Ruth Fields, Author at Postcards Magazine

Are We Dishwasher Safe?

Ruth Fields — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 14:21:36 +0000

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April 1, 2024
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When my husband retired in 2023, he offered to help me with some of the many household tasks I had been doing alone. Because I hate to unload the dishwasher, I suggested he might want to take over this task. I congratulated myself for being so clever. What I soon discovered, however, is that hubs didn’t know where everything in the kitchen was supposed to go. When in doubt, he put items in whatever spots seemed handy. After he unloaded the dishwasher, I often had to go on Easter egg hunts to find things in the kitchen. Clearly, we needed to talk. My intent is not to bash my brave, hard-working, smart, funny, loyal spouse; however, his dishwasher-unloading technique reminds me of a much greater issue. We humans like to do things our own way. We take matters into our own hands, sometimes bending God’s laws to our own benefit. We make excuses, forgetting that God’s rules do not shift with time. (“I the Lord do not change.” – Malachi 3:6.) Once I started digging, I found many verses that warn us to stay true to God’s Word. For example, Deuteronomy 5:32 says, “So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.” I love the way the Bible, with its poetic language, often compares our Christian experience to a walk. The Bible tells us that Noah “walked with God,” and we all know the rest of the story. King Solomon, considered the wisest person in the world during his lifetime on earth, used a similar analogy in Proverbs 4:26-27: “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” This is (of course) easier said than done, but I believe we should all strive to maintain a straight path. I’m sure my husband will agree (as long as I don’t ask him to change the way he unloads the dishwasher). Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

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Officers on Horseback

Ruth Fields — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 17:18:14 +0000

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March 30, 2024
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When Brian Koska was growing up, he often worked cattle on horseback with his father on his family’s ranch near Madisonville. So, when the Conroe Police Department formed a mounted patrol in June 2022, Koska, who was then a 17-year veteran of the force, applied and was accepted. Even though he is now eligible for retirement, he enjoys his job too much to retire. One of the things he likes about being a mounted patrol officer is that many people are willing to talk to him when his horse provides the introduction. He laughs about the time a man walked by and said, “How are you doing?” Koska responded, “I am fine. How about yourself?” The man then said, ““I was talking to the horse, but how are you doing as well?”

An idea takes shape

In early 2022, Conroe Chief of Police Jeff Christy asked longtime police veteran Sergeant Clyde Vogel to evaluate the feasibility of forming a mounted police patrol. The City of Conroe had previously purchased the Conroe West Side Recreation Center (formerly the YMCA), which included a stable and enough grazing land to support horses. Vogel performed many tasks to make the site ready, including thankless construction and cleanup jobs. He procured sponsorships for horses, as well as donations of equipment; he also considered logistical matters, such as the purchase of trucks and trailers. “How are you going to haul these horses around?” says Sergeant Robert Engel, who is now the supervising officer of the Conroe Police Mounted Patrol. “You have to be able to get around town.”

Koska joined Vogel in May 2022. That July, the first horses were purchased, and officers throughout the department had the opportunity to apply for reassignment with the mounted patrol. It sounded like a good idea to Officer Shanna House of Huntsville, a horse enthusiast who has ridden off and on throughout her life. “I am an animal person all the way around,” she says. Officer Micheal Chapman, who is originally from Alabama and grew up around horses, was also accepted into the program. Later, Justin Devore, a 17-year veteran of the force, replaced one of the original members. “As a kid, my grandparents had a western store and a barn,” he says. “Being around that environment again made me feel at home,” he says. When Vogel moved to another position in the police department, Engel, a tenured sergeant, joined the unit. The five officers had varying degrees of riding experience when they joined the mounted patrol, but all had tough training ahead.

The Brotherhood

Each member of the Conroe Police Mounted Patrol attended the Houston Police Department Mounted Patrol Class, a rigorous, nine week, 360-hour training program. “The Houston Police Department has one of the premier mounted police units in the country,” Engel says. “They’ve been doing it since the early 1980s.”

To Chapman’s surprise, officers were first taught to ride bareback. “It teaches you how to keep your seat, and where your thighs and hips and heels need to be,” he says. Initially, officers rode bareback while the horses walked. Then, they progressed to trotting, then cantering. Chapman learned that he could even accomplish the “Look, Mom, no hands!” maneuver, as long as his thighs and hips were placed correctly. Officers also learned about horse anatomy, nutrition, psychology, medical issues, and equitation (riding techniques).

Even Koska, who had been riding since he was three years old, had much to learn, such as crowd control techniques and horseback arrest procedures. Interestingly, mounted officers practice some of the same maneuvers Koska used working cattle with his father. “They just put a name to it,” he says.

“It was the most physically and mentally demanding school I have done,” Engel says, “and I have been through thousands of hours of school.” At the end of the course, students performed a “confidence ride,” he says. “There are miles of very narrow trails through woods. You canter for most of five miles. There are twists and 90 degree turns. You jump creeks and fallen logs. It is western.”

Today, officers train with the Houston Police Department Mounted Patrol at least once a month. “They are a huge resource and partner with us,” Engel says. One of the advantages of this arrangement is the Conroe officers can enjoy camaraderie with other mounted police officers. “Every time we go to train with them, it’s almost like we work for Houston, too,” Devore says. “I’ve been a part of units that were close, but you can go work around other agencies with the mounted patrol and feel like you are family. It’s a brotherhood.”

Conroe Police Mounted Patrol can assist other police organizations at events, and can ask for assistance as well. Conroe’s mounted patrol augmented the Galveston Police Department’s mounted patrol with crowd control during the Mardi Gras celebration on The Strand in early 2024. In 2026, some of the soccer matches of the World Cup will be held in Houston; the Houston Police Department has already asked Conroe Police Mounted Patrol to assist, Engel says.

Smarty, Gravely, Pepperoni, Willie B., Sgt. Ed and Dakota

One of Vogel’s ideas was to obtain sponsorships from businesses and individuals to pay for the horses’ veterinary care, feed, and equipment. In return for an annual $5,000 donation, sponsors have their names displayed on signs at the stable, as well as on horse trailers. They can visit the horses whenever they like, and they even get to name the horses.

Finway Electric: Smarty (Engel’s quarter horse)
Outdoor Equipment Outlet: Gravely (Devore’s enormous, 17-hand draft horse)
Conroe’s Incredible Pizza Company: Pepperoni (Chapman’s quarter horse)
Friends of Conroe: Willie B (Koska’s quarter horse)
Joe’s Italian Restaurant: Sgt. Ed (House’s draft horse)
Mike and Phyllis Saly: Dakota, a quarter horse.

“If a horse is injured, Dakota is our go-to horse,” House says.

The Conroe Police Mounted Patrol is also grateful to several local businesses that provided crucial equipment. Lansdowne-Moody Company donated a tractor, as well as other items, such as a brush hog and hay bale spears; Buckalew Chevrolet and Woodforest National Bank each donated a one-ton flatbed truck.

Taking care of six horses is a lot of work. Tuesdays are “barn days,” and officers not only take care of the horses, but also procure feed and hay and do other jobs, like dragging pastures to break up manure. Some tasks, like feeding the horses, mucking stalls, cleaning out trailers, and cleaning and maintaining the facility, must be done every day.

