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Serving Sealy and Austin County, Texas since 1887 • Home of Kathryn Sweet Volume 129 Number 40
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016
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All-terrain vehicles not meant for all terrains By HOLLY GALVAN
reporter@sealynews.com
All-terrain vehicles are not toys. They are powerful and potentially dangerous vehicles and learning the hazards of ATVs can save lives. Austin County Game Warden Lee Hall said he would say safety is the most important
aspect of riding an ATV. “[ATV] machines are not made to handle well on concrete, or if a vehicle comes around the corner it can be hard to swerve. [People] get hit and killed pretty often. They aren’t road legal and you can be issued a citation for it,” Hall said.
Dressing for safety while riding an ATV is important. Riders should wear a helmet and other protective gear such as eye protection, boots, gloves, long pants and a longsleeved shirt. Never allow more riders than the ATV was designed for. Either stay off paved roads or use extreme
caution when crossing one is necessary. Hall also urges taking a hands-on ATV safety course from a qualified instructor. “There are several ATV safety classes that people can take that will go over different laws and tips to control their machines. Follow the instruction on the [ATVs]. There
passenger train visits Sealy
Courtesy Photo
Operating over the former Santa Fe main line, the excursion featured Galveston Railroad Museum’s Santa Fe-painted F units, private owned luxury cars, BNSF business cars, and museum coaches. The round trip route went through Galveston, Alvin, Rosenberg, Sealy and Bellville, and was met by Blue Bell Ice Cream at its stop in Brenham.
Bigger Bras for a Cause By HOLLY GALVAN
Business leaders and city and county officials will crowd into the Saddleback Saloon in downtown Sealy on Oct. 29 for Bras for a Cause. The event features local dignitaries who will walk the bar in brassieres to raise money for the Bras for a Cause event that is hosted by The Sealy News and Saddleback Saloon.
Residents are encouraged to support this good cause and get a gaze at some goodlooking bras in the process. Bras are decorated featuring anywhere from Halloweenthemed style, pearland rose-lined bras to floral island inspired decadent pushups. All are designed in recognizing the continued fight against breast cancer. The bras are customized and designed by
local members of the community to benefit the Memorial Hermann Hospital Women’s Center in Katy. Many local leaders made cameos and some even strutted their stuff about the stage to show their support. Last year’s special models included Sealy Mayor Mark Stolarski and Austin County Precinct 1 Commissioner Reese Turner, and county judges Dan Leady and Courtesy Photo
Precinct 3 Austin County Constable Ronnie Griffin was one of the 15 law enforcement officers that was chosen by random drawing in Texas to receive the “Click It or Ticket Incentive Grant.” Austin County’s participation helped increase the use of safety belts during the Memorial Day Click It or Ticket Mobilization and helps reduce the number of impaired driving fatalities during the Labor Day impaired Driving Mobilization. “Click It or Ticket” is a statewide campaign to remind people that seat belts save lives. Texas Department of Transportation would like to thank Constable Griffin for his continual efforts to help keep Texas roads safe. Pictured from left to right are Amy Brandt, TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist, Griffin and Austin County Judge Tim Lapham.
“When riding an ATV it is important to keep your weight balanced and obviously wearing safety equipment. People need to realize that ATV’s tip over easily,” Hall said. Many deaths and injuries occur when a driver loses control of an ATV, is thrown ■ ATV, page 19
Council gets YMCA facility update
TEXAS CHIEF
reporter@sealynews.com
is a reason that most ATVs are for [people] 16 and older,” Hall said. “Never ever let a kid under 16 ride an adult ATV. Always use the right machine for the right age.” ATVs are designed for interactive riding. The driver must be able to shift his or her weight freely in all directions.
