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SPRING 2012

VIBE
ENTERTAINMENT Mauriceville Crawfish Festival

The Definative Guide for Orange County, Texas

FASHION Prom Prep 101 OUTDOORS Satlwater action

Christmas Loan
FROM SABINE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

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*APR indicates annual percentage rate. Monthly payment amount approximately $63.15 on $700 for 12 months at 14.9% APR. Must be current on all loans with the credit union and accounts must be in good standing.

www.sabinefcu.org
Proud of Our Past, Committed to Our Future

PO Box 3000 Orange, Texas 77631

(409) 988-1300 1-888-319-SFCU

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contents
6 8 12 Beautiful Blooms Outdoors
Saltwater Action Whats growing this spring

22

Prom Prep 101

When and where to start shopping for the perfect prom dress or tux

Fire It Up
PKs Grill brings big-city dining to Orange

25

Black History Month

Influential leaders who helped shape America today

26 27

Pet Grooming
An important part of pet health

14

WO-S New Track

Showcasing the new track just in time for the big season

2012 SE TX Prep Track Schedule

Area leaders from the 2011 High School season

16 19

Crawfish Festival
Mauriceville Crawfish Festival

More On Crawfish
Big Daddys Live Crawfish has big plans in store

30

Upcoming Events Calendar

Late Winter and early Spring events in the area.

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Beautiful Blue Blooms in Spring

By Dr. Roy Stanford County Extension Agent
As spring arrives it is time to enjoy our yards and make a trip to the garden center to buy new vegetable and landscape plants. Blueberries and bluebonnets have been seen blooming very early this year. Some other blue blooms to look for later in the spring and summer is the Brazilian Sky Flower and Vitex which also goes by the name Texas Lilac. Both of these plants are Texas Superstars and grow very well in Orange County. The Texas Lilac is a small ornamental tree that gets 10 to 15 feet tall. The tree will have spikes of lavender flowers with the heaviest blooming in early summer. The tree will continue to bloom into the fall. Because of its tolerance for heat, drought, and numerous pests the Texas Lilac is a great addition to the home landscape that will provide years of maintenance free beauty. Pruning the plant after bloom will lead to more spectacular flowering. The Brazilian Sky Flower is a rapidgrowing, dense shrub that can become

v i b e | SPRING 2012

fairly tall for a shrub; it has small glossy leaves with light blue to purple flowers. The shrub can fruit heavily and become covered with small golden ball-like drupes. A fruit called a drupe includes peaches, plum, and the cherry. The fruit of the Brazilian Sky Flower is not edible but is a very nice ornamental characteristic of the plant. To see these and other Texas Superstars growing, visit the Master Gardener demonstration garden around the Orange County Courthouse.

SPRING 2012 | v i b e 7

Spring Super Saltwater Action

By Chester Moore, Jr.
Southeast Texas anglers are fortunate to have a number of prominent, highly sought species available for consistent catching in the spring. Lets show you how and where to find the most popular of these species (reds, specks and flounder) in Texas waters. Redfish are back in vogue as popular sportfish along the Texas coast with tournament trails putting them back in the spotlight in a big way. Along the Intracoastal Canal anglers will be targeting reds up many little inlets between Orange and Hackberry, La. Anglers should keep in mind that reds have what can best be described as a cone of vision. They can see about 180 degrees and the most likely strikes will be found in front of the red and perhaps just off to the side. Precision casting is important because they will rarely turn around to strike at something they only hear. For anglers with seaworthy boats, the Sabine, north Galveston and Cameron Jetties are loaded over-sized bull reds. And despite popular perception, there are quite a few of these fish year-round at all jetty systems in Texas. Look for deep holes alongside the rocks to hold the most fish with the boating cuts being a secondary and sometimes highly productive option. Live croaker is the best bait for the jetties, but artificials will work well too. Trolling a 1/2-ounce gold Rat-L-Trap or a chunking a big gold spoon tipped with squid or shrimp down into the deep holes works good for the jetty reds as well. Be warned however that when fishing the lighter tackle required for using lures, the reds can easily run straight into the rocks and you will not only lose the fish but your expensive lures. Stick with big tackle and live bait if you
Photo courtesy Moore Outdoors

