Category: Conroe Courier

There is nothing like having deer around the house or in your neighborhood. This is a love/hate debate just about everywhere. The fact is, that deer love to graze our landscapes throughout the year. We sometime even have to dodge them with our vehicles. The fact is, there is not much we can do to avoid them, however, there are a few options that might help reduce or tolerate the “four-legged plant pruners.” 
Understanding deer is one of the first helpful steps.  Deer will eat most anything during the spring.  Why? It is because plants are tender and have the highest nutrition in their leaves.  As we move into the summer, heat and drought will drive them into your landscapes.  The plants are green and typically healthy. They typically rely on their sense of smell to decide which plants are safe and palatable. However, they sometimes will just sample plants for the heck of it.  Also, consider that during the fall, they start shedding their velvet from their horns and use trees and shrubs for assistance. It is at this point when physical damage to trees & shrubs occurs from the horns rubbing against the plants. 
The only way to keep deer out of the landscape is to install an 8’ or larger fence around the perimeter.  I am pretty sure most homeowner subdivisions do not allow this. Since such a fence is typically not feasible; instead, we turn to planting deer resistant plants.   However, a hungry deer will eat almost anything.  I bet that can be true for some of us too.  Selecting deer resistant plants is a realistic option that can reduce plant damage or loss. Just remember that “resistance” is a sliding scale.  Some plants will never get touched and yet some will.  So, any plants considered “deer resistant” can still be fair game.  It just depends on how hungry the deer are, or if they have not sampled the plant before or if it is something new.When you have young or newly planted trees, they should be protected by a wire cage or other material.  Just remember that deer will stand on their hind legs to get to leaves or branches if they really want it.  So, a protective cage will allow the tree(s) to grow until the leaves and smaller branches are beyond the deer’s reach.
There are deterrents that are sold to help minimize plant damage. There are motion sensor water sprinklers that when triggered will provide a nice passing bath or startle them.  However, it tends flush to another area of the yard.  There are also sprayable liquids that can be used. Typically, these products are scent related.  Other natural solutions include human hair or shredded bars of soap.  The problem with the hair and soap tactics is that deer within a subdivision already and continuously encounter our scents and eventually will not respond.  Eventually the scent barrier will be breached.  It may be wise to alternate products regularly to throw them off and buy some time.
I hope a few of these hints, tips, tricks and information help you understand deer better.  Sometimes we just have to live with what we have.  
This is a short and not complete list of some of the more successful deer resistant plants in our area: 
Shrubs
• Boxleaf Euonymus (Euonymus japonica ‘Microphylla’)• Cenizo or Texas Sage (Leucophyllum spp.)• Elaeagnus or Silverberry (Elaeagnus pungens)• Esperanza (Tecoma stans)• Firebush (Hamelia patens)• Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)• Yaupon Holly (regular and dwarf) (Ilex vomitoria)• Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana)• Firebush (Hamelia patens)
Ground Covers 
• Prostrate Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Prostratus)• Thyme (Thymus spp)• Wedelia (Wedelia trilobata)• Frog Fruit (Phyla incisa) • Pigeonberry (Rivina humilis 
Perennials• Ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum)
• Amaryllis (Hippeastrum x Johnsonii)• Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)• Hummingbird Bush (Anisacanthus wrightii)• Indigo Spires Salvia (Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’)• Silver King Artemisia (Artemisia ludoviciana)• Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii )• Bearded Iris (Iris spp)• Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) • Hummingbird Bush (Anisacanthus wrightii)
HerbsGarlic Chives, Lavender, Thyme, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Oregano, Rosemary. 
Ornamental Grasses• Inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)• Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis)• Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris)• Lindheimer’s Muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri)• Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)• Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
For a more complete list of deer resistant plants for our area, visit this website:https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/deerbest.html
Don’t forget to send your garden questions to Plant Answers at 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail me at mpotter@ag.tamu.edu.     

The birth of the Texas wine industry after the end of Prohibition in 1933 took place in 1976 on the Texas High Plains.