Mounted patrol officers are trained in search and rescue techniques, as well as crowd control, and work at events like The Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival and the Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo. Because they are up so high on their mounts, they can quickly spot and respond to incidents that need police intervention. In crowd control situations, one officer on horseback is generally as effective as 10 on the ground, Engel says. “The mounted officers are able to clear crowds without causing panic, as people generally yield to horses because of their size. Mounted officers rarely have to make any physical contact with citizens, but provide very visible direction,” he says. Mounted officers are fully equipped with belts, guns, handcuffs and radios— “just the same as we would be in a patrol car,” Koska says. They also wear the same uniform, except for the addition of boots and helmets.

On a typical day, however, the officers warm up the horses in the arena, then ride around a busy park, neighborhood, or shopping center. “We are a visible presence wherever we go, and that’s going to deter crime in the end. We try to go to the most populous areas of the city that we can,” Engel says. House loves children, so she particularly enjoys talking to the ones she meets while she is patrolling. “One of my favorite things is to see how kids react to us. They love us,” she says. “This helps children to see they can approach police officers.”

Everywhere they go, the horses are the officers’ introduction to the citizenry, providing a valuable public relations service. “People who ordinarily would not come and talk to a policeman will come and talk to us because we are on a horse,” Engel says. “It puts a different face on the department,” Koska agrees. “It shows a different side.”

“The Chief of Police’s vision for this was a wonderful thing for the city,” Engel says. “It’s reaping rewards on a daily basis. We talk to people almost every day. We want to share the horses. Everybody here absolutely loves their job.”

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Operation Pets Alive

Ruth Fields — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 17:13:59 +0000

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March 30, 2024
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Local organization works to help counter Montgomery County’s pet overpopulation problem.

A man sees a box on the side of the road and notices that it moves. He stops and looks inside, finding eight puppies. A couple realizes their neighbors have moved, but left their cat behind. A shopper finds a box of two-week-old puppies in the Target parking lot. A stray dog barks all night in the woods behind a rural home. All these animals—and many more—usually end up at overcrowded animal shelters. If they are not adopted, they are euthanized. “Houston, we have a problem,” says Sue Woody, who volunteers for a local organization that has more than a goal. It has a plan.

Operation Pets Alive

In a perfect world, the number of dogs and cats would equal the number of people who want to adopt them. However, both the Montgomery County Animal Shelter (near The Woodlands) and the Conroe Animal Shelter have more dogs and cats than they can handle. In 2011, two women–Marcia Piotter and Cathi Bruhn–decided to take steps to solve the county’s pet overpopulation problem and founded Operation Pets Alive (OPA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Marcia and Cathi worked tirelessly putting innovative programs in place and raising funds to support these efforts. Marcia and Cathi ultimately retired, but are still active volunteers. (Current board members joke that it took five board members to replace them.) OPA is staffed entirely by volunteers and is funded through grants, donations, adoption fees, and fundraising drives. While some of OPA’s programs reduce the number of animals that go into shelters, other programs strive to increase the number of animals that leave shelters alive, says Deidre Northcott, OPA’s treasurer. Since 2011, OPA has saved the lives of more than 25,000 dogs and cats. Its mission is to help Montgomery County become a “no-kill county,” with shelters facilitating live outcomes for 90 percent of incoming animals, says Deanna Ooley, a board member and volunteer. To reach this goal, OPA needs the help of local citizens.

Spaying and neutering

One of OPA’s biggest challenges is that some people are hesitant to spay or neuter their pets, thinking they may later want to breed them. Actually, Deanna says, there is little money in breeding; furthermore, shelters have many adoptable dogs and cats of desirable breeds. Some end up in shelters because owners were unable to sell their puppies or kittens, says Sue, who is OPA’s vice president and event coordinator. Volunteers understand that spaying and neutering is expensive, so OPA subsidizes the cost of these surgeries for lower-income families. Montgomery County families that earn less than $40,000 per year can have animals spayed or neutered for $50 through OPA. (Higher-income families pay $85 for cats and $140 for dogs.) OPA volunteers believe spaying and neutering is the most powerful tool in their toolkit. “If they are not born, we don’t have to save them,” Deanna says.

Adoption and fostering

When shelters are full, there are few options for animals: adoption, fostering, transportation to rescue groups in other parts of the country, or euthanasia. OPA currently has about 250 volunteer fosters, who take animals from overcrowded shelters and give them temporary homes while they are waiting to be adopted. OPA supports fosters by providing veterinary care for the animals, Deidre says. OPA always needs more animal-loving fosters like Crystal Salas, who has been fostering since June. “I was just looking for an adoption event, looking for a dog to adopt,” Crystal says. “I showed up at the wrong time, when it was ending.” Before she knew it, she had volunteered to become a foster. Since that time, she has personally saved more than 20 animals, and currently keeps 10 foster dogs and cats at her home. Foster dogs and cats appear on OPA’s website; some are lucky enough to be taken to adoption events at Petco, PetSmart and other businesses and events in the county. Rather than assigning animals randomly to adopting families, OPA volunteers try to find good matches between people and their animal companions. How many people are a part of the adopting family? Are there small children in the home? Do they live in an apartment, have a fenced in yard, or have room for animals to roam? Are they looking for a high-energy animal or one that Sue calls a “couch potato”? OPA volunteers insist there are animals for every person and people for every animal. They have even seen “tripods” find loving families. Sue often tells people about the time she discovered one of her foster dogs was deaf. She was afraid the dog would never find a home, but a woman in Dallas, who had experience with deaf dogs, wanted to adopt her. “This dog undoubtedly has the best life ever,” Sue says. Her adoptive people even take her to a doggy daycare where she plays with other deaf dogs. Another dog, a black Labrador retriever, was hit by a car, but ended up in the care of OPA, which paid for his extensive veterinary care. An OPA foster spent time with him before his adoption. Today, the dog lives near Lake Sam Rayburn and goes boating with his adoptive family. “He went from getting hit by a car to living the life of Riley,” Sue says. All OPA animals are vaccinated, de-wormed, spayed or neutered, treated for fleas, tested (and treated, if needed) for heartworms, and microchipped before they are eligible for adoption. Adoption fees, which differ for dogs and cats and vary according to an animal’s age, help OPA pay for its ongoing programs.

Animal Transportation

While Texas has an overabundance of dogs and cats, some parts of the country, such as the northeast, don’t have nearly as many. Although the situation is changing, OPA still helps the local pet overpopulation problem by sending dogs and cats to other parts of the country, where they can be adopted quickly. Pet travel can take a variety of forms, from private transport to trucks; sometimes, smaller animals even travel by air, courtesy of off-duty flight attendants who have airline flight benefits.

Trap, Neuter and Return

Mostly in the rural parts of the county—but sometimes in apartment complexes and mobile home parks—feral cats are a big problem. Good-hearted people feed them, but as the cats multiply, this can become prohibitively expensive. One solution to this problem is OPA’s trap, neuter and return (TNR) program. A typical scenario, says Deanna, who coordinates this effort, begins when frustrated landowners call OPA, explaining they can no longer afford to feed the cats if they continue multiplying. Can OPA help? Unfortunately, OPA currently has about 500 cats on its TNR waiting list, but OPA volunteers, working with other volunteer organizations, are working on the problem as fast as they can. “It’s like sweeping the ocean back with a broom,” Deanna says. Once or twice a month, OPA contracts with veterinarians and their crews who are willing to work on their days off. Cat owners are instructed not to feed the cats that day, and then volunteers, using humane traps, entice the cats with a tasty mixture of cat food, tuna and mackerel, adding a dose of Capstar, an over-the-counter flea treatment. Cats find the combination irresistible. Once the cats have been trapped, vet techs sedate the cats, vaccinate them, prep them for surgery and “ear tip” them. (By removing the tip of one ear, the surgically-altered cats can be identified in the future.) All that’s left is for the veterinarian to perform the surgery. “We have done 102 in the past two weeks,” Deanna says. After surgery, cats are returned to the same places where they lived before. OPA volunteers say that the goal of making Montgomery County a no-kill county is realistic; however, more work needs to be done. “Join us,” Deidre says, “and be part of the solution.” For more information, visit operationpetsalive.org.