want to bring home fish and artificials if you want more sporting opportunity and just want to play. During late winter and early spring period lots of anglers wadefish for big speckled rout on mud flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Canal in Sabine Lake and Galveston Bay. On warm afternoons big trout move up to feed over the mud, which retains heat and is a few degrees warmer than surrounding areas. The typical strategy involves using slow-sinking lures like the Mirrolure Catch 2000 or B&L Corky. Trout have very slow metabolism this time of year and the super slow sinking of these lures appeals to that. Anglers trying this method for the first time should be warned that even huge trout sometimes barely hit during winter. If you feel something taking the slack out of your line or a soft tick, then start reeling in your slack and set the hook when you feel pressure. Sometimes its nothing but quite often it is a big speckled trout you would have otherwise missed. As this issue reaches readers, flounder action will begin to heat up as the early stages of the spring migration back into the bays begins. It is important to remember that tides dictate how flounder will be feeding. On a fast falling tide, they move in close to the drainage in tight schools. When it is falling slowly, they might scatter out around the mouth of a drainage or up into the marsh. They will do the same thing during the first hour or so of an incoming tide. Then they will usually move into the cuts. I have always had far more success on incoming tides during summer months. In fact, I usually check the tide charts and mark off the days with the highest tides to concentrate
SPRING 2012 | v i b e 9

on them. And when these tides are running high, seek flounder along the main shorelines of bay systems. Attacking vast shorelines would be a waste of time and end up in dogged frustration so you have got to have a strategy. Instead of looking over eight miles of shoreline, narrow your search down to an eighth of a mile. You must eliminate water to successfully bag spring flounder. The first step I take while eliminating water on a strange ecosystem is to once again

look for a shoreline that has stands of roseau cane. Roseau cane has an intricate system that is somewhat like a smaller version of mangrove and it gives baitfish a place to linger, hide and dodge larger predators. It is best to fish these areas during the first couple of hours of a falling tide. As the water recedes, the baitfish are removed from their cover and the predator/prey dynamic kicks in. And that is when the fun begins.

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10 v i b e | SPRING 2012

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Monday $7 Red Beans & Rice BBQ Chicken Fried Chicken Pork Chops Potato Salad Cut Green Beans

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday $7 (menu varies) Friday $8 Beef Tips Baked & Fried Fish Smothered Turkey Wings Smoked Brisket Meatloaf BBQ Chicken Salisbury Steak Jambalaya Broccoli & Cheese Dirty Rice Mashed Potatoes Baked Beans and more. Crawfish Etouffee Seafood Gumbo

WE DELIVER!!!!! 1111 Green Ave. 409-233-8054

We have BBQ Chicken and Rice & Gravy Mac & Cheese everyday!! Visit us at our website SistersandFriends.net and on Facebook!

Licensed Attorney with over 19 years experience Assistant District Attorney for Orange County for the past 12 years Admitted to practice law in all courts in the State of Texas, the State of Nevada (inactive), and the State of Colorado (inactive), and in Federal Courts in the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Nevada, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

it up!

Net affordable seafood cuisine at PKs Grill

By Greg Hayes

Seafood restaurants are nothing new to the Southeast Texas area, but for the Orange area PKs Grill may just have the hook to land customers again and again for years to come. Besides being conveniently located on Strickland Drive, David and Jenny Kuch bring an originality to the dishes that they prepare. David makes all of his seasonings and sauces by hand, which ensures that nothing at PKs Grill has an out-of-a-box taste. If we bought seasonings and success already made up, I wouldnt know what it would taste like, David said. Making all of my own, I know exactly what the taste will be. With grilled seafood being their specialty, David said timing is everything. The biggest challenge comes from making sure nothing is overcooked, he said. That is experience I have picked up over the years. It all depends on the dish. Jenny said that although PKs Grill only opened on Feb. 24, 2011, they have been involved in the food industry for the past six years. With the way the economy was going, it

was a risk for us (to open a restaurant), she said. But, we have done okay. Jenny said that they run lunch and dinner specials everyday and have an open menu for senior citizens everyday. We have good, quality food that we check every day to ensure its freshness, she said. And, we believe in quality service and hire local. PKs Grill has a varied menu from appetizers and soups and salads to specialty entrees, wines and desserts to provide a big-city dining experience in a small-town environment. Entrees include such dishes as filet mignon and grilled rock lobster to magi doable, almond-crusted tilapia and shrimp brochette, with prices ranging from around $15 to $29. Nothing is kept under a heat lamp here, Judy Wilson, dessert chef, said. Everything is fresh and made when you order it. Nothing comes from a package. So, overall, PKs Grill would be a good choice for the seafood connoisseur that not only thinks outside the box, but chooses to eat outside of it also.