“Doc” McPherson tried growing grapes in his backyard and found success so he decided to start a winery in Lubbock, Texas. As a Texas Tech University Professor, he knew all about teaching and found some challenges since there had been three generations of personnel at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) who had never permitted a winery. He taught them well and started Llano Estacado Winery south of Lubbock in an area designated by local voters years earlier as a “wet area” where alcohol could be sold. It was several years later that State Laws were changed to allow wineries in “dry areas” or areas that chose not sell alcohol beverages. This initial start by the Texas Wine Industry was slow with three new wineries in 1980 and 50 wineries in 2005. “Doc” McPherson took me through a personal tour of his winery and showed me the original twelve-inch thick walls surrounding the initial fermentation tanks. He told me these walls were thick since he was afraid of people shooting his tanks. Llano Estacado Winery is located at what called the “Hub of the Bible Belt.”
The Texas wine Industry relies heavily on “Doc’s” early grape growing because he found the perfect niche to grow grapes. The Texas High Plains is above 3,500 feet above mean sea level which provides cool night temperatures in the 50’s in the growing season and has few bugs and fungus/mold. In addition, there are less allergens on the Texas High Plains which means that people with allergies can enjoy red wines made from Texas High Plains’ grapes without the side effects of those red wines from California. As a result, vineyards have sprouted up throughout the Texas High Plains, producing about 85% of Texas’ wine grape crop. These vineyards have been selling their grapes to various Texas wineries. As time progressed, these grape growers started to make wine with some of the grapes they grow. Since these grape growers know which of their grapes are the best, they save those grapes for their own wineries. These wineries are evolving to be known as some of Texas’ best wineries since they use Texas’ best grapes. The number of these Texas High Plains Wineries has grown over the years.
In April of this year, 14 Texas High Plains wineries and one meadery banded together to launch the Texas High Plains Wine Trail. These wineries include:
•    Adelphos Cellars in Lorenzo•    Bingham Family Vineyards in Meadow•    Bolen Vineyards in Smyer•    English Newsom Cellars in Lubbock•    Happy Bear Meadery in Wilson•    Idalou Harvest in Idalou•    Llano Estacado in Lubbock•    Oswald Vineyards in Brownfield•    Prairie Chick Winery and Milieu in Levelland•    Reddy Vineyards in Brownfield•    Triple D Winery and Event Center in Brownfield•    Whitehouse Parker, Farm House in Brownfield•    Williams Ranch Vineyards in Plains•    Y Knot Vineyards in Seagraves•    Yellow House Cellars in Tahoka
The Texas High Plains Wine Trail is not located in what many call rolling hills or valleys or a forest. The land is flat, but the people are wholesome with most of these wineries being family-owned which means you are assured of the best hospitality. During the day, the wind blows, but the nights are adorned with some of the best nightscapes of stars you will find anywhere. The Texas High Plains might not be the most romantic place in the world, but the wines, people, and night skies make up for that providing you numerous opportunities to make memories!
Ron Saikowski may be reached at rsaikowski@comcast.net. 

Despicable Me 4
Rated PG for action and rude humorRotten Tomatoes Score: 55%In Theaters
It’s been seven years since the last Despicable Me film (for which I honestly can’t remember anything about), and Gru (voiced again by Steve Carrell) and family are forced into witness protection when a supervillain named Maxime (voiced by Will Ferrell) who Gru put in prison, escapes with an intent to seek a brutal revenge. While trying to live inconspicuously in his new home and community, Gru gets bored and attempts to do some side missions, while some of his minions are subjected to a treatment which turns them into a cross between the X-Men and The Fantastic Four.  When Maxime eventually discovers where Gru’s new location is, a Battle Royale commences.  There’s not a lot of great storytelling on display here, just as in the other films.  The plot is weak and old, and the dialog is neither funny nor clever.  In fact it is quite the opposite.  They think they are being clever which makes many moments rather painful, at least for adults.  For kids, it should still be a fun time, filled with lots of loud action, silly minion humor and enough familiarity to bring smiles to faces.  I just wish Universal was ambitious enough to create a good four-quadrant addition to their franchise.  Making the film great for kids but only nearly tolerable for adults, is just disappointing and frustrating.  Pixar did a great job of this with their recent sequel Inside Out 2 – and look how it is paying off.  I’m sure that Despicable Me 4 will make a decent box office, but much of its business is going to be from audience members who wish they were in another room while watching.  So once again, we get a film that falls short when it really doesn’t have to.  C
Fly Me to the Moon
Rated PG-13 for some strong language and smokingRotten Tomatoes Score: 69%In TheatersI always thought The Shining was a decent movie in my younger years, with some good scares and fantastic acting, but it wasn’t until years later, after I saw the documentary Room 237, that I truly started to put together what a crazy genius film it might be, and what I knew about the moon landing was potentially untrue.  I’m not one to jump into conspiracy theories at all, but the theory laid out in this documentary contends that Stanley Kubrick all but admitted through the film’s imagery that he filmed the moon landing as a contingency in case we couldn’t get good footage, or in case they didn’t make it at all.  In this way we could prove to the world, and more importantly to the Russians, that we were indeed first.
