Perspectives 2010

ANADVERTISINGSUPPLEMENT TOTHE BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE ■ WEDNESDAY, MARCH24, 2010 ■ 1D
Tourism officials hope for full-
service hotel options to cater to
conventions: 9D
New spine and orthopedic cen-
ter works to heal mind, spirit
and, of course, body: 4D
A good mix of bars quenches even the
most unconventional of thirsts: 2D
Is there a cheaper 401(k) option than mutual funds? 8D SEC examines 12b-1 mutual fund fee: 10D
Cajun
eateries
offer gum-
bos almost
as good as
Grandma’s:
3D
What do seniors do when the
job is done? Three share se-
crets of post-work success: 7D
Race organizers hit the ground
running with Beaumont’s first
Gusher Marathon: 5D
Fine-dining establishments bring a richer
food experience closer to home: 3D
Retirees roll up their
sleeves for volunteer work
at Shangri La gardens: 11D
There’s more on the menu
than salad for a healthy
meal out: 6D
By Beth Rankin
[email protected]
(409) 880-0787
For all the goodthat can
come of having a routine,
sometimes it helps to shake
things upa bit.
What better way to do that
thanwitha cocktail?
For those looking to taste
outside their comfort zone,
local bars andbartenders
make it easy to embark onan
evening adventure without
having to skiptown.
At Easy’s Tapas andMar-
tinis onCalder, bartenders
constantly are searching for
the next great cocktail. And,
like any goodbusiness, they
invest inresearchanddevel-
opment.
Regulars oftenare in-
volvedina drink’s creation,
whether throughtaste-test-
ing or by helping to create a
newdrink fromscratch.
Suchwas the case a few
weeks ago when—finding
themselves knee-deepinan
overabundance of Bacardi
PeachRed—bartenders
sought peachy drink sugges-
tions fromcustomers.
That collaborationbe-
tweenbartender andpatron
is howthe Memphis Belle
came to fruition.
Ablendof peach
Schnapps, cranberry juice,
half-and-half andpeach
rum, this soft pink martini
—toppedoff witha sprig of
mint —is creamy, fruity and
pleasantly sweet without an
overpowering sugary taste,
making it anideal dessert
martini.
But don’t siponthis one
too long. As withmost alco-
holic cocktails that include
milk products, the cream
andalcohol eventually sepa-
rate, leaving a fluffy filmon
the topthat will needto be
stirredback into the drink.
Easy’s also offers the
Champagne Martini, made
withRazzmatazz, peach
Schnapps, champagne and
orange juice —a mixture
that creates a light, bub-
bly concoctionthat dances
pleasantly onthe tongue.
For traditional martini
drinkers or those who enjoy
gin, the Lohito is made with
vodka, lime juice, simple
syrupandlemongrass Dry
Soda, anall-natural soda that
gives the martini a pleasant,
dry kick.
The real adventure inlocal
imbibing, however, lies in
sipping cocktails not offered
onanestablishment’s menu.
At Madison’s onDowlen,
bartender Kandis Brown
didn’t bat aneye whenasked
to present anunconvention-
al drink that can’t be found
onthe menu.
“I have two questions,” she
saidas she made her way to
the rows of bottles lining the
bar. “Are youallergic to any-
thing andis there anything
youdon’t like?”
These two questions are,
infact, exactly what needs to
be addressedbefore embark-
ing ona spirit-filledadven-
ture. Evenamongst the ad-
venturous crowd, some folks
always will have ingredients
ontheir no-pour list. Vocal-
izing tastes youcan’t handle
might spare youfromhaving
to senda drink back.
At Easy’s, those inthe
knowcanorder the peanut
butter andjelly martini, a
concoctionthat’s not listed
onthe menu.
This drink has suchanin-
teresting andcomplex taste,
it’s hardto believe it’s mixed
withonly Kahlua, Frangelico
andcranberry juice.
The cranberry gives it a
pleasant, softly sweet jelli-
ness, while the combination
of Kahlua andFrangelico
creates a peanut butter taste
that slowly creeps infromthe
corners of your mouth. The
mix creates a surprisingly ac-
curate PB&J taste as it crawls
across your taste buds.
Have a spirited adventure
Unusual cocktails please the taste buds with surprising flavors
But youdon’t have to be a
regular to taste off the beaten
path.
The key is to try a variety
of bars andrestaurants, and
findthe bartenders who like
a goodchallenge.
Chat upyour bartender
andremember, they’re the
experts. Ask for recommen-
dations basedonyour favor-
ite drinks, or just ask themto
surprise you.
But be sure to be clear
about what ingredients you
don’t imbibe. Andas always,
tipwell, because that extra
dollar or two might leadto
the bartender tipping you
back inthe formof newdrink
adventures.
Beth Rankin/The Enterprise
Bartender Gordon Parrish pours a Memphis Belle at Easy’s Tapas & Martinis on Calder.
2D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 BeaumontEnterprise.com
(A NICE BREAK ON YOUR MID-WEEK BREAK)
Join us at Carrabbas’s tonight and
let our food and hospitality
remind you that the most
important things in life
don’t always happen
between 9 and 5.
WINE
WEDNESDAYS
WINE
WEDNESDAYS
You made it to mid-week,
celebrate with a bottle of vino.
We’ll get things started with
$10 off
any bottle of wine like our
Estancia Pino Grigio or
Coppola Claret.
It’s just that good.
TM
1550 IH 10 South • Beaumont
409.842.5561
[email protected]
beaumont
By Jemimah Noonoo
[email protected]
(409) 880-0754
There was once a time
whenfine dining meant an
80-mile trek to Houston.
Those days are no more.
Want proof? Check out
Bryan’s 797, a five-star res-
taurant inMidtown.
Chefs Marcus Bruner and
Denatura Fontenot canget
youstartedwiththeir savory
crabbisque or wildmush-
roomsoups, for example.
Save roomfor the main
courses onthe menu, which
couldinclude lambchops
witha mint pesto or seared
pacific salmonwitha “whis-
per of pecan.”
If youare feeling beefy,
sink your teethinto a juicy
steak tenderloin.
Entrees generally runfrom
$25 to $40.
Beyondthe fancy eating,
customers are surrounded
by elegant decor. The restau-
rant is ina two-story restored
house, complete witha fire-
place andbeautiful portraits.
Freshflowers adornthe
tables anddinners are served
by candlelight. The seating
area fits about 100 people.
Andclassical music is
playedto “set the mood,” said
Tanya Hampton, manager
andwine stewardat Bryan’s.
Reservations are sug-
gested, not required. But
call first, because Bryan’s
fills upfor private parties.
Andthere is a wine selection
for the pickiest of palates,
including the $3,500 bottle of
Romanee-Conti, Domde La
Romanee-Conti.
Hours are 5-10 p.m., Mon-
day throughSaturday. The
restaurant is locatedat 797 N.
FifthSt. inBeaumont.
GoodFella’s, 3350 Dowlen
Road, also offers a qual-
ity dining experience with
meals ranging fromabout $9
to $31.
“We’ve made a conscious
effort to be a quality dining
experience, andwe don’t
have to ripyour headoff
withthe prices,” saidowner
Frankie Randazzo.
So, lift your fork for some
pollo mamasala, whichare
chickencutlets dredgedin
seasonedflour witha mush-
roommarsala wine sauce
servedwithfettucine alfredo.
If youfeel like eating fish,
youmight want to try the pan
For upscale appetites
Sit down to an elegant dinner at these restaurants
By Christopher Dabe
[email protected]
(409) 880-0746
One Southeast Texas res-
taurant owner figures at least
one Cajundishis responsible
for muchdebate. The source
of the debate has less to do
withthe quality of the result
but more about the process
withwhichit is made.
“Everybody youtalk
to —it’s something every
Southeast Texanloves —
everybody believes they have
the best gumbo recipe,” said
Randy Romano, co-owner
of Zydeco Diner onCrockett
Street indowntownBeau-
mont.