Tim Lapham. Last year the event had a huge turnout and garnered approximately $1,600 in donations. “The Sealy News is getting geared up once again for our ‘Bras for a Cause’ event this October,” said Sealy News Publisher Karen Lopez. This year’s event strikes home at The Sealy News a bit more this year as office manager ■ CAUSE, page 20
By HOLLY GALVAN
reporter@sealynews.com
During its Sept. 29 meeting, Sealy City Council received an update regarding the Mark A. Chapman Indoor Recreational facility that included an updated site plan, including an update to the amount of parking spots for the startup facility. “We have [compared] it to other YMCA’s in the greater Houston area that are equivalent sizes. This gives us what we feel is the appropriate number of spaces. [The plan] keeps the skate park intact at the park where it is currently located,” said Brian Haines, vice president of operations for the YMCA of Greater Houston. The plan also includes setting aside space for future outdoor sports fields. “We feel that this plan provides a great expansion path for facilities, which could include anything from a basketball gym to an indoor pool to an outdoor lap lane pool,” Haines said. The plan resizes the YMCA schematics to a little more than 18,000 square feet, which were the originally proposed dimensions back in fall 2015. “This [floor plan size] is where we started and then there was a thought that we needed to scale that back. As you know the Chapman Foundation is anxious to see us
build the full size building and has actually provided extra financial support for us to get there,” Haines said. The site plan includes two multipurpose rooms, a room for members’ children, a wellness center that will include weight and cardio equipment, and a lobby. “The city has provided $2 million through bond revenues, $1.5 million has been provided by the Chapman Foundation and we have secured an additional $1.25 million. So we are inching up to $4.8 million raised. We have a little ways to go based on what we think the total cost of the building will come in at,” Haines said. “We have a couple of big prospects that we will be meeting with in the next couple of months. If they see this as a viable project to support that could push us over the top. Our goal, at least from the Y side is that this [project] is fully funded,” Haines said. Haines said he thinks the final cost will be significantly cheaper than the $5.6 million that has been quoted for the project. “What I have learned from is that the architects always play worse case scenarios and there [total cost estimate] was $5.6 million. That [number] has a huge contingency,” Haines said. There have been ■ COUNCIL, page 19
Sealy celebrates National Night Out By HOLLY GALVAN
reporter@sealynews.com
Ever since its inception in 1984, National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer and better places to live. In keeping with that theme, Christian City Fellowship is partnering with Sealy Police Department for National Night Out on Friday, Oct. 7 from 7- 9 at Levine Park in Sealy. There will be dinner and movie, games and
Courtesy Photo
more and the event is free and open to everyone. “This year’s theme is love where you live. It goes hand-in-hand with
our love, dedication, and service to our citizens as we strive to assure Sealy ■ NIGHT, page 18
The Sealy News • 193 Schmidt Road • P.O. Box 480 • Sealy, TX 77474 • phone: (979) 885-3562 • fax: (979) 885-3564 • www.sealynews.com
BibleQuote "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17
IndexInside
Ag/Business......16 Classifieds....12-13 Community........11 News Bits.............18 Obituaries............2 Opinion................4 Sports..............5-8
TxDOT to hold public hearing PAGE 17
This week's weather
Day/High/Low/Rain Thursday 89/70/60% Friday 89/63/20% Saturday 86/58/10% Sunday 85/54/0% Monday 86/57/0% Tuesday 87/60/10% Wednesday 86/60/10%
This week’s weather art is by Jolie Kainer, 5, a student of Selman Elementary.
PAGE 20 ■ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016
THE SEALY NEWS
WWW.SEALYNEWS.COM
Business Profile: State Farm and its neighbors By JASON B. HOGAN editor@sealynews.com
TOMOSYNTHESIS
IS A WORD YOU NEED TO
KNOW
Virginia Gilbert’s State Farm Insurance may carry the corporate logo on the building face and company business cards, but it’s more about the personal relationships, caring and putting families at ease. Located at 238 Moody St. just to the north of Interstate 10 in Sealy, State Farm has been a community mainstay for more than two years. In the first year, Gilbert finished No. 17 out of 1,200 New Agents within State Farm and was awarded The Sealy News Best Insurance Agent. But it’s not about the notoriety. That’s not what got Gilbert into the business. “I love helping people live more confidently,” she said. “This career has given me the opportunity to help customers with protecting their assets and their families.” The customer service and caring shown by her and her team members elevates Gilbert over her competitors. They take pride in their partnerships with their customers, which they treat as familial relationships in the tightknit Sealy community. “We are a team of insurance professionals
CAUSE
continued from Page 1 Sandy Davis is battling breast cancer.