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Vickie Croston

Ruth Fields — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 22:23:25 +0000

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February 1, 2024
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When your mom was ‘Rosie the Riveter’, a strong work ethic should come as no surprise.

In many ways, Vickie Croston’s story began before she was born, with the experiences of the strong woman who would one day become her mother. Years into the future, her mom would inspire Vickie to become a pilot, a skydiver, a dental professional, and a home builder. She would pass her incredible work ethic to her daughter, teaching her to work hard and never give up.

Rosie the Riveter

Rose Monroe was in her early 20s when an automobile accident claimed the life of her husband, leaving her with two young children. She needed to support her family, but there were few well-paying jobs near her home in south central Kentucky. Furthermore, she had only an eighth-grade education. “She didn’t have the opportunity to go to school,” Vickie says. “She made a good, successful life through grit and hard work.” One day Rose saw a poor family at a bus station. The children’s shoes were so worn out, the tops and soles were held together with canning jar rings. “Mom said, ‘I will never let that happen. I will work three jobs, if I have to, to provide for my kids.’”

During the early part of America’s involvement in World War II, Rose heard there were good jobs available in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She soon got a job making B-24 bombers at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory. Rose worked as a riveter on an innovative assembly line that Henry Ford’s son Edsel designed to manufacture aircraft (after World War II, it became an automobile factory). During the week, Rose lived in the Quonset hut barracks at the Willow Run Airport; her two children were in the care of a co-worker’s family.

One day, the well-known actor Walter Pidgeon came to the factory to make an advertising film for a war bond campaign. The film would later be shown between feature movies at theaters across America. The song “Rosie the Riveter” was popular, and the actor wanted to include someone from the factory to be in the film. “Mom’s foreman told Walter Pidgeon, ‘I have a lady named Rose who is a riveter and fits that song.’ She got a part in the film,” Vickie says. As the human face of Rosie the Riveter, Rose was in the limelight. She didn’t seek publicity, Vickie says, but she was willing to tell her story.

After seeing female pilots transport many B-24s from her factory, Rose wanted to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), but was disqualified for the dangerous job because she was a widow with children. After the war, she held a variety of jobs to support her children: she went to cosmetology school, drove a school bus, and drove a taxi. She eventually remarried, and Vickie was born to the couple in 1954. Rose still wanted to learn to fly; although she was busy with the family’s construction business, she finally became a pilot in the early 1970s.

Vickie was one of three passengers on an ill-fated flight in 1978 that her mother piloted. A child of a family friend was sitting in the front seat and pressed the button that controlled the flaps. It was like putting on the brakes while the plane was trying to accelerate, Vickie explains, and it caused the plane to stall and crash. Two of the passengers were unhurt, but Vickie sustained a broken nose and facial lacerations. The pilot, Rose, was seriously injured. Her vision in one eye was badly impaired, and she lost one kidney. The accident, however, did not deter Rose. She was no longer able to pilot an aircraft, but continued to fly as a passenger.

We can do it!

Meanwhile, Vickie was mapping out her own place in the world. She had always been fascinated with rocks, so she planned to become a geologist. Somewhere along the way, however, she remembered the dental work she had done while she was in high school, and she changed her mind. “I am good at working with my hands, and I like science,” she says. “Dentistry is good for those two traits I was born with.” So, Vickie earned a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene at the University of Louisville, gaining a good educational background for a career that has served her well, even now in semi-retirement. “I like helping people, and I approach things differently than a lot of hygienists,” she says. She encourages people to take better care of their teeth at home and tells patients, “the why behind the what.” Patients often ask her, “Why didn’t anyone tell me that?” she says.

One day, Vickie accompanied her then-husband, a skydiver, to a parachute drop zone in Kentucky. “At the drop zone, I was watching all these people packing their parachutes and having so much fun,” she says. “Then they would do it again. I thought, ‘You know, if it was that scary, they wouldn’t be having that much fun.’” So, Vickie decided to go on a tandem jump with an experienced skydiver. “I was hooked,” she says. “I knew I would be doing this again.”

Vickie ultimately became a skydiving instructor and a professional skydiver, often performing at airshows. During the week, she was a dental hygienist; on the weekends, she was a skydiving performer, jumpmaster, and instructor. “I don’t ever remember taking a ‘sick’ day off to go skydiving,” she says, “but I wanted to!”

After spending so much time jumping out of airplanes, it seemed natural to become a pilot, too; in 2002, Vickie earned her own pilot certificate. She was never interested in flying for the airlines, but considered becoming a corporate pilot. She finally decided to continue working as a dental hygienist and fly as a hobby. She and her husband Merwyn owned three different airplanes over 20 years, which they often flew to other states to visit family. Although it was expensive to own the planes, Vickie says, there were many benefits. Instead of driving to her home state of Indiana in 16 hours, she could fly it in six. She didn’t have to go through security and didn’t have to take her shoes off; she could take her own food on the plane, as well as guns and dogs. They also could leave when they wanted to.

Although flying isn’t Vickie’s career, it is her passion. She belongs to many charitable aviation groups, such as Angel Flight, which provides medical patient transport; Challenge Air, which hosts special needs youth flying events; and Pilots N Paws, which flies animals to foster families. She is also a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Women in Aviation International, and the Ninety-Nines—founded by 99 female pilots, including Amelia Earhart, in 1929. She also strives to improve air safety through her work with the Federal Aviation Administration as a FAASTeam volunteer safety representative.

Vickie doesn’t like the heat and humidity here, but she does appreciate Texas’ commitment to flying. “Texas is a very pro-aviation state,” she says, “and Houston is huge. There are a lot of airports and a lot of flying!” Flying, Vickie knows, is inherently dangerous, but she chooses to persevere. “You live with the danger,” she says. “I am not going to live my life in fear. If that were the case, I would never leave the house.”

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McGilberry Mechanical

Ruth Fields — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 21:14:30 +0000

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January 30, 2024
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Family-owned and run business that makes your comfort and complete satisfaction their ultimate goal.

A few months ago, Mike Nokes, owner of McGilberry Mechanical, was in church when he got a text notification that a client’s air conditioning wasn’t working. It was a scorchingly hot day, and Mike knew one of the members of the customer’s family had health concerns. As soon as the service ended, Mike—wearing a suit and tie—went straight to the customer’s home. “He didn’t even change his shoes,” says his wife, Tammie. “I made a joke that I got dressed up just for them,” Mike chuckles.

On another occasion, he was attired far more casually when a client needed a new air conditioning system on the Fourth of July. Mike had been boating with his family on Lake Livingston when he got the urgent message. He arrived at the customer’s home wearing a swimsuit and Crocs.

Although most clients won’t see Mike in either a business suit or a swimsuit, they can have confidence that their air conditioning and heating problems will be solved in a timely manner. Unless a repair is dependent on a hard-to-find part, Mike says, almost all repairs can be accomplished the same day they are reported. McGilberry Mechanical will “come running” when needed, he says, even if it’s at night, or on a weekend or holiday.