Romano’s buffet-style eat-
ery is openfor lunchMonday
throughFriday andspecial-
izes infoods witha Louisiana
influence. Andthe restaurant
is hardly the only place in
Southeast Texas to offer such
variety.
Many local restaurants
have similar menuoptions.
Floyd’s CajunSeafoodand
Texas Steakhouse, located
at 2290 I-10 SouthinBeau-
mont is another. There’s also
Larry’s FrenchMarket and
CajunRestaurant at 3710
Pure Atlantic RoadinGroves.
Eachoffers gumbo, which
may be a most popular menu
option.
Cajun flavors flourish
Photos by Tammy McKinley/ The Enterprise
Blake Olmsted polishes the silverware before dinner at Bry-
an’s 747 in Beaumont.
A lamb chop dinner is among the offerings at Bryan’s 747.
searedhalibut withwildherb
andwhite wine sauce, or
treat yourself to shrimpwith
sundriedtomatoes.
Andwithalmost 1,000
bottles of wine intheir selec-
tion, youwon’t leave thirsty.
Kids shouldbe happy too,
witha children’s menuthat
offers spaghetti andmeat-
balls, personal pitza and
chickentenders for $5.
Goodfella’s has a relax-
ing atmosphere andself-
playing baby grandpiano
to helpmake the restaurant
the “prettiest one intown,”
Randazzo said.
The restaurant is open
Monday throughWednesday
from3:30-10 p.m., Thursday
throughSaturday from3:30-
11 p.m., andfrom10:30 a.m.
until 4 p.m. onSunday.
So, evenif youdon’t have
your Italiandown, youcan
still enjoy the company anda
fine meal, too.
“People oftensay, ‘I make
my ownroux,’” Romano
addedabout a basic gumbo
ingredient made of flour
andoil andgives the dish
its darkenedcolor. “They
start talking about howthey
process it or make it, andwe
actually bake our roux. That’s
not a secret.”
Amore commonroux-
making methodis to make it
ina frying pan, Romano said.
The results differ, but the
preference is personal.
Any restaurant worthits
salt offers its owntwist on
what have become tradition-
al fooditems. Whichmethod
is preferredis upfor debate,
but what cannot be argued
is that all foodpreferences
are different andcommonly
basedonupbringing.
“We knowwe’re not going
to beat your mother or your
grandmother, but we’ll come
close,” Romano said. “All we
want to do is come close.
“I’ll get that a lot, where
customers say, ‘This is really,
really good, but it’s not better
thanmy grandmother’s.’ And
evenif it was, youwouldn’t
say it was.”
The secret to any suc-
cessful restaurant, Romano
said, is a selectionof quality
ingredients. The fresher the
better, Romano said.
“The slightest little ingre-
dient canmake a worldof
difference inCajunfood,”
Romano said.
Many Cajundishes were
originatedby people living in
the Louisiana swamplands,
Romano said.
“If youthink back to
people 20, 30, 40 years ago,
people didn’t eat boiled
crawfish, so there hadto be
someone who said, ‘Let’s try
this,’” Romano said. “It hadto
be people inSouthwest Loui-
siana. They triedsomething
out of necessity. Let’s try
having something to eat. The
same thing goes back to the
unique Cajundishes.”
Popular Cajundishes
are commonly barbecued,
baked, grilled, boiledor
cookedintheir ownjuices.
Commondishes include
boudin, gumbo andjam-
balaya. Several local res-
taurants have also begunto
offer boiledcrawfishinthe
late-winter andspring sea-
sons, whencrawfishare most
plentiful.
As for whichis best, that’s
for the eater to determine.
Photos by Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
Zydeco Diner on Crockett Street serves up a variety of Cajun fare.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 3D BeaumontEnterprise.com
SEE WHAT’S NEWAT
PINE ARBOR
NURSING CENTER
“Culture Change”
Most people have never heard the phrase
before, but at Pine Arbor, we are
embracing it!
What exactly does this mean for our
residents? It means that they have a
choice in their care. It means that meals
will be served restaurant style. It means
that bath time will be at their choosing
and with fuffy bath robes and warm
towels. Please stop by to fnd out more
about this exciting new program.
Ask for Sandra Womack • Admissions Director • (409) 385-0033
PINE ARBOR
HEALTH CARE CENTER
705 FM 418 W Silsbee, Texas
• Short Term & Long Term Care
• Rehabilitation Care
NEW SPECIALS
Monday Kids Eat Free w/any adult meal.
(Not Valid w/Any Other Offer)
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Hour
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“Homemade Tortillas”
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Certified Classes Begin April 10th
409-832-1644
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Call Smith Lake
at
409-769-8200
By Sarah Moore
[email protected]
(409) 880-0730
Anewly remodeledunit at
Christus St. ElizabethHospi-
tal just might shift a patient’s
attitude towardorthopedic
surgery fromdreadto antici-
pation.
The Spine andOrthope-
dic Speciality Center, which
openedMarch1, combines
spa-like surroundings with
anemphasis onproviding
informationandeducation
to ease patients’ concerns
andspeedhealing, Heather
Bullard, unit director, said
during the center’s first week
inoperation.
Spine, hipandknee sur-
gery are offeredat the center,
witha newdisc replacement
procedure among the tech-
niques. It replaces damaged
discs inthe neck withstain-
less steel implants, helping
to restore range of motion,
relieving painandshorten-
ing recovery time.
Also, eachpatient is as-
signeda wellness education
coachto assist himor her in
the process fromsurgery to
recovery.
LynnWohler, director of
nursing services, saidevery
detail of the center has been
designedto promote healing
—inmind, body andspirit.
Eventhe artwork hanging
onwalls throughout the cen-
ter shows healing imagery,
blooming plants andwater.
“We wantedthe artwork
to depict life andthe impor-
tance of life,” Wohler said.
Bullard, Wohler andthe
rest of the staff radiatedpride
intheir newfacility.
The unit consists of 19
rooms, mostly private, with
easy-access tiledbathrooms.
Patients stepoff the
elevator into a hotel-like
atmosphere, complete with
marble-toppedconcierge’s
desk.
Anactivity roomgives
patients andfamily members
computer access, movies,
music andother diversions.
Adding a touchof conti-
nental elegance, the center
will offer “hightea” each
afternoon. Buffet dining is
ina sleek, moderncommon
dining room.
AHealthy Living Mar-
ketplace features a coffee
bar, personal care items, gift
cards andmore.
“We’ve triedto think of
every single thing a patient
might want or needandtried
to address it,” Wohler said.
Christus got the idea for
the center froma similar
facility inFlorida that was
having great success withthe
concept.
“Our executive leadership
wanteda programlike this,”
Bullardsaid. “It’s great for
patients. We’re thrilled.”
Spa touches soften clinical setting
Design of orthopedic center reaches beyond medical care
Heather Bullard points out a shower bench that folds out of
the way for patients who use wheelchairs.
Photos by Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital has opened a new Spine and Orthopedic Speciality Center.
Every detail of the center is meant to promote healing of mind, body and spirit.
4D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 BeaumontEnterprise.com
Jasper
409-384-5050
409-384-7654 Fax
Hemphill
409-787-1407
409-787-1427 Fax
Nederland
409-729-1100
409-729-1104 Fax
* Our nurses are local to serve you in your home
* Medicaid & Medicare pay 100%
* Workers Comp & Insurances
“Home Health Care from the Heart...
Go to Medicare.gov Search for Home Health
Compare to fnd Home Health & Care Ratings
HIGHER PERCENTAGES ARE BETTER
Percentage of patients who get better at
walking or moving around 58% 43% 46%
Percentage of patients who get better at
getting in and out of bed 62% 46% 54%
Percentage of patients who have less
pain when moving around 87% 56% 64%
Percentage of patients whose
bladder control improves 98% 39% 47%
Percentage of patients who
get better at bathing 97% 62% 65%
Percentage of patients who get better at
taking their medicines correctly
(by mouth) 86% 41% 43%
Percentage of patients who are short of
breath less often 87% 48% 60%
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BEAUMONT
By Johnnie Walters
[email protected]
(409) 880-0744
It wasn’t a simple process.