Book your time online for a 3-D mammogram, the latest in early breast cancer detection. Breast tomosynthesis is an innovative, FDAapproved digital technology that helps your physician detect smaller tumors sooner – at the earliest stages of breast cancer. The 3-D imaging capability of tomosynthesis enables radiologists to see “inside” the breast, resulting in improved accuracy in screening for and pinpointing lesions.
For the location nearest you, visit memorialhermann.org/schedulenow
Sealy News/Jason B. Hogan
here to h e l p c u s tomers with all of their insura n c e needs, but we Gilbert a l s o c a r e about them and their families and see them as a part of our family,” Gilbert said. “We want to make it simple for them, educate them on their risks, provide solutions, but most importantly, we want to build a relationship with them,” she said. In an area full of kinship and safety, there are times when unexpected dangers meet Sealy head on, like the two massive floods earlier this year, and that’s when Gilbert and her team step in to lend support. “There is no better feeling than being able to be there for someone
when they are in need and knowing that you were able to help them or their family during a difficult time in their lives and make things a little easier for them,” Gilbert said. State Farm offers everything from auto insurance, home and renters insurance, health, life, disability and flood insurance. Whatever hurdle trips up their customer, Gilbert and her team provide relief. “That’s why I fell in love with State Farm. I am able to be that good neighbor to all my customers,” she said.
“We appreciate our models and the community that came out to support us last year. Bringing awareness to the importance of your yearly mammograms
hits close to home as our office manager has just gone through breast cancer and has beat it. We look forward to a bigger crowd this year,” Lopez said.
Virginia Gilbert State Farm Insurance 238 Moody St. Sealy, TX 77474 979-885-7497 Virginia.gilbert.dr13@ statefarm.com www.sealytxinsurance. com Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WWW.SEALYNEWS.COM
THE SEALY NEWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016 ■ PAGE 19
Courtesy Photo Sealy News Photos/Holly Galvan
Bras for Cause Business leaders and city and county officials bunched into Saddleback Saloon downtown Saturday, Oct. 29, as local dignitaries pranced about the bar in brassieres to raise money for the Bras for a Cause event hosted by The Sealy News and Saddleback Saloon. The bras are customized and designed by local members of the community to benefit the The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center Breast Care with Memorial Hermann-Katy. People broke their banks for Halloween homage, pearl- and rose-lined, and floral island inspired decadent pushups recognizing the continued fight against breast cancer. Many local leaders made cameos. Others like Mayor Mark Stolarski and Austin County judges Tim Lapham and Daniel Leedy, trounced about the stage repeatedly to
show their support. In all, the event had a huge turnout and garnered approximately $2,400. The Sealy News publisher Karen Lopez has already been approached about hosting another event next year. “Next year, we will have the event again, and it’ll be bigger and better,” Lopez said. “We appreciate everybody coming out and supporting such a worthwhile event.”
Homecoming Court On Friday, at the Sealy Tiger Homecoming game, the 2016 king and queen and their court were announced.
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Life Changes Home Staffing Solutions -Changing Lives by Connecting LivesCaregivers Senior Care Night Sitters Convalescence Care Personal Hygiene/Bathers $25 Showers Companions Personal Assistants Errands & Transportation Assistants Children’s after School Care Personal Shoppers Home Organizers Weekend Home Preppers
Call 979-270-7300
www.Lifechangeshomestaffingsolutions.com We will help each family to develop an individual plan perfectly suited to meet the specific needs of their home
Come to Downtown Bellville’s 1st Holiday Party of the Season! Join us for the 9th Annual
Thursday Night Out November 10 • 6 – 9 p.m.
Shift Into Savings
KUBOTA SALES EVENT
The deals are in overdrive on all new Kubota L Series compact tractors!