In Fly Me to the Moon, a similar story is laid out where Scarlett Johansson plays a slick New York PR guru who is hired by Woody Harrelson, a government shadow ops character who needs her to give NASA the much-needed PR they require to become the center of the world’s attention, rather than just an unnecessary bureaucracy.  Once in Florida, she goes to work with NASA launch director Cole Davis (a fictional character played by Channing Tatum) who tries hard not to fall in love with her but just can’t seem to resist.  But once crunch time kicks in, the decision is made to secretly film the moon landing so that the world will see that the Americans hold space superiority.  But being a romantic comedy, lots of things go wrong and hilarity ensues throughout.  While the film does have its slow moments and the NASA scenes aren’t nearly technical enough to be taken seriously, the movie is so damn cute that you hardly care.  I love a good rom com and there are so few of them nowadays, so I was thrilled that this one came along, even if not perfect.  
The chemistry between Johansson and Tatum is solid and the film comes off as really sweet, without being sappy in the least.  And I love that someone had the idea to turn such a crazy (or not so crazy) conspiracy into a feel-good romance.  I really appreciated that it is almost a family-friendly movie as well.  It feels like a genuine PG movie until Woody throws out an F-bomb at the end, which I can only guess was put in to get a 13 added to the PG.  But overall, it’s a highly enjoyable film with largely forgivable faults.  B+
Danny Minton may be reached at danny@dannyminton.com. 

Throughout Conroe’s 120-year history since its 1904 incorporation, it has carried the motto of “The Miracle City.” 
In the 1950s and 1960s, a reporter for Conroe newspaper The Courier Ed Watson wrote a regular column titled “Main Street in Miracle City.” Today, “Miracle City” is the name for nonprofit Compassion United’s campus for the city’s homeless community.
A bakery is titled Miracle City Bakery and a nonprofit bringing the city together in worship and praise is named the Miracle City Collective. 
When Conroe composer Bill Thompson wanted to pen a song about Conroe, he titled it the “Miracle City March.” 
But what does the term mean and where did it come from? 
Here are several possible suggestions of how the motto came to be and events that contributed to the title:
NEW LEADERSHIP: New Conroe Salvation Army commanders settle in while preparing for active hurricane season
Conroe’s start 
Former Union captain Isaac Conroe mustered out of military service in Galveston. The enterprising veteran traveled by train to the then wilderness north of Houston to establish a sawmill. 
He constructed his sawmill in 1881 east of the north/south railroad tracks in the Beach or Beech community. He would travel up from his home in Houston by train and his stop became known as Conroe’s Switch which was later shortened to Conroe. Other timber and saw mills came up in the Conroe area as well in the late 1800s and early 1900s. 
In Conroe, sawmills and lumber are regarded as the first industry that supported the town. The town incorporated in 1904. 
Devastating fires 
In 1901 and 1911 the developing city experienced two fires that changed the path of the city. 
The 1901 fire wiped out the town center, which was then located on the east side of the railroad tracks in the area of Avenue A. Conroe resident J.K. Ayres gave the city land on the west side of the north/south tracks, and that is where the town center built up after 1901. 
This area also experienced a large fire on Feb. 21, 1911, that burned more than 65 wood structures on the east side of downtown. The business owners built back in brick, and those buildings are still in use today and a part of downtown’s historic charm. 
By February 1912, 20 businesses had reopened in brick buildings on the fire-devastated blocks of the 1911 fire.
In his memoir, “A Silhouette of Conroe, Texas 1976” Cedric N. Nutter, wrote Nick and Kate Carnochan lost their cafe in the fire and had the first business to open back up afterward. The named their new place “The Phoenix” reflecting the rising from the ashes of city residents. 