Photos by Greg Hayes

SPRING 2012 | v i b e 13

WO-S excited about new track and big season

By Van Wade

WEST ORANGE - For those people that want to go see something state-of-the-art, they need to go visit West Orange-Stark High Schools new track facility at Dan Hooks Stadium. For the past several years, the old track at WO-S was too rough to run on. The long jump lanes were cracked, soft and unbearable. Despite all of that, the WO-S boys track teams have claimed the last three Class 3A state team titles. WO-S is the only school in Southeast Texas history that has won three straight state titles in any sport. Well, all of the kids within the West Orange Consolidated School District has something to be proud of after close to $750,000 was spent to upgrade the track
14 v i b e | SPRING 2012

along with the long jump and triple jump lanes and the high jump and polevault areas. Its a great, great thing for entire school district and it is something to be extremely proud of, said WO-S Athletic Director Cornel Thompson. Its been a long time coming, but its going to be a beatiful facility and a place to put on some excellent track meets. WO-S will host the Mustang Relays Feb. 18 and will host the WO-S Relays the following week on Feb. 25. There will also be a junior high meet on March 1 and then the school will host the District 21-3A Track & Field Championships Apr. 10-12. Nederland bumped back its meet to Feb. 10 so there was an opening on Feb. 18 and we gladly took it, said Thompson.

There will be about 10 boys and 10 girls teams at that first meet. The one on Feb. 25 will be a little smaller, maybe seven or eight teams each. Another exciting element that will be added is an automatic timing system. Which means the coaches wont have to worry about hand-timing all of the contestants. You gotta love that, expressed Thompson. You tend to see those automatic timing devices primarily at district meets along with regionals and state. Its definitely someting were all looking forward too. I think were going to bring some Lamar folks in here to update us on how to use it properly and we might even have a few teams come in early and maybe have a practice meet so we can learn about it more. One thing for sure, WO-S has a great deal of respect for Orangefield High School for allowing WO-S to host the Mustang Relays at the Orangefield campus the last three years. Many, many, many thanks go out to

Orangefield, along with Coach (Blake) Morrison when he was there and Coach (Brian) Huckabay and that entire district for allowing us to host a meet at their place, said Thompson. Also, we have to thank them for letting us practice there and the same to LC-M, because I know we practiced there too. Weve had great support for our track program across Southeast Texas and you love to see that. Hopefully we can give some of it back with the facilty well have now. Thompson was thrilled about hosting the 21-3A Track & Field Championships in the first year that the Mustangs are competing on their new surface. Im sure the district meet will be floating around for years to come and Silsbee and Bridge City has done so well with it over the years, said Thompson. But it is a nice feeling for our entire school district to host district this year. Its something the kids can be proud of and something the entire community can be proud of. We cant wait for February 18.

See upcoming track events on page 27

SPRING 2012 | v i b e 15

Crawfish season is here

Crawfish festival is annual tradition in Mauriceville

By Tommy Mann Jr.

For more than 30 years a local festival has been at the forefront of spring events and looks to have it best year ever. The 32nd Annual Mauriceville Crawfish Festival returns for its yearly three-day run as it opens at 5 p.m., Friday, April 20 and continues through 5 p.m., Sunday, April 22 at the festival grounds located just off State Highway 62, approximately one mile south of State Highway 12 in Mauriceville. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors on Friday night and Saturday until 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for everyone after 5 p.m., Saturday. On Sunday, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students. Children ages five and younger are admitted free each day. Carnival wristbands are available for $20 for each session. Sessions are from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., Friday; noon - 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday; and noon - 5 p.m., Sunday. The festival offers plenty of fun activities, such as a crawfish eating contest, crawfish races, live music, a barbecue cook-off for cash prizes, and
SPRING 2012 | v i b e 17

the annual parade. According to Cynthia Doucette of the Mauriceville Crawfish Festival Committee, it takes the work of many people and organizations to make the festival the huge success it has become. Encouraging and giving back to the youth of our community is a priority of everyone on the festival committee and those involved in the festival, Doucette said. We are so happy to have so many groups involved in the festival and the parade again this year. Area residents who regularly attend the festival enjoy the carnival rides and games, arts and crafts and activities, but the reason hundreds upon hundreds of people come to the Orange County community of Mauriceville every April is for the crawfish. The Mauriceville Youth Football League will be selling crawfish again at the festival, just like it has the previous two years. Fresh boiled crawfish is served steaming hot and with just the right amount of spice to please most appetites. Youth organizations and groups participate in the festival each year to help raise funds for their various organizations and schools and will do so once again in 2012. Festival hours are 5 p.m. - 11 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. Saturday to midnight; and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday. For more information about this annual event, search for Mauriceville Crawfish Festival on Facebook.