People must like this level of commitment, because Mike and Tammie estimate 80 percent of their business comes from existing customers, and most of their new business comes from client referrals. Perhaps that is because McGilberry Mechanical ensures that heating and cooling systems are installed, repaired and maintained properly; furthermore, the team goes to great lengths to make sure customers are happy. “We don’t cut corners,” Mike says. “We like to set them up right the first time.”

Many clients take advantage of McGilberry’s service agreement, which offers periodic maintenance on a variety of HVAC components, such as refrigerant levels, ductwork, and condenser coils. Subscribers also enjoy a discount on any needed repairs. The goal, Mike says, is to keep HVAC units working for as long as possible.

Whether they are performing scheduled maintenance or repairs, technicians often make suggestions about ways to improve their customers’ heating and air conditioning efficiency and effectiveness. They do not, however, resort to high-pressure sales tactics. “We educate the customer on what’s available,” Mike says, “but we are not pushy.” Clients seem to approve: online reviews praise McGilberry Mechanical technicians for being helpful, professional and courteous.

Beyond the barn

After working as a HVAC technician in the Huntsville area for many years, Danny McGilberry founded McGilberry Mechanical in 1990, setting up shop in his barn. Family members joked that the business was “born in a barn.” Mike, Danny’s son, was newly married when he joined Danny in the business in 1991. Danny taught Mike the HVAC business; in addition, he taught Mike other things, including Biblical truths, how to build things, and how to work with his hands. “My dad showed me how to work and showed me how to be productive,” Mike says. “One thing I learned: in a small town, you may only have a handful of customers, but you have to cherish them.”

When Danny transitioned into semi-retirement in 1998, he sold the company to Mike. Tammie worked for the family business, too, but she eventually ventured off into other jobs and worked for McGilberry Mechanical in the evenings. “It grew to where I would come from my regular, eight-hour-a-day job and work in our home office until one or two in the morning,” Tammie says. Finally, about 15 years ago, she became the company’s full-time marketing manager.

Operating their business from home wasn’t ideal, Tammie says, but in 2009, Mike found a suitable building for McGilberry Mechanical on Highway 30 East. At first, Tammie was not convinced that the dirty welding shop would work for their company; however, Danny helped with the remodeling, and Tammie was pleasantly surprised by the transformation. Moving to their own storefront remains one of her best memories of McGilberry Mechanical’s 33 years in business. “We have come a long way from being born in a barn,” she says.

Mike and Tammie’s son Blaine grew up in the business. After graduating from high school, he attended a hands-on technical school in Houston, then joined the company full-time. He moved on to other jobs after he got married, but has since returned to McGilberry Mechanical. “I was immediately able to get right back into it,” he says.

Blaine enjoys the technical aspects of his job, especially troubleshooting and problem-solving. He also likes to educate clients about their issues and options, but he doesn’t overwhelm them with technical jargon. He explains problems and solutions so they can understand, emphasizing points that are important to each customer’s situation. “We can give a thorough assessment of their system and make recommendations about what would benefit their home. We try to gather as much information as possible and find out what’s really important to them,” he says. For example, clients might be concerned about high electricity bills or family members with allergies.

Jacob Robinson, a family friend of Amber Fuller, McGilberry Mechanical’s office manager, was a logical choice when the company needed help in 2023. Jacob had his own lawn service business, but soon found he enjoyed working full-time for McGilberry Mechanical. He is now learning the HVAC trade via on-the-job training. “They are great teachers,” he says. So far, his favorite part of the job is installing new units.

Jacob is a good example of the kind of people that McGilberry Mechanical likes to hire: humble, personable, hardworking, and willing to learn. “I think this is a great career,” Mike says. “You are learning a trade, and this is something that will stick with you from now on. Once you know it, you can’t unknow it. It’s like riding a bike.”

Meanwhile, Amber has been with McGilberry Mechanical for 13 years. She is usually the first voice panicked customers hear when they call to report a heating or air conditioning outage, and Amber enjoys this interaction with the company’s clientele. “I treat them the way I want to be treated,” she says. “I treat them like family and get them taken care of.” Amber’s favorite day of the year is in September, when McGilberry Mechanical provides barbecue and door prizes for about 150 first responders. “It’s nice to give that to them and let them know we appreciate them for what they are doing every day to protect us,” she says.

Amber—and all the members of the McGilberry Mechanical team—strive to make sure customers are happy. Occasionally, that means revisiting a jobsite to make sure everything was done correctly. Mike notes that all new installations, maintenance and repairs are covered by McGilberry Mechanical’s warranty. “We have good work ethics, he says, “and we treat people fairly. And we don’t just say this stuff; we actually follow through with it.”

McGilberry Mechanical Heating & Cooling, Inc.
1618 Highway 30 E
Huntsville, TX 77320
(936) 291-2640
mcgilberrymechanical.com

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Beekeeper

Ruth Fields — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 16:18:47 +0000

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January 1, 2024
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What’s a day like for a full-time beekeeper? Busy as a bee!

No day is the same for Cyrus Nasr, a full-time beekeeper. In some ways, he says, beekeeping is like any other agricultural operation: every day, a beekeeper must do what needs to be done (and not necessarily what he had planned). “There’s always something to be done,” Cyrus says. Days can be long, but the work is rewarding.

Harvest Season

Cyrus’s days are more predictable during the late spring and early summer, when flowers appear in the fields and gardens of Texas. Bees busily collect nectar from blossoms and do their bee magic, storing it in the form of honey. Because flowers bloom at different times, Cyrus notes, honey can usually be harvested throughout May, June and July, although thanks to late-blooming plants, some honey can also be harvested in the fall.

On most days during harvest season, Cyrus loads his truck with his protective bee suit and equipment, leaving the farm at about 9 a.m. Hive Bee Farm owns more than 200 hives, which are located on about 20 properties. Some are just a few miles down the road, while others are as much as 80 miles away. During harvest season, Cyrus visits the hives on at least one property each day. He does most of his beekeeping between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for two reasons: it’s not as hot then as it will be later; besides, about half of the bees will be out foraging for food.

A hive, Cyrus explains, is contained in several bee boxes. The bottom two are reserved for the bees’ use, but as many as four more boxes can be stacked on top. These are the boxes that supply the extra honey that beekeepers harvest. While some beekeepers collect only liquid honey, Cyrus also harvests honeycomb. (Before he became a beekeeper, Cyrus owned and operated restaurants for 15 years. During that time, he learned that restaurants use honeycomb on cheese trays, charcuterie boards, and desserts. His fresh, virgin honeycomb is popular at many eateries.)

Although a good beekeeper won’t harvest honey the bees need for food, Cyrus says, bees don’t know this, so they don’t appreciate humans tampering with their honey. Furthermore, they don’t like the heat, and to harvest honey, beekeepers must lift the lid off the hive during the hottest months of the year. To minimize the chance of being stung, beekeepers use smoke. Cyrus points out that the smoke from a bee hive smoker will mask the pheromones that bees use to communicate; in addition, the smoke mimics a forest fire. The bees respond by consuming honey to prepare for the possibility of having to vacate their hive. Unfortunately, there is still a great possibility of being stung by irate bees, so beekeepers wear full-body bee suits. It’s a recipe for an uncomfortable experience. “You are in a ski suit in the sun doing CrossFit,” Cyrus jokes.