Overnight millionaires
The second industry to support the city was oil and gas. As early as 1919, The Courier newspaper reported the possibility of oil in the ground surrounding Conroe. Up until 1931 it had not been successfully located or extracted. 
It took George Strake, an enterprising developer from St. Louis to make that happen. 
Strake was attending Mass at Conroe’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Dec. 13, 1931, when a roustabout delivered the good news. 
In June 1932, another of his wells struck oil. More oil fields opened in the area leading to even bigger strikes and companies such as Humble Oil and Refining Co. (now Exxon) and the Texas Co. (Texaco) came on board leading to further development of the fields. 
The Conroe oil field became the third largest in the country was a huge boost to Conroe and the surrounding area. 
“The repercussions for Conroe and Montgomery County were mind boggling,” said Montgomery County native and historian Robin Montgomery. “The city of Conroe bent low at the time by the depression blanketing the country, almost overnight became transformed, assuming the label of ‘The Miracle City’.” 
Montgomery published the book “Transformation of the Miracle City” in 2014. 
The city’s population swelled with fortune seekers flocking to the area. 
“(During the oil boom), at one time Conroe was home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in the US,” said Suann Hereford, Heritage Museum of Montgomery County executive director according to materials in the museum. 
MUSEUM ADDITION: Astros minor leaguer’s first car, a ’91 Chevy Caprice, is now a cop museum artifact
‘Ruts to the Miracle City’
Conroe resident Mary Alice Hunt compiled her memories of early Conroe into the 1975 book “Ruts to the Miracle City.” 
Hunt, whose maiden name was Beazley, was born in 1900 and came to Conroe in 1904. Her father, Alexander Hamilton Beazley, ran a grocery store in Conroe in the very early 1900s.
In the book, she discussed the havoc the big trucks coming in and out of Conroe’s oil field played on the local unpaved roads. 
She talked about the amount of rain the area received did not pair well with the big trucks, equipment and many newcomers to town. 
“The streets became impassible. They were so bad you could not get to town in a car. Conroe streets were a common joke across East Texas. Once more the people of Conroe overcame their obstacles. They voted for bonds and paved the streets. Mama said ‘What a miracle, Conroe with paved streets,’” according to a passage in the book by Hunt. 
Members of the chamber of commerce thought that was a great phrase and felt compelled to use it in their forthcoming brochures and the motto has lasted the test of time in the city. 

In the heart of Conroe, Texas, the Conroe Noon Lions Club stands as a beacon of service and community spirit, celebrating its 85th year with a renewed commitment under new leadership.  As the incoming President of this esteemed organization, I am honored to guide over 300 members who embody the Lions Club motto, “We Serve.” 
Founded in 1939, the Conroe Noon Lions Club has a rich history of service, spanning decades of charitable initiatives and community projects.  From providing vision screenings and eyeglasses for those in need to supporting local schools and organizations, our club has consistently demonstrated its commitment to improving lives.  This year, as we reflect on our past accomplishments, we are also looking forward to expanding our outreach and enhancing the scope of our service projects.
Under my banner of ‘True Grit’, we embark on a year filled with ambitious goals and meaningful endeavors.  I know Conroe Noon is eager to tackle new challenges and explore innovative ways to address the needs of our community.  Whether it’s through fundraising events, volunteer activities, or advocacy efforts, we are determined to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families in Conroe and beyond.
Every new member who joins the Conroe Noon Lions Club echoes a sentiment that resonates deeply with our mission: they want to “give back to the community.” It’s a commitment that aligns perfectly with John Wayne’s famous quote, “True Grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done.  No moral man can have peace of mind if he leaves undone what he knows he should have done.” These words remind us that true courage lies not only in our actions but also in our determination to fulfill our responsibilities to those who rely on our support.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my sponsor, Lion Polo Lacoste, whose guidance and support have been invaluable on my journey within the Conroe Noon Lions Club.  I am deeply appreciative of all the good friends I have made along the way, whose camaraderie and shared passion for service has enriched my life immeasurably.
The Lions Clubs International Convention in Melbourne, Australia, marked an exciting moment not only for our global Lions community but also for our club.  This past week I was surrounded by 11,000 Lions from around the world, we were all inspired by the election of Fabrício Oliveira as the new International President.  His call to action, ‘Make Your Mark’, resonates deeply with our own theme for the year, ‘True Grit’, symbolizing our collective resolve to make a lasting impact.  The opportunity to connect with Lions from around the world, share ideas, and learn from each other’s successes reaffirmed my belief in the power of community service.