For race coordinators
planning the Gusher Mara-
thon, some wouldagree it
was oftenchallenging. But
they all put inthe time to
make sure the race will be an
enjoyable experience. It has
scenic, engaging andeven
adventurous points through-
out the flat 26.2-mile race
course.
“We put in100 man-hours
to get the course together,”
saidGusher Marathonrace
director RichardJames. “We
hadseveral different routes
so that we couldcome up
withthe best race course for
runners.”
James thought it was the
least they coulddo for Beau-
mont’s first marathon, which
is scheduledfor May 1. They
ran, drove androde bicycles
onvarious routes before they
agreedonthe perfect course.
“There were many things
to consider,” James said. “We
hadto think about traffic,
roadsurface, andwe hadto
make sure we showedthe
city’s attractions along the
way.”
The marathon, whichis
hostedby Sports Society for
AmericanHealth, is sched-
uledto beginat 7:30 a.m.
May 1 at Lamar’s Montagne
Center. There will also be
a half marathonanda 5K
race. The marathonandhalf
marathonwill bothstart at
the same time followedby
the three-mile race at 8 a.m.
“Every city that is the size
of Beaumont or larger has
a marathon,” saidJames,
whose non-profit organi-
zationbeganthe process
last June. “They all have
marathons that identify with
the city like Houstonand
Boston.”
Participants, who will
mainly runonMartinLuther
King Parkway, will also wind
aroundthe Lamar Univer-
sity campus andthrough
downtownBeaumont. The
course will remainopenfor
sevenhours. The time will
allowmarathonwalkers to
compete at least a 15-minute
pace witha fewshort rest
breaks.
“If youcanwalk three
miles thenyoucanpartici-
pate,” James said. “We have
700 registeredrunners so far.
We have participants from30
Texas cities and18 different
states registered. We expect
1,500 to 2,500 participants
for this year’s event.”
Wheneachparticipant
crosses the finishline, text
messages ande-mail alerts
will be sent to those that
register for the service. A
finishcamera will provide
a 30-secondclipwithin48
hours of the finish. RunWild
Sports Timing of Houston
will provide disposable chip
timing andresults.
“These events wouldnot
be possible without our
many sponsors andvolun-
teers,” James said. “Lamar
University will have 100 vol-
unteers alone helpout. An
event of this magnitude takes
hundreds andhundreds of
volunteers. So we appreciate
everyone that will helpout.”
James urges schools and
corporate relay teams to
participate. Prizes include
overall winners, age group
awards andshirts.
“We hope to have high
school bands andcheerlead-
ers throughout the entire
race cheer onrunners as they
compete,” James said. “We
will also have music bands
at the finishline perform
during andafter races. It will
be a lot of funfor the entire
family.”
Race planners go the distance
Legwork leads way for Beaumont’s frst marathon, set for May 1
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise
Runners train along Dowlen Road for Beaumont’s upcoming Gusher Marathon. 1,500 to 2,500 participants are expected.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 5D BeaumontEnterprise.com
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• Christmas Parade
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QUALITY MEDICAL QUALITY MEDICAL
Attentioncalorie con-
scious diners: Next time
you’re out at your favorite
restaurant, try ordering from
a category other thansalad.
“Youcaneat out health-
fully andeconomically,” said
Mary EllenVivrett, a regis-
tereddietitianandclinical
nutritionmanager at Baptist
Beaumont Hospital.
“If you’re struggling with
healthandweight trying to
eat healthier for your heart,
youcaneat out easily, but
youhave to be aware of what
you’re eating,” she said.
The mainadvice Vivrett
saidshe gives her clients is
this: Skipthe super-sized
meals, buffets andall-you-
can-eat options at restau-
rants andreachfor grilled,
bakedor broiledfoods.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture recommends
Americans balance healthy
eating choices withdaily
physical activity to maintain
or lose weight.
Here are some of Vivrett’s
tips onhowto mange
healthy eating while dining
at your favorite restaurant:
•Knowthe difference
betweena serving size anda
portionsize. Aserving size is
the amount youwant to eat
to achieve weight mainte-
nance. Aportionsize is what
they serve at a restaurant.
Just because they serve
it to you, doesn’t meanyou
have to eat it all.
Vivrett recommended
ordering off of the children’s
menuto get smaller serving
andportionsizes.
•Skipthe secret sauce
andthe cheese. Nixing the
mayonnaise andthe cheese
onyour hamburger can
save youabout 150 calories,
Vivrett said.
Whenyou’re ordering
pasta, remember that creamy
sauces are higher infat and
calories thantomato-based
sauces.
Also, try to get vegetables
mixedinwithyour sauce
insteadof meat.
•Try to eat a balanced
meal. Vivrett saidshe recom-
mends her clients divide
their plates into three, filling
half of it withvegetables, ¼
withmeat andthe other ¼
withstarch.
The vegetables canbe raw
or cooked, andthe meat can
be substitutedwithfoods like
cottage cheese, eggs, peanut
butter andtofu.
Starches caninclude foods
like bread, potatoes, rice and
pasta.
•Drink alcohol inmod-
eration. That’s two drinks (12
ounces of beer, four ounces
of wine or 1½ounces of
liquor) for menandone for
womena day, Vivrett said.
Having alcohol witha
meal or anappetizer slows
downthe absorptioninyour
stomach, she saidbut alco-
hol also lowers your glucose
level. That’s what makes you
hungry andis why you’re
more likely to overeat if
you’re drinking.
•Appetizers are a good
way to helpyoueat less.
Youcanorder a couple of
appetizers to share at the
table andalso order a soup
or saladfor yourself, Vivrett
said.
Be sure to stick to appetiz-
ers that are grilled, bakedor
broiled.
If youorder a soup, stick
to one that is broth-basedor
water-based. Tomato-based
soups are sometimes OK, but
those sometimes are higher
infat because they’re made
withheavy creams, Vivrett
said.
Keepinmindthat soups
tendto be highinsodium,
andif they containmeat, like
sausage, it will have more fat
andmore sodium.
Agoodtipto remember is
the lighter color the meat, the
lower the fat andcalories.
• It’s best to walk away
fromdessert …but if you
just can’t resist, Vivrett said
try to share one dessert with
the whole table, andtry to
order desserts made with
or toppedwithfreshfruit
insteadof chocolate or other
high-calorie sweets.
•If youhave trouble
overeating, Vivrett suggests
having a piece of fruit before
yougo out. Fruit raises your
By Heather Nolan
[email protected]
(409) 880-0724
Skip the salad without the guilt
Be aware of dining selections for a healthier, balanced meal
Photos by Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
At left, Mary Ellen Vivrett, a registered dietitian and clinical
nutrition manager at Baptist Beaumont Hospital, recom-
mends her clients choose grilled, baked or broiled foods
instead of super-sized meals, buffets and all-you-can-eat op-
tions at restaurants. At right, Vivrett displays a portion plate
for a balanced meal. A portion size is the amount served
at a restaurant, while a serving size is the amount to eat to
achieve weight maintenance.
glucose level, she said, which
helps youfeel full.
For more tips andto
developa healthy eating plan
cateredto your needs, Vivrett
recommendedvisiting the
U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture’s MyPyramid.gov Web
site.
The site allows consumers
to enter personal informa-
tion, like weight, age andav-
erage daily amount of physi-
cal activity andaverage food
intake to developa healthy
eating planto maintain, lose
or gainweight.
805 calories 735 calories
410 calories
Oriental plate Hamburger plate Sandwich plate
6D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 BeaumontEnterprise.com
Jason B. Simon
B.A.