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v i b e | SPRING 2012

Not your average bug

Prime crawfish season is here. Depending on weather conditions, prime crawfish season can start as early as the last week of January to the first week of February. Crawfish can start being harvested in the first week of November if weather conditions keep the mud-bugs happy. Crawfish prefer warmer weather as long as it does not get too hot. If the water reaches 90 degrees in the ponds, the crawfish will go down in the water table where the temperature will be around 60 degrees. To keep the mud-bugs happy and flourishing, the ideal water temperatures should be approximately 70 to 80 degrees. Big Daddys Live Crawfish, located at 10707 Bessie Heights Road in Orangefield and can be reached at 409-670-8821, has been supplying the area with crawfish this season since the first week of November and sees possibilities of being able to keep the area supplied with crawfish through the end of July. It is the second largest seller of crawfish in Texas. While they do raise crawfish on their 265 acres of crawfish farms, they will also buy river crawfish from Louisiana. The drought hurt us a little but recent rains

By Dawn Burleigh

have helped, Todd Landry, owner of Big Daddys Live Crawfish, said. We have already seen some good size baby crawfish in the ponds, Landry said. This is going to be a good year for crawfish Prices for the mud-bugs depends on market price which is effected by supply and demand for tasty treat. Last year, Big Daddys Live Crawfish sold 5,000-6,000 sacks a week during the prime season and are the second biggest seller of crawfish. Big Daddys is expanding. They are currently building a peeling plant which could be completed by the second week of February. It will have to go through testing and should be running by the end of March or beginning of April. It will be the first peeling plant in Texas. Call them crawfish, crawdads, crayfish, or mud bugs, now is the prime time to plan a get together with friends and family to enjoy a crawfish boil. Big Daddys Live Crawfish advises to call a week ahead of time when planning a large party or celebrating a holiday to ensure availability of plenty of crawfish.
SPRING 2012 | v i b e 19

SERVICE AFTER THE SALE

Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 6 pm Saturday 8 am - 5 pm Sunday 11 am - 5 pm

3704 North 16th Street Orange,TX 77632 Helpful Hardware Club

Orange County Proud

Located Next to Bridge City Seafood

2682 E. Roundbunch Road

Orange, Texas 77630
BURGERS
OUR BURGERS ARE HALF POUNDER EXCEPT FOR THE COW BAYOU BURGER WHICH IS 1 POUND. OUR BURGERS ARE SERVED ON YOU CHOICE OF WHITE BUN OR JALAPENO BUN. THEY ARE SERVED WITH LETTUCE, TOMATO, PICKLE, GRILLED ONIONS AND MAYO.

409-886-1115
season we will substitute it w/crabcake) and cup of gumbo 4 Shrimp, 4 Oysters, 1 Catfish Filet, 1 Soft Shell Crab, 1 set of Frog legs, Small Gumbo & Fries or Onion Ring 2lbs Boiled Shrimp 3 lbs. Boiled Crawfish 5 lbs Boiled Crawfish 6 Halves of BBQ-Crabs 12 Halves of BBQ- Crabs

PEGS CLASSIC BURGER PATTY MELT CHEESEBURGER BACON CHEESE BURGER COW BAYOU BURGER WHISKER BURGER SHRIMP BURGER CRAB CAKE BURGER CHICKEN FRIED STEAK OYSTER BURGER DOUBLE CHEESE BURGER GRILL CHICKEN WITH BACON RICHARDS PHILLY HAMBURGER BACON CHEESE BURGER DOUBLE CHEESE BURGER
CHARGE TO ADD EXTRA ON BURGERS AND POBOYS CHEESE, JALAPENO, BACON, PICKLES OR MUSHROOM

SALAD SHRIMP SALAD GRILL TILAPIA SALAD GRILL CHICKEN SALAD LG. GREEN SALAD GRILL CATFISH SALAD HOUSE SALAD
Our salads served with jalapeno or white toast.

POBOYS SHRIMP WHISKER SPICY OR MILD CHICKEN SOFT SHELL CRABS OYSTER PO BOY BAYOU PHILLY POBOY
Our Seafood is hand battered with our own special seasoning. Each seafood basket is served with 2 hush puppies your choice of fries, onion rings or baked potato and a cup of gumbo and salad. To substitute for sweet potato fries or spicey onion or spicey corn nuggets is extra 25 cents for all dinners. Our bake potatos are served with butter only. $1.00 extra for a loaded potato.