As I assume the role of President of the Conroe Noon Lions Club, I am humbled by the opportunity to lead such a dedicated group of individuals.  
Together, we will honor our past achievements, embrace the challenges of the present, and build towards a future filled with hope and opportunity.
With ‘True Grit’ as our guiding principle, and the global spirit of Lions Clubs International, I am confident that our efforts will leave a lasting legacy of kindness and generosity.
If you would like more information about the Conroe Noon Lion’s Club programs, please visit our website, www.conroenoonlions.org, or call the local club office at 936-760-1666. You may also call 936-760-1666 for additional information on any area Lions Club. 

Rotarians plan ahead for various projects, address emergency concerns, present and future, and plan especially for annual changes in leadership.
The annual Rotary year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30 of each calendar year. Each Rotary Club is run by elected officers such as President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer along with a Board of Directors. These elected officials are established in a ballot of all Rotary Club members, normally in December of each year.
The elected officers plan their year and go through formal training with a weekend of training for incoming Presidents and Vice Presidents in February at the DFW Airport complex for our Region which consists of the States of Texas and Oklahoma. Those Officers and Board Members continue their education with a District Conference normally in April. Just as with any other Democracy, a normal change of governance occurs in an orderly manner in our local Rotary Clubs. The same scenario happens on an international basis with the Rotary International organization.
Rotary Clubs along the south Texas coast are preparing for the coming of Hurricane Beryl. As of the time this article is being written, Hurricane Beryl is approaching the Yucatan Peninsula. Emergency plans are being formulated with local emergency government councils to assist in a variety of ways. Emergency shelters are available via local emergency shelters manned by the American Red Cross along with volunteers from Rotary Clubs. Rotarians will also help with emergency food distribution via the Montgomery County Food Bank. Rotarians such as myself who have engineering expertise will assist in planning measures to minimize storm damage. Rotarians from other parts of the country are looking at arriving after the storm has passed to help muck out homes and businesses impacted by the storm. Those Rotarians will be staying at homes of other Rotarians in the spirit of serving.
Rotary Clubs in the USA have formed a nonprofit organization called Disaster Aid USA. Rotarians come from all over the United States to help in disaster relief whether it be from Hurricane Harvey in Southeast Texas to the Maui Fires in Hawaii to the recent Texas Panhandles fires. Currently, Rotarians from across the country have traveled to Montgomery County to assist in flood relief, assisting home owners of flood homes to remove the flood-damaged interiors along with belongings so that these homes can be aired out to avoid molds from developing in these home. Rotarians in our community are housing these volunteers.
These volunteers are working 10-12 hour days to help our community recover from the flooding in River Plantation and other flooded residences along the San Jacinto River. These Rotarians donate their time to help those with dire needs. As the flooding recedes, more Rotarians will be there to help. You can help by volunteering to house these out-of-state Rotarians in your home near the affected areas. If you can help, please contact Patrick Leslie in Pearland, Texas at Patrick.Rotary1@gmail.com or go online at www.DisasterAidUSA.org. 
The Rotary Club of Conroe meets at noon Tuesdays at Honor Cafe at 103 N. Thompson Street. 
To find out more about Rotary, contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.

Is it the Dog Days of Summer? 
Bring your cooler and lawn chairs for the First Thursday Concert July 11 at Heritage Park with the Level One Band playing a Tribute to Motown. The music starts at 7:00pm. Food trucks will be available at the park or choose to bring your own food and beverages with you. No glass containers. The free concert is hosted by the City of Conroe. 
Get your tickets now to see “Beauty and The Beast” at the Crighton Theatre before they sell out! Stage Right has just added two Saturday matinee performances on Saturday, July 13 and Saturday, July 20. The last showing is Sunday, July 21. It’s cool inside! CrightonTheatre.org
The cult satire classic show, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is coming to Conroe this week premiering July 13-21 in different times than you are used to seeing with our community theatres. There will be a10:00pm showing on Saturday, July 13, Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20th. Yes, there are matinee performances also. It is a parody of sci-fi horror shows that narrates the story of Janet and Brad who are caught in the rain with a flat tire and end up at the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Audiences will be able to purchase “props” to be used during the performance. Please leave your water pistols, newspapers, rice, and hot dogs at home. Tickets for The Players Theatre fundraiser is available at OwenTheatre.com.