Hearing Aid Specialist
James G. Phelan
Au.D., CCC-A
Doctor of Audiology
Christy Phelan Simon
Au.D., CCC-A
Doctor of Audiology
Brandi Phelan Coffin
Au.D., CCC-A
Doctor of Audiology
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By Rachael Hartman
[email protected]
(409) 755-4912, ext. 3
Southeast Texas seniors
arenot waitingfor lifetopass
themby. They areengagingin
their community andgiving
backtothenext generation.
Allowus tointroduceyou
tothreestrongseniors on
themove: akickbutt granny
fromMauriceville, ahistorical
painter fromKountzeanda
Silsbeebeautifier.
Tae Kwon Do granny
TwiceaweekClarrell
Williams, 71, of Mauriceville
takes her grandsonJacobAl-
red, 14, toVidor TaeKwonDo
lessons. But, shedoesn’t sit
onthesidelines cheeringhim
on—shegets out onthefloor
andkicks it withhim.
“Sheis really very grand-
motherly. Shehas areal sweet
demeanor, someoneyou
thinkshouldbebakingcook-
ies,” GlendaCarroll, senior
instructor at Vidor TaeKwon
DoAcademy saidof Williams.
Thegreat-grandmother is
onher secondbelt sincestart-
ingTaeKwonDolessons in
July of 2009.
Williams was astay-at-
homemom, thenworked
at Sam’s Clubfor about ten
years. At theageof 51, she
graduatedwithaBachelor of
ScienceinEducationfrom
Lamar University.
But theTaeKwonDodidn’t
comeuntil muchlater.
“I always likedtowatchit
inthemovies thenwhenmy
grandsonstartedtakingit
alittleover twoyears ago, it
lookedinterestingandlooked
likeit wouldbefun,” Williams
said.
“Somy daughter gaveme
TaeKwonDolessons for my
birthday.”
Williams saidshewas a
bit intimidatedinjoiningthe
adult class duetoher age.
“I don’t learnas fast as
theyounger peopleinthe
class. It takes melonger togo
throughacyclethanit does
theyounger people.
“Eventheyounger ones are
willingtohelpmeout with
anythingI need. Everyoneis
really supportive,” shesaid.
Shefacedtheintimidation
andfeels great about her vic-
tory bothinmindandbody.
“If thereis something
you’vealways wantedtodo
andyoukept sayingI’mgoing
toput this off, eventually one
day I’ll try it…WhenI reached
about seventy I realized‘one
day’ was here,” shesaid.
“If youwant todoit now’s
thetime.”
Snapshots in time
Randy Welborn, 66, of
Kountzestays youngat heart
by paintingmemories of life
inBeaumont inthe1950s.
Inspiredby NormanRock-
well, his collection“Moments
toRemember” features 15
local scenes andincludehis
friends andfamily, his first
car —a1941Cadillac, and
lots of meaningful details,
suchas personally important
dates put onlicenseplates
andsigns.
Thereis areasonfor every
detail Welbornputs intohis
paintings, andhestrives for
historic correctness ineach
scene.
“I’ll pickaday andgofind
out what moviewas play-
ingthat day. I pickedout my
12thbirthday andlookedon
theBeaumont Enterprise’s
microfilmtofindout what
moviewas playing. It was
‘Twist of Fate’ withGinger
Rogers,” hesaid.
Hetitledthat painting
“Eveningat theJefferson.”
“It turnedout tobealot of
fundoingthepainting,” he
explained.
Art isn’t just away to
preservememories, but it is
oneway Welbornconnects
topeople. His son, BryanS.
Welborn, workedwithhimon
fiveof thepaintings.
Toinsureaccuracy, Wel-
bornalsotalks topeoplethat
remember details fromthe
1950s.
“All theresearchis somuch
funandinterviewingpeople.
I’ll askthem, ‘What color do
youremember thesethings
being?’ Theconsensus will
giveyoutheclosest answer,”
hesaid.
Other paintings inthecol-
lectionfeatureThePigstand
inSouthPark, “Draggingthe
Circle,” theGaylynnTheatre,
andtheSouthParkdrive-in
theatre. Welbornalsopaints
scenes fromVillageCreek.
Welbornstartedpainting
whenhewas 7years old. His
artworktookthebackburner
whenhebeganworking
at Westinghouseat age18.
Hereceivednewpaints for
Christmas whenheturned25
andhasn’t stoppedpainting
since.
Hesaidheis busier now
workingonpersonal projects
for friends andhis church,
thanwhenhewas working
full-time.
Welbornretiredin2003
after working42years at
Westinghouse, nowcalled
Industrial Apparatus Service.
Porter planter
After almost 40years of
full-timeworkas aRegistered
Nurse, LudessaPorter, of
Silsbeestill cares for those
aroundher.
“I workedall of thetime,
but I promisedmyself if I
ever retireI’mgoingtogive
somethingbacktothecom-
munity,” Porter said.
Shefirst madethepromise
as a30-year-oldworking16
hour days; nowat age67she
still fulfills her commitment.
“I madethat promiseandI
kept it. AndI feel goodabout
it.”
Porter is involvedinmul-
tiplelocal andstateprojects,
but her pet project is the
beautificationof Silsbee.
After spinal surgery and
kneeproblems left her walk-
ingwithacane, Porter still
picks uptrashincity clean-
ups, coordinates landscaping
andadds thefinal touchof
homearoundthecity.
“I can’t doalot of things,
but I candowhat I cando. If
I wouldhavestoppedafter I
hadmy surgery, andnot done
anything, as somany people
do, I wouldhavebeenprob-
ably inawheelchair by now.
Thedowntowngazebo,
flower boxes andholiday
decorations areall aresult of
thebeautificationefforts.
“I’mproudof Silsbee. Have
youever seensomeof those
small towns that youdrive
throughthat aresocleanit
looks likeyoucouldeat off
of thestreet? That’s what I’m
hopingfor andstrivingfor in
Silsbee,” shesaid.
Porter is theChairmanof
theSilsbeeBeautification
Committee. Sheis involved
withTeamCity, is adirec-
tor at SilsbeeChamber of
Commerce, is ontheSchool
HealthAdvisor Council, the
Community Advisory Com-
mittee, andamember of
LeadershipSoutheast Texas.
Porter alsostays involvedat
her church: Simon’s Memo-
rial Churchof GodinChrist.
Sheis alicensedEvangelist
Missionary, President of the
HomeandForeignMissions
BoardandStatePresident
of theTexas SouthEast 3rd
JurisdictionWidow’s Circle
andMother’s Board.
“Lifehas beengoodtome,
andI just always wantedto
givesomethingback. Every-
oneshouldgivesomething
back. I enjoy doingthis,” she
said.
What do you do when the job is done?
Retirees
share success
stories of life
after work
Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise
Clarrell Williams works out at the Vidor Tae Kwon Do Academy in Vidor.
Rachael Hartmann/The Enterprise
Randy Welborn, 66, of
Kountze keeps history alive
through his paintings.
Rachael Hartmann/The Enterprise
Ludessa Porter, 67, of Silsbee keeps a 37-year-old promise
and spends her time giving back to the community
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7D BeaumontEnterprise.com
MARY FADHLI
EARNS PROMOTION TO
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Mary Anne Fadhli has been promoted to Executive Vice
President of MCT Credit Union effective January 1, 2010.
She began her employment at MCT Credit Union, formerly
Mid-County Teachers Credit Union, in June, 1979. She has
heldnumerous positions duringher career at theCredit Union.
These positions included managing the Member Services
and Lending Departments, as well as holding Administrative
Assistant, Branch Management and Chief Lending Offcer
positions.
Mary Anne is a graduate of Port Neches-Groves High School
and a 2000 graduate of the Credit Union National Association
Management School.
Mary Anne is the daughter of Lillie Joyce Moore and the
late John Paul Moore of Groves. She resides in Groves with
her husband Adam and daughter Carli Carrier. She also has
daughters Courtney Carrier of Dallas and Kaitlen Gary of
Huntsville.
mctcu.org
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and Oklahoma!
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They’ve beenaroundfor
decades; they’re cheaper
thanmutual funds, yet few
companies offer collective
investment trusts intheir
401(k) plans. That seems to
be changing.