When honeycomb is capped with beeswax, it is ready to be harvested, either for the honeycomb itself or for liquid honey. When the honeycomb is ready, Cyrus brushes bees off the top box of the hive and uses an “escape board” so that bees can get out. The goal is to leave the bees behind because, he notes, a lost bee won’t find a new colony. Once the bees in the top box have flown out, Cyrus takes the honeycomb and honey—box and all—back to the farm. Liquid honey pours better when it’s warm, but Cyrus allows honeycombs to cool in the air conditioning for a few hours to firm up. “Honeycombs are soft and delicate,” he says. Once the beeswax is firm, he cuts the honeycombs, puts them in food service boxes and stores them in a freezer to pause the crystallization process.

An unlikely bee-ginning

In early 2016, Cyrus’s wife, Sandi Murray, an avid gardener, purchased two bee hives from a local beekeeper. At the time, the couple lived in Houston in a small house on a Houston-sized lot, and Cyrus was not enthusiastic about Sandi’s beekeeping endeavor. “I wanted nothing to do with it,” he admits. Sandi, however, soon found that she found beekeeping as enjoyable as gardening. She took a class from the beekeeper who had sold her the hives and followed him on Facebook. A few months later, he decided to move out of state and sell his 34 hives and vast assortment of beekeeping equipment. He posted a notice on Facebook and Cyrus, who was contemplating a career change, responded. “It’s a business. I have been running businesses for 15 years,” he thought, figuring he could learn what he needed to know about beekeeping. Unbeknownst to him, Sandi responded too. “We became full-time beekeepers overnight,” he says. The learning curve was steep, but the couple not only persevered, but grew their operation, too. It soon became known as Hive Bee Farm.

Cyrus and Sandi’s Houston residence was not ideal for beekeeping, but the situation was about to change. During the pandemic, Sandi’s job in human resources became permanently remote, so she and Cyrus began looking for a roomier place. After looking “all over,” Cyrus says, they stumbled upon a house on seven-plus beautiful acres near Montgomery. They moved in 2021 and built a large workshop where they bottle honey, store honeycomb, make beeswax candles, and store beekeeping equipment.

Mondays and Saturdays

Cyrus has established routines on Mondays and Saturdays throughout the year. On Mondays, he visits the restaurants that have placed honeycomb orders, as well as his wholesale customers. Currently, Hive Bee Farm honey is sold in Montgomery County at Conroe Feeders Supply, C&S Feed, McCoy’s, A Slice of Amish and Healthy Living. On Saturdays, Hive Bee Farms operates booths at three farmers markets, including Montgomery Farmers Market.

On other days (other than during harvest season), Cyrus’s days are much less predictable. From Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day, he maintains his hives, but doesn’t need to check on them as often. He often utilizes the “lift test:” if a bee box is so heavy that it can’t be lifted with two fingers, there is enough food for the bees and it does not need to be disturbed.

Sometimes, however, there are problems. Bees have been having trouble lately, Cyrus says, mainly because of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), herbicides, pesticides and varroa mites. Sometimes, hives need mite treatments. Occasionally, a box needs to be repaired. And sometimes, bees exhibit behavior that indicates they’re about to swarm. When they swarm, about half the bees in a hive leave with the queen in search of a new home, leaving the rest of the bees behind to make a new queen. If a beekeeper senses an imminent swarm, he will “split” the hive, allowing the same benefits of a swarm while still keeping all the bees in producing hives.

Hive Bee Farm leases hives to many landowners in the area who wish to get agricultural tax exemptions for their five to twenty acres, but who do not have the time or inclination to be beekeepers. It’s not unusual for Cyrus to respond to these landowners when they sense the beehives on their properties need Cyrus’s expert touch. Bees might be exhibiting swarm behavior; a storm might have knocked the hive over; the top might have blown off.

“If a beekeeper does nothing else,” Cyrus says, “he manages space.” If there is too much space, there is room for the invasion of pests; furthermore, it’s hard for bees to stay warm in winter. If there is too little space, the bees run out of room for food and brood (baby bees).

Honey, Honey

Hive Bee Farm sells raw, unfiltered, local honey, which is popular because of its health benefits. Truly local honey, Cyrus explains, is honey that is made from the flowers that grow in the area where it is sold. Allergy sufferers often tout the benefits of local honey, but to be effective, Cyrus says, people must consume honey that is made from the same flowers they are allergic to. Although filtering honey makes it attractive on grocery store shelves, he says, it removes beneficial properties.

The business also makes whiskey barrel-aged honey. About every three months, Cyrus obtains a 50-gallon oak whiskey barrel from the William Price distillery in Houston. He pours honey inside; after three months, the honey is slightly darker and has a subtle whiskey flavor. (After the honey is taken out, Cyrus returns the barrel and the distillery uses it to make honey whiskey.)

In addition, a newer product is being produced especially for athletes and health-conscious individuals. Bee Butter is a superfood made from honey and pollen. It has the consistency of loose peanut butter, Cyrus says, and can supply quick energy because honey can be broken down into glycogen—muscle fuel—efficiently.

In just seven years, Cyrus has become highly-knowledgeable about bees and their proper care, so people often ask him how to become beekeepers themselves. He often suggests that they join a local beekeeping organization, such as Montgomery County Beekeepers Association (mocobees.com). For more information about Hive Bee Farm, visit hivebeefarm.com.

The post Beekeeper appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Col. James Ray

Ruth Fields — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 16:10:34 +0000

Postcards
January 1, 2024
Postcards

How a simple bracelet led to lifelong connections with a real hero.

When I was an eighth grader in 1972, the Vietnam War was always in the news. Lots of people, including many of my friends, wore POW/MIA bracelets. Each simple bracelet was etched with the name of a prisoner of war or a soldier listed as missing in action, as well as the date of capture or loss. The goal of the effort was to raise awareness of the plight of military personnel who were missing or held captive.

This sounded like a good idea to me, and I had enough babysitting money to pay for a bracelet, so—like millions of other Americans—I ordered one. Mine was etched with “Capt. James E. Ray” and “5-8-66.” Months went by.

My dad was the head football coach at La Porte High School, and a member of his coaching staff was married to a woman who had gone to Conroe High School. I’ll never forget the day their son looked at my bracelet and announced, “Mom! She’s got James Ray on her bracelet!” I soon learned that Ray had gone to Conroe High School, and furthermore, he had graduated from Texas A&M University, where my father, grandfather, two uncles, and a cousin had attended. He was a U.S. Air Force pilot whose F-105 fighter-bomber had been shot down over North Vietnam.

I wrote to Ray’s family through the POW/MIA awareness organization, and his mother wrote back. She told me her son had been reported missing on Mother’s Day of 1966. About nine months later, his status was changed from missing in action to prisoner of war. Three years after his capture, his parents finally got a letter from their son. Mrs. Ray wrote, “That was a great day!”

In early 1973, the POWs came home. Some of my friends wore bracelets that bore the names of soldiers who did not return, but “my” POW came home, and I watched the TV coverage closely. Ray had been released after spending six years, nine months as a POW—a length of time that seemed overwhelming to me. Years later, I did the math and realized that at the time of his release, Ray had been held captive for almost exactly half my life.