APPETIZERS CRAB DIP CRAWFISH PISTOLETTE POTATO SALAD 3-JALAPENO POPPERS SHRIMP QUESDILLA BAKE POTATO W BUTTER BACON SHRIMP WRAP BACON SHRIMP WRAP W/CHEESE JALPENO BACON SCALLOP WRAP CRAB TEASERS(6) AND SHRIMP TEAZERS(6) SIDE ORDERS FRENCH FRIES CORN NUGGETS ONION RINGS SWEET POTATO FRIES
(SPICEY ONION RINGS OR CORN NUGGETS EXTRA 25CENTS)

SEAFOOD DINNERS

DESSERT FUNNEL STICK APPLE DUMPLING BREADPUDDING ROOTBEER FLOAT CAKE SLICE OF PIE ASK ABOUT OUR DESSERT FOR TODAY. GRILL SHRIMP CRAB DIP GRILL CHICKEN

SHRIMP (12) WHISKER (2) OYSTER (12) - WHEN IN SEASON SOFT SHELL CRAB (2) CRAB CAKE (2) FROG LEGS (2) BAYOU GATOR (1/2 LB) COMBINATION DINNER (choice 0f 1/2 order of 2 above) DINNER SPECIAL SEVERED WITH BAKE POTATO, SALAD, JALAPENO OR WHITE TOAST.

STUFF POTATOES WITH GREEN SALAD

SEAFOOD TACO SHRIMP WHISKER COASTIE GATER

Taking Orders Now

Our grill dinners are served with veggies and rice, slice of jalapeno bread or white bread and house salad.

10 OZ. RIBEYE STEAK 10 OZ. RIBEYE STEAK AND 6 SHRIMP BAYOU GRILL SPECIALTY GRILL SHRIMP GRILL CATFISH GRILL TILAPIA GRILL CHICKEN BREAST GRILL SHRIMP KABOB (2)

Business Orders Delivered Orange Area - 5 Orders or More Port Arthur Area - 10 Orders or More

SEAFOOD SPECIAL 6 Shrimp, 1 Catfish, & 6 Oyster Platter with Fries or Onion Ring

SEAFOOD PLATTER (When oyster is out of

Spring time is prom time

By Tommy Mann Jr.
pring is always a busy time, but it is also an equally busy and imporS tant time for high school students. Spring is also Prom time. School proms are typically held in late April and early May, and that means hundreds upon hundreds of Orange County teenage boys and girls will be out shopping for just the right tuxedo or suit or the perfect prom dress to complete that lifetime memory. Kari Milligan of Cindys Bridal and Formal in Vidor said now is the time to begin looking for that magical prom dress, as many stores begin receiving new dresses as early as January. She also had many insightful tips to searching for just the perfect prom dress. Dont worry if you dont find it the first time you go shopping, Milligan said. Dresses keep arriving through March, so you have plenty of time, but you dont want to wait until the last minute. Milligan said many young women already have a dress in mind when they begin searching for prom wear, but she suggests being more open to other dresses. Try on anything that fits, no matter the color or the design, she added. Probably 90 percent of the dresses I sell around prom arent what the girls are looking for to begin with. The dresses are not made to look good on a hanger, so try on a lot of dresses. Milligan said many girls and their mothers often travel outside of Orange County, or even Southeast Texas, on their quest for the perfect prom dress. She believes that is a mistake. Anything you can get in Houston or Austin or Dallas you can get at a local vendor in town, she said. But dont buy the dress because you see it online. Go in to the store and try on the dresses and see how it fits and how it looks. You can always order it in different sizes or colors after that. Trends are always popular at this time of year, and Milligan said this years trends include high-low dresses, which are high in the front and low in the back. One-shoulder dresses are also coming back in style, and so are the slim fitting, floor length dresses, Milligan continued. She also suggested girls be open-minded when seeking out that new

SPRING 2012 | v i b e 23

dress and to consider the salespersons opinion when trying on dresses. A good salesperson is worth listening too, Milligan explained. When a customer walks in, Im looking at her hair, body type, height and thinking what is this girl going to look good wearing. You need to feel good and confident in the dress you pick, she continued. But when a girl finds the right dress, she will know because she will not want to take it off. Young men who are searching for just the right tuxedo to compliment his dates dress and color scheme may have it a bit easier, but time is of the essence. As soon as his date has her dress, then he needs to start searching for his tuxedo, so he is assured of getting the tux he really wants, Milligan said. Matching the tuxedo or the vest or tie to the girls dress is a very important part of the tuxedo search. Milligan suggests bringing in a ribbon or color swatch from the dress to successfully match colors. If time is running out or the girl is taking too long finding her dress, the young man can always go with the traditional black and white tux or even a silver tux because its neutral with most everything, she added. Milligan said pinstripes are popular this year, as are tuxedos with shadow stripes. Every season there are tuxedos which are hot sellers, she said. So, if you wait too late, then you may not be able to get it. The sooner you can start searching, for a tux or a dress, the better off everyone will be.