Similar to mutual funds,
CITs pool money frompar-
ticipants andinvest instocks,
bonds andother alternatives.
Amajor appeal is that they
do so at a muchlower cost.
Companies withthou-
sands of employees intheir
retirement plans are catch-
ing onandadding CITs at
anincreasing pace. Apple,
Dell andExxonMobil are a
fewthat offer this cheaper
option.
Expenses are lower
because CITs are managed
by a bank or trust company.
Oversight falls to federal
banking regulators so col-
lective trusts avoidthe costs
that come withadhering to
regulations of the Securities
andExchange Commission.
For instance, record-keep-
ing costs are lower and, be-
cause CITs aren’t promoted
like mutual funds, marketing
costs are eliminated.
What’s more, managers
are not requiredto mail all
the documents mutual funds
must, further reducing costs.
Createdinthe late 1920s,
collective trusts are oftenfa-
voredby pensionmanagers
because of their lowfees and
flexible investment choices.
They were usedin401(k)
accounts intheir infancy, but
were pushedaside by mutual
funds, whichare easier to
track because trading infor-
mationmust be available to
the public.
Witha renewedfocus on
cutting fees inretirement
accounts, CIT’s popularity
is rapidly growing. About
By David Pitt
The Associated Press
More companies offering CITs
Low-fee option could be
coming to your 401(k)
88 suchfunds were created
inthe 1980s, but more than
three times that number
startedupinthe 1990s.
Since 2000, more than
770 collective trusts were
launched.
Thoughexact numbers
are hardto track, industry
experts estimate there are
about 2,000 CITs.
Collective investment
trusts are available to insti-
tutional fundmanagers who
set 401(k) plans for employ-
ers. That means individuals
can’t buy shares. Your com-
pany adds themas options
withinyour 401(k) plan.
About 45 percent of 401(k)
plans include CITs. You’re
more likely to have collec-
tive trusts inyour planif you
work for a company with
more than1,000 employees.
About 70 percent of larger
companies offer CITs, Morn-
ingstar said.
Many federal employees
andmembers of the military
are familiar withcollective
trusts because the govern-
ment’s thrift savings plan,
a 401(k)-type program,
is completely investedin
collective trusts, saidSteve
Deutsch, director of collec-
tive trusts for Morningstar.
Some plans replace mu-
tual funds withCITs while
others addthe trusts as an
option, he said.
Estimates showcollec-
tive trusts holdabout $1.6
trillioninassets, about half
inpensionplans andhalf in
401(k)-type plans. That’s a
small chunk of the estimated
$13.4 trillioninUnitedStates
retirement market assets.
Adownside is workers
don’t receive extensive per-
formance documentation,
andthey can’t use a ticker
symbol to look upcollective
trusts to compare perfor-
mance the way they canwith
mutual funds.
Workers witha collective
trust intheir retirement plan
typically get a quarterly re-
port. They canlog into their
account onthe provider’s
Website andget perfor-
mance information.
To close the information
gap, analysts are finding
ways to track CITs andoffer
performance ratings.
Morningstar saidit has
more than1,150 inits data-
base.
Workers wouldbe better
off if collective trusts were
more widely usedbecause
of the straightforwardand
lower fee structure, said
KeithShadrick, founder and
president of Axia Advisory
Corp., anIndianapolis retire-
ment planconsultant and
manager.
Mutual funds charge an
average of 1.25 percent of
assets, twice the average 0.63
fee level of collective trusts,
saidAdamBaranowski, a
Morningstar data analyst.
Trust fees also are more
negotiable, andmany plan
providers significantly pay
less thanthe average. Fees
canbe as lowas 0.25 percent.
That muchof a savings
onfees couldincrease ac-
count balances by tens of
thousands of dollars inthe
working years of the average
saver.
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Bus: 409-724-1337
[email protected]
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contact Credit Union for more information.
Southeast Texas nears
the end of a hotel build-
ing boomthat has created
hundreds of newrooms in
Beaumont, Port Arthur and
Orange.
With three newho-
tels soon coming online,
Beaumont will have more
than 4,000 rooms available,
mostly “limited-service”
hotels that offer rooms but
not restaurants, bars and
convention rooms.
Tourismofficials would
like to see a different type of
hotel in the area.
“At this point, the way the
economy is, we are over-
built with limited-service
property,” said Dean Con-
well, executive director of
the Beaumont Convention
and Visitors Bureau.
“I would rather have one
more full-service hotel like
the Holiday Inn or El-
egante.”
The economy has been
tough on the entire hotel
industry, said Conwell, who
expects the industry to re-
cover some in the summer
months.
When the industry im-
proves, Conwell would like
to see a full-service hotel
move into the area near
Ford Park or near down-
town Beaumont.
“Downtown’s looking
better every day,” Conwell
said.
Near the Beaumont Civic
Center or Ford Park, a “full-
service” hotel with meeting
space could attract con-
ventions that might bring
thousands of professionals
for days or a week.
“Conventions will stay a
couple of days, eat lots of
meals and spend money in
this area,” he said.
Thousands of workers
were expected to move
to the area for short-term
construction work at several
Jefferson County refiner-
ies, including Valero and
Motiva in Port Arthur. In
turn, hotel owners began
constructing a number of
properties in the past three
years.
However, the national re-
cession caused most of the
oil companies to suspend
their construction plans.
Ayear ago, Motiva
delayed a $7-billion plant
project. Then, in June,
Valero paused its $1.7-bil-
lion expansion of its Port
Arthur refinery.
Despite the economic
downturn, the newrooms
provide plenty of space for
families that travel to Beau-
mont’s Ford Park complex
for softball tournaments
throughout the year, said
Freddie Willard, director
of sales for the Beaumont
Convention and Visitors
Bureau.
With about 12 events a
year, they can take up to
2,500 rooms for a tourna-
ment.
In Orange, five new
hotels are being built along
Interstate 10, said Darline
Zavada, administrator of
the Orange Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
The construction will
bring Orange’s number of
rooms to more than 800.
“There’s not only con-
struction bringing more
people to town, but it’s the
casinos next door,” Zavada
said.
By Kyle Peveto
[email protected]
(409) 880-0737
Hotel boomopens many rooms
Tourism officials would like ‘full-service’ options to cater to conventions Opening soon
Five years ago, Beau-
mont had about 3,000
hotel rooms. Soon, it will
have 4,394.
The most recent hotels
being built are:
n An 81-room Holiday Inn
Express at 7140 Eastex
Freeway soon will open
and is projected to cost
$3.2 million.
n The recently opened
Red Roof Inn behind
Floyd’s Cajun Seafood
and Steakhouse cost
$4.7 million.
n In the Walden Road
area near the Tinseltown
movie theater, Homewood
Suites, at 3745 Interstate
10 South, will cost about
$3.2 million.
n Next to it, the Staybridge
Suites, 5730 Clearwater
Court, a four-story building,
will cost $3.8 million, ac-
cording to City of Beau-
mont building permits.
Photos by Pete Churton/The Enterprise
TOP: Red Roof Inn & Suites at 2310 Interstate 10 South. BELOW: Holiday Inn Express on US 69.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 9D BeaumontEnterprise.com
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Many investors might skip
the line ontheir mutual fund
disclosure statements that
reads, “12b-1 fee.”
These fees are the money
that many funds collect to
offset a variety of expenses,
fromadvertising to brokers’
commissions. They also can
cut into investors’ returns.
The fees, whose name
is a legacy of the Securities
andExchange Commission
rule that createdthemthree
decades ago, brought in$9.5
billionfor fundcompanies
last year.
That amount is equal to
18 percent of fundexpenses,
not counting sales charges,
according to the fundindus-
try’s Investment Company
Institute. The 12b-1 fees
typically amount to around
$2 a year for every $1,000
invested.
The SECis questioning
whether investors shouldbe
paying them.
ChairwomanMary Scha-
piro askedher staff to pres-
ent a recommendationon
12b-1s for the commissionto
consider this year.