0 % Financing for 72 Months
*
A.P.R.
Offer ends 12/31/16.
Virnau SealyTractor.com W.A. Virnau & Sons, Inc. 1537 Hwy 36 North, Sealy 979-885-3549 *10% down, 0% A.P.R. nancing for 72 months on new Kubota L (excluding L39/L45/L47) Series Equipment is available to qualied purchasers from participating dealers’ in-stock inventory through 12/31/2016. Example: A 72-month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 72 payments of $13.89 per $1,000 nanced. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customers if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. 0% A.P.R. and low-rate nancing may not be available with customer kubota.com instant rebate offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 12/31/2016. See us for details on these and other low-rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information. Optional equipment © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2016 may be shown.
Bring your friends, visit all your favorite local shops and enjoy: Live Music • Food & Drinks Trunk Shows • Prizes • Beer Garden And So Much More! Benefitting the Bellville Christian Food Pantry Brought to you by
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PAGE 16 ■ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016
THE SEALY NEWS
WWW.SEALYNEWS.COM
Wallis Christmas Parade Sealy News/Holly Galvan
The annual Wallis Christmas parade cruised through downtown on Dec. 17. The parade proceeded to the Wallis American Legion Hall, where Santa handed out treats to everyone. This year’s parade theme was “A Wallis Country Christmas”. Best theme went to the Poker Lovers Klub of America, Texas Chapter One. The marching performance trophy went to the Brazos High School Band. The charitable trophy went to Brazos Elementary honor society club. Best business float went to Alan’s Barber Shop from Sealy. Best use of lights went to SPJST Insurance in Sealy. Overall, there were 23 participants in the parade.
Bras for Cause raises over $2K
Silver Lake, The Oaks celebrate Christmas
Sealy News/Jason B. Hogan
Sealy News Publisher Karen Lopez and Thomas H. Mendenhall, owner of Saddleback Saloon, presented Jim Parisi, senior vice president and chief executive officer of Memorial Hermann Katy, and medical technicians with a $2,438 check from money raised during the annual Bras for a Cause event that increases breast cancer awareness and collects funding for patients. Pictured from left to right are Kristy Penza, director of operations, Fay Sharif, Spring Moncrief, Mendenhall, Sherry Ulbrich, Kay Jahn, Lopez and Parisi.
CALL FOR RESER
VATION
979-865-8401 11AM-3PM
Christmas Eve Menu
ALL YOU CAN EAT $1595
Roasted New York Strip Shrimp Romano over Linguni Yanis Stuffed Chicken Salad Bar Roasted Potatoes Mixed Veggies Dessert Mocha Tres Leches Cake
Sealy News/Holly Galvan
Christmas Day Menu
ALL YOU CAN EAT
$
1495
Prime Rib Blackened Catfish Shrimp Scampi Garlic Mashed Potatoes Mixed Vegetables Salad Bar Dessert Black Forest Cake
The Sealy News Annual Angel Tree helped bring holiday cheer to Sealy’s local seniors who are living on fixed incomes during the annual Silver Lake/Oaks Christmas party on Dec. 20. Residents from all over Sealy took ornaments representing each of the Silver Lake and The Oaks residents and purchased gifts. Santa made a visit and helped pass out all the gifts, including door prizes. Everyone left with at least one present. The seniors headed to a second party at the Sealy Eye Center. There, they received gift baskets and refreshments. The people who helped sponsor this event was Sealy Eye Center, Sealy Dental Center, Sealy Dental Center in Katy, Tony›s Restaurant, Sealy Pharmacy, Walmart Sealy, Citizens State Bank, Slade & Baker Vision Center and The Sealy News.
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BELLVILLE ABSTRACT CO.
ABSTRACTS • LAND TITLE INSURANCE
The halls are decked, the lists are checked; Christmas is here, bringing good cheer. There’s just one thing we’ve left to do: Send our very best wishes to each one of you! Thanks to our customers and neighbors all around town for your friendship and support. We wish you and yours all the best at Christmastime and in the New Year. Happy Holidays!
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