24

v i b e | SPRING 2012

King is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights around the globe. King did it in a nonviolent way and is now a national icon in this countrys history. MLK was assasinated on April 4, 1968. Tubman was Union spy during the Civil War and is best known for helping slaves escape using what is known as the Underground Railroad. She was born into slavery yet her determination led to her escape. Without Robinson there might not be a Barry Bonds. Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. He broke the color line in 1947 and brought the African American race into the big leagues and out of just the Negro leagues. Ali was beyond who many consider one of the best athletes in sports history. Ali is also considered to be the touchstone for the racial and antiwar in the 1960s against the Vietnam War.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Harriet Tubman

Jackie Robinson

Oprah has been labeled as the most influential woman in the world. She has simiply done it all and never stopped to give back to those who are less fortunate. Parks is the woman who quietly and sternly said No. Parks on Dec. 1, 1955 refused to move to the back of the bus to make room for a white passenger. Agree or disagree, Obama became the first African American to hold the office. Obama defeated John McCain and was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009 and later was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Oprah Winfrey

Rosa Parks

Muhammed Ali

Barrack Obama

Houston is best known for an African American laywer and dean of Howard University Law School best known for dismantling the Jim Crow laws. Houston played a part in nearly every civil rights case before the Supreme Court from 1930 to 1954.

Charles H. Houston

Washington is known for being a great educator and was one of the last black American leaders to be born in slavery.

Booker T. Washington

Du Bois was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard and put his knowledge to good use. He later became one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
SPRING 2012 | v i b e 25

W.E.B. Du Bois

Bubbles and barking

hampoo lathers into soapy suds, clippers buzz and scissors snip and fly. But, unlike most beauty parlors, the customers are not quite as chatty. Just as grooming of ones hair is important for hygienic purposes in humans, dog grooming is a very important part of care in the pets life. From different types of coat brushes and stripping combs to dead-hair rakes and standing dryers, the business of grooming animals can be quite costly and time-consuming. But, for groomers such as Jan Klucik of Bridge City, dog grooming is a job that is very enjoyable. People dont realize that it is hard, physical work, Klucik said. You have to work with animals that dont understand what is going on and may be scared. But, I enjoy it and I will continue to do this until I just cant anymore. Klucik said that she worked as a beautician for many years in the Bridge City and Port Arthur areas, but made the switch when a family member asked her if she would be interested. One of my sisters (Bridge City Animal Hospital) employees left and she asked if I could fill in, she said. That was eight years ago. I started off just bathing the dogs and worked up to grooming.

By Greg Hayes
Klucik said that the biggest difference between her four-legged customers and her former bipedal, beauty salon patrons is that they didnt snap at her. None of my human customers ever bit me, she said with a laugh. But, dogs only bite at you because they are scared. They dont understand why they are there in the first place because they dont really see a need for it. Klucik said that she has a method for calming down perturbed pooches that come through the door and that it seems to work most of the time. If they act anxious and look as though they might try to bite I put them on a leash and make them walk on my left side right up against my left leg for a few minutes, she said. Then, they realize that Im the boss, not them. This works about 80 percent of the time. Klucik said that the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle hybrid breeds seem to be the best tempered, but that sometimes size of the dog says a lot. The larger dogs seem to be calmer and the smaller ones seem to be more scrappy, she said. But, Im not partial to any one breed. I love working with all of them.

26

v i b e | SPRING 2012

2012 Southeast Texas prep track schedule

Feb. 18: Mustang Relays Feb.23: PN-Gs Williamson Relays Feb. 25: WO-S Relays

Mar. 1: Deweyville Pirate Relays Mar. 2: Vidor Pirate Relays

Mar. 9: LC-M Battlin' Bear Relays Mar. 22: Silsbee Tiger Relays

Mar. 3: YMBL Relays (Ozen)

Mar. 24: PAM Titan Relays

Mar. 31: BC Cardinal Relays

Apr. 9-10: 24-2A Championsips (Winnie)

Apr. 10 -12: 21-3A Championships (WO-S)

Apr. 9-11: 20-4A Championships (West Brook)

Apr. 27-28: 5A & 3A Region III Meet (Humble)

Apr. 27-28: 4A and 1A Region III Meet (Huntsville) Apr. 27-28: 2A Region III Meet (Whitehouse) May 10-12: UIL State Meet

SPRING 2012 | v i b e 27

BOYS

Southeast Texas Track & Field leaders from the 2011 high school track season:

100 meters: Justin Thomas, WO-S, 10.39. 200 meters: Justin Thomas, WO-S, 21.29. 400 meters: Colin Janice, WO-S, 48.76. 800 meters: Gabriel Johnson, West Brook, 1,600 meters: Layne Smith, Nederland, 3,200 meters: Layne Smith, Nederland, 110-meter hurdles: Jeylin Reed, PA

Thomas, Phillip Jones, Mark Roberts), 40.89. Ivory, Justin Thomas, Phillip Jones), 1:25.86. Holmes), 3:19.96.