La Porte isn’t far from Conroe by Texas standards, so my dad drove me to Ray’s homecoming celebration at the Conroe High School stadium. All over town, yellow posters announced “Welcome Home Major James Ray.” (Unfortunately, the townspeople jumped the gun–Ray hadn’t been promoted to major yet.) At the conclusion of the ceremony, the honoree rode around the track in a convertible, waving to the people in the packed stadium. When the car came around to where we were sitting, my dad, a maroon-bleeding Aggie, flipped Ray a thumbs up. Ray responded in kind.

Unbelievably, our family soon learned that the pastor of our church, Dr. Ray Mayfield, had been the pastor of Ray’s church, First Baptist Church of Conroe, when Ray was in high school. Our pastor contacted the recently-released POW—who was practically a celebrity by then—and invited him to speak at our church. I got a front row seat that day and was thrilled to get to meet “my” POW. I knew many people who had worn POW bracelets, but I didn’t know anyone else who had experienced a face-to-face meeting.

To say that Ray’s homecoming was an inspiration to me would probably be an understatement. I kept a scrapbook of newspaper and magazine clippings; I took off my bracelet, bent it flat and saved it in the scrapbook. I remember many details from this time, including my admiration for Ray’s heroism, his military bearing and his obvious delight to be home. One story left me particularly in awe. I heard that for years, Ray’s father and a few men from First Baptist Church in Conroe met once a week to pray for Ray’s safety and release. One fine morning in 1973, the prayer group had a guest appearance by the former POW himself. I’ll bet there were some sweaty eyeballs that day.

A captive audience

Six years later, I was a sophomore journalism major at Texas A&M, taking a course that required students to write one article per week for publication in The Battalion, the campus newspaper. One day, my brother, who was a junior in the Corps of Cadets, told me that Col. James Ray would be speaking to cadets. Would I like to cover the event for The Battalion? I could probably count on one hand the number of college classes that I skipped, but I cut a class that day to attend Ray’s presentation. I loved it when his speech included the perfect ending to my article: “Ray said he doesn’t mind talking about his experiences as a POW because ‘I kind of enjoy it when it’s my turn to talk to a captive audience.’”

Ray spoke to a captive audience once again on Veterans Day 2023—50 years after his release—at the invitation of the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County. Of course I attended. Many of Ray’s high school classmates were there, and I witnessed lots of hugs. During his presentation, Ray talked about the unlikely jobs he’d held before entering the U.S. Air Force that had helped him when he was in pilot training. He also mentioned a Conroe teacher whose husband had been a Japanese-held POW during World War II, and how he had been able to read some of the man’s first-hand accounts about his experiences as a POW. “I know this was kind of preparing me for some events later on,” Ray said.

Ray mesmerized the audience with details about his dangerous mission, his fiery aircraft, and the radioed warnings to “Get out, get out, get out!” He reported that he “used escape and evasion techniques for about four and a half minutes” before his capture. He then described in detail the horrific torture he endured. There were also lighter moments, such as his tales of retaliatory pranks on over-zealous upperclassmen while he was a freshman at Texas A&M. He then told about using some of the same techniques to outwit his captors in Vietnam. Unlike his experiences in Aggieland, however, the consequences for being caught were torture or possibly even death. Ray also told how the “tap code” prisoners used to communicate while in solitary confinement was crucial to their well-being.

Prisoners were kept in solitary confinement when space allowed, Ray said, but as the war lingered, the number of POWs grew. At one point, he lived with three other men “in a room that was smaller than a lot of walk-in closets.” He noted that there was a Southern Baptist, a Mormon, an Episcopalian and a Jew in the same cell, but their shared belief in Judeo-Christian principles helped them through their ordeal.

Ray also told the audience why he was willing to serve and endure unspeakable hardship. He quoted part of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident. . . life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. . . deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Never before in history had a government derived its power from the consent of the governed, and this, he said, makes America worth defending. “After the Bible,” he said, “the two most important documents in the history of the world are the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.

At the end of the presentation, Dr. Suann Hereford, executive director of the Heritage Museum, asked for a show of hands. How many attendees had worn POW bracelets with Ray’s name? At least 20 hands went up. Then, she asked how many people had their bracelets with them. A handful of us raised our hands. Apparently, I was not the only person who was inspired by Ray’s heroism.

For more information about Ray’s wartime experiences, watch the American Warrior series on YouTube.

The post Col. James Ray appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Perri Dermatology

Ruth Fields — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:23:00 +0000

Postcards
December 31, 2023
Postcards

A Texas-raised and Texas-trained dermatologist. A team that is like a family. Patients who can get timely appointments and compassionate care. It’s what Perri Dermatology does best.

Texas raised and Texas trained

Dr. Anthony Perri grew up in Corsicana, Texas, where his father was a general urologist. The younger Perri followed in his father’s proverbial footsteps and became a physician himself; however, when it came time to choose his own medical specialty, he found his father’s own surprising and sobering diagnosis had influenced him the most. During a routine skin screening, the elder Dr. Perri learned that he had developed a melanoma—an aggressive, deadly skin cancer. Fortunately, early detection allowed him to make a complete recovery.

After graduating from Baylor College of Medicine with honors, the younger Dr. Perri completed his dermatology residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch and became a board-certified dermatologist. As he often tells people, he is Texas raised and Texas trained. When he was ready to set up his own practice, he remembered how much he liked growing up in a smaller Texas city, so he joined a large, multi-specialty practice in Conroe. In 2012, the practice closed, endangering thousands of patients who were without access to their physicians.

Dr. Perri soon formed Perri Dermatology so his patients were not left in the gap. “I am proud that my patients did not experience any disruption in their treatment or care for their dermatological needs,” he says. “My practice provided peace of mind, stability, and security on top of dermatological care during very difficult months.”

His commitment to his patients did not stop there. It can take months to get appointments with some dermatologists; however, Dr. Perri is committed to providing patients with easily accessible care. He notes it can be stressful for patients to have to worry about worsening skin conditions while waiting to see a dermatologist; furthermore, timely appointments can help detect skin cancer and other conditions when they are most treatable. “Fast access is one of the pillars built into my practice’s standard day-to-day business operations,” Dr. Perri says. “At Perri Dermatology, we know life is busy. We proactively work every day to make sure your interaction with us is efficient, so you are discouraged from postponing your medical care,” he adds. Not only are his patients able to get appointments without long waits, but they can expect to see Dr. Perri personally when they come to the office. In addition, they can readily speak with trained staff and will have their insurance claims processed quickly.

The Perri Dermatology family

Dr. Perri is backed by a loyal staff that seems almost like a family. Many members of the Perri Dermatology team have been with the practice since it opened in 2012, and several members worked with Dr. Perri even before he founded his solo practice. Alba Galvez, office manager, estimates that two-thirds of the staff have been working for Perri Dermatology for five years or longer. “We are a family,” she says. “We work together for a common purpose: helping our patients. We make a difference.”

“It’s kind of like a little family unit here,” agrees Melissa Crawford, who has worked at the practice for 12 years, serving as medical assistant, clinical supervisor, and OSHA compliance officer. Like many of the staff members at Perri Dermatology, she is interested in medical issues and enjoys helping people. Crawford and other staff members have high praise for Dr. Perri and enjoy being a part of the Perri Dermatology team. “Dr. Perri treats the staff with respect,” she says.

Tiffany Rushing, whose primary job as a certified medical billing and coding specialist is to help patients with insurance claims, concurs. “Dr. Perri is a really good person to work for,” she says. “He is a loyal employer.” Rushing, who began working with Dr. Perri before he founded Perri Dermatology, has continued to work for the practice even after moving many miles from the office. She enjoys educating patients about their insurance concerns and works hard to ensure their claims are processed correctly. She is proud to be a part of the Perri Dermatology family. “We genuinely care about our patients,” she says. “I try to make sure their experience with us is a good one.”