“Investors may have no
idea these fees are being
deducted, what services they
are paying for or who they
are ultimately compensat-
ing,” Schapiro said.
Broadly, the SECsaid
12b-1s are supposedto
cover funddistribution,
andinsome cases, share-
holder services. Afundthat
doesn’t compensate advisers
througha 12b-1 is prob-
ably collecting that money
elsewhere. Increasingly,
12b-1s have become revenue
substitutes for the growing
number of funds that don’t
charge “loads” or sales fees.
“It doesn’t make sense to
use 12b-1s alone as a tool
to screenout funds,” said
Mercer Bullard, president
of FundDemocracy, a fund
By Mark Jewell
The Associated Press
Mutual fund fee could get a makeover
SEC evaluates 12b-1 expense
that cuts into investors’ returns
shareholder advocacy group.
Bullardis a former assistant
chief counsel at the SEC.
The challenge for regula-
tors andthe industry is to de-
signa fee systemthat inves-
tors understandandthat also
fairly compensates advisers
andother intermediaries.
Besides compensating bro-
kers, 12b-1s were createdto
helpa then-struggling fund
industry recover fromtough
times inthe 1970s. Schapiro
saidthe fees might have
made sense whenthey were
introducedin1980. But now,
she said, “it is past the time to
reassess their needandtheir
effectiveness.”
About ‘12b-1’ fees
What are they? The SEC
adopted a rule — called
12b-1 — that allowed mu-
tual funds to begin charg-
ing the fees to investors
in 1980. The rule allowed
12b-1s to be assessed
alongside management
and other expenses that
funds pass on to custom-
ers to oversee investment
portfolios and provide other
services.
How many funds charge
12B-1s? About 65 percent
of fund share classes.
How do I find out if I’m
being charged? A fund’s
prospectus and other dis-
closures list a breakdown of
the charges that make up a
fund’s expense ratio.
What’s a typical charge?
12b-1s range from $1.50
to $3 per year for every
$1,000 invested.
How much does the
industry collect? About
$9.5 billion last year, down
from $11.6 billion in 2008.
Last year’s figure was
about 18 percent of fund
expenses, excluding sales
charges.
What costs do they
cover? Typically, the fees
cover compensation for
advisers who sell the fund
or other financial intermedi-
aries who provide follow-up
services. An industry survey
found that more than 90
percent of 12b-1 revenue
went to ongoing share-
holder services or initial
sales assistance. Another 6
percent went to other fund
services, with 2 percent
for fund promotion and
advertising.
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Charlie Rothrock remem-
bers his father andgrandfa-
ther were always busy, even
after they retired.
“If youretire, youcan’t
stopworking. If youjust stop,
you’ll die. As long as you’re
productive, you’re fine,” he
said.
Rothrock, 60, is ina wheel-
chair after a motorcycle ac-
cident 30 years ago. He stays
busy as a volunteer at Shan-
gri La Botanical Gardens and
Nature Center inOrange.
Thoughhe lives inPort
Neches, he doesn’t let
distance get inthe way of his
time at Shangri La.
“I drive 22 miles to come
over here to volunteer,” he
saidat the gardens.
Rothrock is one of more
than200 volunteers at Shan-
gri La, most of themretired.
They range inages upinto
the 80s.
Holly Hanson, volunteer
coordinator, saidthe retirees
are perfect for the gardens
andnature center.
“Whenyouwork 40 hours
a week, raise childrenandgo
to soccer games anddance
lessons, youdon’t have time
to volunteer,” she said.
The volunteers canwork
a number of different jobs
andas many hours as they
choose.
HansonsaidShangri La
asks volunteers to work at
least 30 hours a year, which
averages to less thanthree
hours a month.
Talbert Meadows, 66, a re-
tiredchemical plant worker,
is the first volunteer to mark
1,000 hours. He is knownas
“The BirdMan” andworked
withthe West Orange-Cove
school district’s Nature
Classroombefore Shangri La
openedin2008.
He startedout helping to
catchbirds inspecial nets
andthenbanding themfor
scientific tracking.
The first time he sawthe
awe ona child’s face when
he showedthema birdinhis
hand, he knewhe hadfound
something he loved.
He also takes care of Max-
ine, Shangri La’s barredowl
who was injuredas a baby
andcan’t fendinthe wild. At
some of the events, Meadows
will have Maxine out for chil-
dren, andparents, to see.
Some of the volunteers
work inthe greenhouse and
withplants.
Director Michael Hoke
saidthat after Hurricane Ike
floodedShangri La, six vol-
unteers rebuilt andimproved
the children’s garden.
Volunteers serve as
docents andguides inthe
gardens andwork inoffices.
They also are inthe educa-
tioncenter andmanage the
projector for Shangri La’s
introductionfilm.
Volunteers, including
women, drive pontoontour
boats along Adams Bayou,
Hansonsaid.
Driving the boats requires
special training, andthe
drivers must meet certain
standards, she said.
Rothrock uses anelectric
scooter chair inShangri La
andleads tours.
“I like being the tour guide
the best because youmeet
people fromall over the
world,” he said. “I’ve met
people fromRussia, England,
Australia andnearly all the
states.”
Thoughmost of the vol-
unteers are fromthe Orange
area, some drive fromBeau-
mont, Sulphur, Groves and
Sabine Pass.
The non-profit Stark
Foundationowns andoper-
ates Shangri La. By using
volunteers inthe gardens,
the foundationsaves money
to invest inother charitable
projects inthe community,
Hansonsaid.
AndShangri La appreci-
ates the volunteers.
“We try to treat themreally
well,” Hansonsaid.
Volunteers get free mem-
bershipto Shangri La with
free entry anda discount in
the gardenstore. They also
get advance notice of special
programs.
HansonsaidShangri La
hosts a luncheonfor volun-
teers inJune along witha
Christmas party inDecem-
ber. At the events, prizes and
awards are given. Volunteers
canearnitems like shirts and
jackets, but the intangible
benefits are the most valu-
able.
Hansonsaidvolunteers
are always telling her “I learn
By Margaret Toal
[email protected]
(409) 838-2860
orange
retirees find their niche at the garden
Volunteers keep in touch with nature, community at Shangri La
something every time I’m
here.”
Others saidtheir time in
Shangri La, as a working
volunteer, is a treat for them-
selves to be close to nature.
“It’s really personal to
eachperson,” she said.
Volunteers canregister
online at shangrilagardens.
org or by calling (409) 670-
9113.
Margaret Toal/The Enterprise
Volunteer Jerry Reedy greets visitors to Shangri La and helps give directions. She is one of
more than 200 volunteers, most retirees, who give time in the gardens and nature center to do
a variety of jobs. Shangri La also gives parties and special benefits for the volunteers.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11D BeaumontEnterprise.com
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www.sabinefuc.org
1939 Strickland Drive
Orange, Texas 77630
(409) 988-1300
P.O. Box 3000
Orange, Texas 77631
1-888-319-SFCU
Sabine River Basin
2010 Board of Directors
Stan Mathews,
President, Pinehurst
Don Covington
Vice President, Orange
Earl Williams
Secretary/Treasurer
Orange
David Koonce
Secretary Pro Tem
Center
Connie Wade
Longview
J. D. Jacobs, Jr.
Rockwall
Connie Ware
Marshall
Cliff Todd
Carthage
Mac Abney
Marshall
www.sratx.org
PO Box 579 • Orange, TX 77631
(409) 746-2192 • Fax (409) 746-3780
Date of Creation:
The Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA)
was created by the Legislature in 1949 as
an offcial agency of the State of Texas.
The SRA was created as a conservation and
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control, store, preserve and distribute the
waters of the Sabine River and its tributary
streams for useful purposes.
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The SRA receives no appropriations
and is not empowered to levy or collect
any kind of Texas. Operating funds are
primarily derived from the sale of raw water,
hydroelectric power, water equality services,
and recreational and land use permit fees.