800-meter relay: WO-S (Mark Roberts, Ed 1,600-meter relay: PA Memorial (Jeylin Discus: Hayden Reed, LC-M, 186-3.

1:57.9.

Reed, Phillip Thomas, Darius Lemora, Nate Shot put: Hayden Reed, LC-M, 63-5 1/4. 1/2.

4:22.15. 9:55.65.

High jump: Kelvin Smith, Nederland, 6-9.

Long jump: Jarrian Rhone, Silsbee, 23-5 Triple jump: Trevor Bell, Hamshire-Fannett, Pole vault: Ty Johnson, Orangefield, 13-0.

Memorial, 13.75. Memorial, 38.03.

300-meter hurdles: Jeylin Reed, PA 400-meter relay: WO-S (Ed Ivory, Justin

47-4.

LC-Ms Hayden Reed throws the shot at a meet during the 2011 season. Reed is the defending Class 4A state champion in both the shot put and discus.

Photo by Tommy Mann, Jr.

28

v i b e | SPRING 2012

GIRLS
57.25.

100 meters: Bealoved Brown, Ozen, 11.86.

DFontenot, Robyn Hancock, Asia Booker, Bealoved Brown), 46.82 McKinney), 1:36.91. 1,600-meter Reagan Jones, DeOntra Kinlaw, Courtney (Dominique Brannon, Robyn Hancock, Renka Williams, Raven Williams) 3:55.01 Discus: Nekia Jones, Ozen, 141-7. Shot put: Nekia Jones, Ozen, 45-10 3/4. 1/2. relay: Beaumont Ozen 800-meter relay: PA Memorial (Kierra Roy,

200 meters: Bealoved Brown, Ozen, 23.98. 400 meters: Ashley Wright, West Brook, 800 meters: Ashly Wright, West Brook, 1,600 meters: Kinsey Miller, Nederland, 3,200 meters: Payton Burns, LC-M,

2:16.61. 5:30.00.

12:05.32. 15.23.

Ozen; Lindsey McDonald, East Chambers, East Chambers, 44.63. 300-meter hurdles: Lindsey McDonald, 400-meter relay: Beaumont Ozen (Jemeica

100-meter hurdles: Dominique Brannon,

High jump: Ashley Johnson, Silsbee, 5-8.

Long jump: Bealoved Brown, Ozen, 18-1 Triple jump: Ranell Lee, Beaumont Pole vault: Nicole Casper, Buna, 12-3.

Central, 38-8.

LC-Ms Payton Burns is one of the leading returnees in both the girls 1,600 and 3,200 meters in Southeast Texas this season.

Photo by Tommy Mann, Jr.

SPRING 2012 | v i b e 29

Late Winter and Early Spring

Feb. 17-19 Monster Nation at Ford Arena in Beaumont ($23) www.fordpark.com Feb. 17 From Russia: Fechin and Gaspard in the Southwest exhibition; David Brauer Lecture at Lutcher Theater followed by reception and book signing at Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org. Feb. 18 June 2 From Russia: Fechin and Gaspard in the Southwest at Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org. Feb. 18-19 Coin Show at VFW Hall in Orange Feb. 21 Taste of the Triangle at Ford Exhibit Hall www.fordpark.com Feb. 21 S.O.A.R. Program (Save Our American Raptors). Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center Discovery Theater. Seating is limited; RSVP required at 409-670-9799. Feb. 24-26 Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music at Ford Arena in Beaumont ($12-$56 ) www.fordpark.com Feb. 24 Trace Adkins at Nutty Jerrys in Winnie ($30$75) 877-643-7508 Feb. 25 21st Annual Cat Show at Beaumont Civic Center 409-838-3435, Ext. 1 Feb. 25 Musical Family Day at Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org. Feb. 25 Star Party at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. www.shangrilagardens.org. Feb. 27 Romeo and Juliet at Lutcher Theater www.lutcher.org Feb. 29 My Fair Lady at Lutcher Theater ($35-$60) www.lutcher.org February Medieval Manuscripts: From the Stark Collections at Stark Museum of Art through Feb. 25. www.starkmuseum.org. February Exotic Beauty: Birds of John Gould at Stark Museum of Art through Feb. 25. www.starkmuseum.org March 1 April 13 Easter Dcor at The W.H. Stark
8 vibe | SPRING 2012