Summer Art Camp is coming up Monday, July 15- Friday, July 19 from 10:00am-noon at the Conroe Art League, 127 Simonton for ages 7-14. Take a tour around the globe with a fun filled week of activities that introduce the culture and art of countries around the world taught by Rebekah Billings. Registration is available at ConroeArtLeague.com. 
McDonald’s will host a Coffee with a Cop event on Wednesday, July 17 from 7:30 am to 10:30 am at 821 West North Loop 336. Guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee and dessert, engage in conversations with local law enforcement officers, and experience police and emergency vehicles up close. Talk to our local Conroe PD officers and build community connections!
It is the best time to start shopping for BTS clothing, bargains on summer merchandise, and special buys at the boutiques downtown or the Assistance League. This is clearance time. The stores are not crowded and have AIR CONDITIONING!
Enjoy the summer!
Margie Taylor may be reached at margie@taylorizedpr.com. 

During the last couple of days, I have taken time to learn a bunch of stuff. I did it after reading articles about high school students not knowing how to write. 
I thought “Shame on them and a pox on their teachers.” The first article I read was written by a lady who made it a point to express her dismay at the realization that students don’t even know what a gerund is. That stopped me cold. 
I’m not the brightest bulb in the drawer, but who is? They’re in a drawer! Some of you may remember that I used to be smart. Fairly smart. I managed to get a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, and then a Master’s in History and Political Science. And I did all of that without knowing what a gerund was. 
During my college days, I had to write billions of research papers that Kay typed for me. I’m sure each one had gerunds in it. Not a single professor took the time to compliment me on my gerunds. I just looked up what a gerund is, and I don’t give a rat’s rear knowing the name for turning a noun into a verb. I tell you that to tell you this, let’s get past gerunds! And move along to important stuff. I’ve got a whole list right here.
First off, I learned about beer drinkers. Do you know what country consumes more beer than any other? The country has been beer drinking champion for the past 25 years. Anybody? The winning country is the Czech Republic. On average, it’s citizens drink 38 gallons of beer in a year… 38 gallons of beer. Take one down, pass it around–I’m sorry. I get caught up in music. 
You may remember that the Czech Republic used to be part of Czechoslovakia. But there was a rift and they broke away from the Slovakians.  By the way, no European country is even close to beating the Czechs in beer consumption… or jail capacity for drunks.
Next: Which was invented first — alcohol or the wheel? Turns out, geologists found evidence of alcohol consumption in China as far back as 9000 years ago. They discovered it from caked-on booze inside some pottery. The earliest examples of the wheel go back a mere 5700 years. That’s too soon. Of course,  round flat rocks from 10,000 years back were discovered, but they were used to play with… according to one imaginative geologist.
Speaking of tea, it’s a recent beverage for the Brits. In 1968 only three percent of the British drank tea, because it was too expensive. In 1952, Lipton invented the flow-thru teabag. The world went crazy. The Brits? No big deal. Researchers with not enough to do, have discovered that today 96 percent of the British drink tea. They prefer raising the water temperature to 185 degrees. At 186 degrees it’s ruined. And if the cream goes into the tea, it will be too mild. You always add the tea to the cream. If any British visited my house, they’d toss my metal tumbler across the room.  
Let’s leave tea and jump into coffee. The appeal for coffee is inherited. It does my heart good that scientists took the time to research that. I was the first child of Elsie and Faris who liked coffee. My oldest brother Larry drinks it but only to keep him awake.  He doesn’t like the stuff, perhaps because HE DRINKS IT BLACK!  
In 1885 Dr Pepper was first marketed in a town called Waco. Like Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper has a complicated secret formula. One important thing about the formula is that it contains absolutely no prune juice. That was a rumor for a good while. Nobody knows how Dr Pepper got its name or why “Dr” has no period after it. For a while people referred to it as Pepper Cola. But they stopped after it was learned that there was no “cola” in it. There’s a lot of confusion in the name, you ask me.
My favorite Dr Pepper is called “Dr. B” from HEB. I like it because it’s cheaper than the original Dr P, it’s more flavorable, and it has a period after the Dr. 