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ANADVERTISINGSUPPLEMENT TOTHE BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE ■ WEDNESDAY, MARCH24, 2010 ■ 13D
Downtown Beaumont’s living options are on the upswing: 16D
Mid-County’s Golden Corri-
dor booms, while downtown
Port Arthur is poised for a
comeback: 17D
Tax credit key for many home buy-
ers, according to Realtor: 16D
Career and
technology pro-
gram teaches
students valu-
able real-world
job skills: 14D
Groundbreak-
ing deaf
education
program at LU
prepares stu-
dents for grow-
ing field: 15D
How did billions of dol-
lars worth of planned
expansion projects fare
in the face of the Great
Recession? 18D
Beaumont’s commercial develop-
ment goes west: 16D
Orange cashes in on Texas
U-turns at Texas 62: 17D
Foreclosed homes might or
might not be a bargain: 17D
WhenOzensenior Court-
ney Bushnell thinks about a
tripshemadetoDomino’s
Pizzaher facelights up.
Her responsehas nothing
todowithgettingagoodslice
of pie. Her excitement stems
fromthefact shenoticed
somethingwrong.
“I remember watchingthe
manager washher hands,
andI toldmy mamashedid
it thewrongway,” Bushnell
said. “Shestill washedher
hands, but shedidit the
wrongway. I only knowthat
becauseof what I’velearned
here.”
“Here” is theTaylor Career
Center, whereBushnell is one
of many students enrolledin
Beaumont ISD’s career and
technology program.
Thesedual enrollment
courses, inwhichthestu-
dents get collegecredit for
theworkas soonas they are
acceptedtoacollege, givethe
students achancetoexplore
their futures nowinsteadof
waitinguntil after graduation.
Schools always have
offeredsomekindof tech
program, suchas home
economics or shop. But
thosewereelectives that only
touchedthesurface. Today’s
classes arelonger andmore
in-depth.
TakeBushnell’s restaurant
management class. She’s
learnedhowtodothings
rangingfrompreparinga
meal for alargegroupto
correctly slicingmeat and
vegetables for aparty tray.
Bushnell, whois inthe
ROTCclass at Ozen, saidshe
was goingtoenlist intheU.S.
Navy this fall andtherestau-
rant management class has
givenher thegoal of being
achef or cookwhileinthe
military.
By Ryan S. Clark
and Blair Dedrick Ortmann
[email protected]
(409) 880-0723
Mixing core subjects, job skills
Today’s BISD student can get head start on college and career at Taylor center
Many dis-
tricts offer
career tech
programs.
FAR LEFT:
At BISD’s
Taylor Ca-
reer Center,
Maryalice
Sam, right,
culinary art
hospitality
educator,
watches
as student
Ja’corian
Harmon
adds in-
gredients
to a butter
cookie mix.
LEFT: Glen-
da Shaw,
left, food
production
instructor,
works with
Mary Carre-
on on the
correct way
to slice by
rolling the
knife on its
blade.
Photos by Pete
Churton/
The Enterprise
“I’vealways wantedtogo
intheNavy sinceI’vebeenin
ROTC,” Bushnell said. “Now
that I knowhowtocookand
doother things, it gives me
another skill that I cantake
intotheNavy.”
For Pat Calhoun, BISD’s
career andtechnology edu-
cationdirector, theclasses
givestudents anopportunity
toeither try out something
they might beinterestedinor
get aheadstart onachosen
pathwithout havingtopay
for theclasses.
“Alot of students arethe
first intheir family togoto
collegeandthat’s intimidat-
ing. It’s kindof asecurity
blanket tohavealready com-
pletedcollege-level courses,”
hesaid.
Someof thoseclasses are
eventaught by Lamar Insti-
tuteof Technology profes-
sors, Calhounadded.
Inthepast, career and
technology classes have
focusedmoreonthings like
woodworkingandhomeeco-
nomics andnot ongetting
students intocollege.
That’s changed, Calhoun
said.
“Thelines havebeen
blurredbecauseof theability
for students toreceivecollege
credit for techcourses,” he
said.
Thedual credit trackfo-
cuses ongivingthestudents
bothskills andcollegecredit,
meaningthey canenroll in
LITwithsix or ninecredits
already inhand. Inturn, that
makes gettingadegreeabit
less expensivewhilegiv-
ingthemtheskills toenter
theworkforceandsupport
themselves throughcollege,
Calhounsaid.
“Our goal is tohaveour
students successful andbe
productiveandfindanoc-
cupation,” hesaid. “Culinary
arts, autotechnology, auto
collisionrepair, theseare
skills neededinevery com-
munity.”
Subas Stevens, aWest
Brookjunior, saidhis culi-
nary arts class helpedhim
realizehewants tobeachef
andrunhis ownsteakhouse.
It alsohas shownhimthere’s
moretobeingachef than
cooking.
“We’velearnedthings like
howtoproperly cleanupso
weavoidcross-contaminat-
ingfoods,” hesaid. “I knew
I always wantedtobeachef
andI evendidsomecooking
at home. But cominghere
has shownmethat what I
learnedat homeis alot dif-
ferent fromhowthey doit in
thereal world.”
Inthefuture, Calhounsees
moreblendingof thecareer
andtechnology classes
andcollegecourses sothat
students cantakeevenmore
classes that cangoonacol-
legetranscript.
“Thesestudents arenot
goinginwithlower expec-
tations,” hesaid. “They
graduatewiththerecom-
mendedcredits sothey have
theopportunity togoontoa
four-year collegeif they make
thedecisiontodoso.”
14D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 BeaumontEnterprise.com
Capitol Ofce/Austin Mailing
Room EXT E2.306
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0662
(512) 463-8381 Fax
Tank you for letting me serve you.
In order to serve you better,
I need to hear from you.
Contact me at:
District Ofce
One Plaza Square, Suite 203
Port Arthur, TX 77642
(409) 724-0788
(409) 724-0750 Fax
www.joedeshotel.com
Joe Deshotel
House of Representatives
Thank you for the honor of serving you
once again as Justice of the Peace Pct. 6.
Victory is always sweet; moreover
your decisive and resounding support
is humbling and greatly appreciated.
As your Justice of the Peace, I remain
committed to serving with integrity,
compassion, and fairness.
Indeed “It takes a village to raise a child”.
I am one of those children.
Thank you for agreeing…
“IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT!!”
Thank you again for your support,
Judge Ransom “Duce” Jones
I am ever reminded
of the old saying
“We drink from wells
we did not
dig and we are
warmed by fres
we did not kindle.”
THANK YOU
Voters of Jefferson County Pct. 6
Judge Ransom “Duce” Jones
By David Henry
[email protected]
(409) 880-0735
Program a sign of things to come
LU’s groundbreaking deaf education curriculum prepares students for growing field
Tony Martinwas atypical
senior inhighschool, not
particularly sureabout what
hewantedtodoinlife.
Henoticedasignlanguage
interpreter at churchone
Sunday andaskedhimsome
questions.
“I askedquestions, got
answers, andthenhad
morequestions,” Martin, 52
recalled. “By then, I decidedI
wantedtomajor inthefield.”
Martin, whograduated
fromNederlandHighSchool,
receivedhis bachelor’s de-
greefromLamar University in
1979andmaster’s in’80and
workedas adeaf education
teacher for sevenyears before
goingbacktoget his Ph.D.
Hetookover Lamar
University’s department
of deaf educationanddeaf
studies in1989. Martinand
Lamar gainednational fame
in2006, whenthey started
theuniversity’s bachelor’s
degreeprograminAmerican
SignLanguage, thefirst of its
kindinTexas, andonly oneof
sevennationally.
“I’mpleasedtoseewhere
it’s at now,” Martinsaid. “I
hadbeenpushingtoget the
programfor awhile. Westart-
edtheprocess of developing
anewdegreeproposal about
fiveyears beforewebeganthe
program.”