EVENTS

House. www.whstarkhouse.org. March 2 Symphony of Southeast Texas at Julie Rogers Theater in Beaumont ($12-$36) 409-838-3435, Ext. 1 March 2-4 Golden Triangle Home Show at Ford Exhibit Hall www.fordpark.com March 3 Saturday Adventure Series: Off the Beaten Path at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. www.shangrilagardens.org March 3 Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Ford Arena in Beaumont ($35-$55) www.fordpark.com March 5-6 Blue Man Group at Lutcher Theater ($35$60) www.lutcher.org March 8 Doubt at Lutcher Theater ($15-$30) www.lutcher.org March 9 Randy Travis at Nutty Jerrys in Winnie ($35$75) 877-643-7508 March 10 Saturday Adventure Series: Green Cleaning Products at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. March 13 A Walk to the Heronry at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409670-9799. March 1316 ArtQuest Classes at Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org. March 13-18 Nederland Heritage Festival in downtown Nederland www.nederlandhf.org March 15 Third Thursdays: Special Birds of Shangri La presented by Michael Hoke at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409670-9799. March 17 Saturday Adventure Series: Landmarks of Shangri La. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. March 21 Blue Brothers at Lutcher Theater ($15-$30) www.lutcher.org March 22- April 1 South Texas State Fair at Ford Park in Beaumont www.ymbl.org March 23 Third Annual Beaumont Blues Festival at Beaumont Civic Center ($37.50-$44.50) 409-838-3435, Ext. 1 March 24 Art in the Park at Stark Park in Orange (free) 409-883-1011 March 24 Family Fun at Art in the Park with Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org. March 24 Saturday Adventure Series: Lettuce on Your Patio at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating is limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. March 27 Twinkle Twonkle at Lutcher Theater. www.lutcher.org March 31 Saturday Adventure Series: Morning Bird Walk at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.
SPRING 2012 | vibe 9

32

v i b e | SPRING 2012

Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. April 5 Charlie Russell performance project at Lutcher Theater. www.starkmuseum.org. April 6 City of Orange Easter Egg Hunt at City of Orange Boat Ramp www.orangetexas.org April 7 Saturday Adventure Series: Tree ID at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. April 8 Easter Sunrise Service at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. www.shangrilagardens.org. April 15 Screening of film Summer of the Birds with reception at Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org. April 1722 Earth Week with Daily, Family Activities at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. www.shangrilagardens.org. April 19 Third Thursdays: Twilight Hike at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. April 20-22 Mauriceville Crawfish Festival in Mauriceville www.facebook.com April 21 Eco-Fest at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. www.shangrilagardens.org. April 22 Earth Day and Butterfly Release at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. www.shangrilagardens.org. April 24 Mass Chaos Tour featuring Godsmack, Staind and Halestorm at Ford Pavilion in Beaumont ($35-$45) April 27-29 Texas Bar-B-Q Festival in Vidor 409769-6339 April 28 Saturday Adventure Series: Tracking 101 at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. April 28-29 St. Mary Spring Festival. 409-8838913 April 29 Orange County high school finals of the Stark Reading and Declamation Contest at Lutcher Theater. May 3-5 Port Neches Riverfest in Port Neches www.portnecheschamber.com May 5 Saturday Adventure Series: Wild Edibles at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Seating limited. RSVP at 409-670-9799. May 12 Mother-Daughter Tea at The W.H. Stark House. www.whstarkhouse.org. May 18 International Museum Day, From Russia: Fechin and Gaspard in the Southwest spotlight at Stark Museum of Art. www.starkmuseum.org.

/HDUQKRZWR GRZKDW\RX /29(

410 Front Street Orange, TX A Member of TSUS

www.lsco.edu

(409) 883-7750 An EO Institution

YOUR HOMETOWN FINANCIAL ADVISOR

4750 Meeks Drive Orange, Texas (409) 886-5611

3345 West Park Orange TX 409-883-0854

2801 W. Sunset Dr. Orange TX 409-883-0854

Beautiful courtyard and w/swimming pool

Dal Sasso Realty has for more than 54 years handled buying, selling, renting or leasing commercial and residential properties. Call the Dal Sasso Realty experts at 409-886-3651.