Melissa Johnson, like Rushing, is a certified medical billing and coding specialist and began working for Dr. Perri before the formation of Perri Dermatology. “I am very proud to have been a part of this dedicated team of professionals for many years,” she says. She enjoys helping patients, especially those who are confused by the complexities they encounter when they switch to Medicare. “We love our Medicare patients,” Galvez says, noting that Johnson listens carefully to patients’ concerns. “I will take the time to explain it to them,” Johnson says. “Once they get the hang of it, they can feel more confident in their understanding of their insurance.”

Staff members also work with patients to make sure they understand skin diagnoses and treatment. Maria Rojero, a clinical supervisor who joined Perri Dermatology in 2013, particularly enjoys helping patients in this way. She answers their questions and makes sure they know what to do in the days ahead, striving to treat patients the way she’d like to be treated herself. “I make them feel comfortable and make sure they get the appropriate information they need before they leave the office,” she says. “I’m proud of being able to work with Dr. Perri and to be able to educate patients about different dermatology diagnoses.”

By greeting patients with a friendly smile, treating them with respect, and taking the time to answer their questions, the Perri Dermatology team works together to make sure patients have a positive experience when they visit the office. Team members share a desire to help others and are proud to be able to give assistance to Dr. Perri’s patients. And, behind the staff is a dermatologist who is known for his skill and compassion. Perhaps that is why so many people have been Dr. Perri’s patients since he first founded his practice. “I am honored to be their dermatologist,” he says. “I appreciate and value each patient’s trust.”

Perri Dermatology has offices in The Woodlands and Conroe. For more information, visit perridermatology.com or call 936-522-4966.

4015 Interstate 45 North, Suite #200
Conroe, TX 77304

9305 Pinecroft Dr., Suite #305
The Woodlands, TX 77380

The post Perri Dermatology appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Gary Liebst

Ruth Fields — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:58:59 +0000

Postcards
November 30, 2023
Postcards

There was no music program in the parochial school that Gary Liebst attended in Buffalo, New York, but just as he was about to enter the fourth grade, the school contracted with the local public school system to provide a beginner band class for the first time. It wasn’t ideal—just one day a week—but it was enough for a gifted young musician to learn to play the clarinet.

Neither of Gary’s parents nor other close relatives had musical ability, but as Gary grew older, it became apparent that he had what he acknowledges is a God-given talent. He began studying music in earnest in seventh grade, when he switched to public school. The following year, one of the high school band directors recognized Gary’s ability. There were only about 50 members in the high school band, and saxophone players were in short supply. So, the band director told Gary that if he’d learn to play saxophone—a cousin to the clarinet—he could play in the high school band as an eighth grader. “I thought my band directors were musical heroes and I would have done anything for them,” Gary says, so he learned to play the saxophone, earning a place in the high school band for the concert season.

No horses or tumbleweeds

When Gary was 15, his father, a World War II veteran who coordinated incoming and departing aircraft for American Airlines, was transferred from Buffalo/Niagara International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, requiring the Liebst family to move to Texas. Gary envisioned a Texas with horses, backyard oil wells and tumbleweeds, but found none in the metroplex. Furthermore, he learned that Texans embraced stereotypes too, and usually assumed he was from New York City.

Gary soon found that he could nurture his musical talent in Texas just as well as he could in upstate New York. By the end of his junior year in high school, he knew he’d found his career path. He ultimately earned a Bachelor of Music Education from East Texas State University and a Master’s in Performance from East Carolina University. He had “visions of grandeur,” he says, and hoped to play professionally, but as he neared the completion of his graduate courses, he realized that “not all of us can be performers in New York City and Los Angeles,” he says with a smile.

After graduate school, Gary got a job as a junior high band director with additional duties as an assistant high school band director in Bay City, Texas. Being a new teacher in a small school district was a challenge, but the following year, Gary began teaching at Wharton County Junior College and found his niche in community college music education. Over time, he came to love directing ensembles. “I was really connecting with these students in a way I never thought I could,” he recollects, and he realized, “This is the right place for me.”

By the time Gary retired in 2021, he had spent a combined 37 years at Wharton County Junior College, Lone Star College and Angelina College in Lufkin. Although he ultimately worked in administration, he was able to continue conducting by virtue of his 18-year tenure with the Kingwood Pops Orchestra. Gary joined the community orchestra when it was beginning its fifth year, and it flourished under his leadership. “We were rocking and rolling on all cylinders,” he says with a chuckle.

A nearly-missed opportunity

Looking back, Gary can’t believe how close he came to missing the October 2021 concert of the Conroe Symphony Orchestra (CSO). His wife, Lee Ann, didn’t feel up to it, but Gary, who had just retired after 38 years in music education, wanted to support the local symphony orchestra. So, at the last minute, he decided to attend. It was the orchestra’s first live performance since the pandemic, and the emcee welcomed patrons with enthusiasm. And by the way, she said, the orchestra was looking for a new conductor. Did anyone know a qualified candidate?

Gary was thunderstruck. For the previous three years, his job duties as a dean at Angelina College had prevented him from conducting, and he missed it terribly. He had wondered if he would ever be able to conduct again.

After the emcee’s surprising announcement, Gary hoped he would recognize a member of the orchestra who could provide an introduction. He knew that the Kingwood Pops Orchestra and CSO sometimes shared members; furthermore, Gary had been a part of the music community in the area for many years. But as he searched each face on stage, he made an unwelcome discovery. “I didn’t know a soul,” he says.

After the concert, he gathered his courage and embarked on what he admits was a rather awkward mission: to let the orchestra know that he did, in fact, have conducting experience, and that he wanted to apply for the job as CSO’s conductor. Over the next few months, several other job applicants served as guest conductors, but Gary finally had the opportunity to interview in April 2022. He later learned from the hiring committee that his vast experience with volunteer adult ensembles and his zealous enthusiasm were the deciding factors. Gary took the baton just in time for CSO’s 25^th anniversary season.

CSO’s 25th anniversary

Like most musical groups, CSO struggled during the pandemic, but Gary joined the orchestra as it began its 25^th anniversary season, bringing his infectious love of live music to the group. To start the season, CSO performed a Halloween-themed concert in October 2022. Dr. Gregg Hallbauer, a local physician and accomplished pianist, was guest musician. He played several selections with the orchestra, including Bach’s instantly-recognizable and spooky-sounding Toccata in D Minor. The orchestra’s Christmas concert featured Nancy Curtis, a well-known soprano, who charmed the audience with her velvety voice. In February, the CSO performed “Music of the Silver Screen” to commemorate its silver anniversary. Then, in April, the orchestra featured patriotic music, hosting the nationally-recognized Victory Belles, ambassadors of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, who are known for their three-part harmony and World War II-esque style.

Orchestra members have extended a warm welcome to Gary, citing his pleasing personality and vast musical knowledge. “He can bring the music to life in a different way than the conductors we have had before,” says Stephanie Harris, the orchestra’s principal flutist and one of its six charter members. “If we are not doing something right, he’s going to let us know, but he’s very personable all ’round and fun to talk to.”