We’re going to end with Santa Claus. At the beginning this guy didn’t look a thing like todays Santa Clause. He was a short guy in a red jacket. He couldn’t Ho, Ho, Ho if you put a gun to his head. But, in 1931, Coca-Cola wanted a better-looking Santa to advertise their Cola. There were no copywriting issues on the old one.  So Coke hired an artist named Haddon Sundblom who is responsible for the appearance of today’s Santa. 
He looks like a real Santa. He’s jovial and polite. He has a terrible laugh, but he was born with that. Santa looks so much better that they now hire him to appear in stores, so small kids can sit on his lap and cry. Santa was once in the Foley’s Christmas Parade in Houston. The first and only time Dad took us there, the crowd along the street was packed, so Daddy put me on his shoulders. It was the day Dad learned that I was afraid of heights. I cried like a baby. Actually, I screamed. Daddy lost a lot of respect for me that day, and never took us back to the parade.  
Okay, all of this you just read is only a small part of the fascinating stuff I ran across. As my daddy would say, “It’s now time to get back to my rat killing.” — First, I’m going to grab an HEB Dr. B. – Next time.
Mark Hayter may be reached at hayter.mark@gmail.com    

Sitting behind the wheel of a Chevy Caprice takes Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Charlie Sullivent back nearly 30 years. 
The wide-bodied car with rounded curves and an interior meant for luxury was one of his first patrol cars when he joined the force in the 1990s. 
It’s also the newest edition to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Museum. The 1991 model year vehicle was donated to the museum by the Wolforth family in 2023.
It was once driven by free agent baseball player Garrett Wolforth from Montgomery County. He spent last year with the Astros’ Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks.
SALVATION ARMY LEADERSHIP: New Conroe Salvation Army commanders settle in while preparing for active hurricane season
Evolution of police vehicles
After the Wolforths donated the car, it spent eight months being transformed from a civilian sedan to a police cruiser of the early 1990s era. 
Already on display are a 2007 Crown Victoria patrol car, a 2014 Dodge Charger and a 2011 Chevy Tahoe. They were fleet vehicles removed from service with the sheriff’s office. 
“You sit in this car (the Caprice) and you go sit in the Tahoe and it’s a very different experience,” he said.
It’s his hope that visitors to the museum can experience the evolution of the cars and the technology by exploring each vehicle. 
Showcasing sheriff’s office history
While planning for the museum, which opened to the public in March 2023, Sullivent felt the evolution of the patrol units was a big part of the 185-year history of the sheriff’s office and he wanted to have several cars on display at the museum. 
As the museum developed over the last 10 years, donated memorabilia was categorized by the sheriff of that era who set the style for his time in office. 
The museum was a passion project for Sullivent’s colleague, Det. Fadi Rizk, who started collecting items from retired sheriff’s personnel and widows of agency employees in 2016 as a way to share the agency’s rich history. The earliest items date back to the 1990s. 
While the 2007, 2014 and 2011 cars were pretty easy to come by through the sheriff’s office, Sullivent wanted to take it back even further and the search for a Caprice began. 
A Caprice was discovered west of Conroe on the Wolforth property. Ron and Jill Wolforth bought the car for their son, Garrett, to drive when he turned 16. 
“It had less than 15,000 miles when we got it,” Jill said.
She said the big, heavy car was painted gray with blue interior. 
“It was really smooth, heavy and drove very well on the highway and was really plush inside,” Ron said. 
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Through sheriff’s office connections Sullivent discovered the car and showed up at the Wolforths door to ask about it. 
When Sullivent explained what they wanted to do with the car, the coupled donated it.
Turning back time at the museum
The museum committee and the sheriff’s office fleet services spent eight months converting the vehicle into what a patrol car would have looked like during Joe Corley sheriff’s administration from 1981 to 1993. 
Other cars represent the eras of Sheriff Rand Henderson and former sheriff’s Guy Williams and Tommy Gage.
With minimal financial impact, they made the car as authentic as possible with a light bar, whip antenna and siren from that time. The siren and lights work to represent that era in policing.
The patrol numbers on the back 434 are a nod to Henderson as those were his number when he first began patrolling and drove a Caprice.  
“Everything is original and everything works,” Sullivent said. “It really is uncanny.” 
Now he’s pondering if they can go back even further with a car from Gene Reeves, who served as sheriff from 1961 to 1981.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2359 Holloman Street in Conroe.