to look as fresh as daisies and ready to dance at all times. I thought that was great. Everyone talked about how nice we looked; we always looked great.

In 2015, Badon, 77, will celebrate 60 years of teaching dance. She continues to personally teach 17 dance classes a week at her studio, June Badon Elite School of Dance & Acrobatics, located at 1218 Magnolia Ave. in Port Neches.

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To Turn on your VIP e-Edition Today go to: Beaumontenterprise.com/VIP Published by the Beaumont Enterprise…The BiggesttheVIPmag.coM Name in Southeast Texas2015 47 News! | September

totally social Pioneering Women Media Party 2

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1. Tameka Wycoff, left, and Candy Berry 2. Left to right: Jennifer Sehon, Nate Jennings and Rick Danna 3. Left to right: Jimmy Findley, Allen Tate, Avi Tate, Isaura Martinez, Abbi George and Ricky George 4. Left to right: Ryan Spell, Kelly Burns and Melissa Garrett 5. Derek McWilliams and Robin Williams 6. Bruce Hamilton, left, and John Paschall 7. Left to right: Nicole Shaw, Angi Miley and Marga Stoen 8. Left to right: Bree Smylie, Amber Williams, Lauren Rowland and Billy Thomas

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Ubi Caritas Date Auction Mixer at the home of Sherrene Cook 1

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photography by Scott Eslinger theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 53

Beaumont Jazz & Blues Fest

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1. Left to right: Brendan Hall, Daniel Taylor and Christian Galatoire 2. Left to right: Frances Clark, Amber Campbell and Sharita Gardner 3. Left to right: Ed Shettle, Stacey Shettle, Ranell Brooks and Julie Hannon 4. Janice Bennett and Glenn Bodwin 5. Roselle Grant, left, and Kay Chusuwan 6. Julie Hannon, left, and Emily Esquivel 7. Melinda Powell and Cedric Lincoln 8. Marilyn and Tom Bell

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Gift of Life Press Conference Announcing Upcoming Performance by Liza Minnelli 1. Left to right: Kara Michael, Lisa Kincaid, Regina Rogers and Bettie Coker 2. Left to right: Christy Simon, Kellie Underhill and Kim Huber 3. Jean Domingue, left, and Nancy Currie 4. Left to right: Becky Hunter, Barbara Quinn, Bonnie Cokinos, Bev Perry and Charlene Babineaux 5. Sheila Umphrey 6. Jo Bienvenu, left, and Carol Hearn

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56 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

The Beans Concert at Beaumont Skate Park 1. Steven Lane 2. Sam Thedford, left, and Enrique Gussman 3. Micah McQuillin 4. Left to right: Tommy Nguyen, Dillon Herrington and Derien Mosquera 5. Cameron Thompson, left, and Max Thedford 6. Chuck and Kathy Pierce 7. Left to right: Bradley Bailey, Jacob Bailey and Oakley Krider 8. Kurt and Jenny Thedford

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photography by Scott Eslinger

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theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 57

vip people places

The Solace of Being a

Little Fish

by Holli Petersen

W

hen I was a kid, frantically swimming in the complicated social waters of public education, I discovered that all students are efficiently ranked by a fish hierarchy. Even in elementary school, it was obvious that there were big fish and small fish. And everybody who was anybody did their very best to be a big fish.

Big fish swam in coteries populated by the sea’s most elite creatures. Big fish had friends in every class, places to sit in every cafeteria and parties for every weekend. They were never cut at tryouts and never sat the bench. Big fish were aesthetically appealing and certainly didn’t lack the funds to purchase the newest gadgets and the cutest clothes. Big fish were the “good catches.”

Little fish were nothing more than fuel for their more popular counterparts. Left unnoticed, little fish were picked last for teams, shoved into lockers, ridiculed when they ventured out of line. Little fish were excellent amusement when boredom struck or when a bigger fish needed a boost of self-esteem. No one ever truly wanted to be a little fish.

In this aquatic caste system, I always ranked as a medium fish. My family moved quite a bit, so I was frequently the “new girl,” which was only elusive and cool for a week before I wore the wrong thing, laughed at the wrong joke or joined the wrong club. Curiously, bookloving, music-obsessed AP students on the newspaper staff are not highly ranked. The only thing that saved me from being the tiniest of the little fish was that I had a sense of humor, enough of one to laugh when they made fun of me and then quickly return the favor. Seldom do big fish appreciate being unarmed when a battle of wits breaks out.

I wish I could say I never preyed upon any smaller sea life, but that wouldn’t be accurate. Regrettably, I did my fair share of ignoring and avoiding. I looked away when I should have stood up. I refused to snitch when I should have told. I laughed when it wasn’t funny, gossiped when I should have stayed silent, condemned when I should have accepted. I thought I was confident because I was outspoken, but the truth was I was merely a coward playing the same game as everyone else.

The little fish were the confident ones. It takes courage to go to school when you know you’ll be bullied. It takes nerve to sit alone at lunch, smile in a hallway of people that hate you and speak up when everyone insists that you’re invisible. There are few things more he58 September 2015 | the VIP mag.com

roic than standing up for what’s right when everyone else is content with being wrong. Bravery is the prerequisite of the little fish tribe.

I wish I could say that things get better in college. But, they don’t.

I wish I could say that things get better in the real world. But, they don’t. We might shuffle around a bit, but most of us stay on the ladder and continue fighting for the higher rungs.

We all adhere to the same big fish mentality. We want to become the best, have the best, experience the best so that our scales shine just a little bit more than the next guy. Check out social media, and you’ll find an infinite number of shiny scales, each competing for the finest light.

Why else would Americans be notorious for living in homes we can’t pay for, driving cars we can’t afford and racking up debt like it’s our only pastime? Why else do we work like animals to fund our big fish dreams that come with enormous big fish bills? Why else would we brightly say “I’m great!” when anyone with eyes can see we were just sobbing in our leather-trimmed luxury sedan? Problems are unbecoming to a big fish. So we swallow our secrets and smile for a selfie.

Luckily, at any given moment, the tides can turn. The world opens up, and we see we’re swimming in a vast ocean, not a pond. In the ocean, there will always be someone cooler, richer, skinnier, hotter, smarter than you. So, what’s the point? And the secret is that there’s not one. Life is best endured when we escape the torrent to seek sincere fulfillment in calmer waters.

The good news is whether you’re about to start elementary school, middle school, high school or college, whether it’s the first day at a new job or a new day at an old job – you can stop trying to be a big fish. Try being gentler, humbler, more vulnerable. Compare the person you see in the mirror only to the person you were yesterday.

Be bold enough to be who you really, truly are, say what you really, truly think, act out of good conscience instead of self-consciousness.

We can’t go back in time. But if we could, I’d want to be a pluckier, cheerier little fish, delighted to swim in my own direction. Turns out, the water’s a bit bluer on the other side.

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theVIPmag.coM | September 2015 59

Imagine your life with less pain.

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LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth 755 North 11th Street Suite P2280 Beaumont CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Mary 2001 9th Avenue Suite 300 Port Arthur CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Jasper Memorial 1275 Marvin Hancock Dr. Jasper

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Call us today at 1.866.683.3627 or go online to complete an appointment request form at christussetx.org/pain-management.