The orchestra is currently in its 26^th season, and Gary promises “an amazing mix of classical and popular music.” While the orchestra will perform some classical pieces, it will also play “well-known Broadway music, some jazz and some popular music,” Gary says. “There’s something for everybody,” he says, noting that he is pleased to be a part of a musical organization that can connect with audiences in a meaningful way. “It’s local talent performing for friends, neighbors and families,” he says. “That’s pretty special.”

While rehearsals often concentrate on mastering technical aspects of the music, Gary says, live performances can unleash the music’s indefinable emotional qualities. Sometimes patrons approach Gary after concerts to say that the music touched them in unexpected ways. And occasionally there are unforgettable moments during performances, like the time an aging veteran struggled to stand during the playing of an armed forces medley and then saluted crisply. “It’s something you don’t plan on, but when it happens, it’s always special,” he says. “Tell me, what better feeling is that?”

While Gary’s professional focus has always been on music, he and Lee Ann, who married in 2000, have other interests, too. They enjoy spending time with their grown children, Kimberly, Carley, Alec and Evan, and like to travel. Although they didn’t know each other at the time, both Gary and Lee Ann grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys with their fathers. This shared interest in professional football sparked a unique goal: to attend a professional football game at each NFL stadium. They sit in the “cheap seats,” Gary says with a laugh, and mingle with “the regular people of society.” They are particularly looking forward to visiting the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles because of its magnificent architecture. (For the record, Gary and Lee Ann have crossed 14 off their list and have 18 to go.)

Meanwhile, Gary often reflects on his spur-of-the-moment decision to attend CSO’s October 2021 concert. “If I hadn’t gone to the concert. . .” he says, shuddering. “What a lucky moment,” he says, acknowledging that perhaps it wasn’t luck so much as a divine orchestration. “I was the right person for them, and they were the right group for me.”

The post Gary Liebst appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

The Color Bar

Ruth Fields — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:42:55 +0000

Postcards
November 30, 2023
Postcards

Corporate life was a disappointment to Justin Killingsworth. After earning a business management degree from the University of Utah and acquiring a job with a large corporation, he soon had second thoughts. “I hated the corporate world,” he says. “I quit and went to hair school. Here I am, 10 years later, loving every second of it.”

Justin is the owner of The Color Bar, which has three stand-alone salons in Huntsville and Conroe. “My goal is five salons in five years,” he says. His business model, however, does not allow for greedy expansion. Instead, it is based on community service, amicable guest relations, quality services, and extreme pampering. “It’s about the experience,” Justin says.

Where your experience matters

After graduating from the Aveda Institute in Shenandoah, Justin began working at an Aveda salon in Houston’s exclusive River Oaks area. He got along well with his wealthy clientele, who learned to respect his skill with scissors and hair color, as well as his sharp mind and business acumen. He earned a loyal following and a staggering 98 percent client retention rate. “River Oaks taught me a lot of life skills,” he says. “I learned how to deal with a lot of different personalities.”

In late 2019, Justin left River Oaks and founded The Color Bar in Huntsville. About two years later, he opened a salon in Huntsville’s Creekside Retirement Community. He enjoyed his lively conversations with his senior adult clients, who seemed to like to connect with people of younger generations. Justin is so fond of working with senior adults, he is considering opening another salon in a retirement community in Conroe.

In the summer of 2023, Justin opened The Color Bar in Conroe, selecting a convenient location in a shopping center on I-45 at North Loop 336 (near Kroger, Hobby Lobby and other major retailers). Guests of The Color Bar soon learn it’s no ordinary salon. Upbeat music provides a cheery ambience, and guests are welcomed with a smile. They are even offered a margarita (or a Dreamsicle if they are underage). “It’s about the experience,” Justin says. “Every guest that receives a shampoo gets complimentary aromatherapy, steam towels, and hand relief treatments. It’s about coming into a place where you feel welcome, you feel at home, and you can be yourself,” he says. “Being yourself is the most important thing. We want our guests to become our family. Our goal is to make every guest feel pampered.” In fact, The Color Bar’s slogan is “where your experience matters.”

Both men and women of all ages, as well as children, can be themselves at The Color Bar. “We have everything from two-year-old children to 95-year-old grandpas,” Justin says. Furthermore, The Color Bar in Conroe offers all levels of stylists, from Justin, who is a master stylist, to junior stylists. “There is a price point that can fit every budget,” he says.

Color and more

Justin selected the name “The Color Bar” for his business because he thought it had a nice ring to it. The name seems apt, because Justin estimates that a whopping 90 percent of The Color Bar’s clientele receive some type of hair color service—even more than the industry average of 76 percent. However, many guests utilize other services as well. Justin even provides men’s hair replacement. He is one of only a few stylists in this area who specializes in this procedure, which he promises is more economical than permanent hair replacement.

Finding the right color and cut is an art form at The Color Bar. “If you create great color, your cut is going to follow it,” Justin says, noting that stylists look at guests’ face structure and hair type before suggesting cuts. “The fun part is looking at someone and saying, ‘this would look the best for you,’ making them the best them and bringing out their inner beauty.”

When Justin opened the Conroe location of The Color Bar, he brought Gayla Lewis, one of his most tenured stylists, with him. Working at The Color Bar has all been “a plus” for Gayla, who has been a hairstylist for 16 years. She is a “people person,” she says—although she does more listening than talking—and enjoys being in the presence of others. She is known for her expert haircuts, but also likes being able to perform many other services, such as hair color and extensions. “At some point, a stylist’s dreams come true when they get to do everything under a stylist’s umbrella,” she says.

Hairstylist Amanda Hobart has been working at The Color Bar in Conroe since it first opened. She likes “making people feel beautiful,” she says, and enjoys the camaraderie with other stylists. “The best thing about working here is the energy, the vibe,” she says. “The connection between the guest and the stylist has always been very satisfying. I like to call us ‘hair-apists.’”

Stylists agree that the best part of the job is observing the look on their guests’ faces when they see their new hairstyles. They also share Justin’s vision of caring for guests and making a contribution to the community. Under his tutelage, two employees will soon become stylists. Abby Albright, who currently handles social media, advertising and networking, will begin cosmetology school in January. “I’m so excited,” she says. Zac Yohn, who now serves as Justin’s assistant, will also start cosmetology school in January. Not long ago, Zac accompanied his mother when she went to a hair appointment, and he chatted with the hairstylist. “She asked me if I wanted to give it a try, and I said sure.” It was the start of a new career.

The Color Bar uses acclaimed Oribe haircare products, including shampoo, conditioner and styling aids. “It’s a luxury line that is carefully crafted to be the best product line you can use,” Justin says. Each line has its own scent, he says, such as the popular Côte d’Azure, which is a blend of several fragrances, including bergamot, sandalwood, and white jasmine.

Stylists use Kevin Murphy hair color products for their many guests who color their hair. “The base is honey, which is very nourishing, repairing and softening, with 100 percent gray coverage,” Justin says. He encourages guests to purchase products for home use so they can maintain their hairstyles, noting that “home care is just as important as care in the salon.”

Although Justin’s salons have been successful, the business end of the undertaking is not his favorite part. What gives him joy is helping people find their inner beauty through great hairstyles. “That’s the fun part,” he says.

The Color Bar accepts appointments, as well as walk-ins. For more information, visit colorbartx.com.

Conroe Hair Salon
2200 IH-45 N, Suite B1, Conroe, TX 77301

Huntsville Hair Salon
2405 Avenue I, Suite A, Huntsville, TX 77340

Email: INFO@colorbartx.com

Phone (936) 439-4972

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