Theprogramhas grown
every year sinceandnow
includes 52students. The
programhadits first graduat-
ingclass inAugust withthree
students, andanother one
graduatedinDecember.
All four havefoundjobs
as interpreters. Martinsaid
thereis ahighdemandfor
deaf educationteachers and
interpreters andnot enough
programs that offer training
—only 70inthenation.
“There’s areal strongfuture
Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
Tony Martin is the department chair and professor of the Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education at Lamar University.
for teachers of AmericanSign
Language,” Martinsaid. “The
number of interpreters inthe
fieldhas increased.”
Students inthetrackcan
either takeextrainterpreting
classes andthentakeanex-
aminationtobecomeacerti-
fiedinterpreter, or get their
teachingcertificatetoteach
deaf educationingrades
K-12. They havetheoptionto
dobothandareencouraged.
Thecurriculumfocuses on
teachingasecondlanguage
andpedagogy, managinga
classroom, abaseknowledge
of signlanguage, andinter-
preting.
Lamar alsooffers amas-
ter’s degreeprogramand
doctorateprograminthe
field.
InTexas, theUniver-
sity of Houston, Texas Tech,
StephenF. Austin, Texas
Women’s University andBay-
lor all offer classes inthefield,
but not enoughfor amajor.
TeachingAmericanSignLan-
guageas anacademic study
oftenis met by resistance
fromlinguists.
“Generally, they seeit as a
gestural formandsay most
languages havetohavea
writtencomponent,” Martin
said. “Therearegrammars
andsyntactical structures of
AmericanSignLanguage. It
is foundtoberule-based. It
meets all theparameters.”
Lamar’s deaf education
anddeaf studies depart-
ment has threedeaf faculty
members.
Torecruit students for
theprogram, Martinand
thefaculty gotohighschool
career days andjunior col-
leges. Martinis workingon
agreements withjunior col-
leges that will allowstudents
totakeinterpretingclasses
therethat will satisfy the
requirements at Lamar.
“Any timesomeonesees
aninterpreter that camefrom
our program, that alsois a
goodrecruitingtool,” Martin
said.
Thestudents inthepro-
gramaremostly fromTexas,
but acouplearefromout of
state. Fiveof thestudents in
theprogramaredeaf.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 15D BeaumontEnterprise.com
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Andy Hemmings, president of the Beaumont Board of Real-
tors, saidthereis noharddataonhowmany peoplehavetaken
advantage of the home buyer tax credit in Southeast Texas.
For decades, owning your
ownhome has beencalled
the AmericanDream.
Inthe past couple of
years, however, that dream
has for many seemedin-
creasingly elusive, withthe
housing bubble becoming
the leading edge of what
has beencalledthe Great
Recession. Nationally, the
housing market bottomed
out as credit driedup.
While economists say
that dropdidn’t hit Texas
quite as hardas other parts
of the nation, it has been
felt. Andlike inthe rest of
the UnitedStates, a fed-
eral tax credit for first-time
home buyers has playeda
role inincreasing activity in
Southeast Texas, according
to one area Realtor.
The Worker, Hom-
eownershipandBusiness
Assistance Act was enacted
last year under the Obama
Administrationto encour-
age qualifiedpeople to buy
their first homes. More
recently, the benefits were
extendedto include home
purchases made between
Jan. 1, 2009, andonor be-
fore April 30, 2010.
The act provides for first-
time homeowners (with
some income limitations)
to receive a tax credit upto
$8,000. It also provides for
a tax credit of upto $6,500
for existing home buyers to
purchase a newhome.
Andy Hemminngs, presi-
dent of theBeaumont Board
of Realtors, saidthereis no
harddataavailableonhow
many peoplehavetaken
advantageof thehome
buyer tax credit inSoutheast
Texas, sincehomesellers
aren’t necessarily privy to
that information.
But, he said, there is an-
ecdotal evidence suggesting
the tax credit has playeda
role inthe area.
“Intalking to agents as a
whole, it seems that more
people are using the tax
credit,” Hemmings said. “It
seems to be having a ben-
eficial impact.”
Hemmings saidarea
title companies estimate
approximately 40 percent of
area home sales inthe past
year have beendrivenby
the tax credits. That tracks
withthe national estimates
done by the National Asso-
ciationof Realtors, of which
the Beaumont boardis a
member, he said.
Hemmings saidarea
home sales have increased
since January as the April 30
deadline approaches. But,
he added, the deadline only
requires a home buyer has
a signedcontract inhand—
closing doesn’t have to be
complete until June 30.
Inadditiontothetaxcred-
its, Hemmings said, there
aretwoother factors driving
homesales. First, interest
rates areat anall-timelow,
at 5percent for a30-year
mortgageand4.5percent for
a15-year mortgage. Second,
withthedropinhomesales
at theheight of therecession,
there’s alot of excess inven-
torythat sellers want tosell at
bargainprices.
For more informationon
the tax credits, visit Feder-
alHousingCredit.com, an
informational Website of
the National Associationof
Home Builders.
Realtor: Tax credit opens
doors for home buyers
By Ken Fountain
[email protected]
(409) 880-0729
Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise
Claudette Alexander stands on the roof of her loft apartment at the Neches Electric Company building in Beaumont.
Call it one of the best kept
secrets indowntownBeau-
mont: the viewfromClau-
dette Alexander’s third-floor
apartment.
The 12-foot ceilings and
polishedwoodenfloors of
her loft apartment inthe old
Neches Electric Co. building
at Forsythe andPearl streets
drawthe eye to arched
windows, whichopento a
sweeping panorama of Tyr-
rell Historical Library, the
Art Museumof Southeast
Texas, Crockett Street inthe
distance andthe Jefferson
Theater.
“It was awesome to be able
to come here,” saidAlexan-
der, a historical architecture
student, as she described
“urbanliving at its best”
while the evening sunset
anddowntown’s streetlights
flippedon.
Alexander rents one of the
28 units inthe three-story
historic building, one of five
historical buildings that have
beenrestoredfor residential
use inthe DowntownBeau-
mont Historic District since
Beaumont MainStreet began
its campaignin1992.
That year, MainStreet
kickedoff its downtown
living campaignby arrang-
ing a mock loft setuponthe
topfloor of Hotel Beaumont
done by J.C. Penney Co.
The idea wasn’t warmly
received, MainStreet direc-
tor CarolynHowardsaid.
“Whenwe startedin
1992, people laughedat
us,” Howardsaid. “Now, we
have clearly over 200 living
downtown.”
What sparkedlaughter in
1992 has slowly givenway to
a stoking interest by inves-
tors that has caught on.
Inother words, down-
town’s moment to shine
has arrived, andthe trans-
formationis visible inthe
popularity of Cathedral
Square Townhomes and
Lofts, whichhas sparkeda
commercial development at
Neches Plaza.
Since 1992, Howardsaid
there has beenabout $110
millioninbuilding acquisi-
tionandnewconstruction
indowntownBeaumont
about evenly split between
the private sector andthe
government.
The splurge has included
renovations at the Jefferson
Theater, Hotel Beaumont
andSteadmanBuilding, and
has contributedto a gainof
about 1,400 jobs, Howard
said.
Ventures suchas the
Crockett Street Entertain-
ment District, whichrefur-
bisheda rowof dilapidated
buildings along one block,
are proof that historical
buildings don’t have to be re-
placedto be useful, Howard
said.
“Youdon’t want to destroy
the very thing that makes
this sucha special neighbor-
hood, andliving is a huge
part of this,” Howardsaid
of the downtownhistoric
district.
Other buildings would
be perfect for mixeduse:
commercial first floors and
residential upper floors.
The Goodhue Building at
Crockett andPearl streets
andthe NathanBuilding at
Laurel Avenue andOrleans
Street wouldbe ideal, How-
ardsaid.
As a historic district,
several federal tax credits are
available to potential inves-
tors.
Obtaining a historical
tax credit canmeantime-
consuming paperwork and
strict guidelines for what can
andcan’t be modified, which
Howardadmits candiscour-
age some investors.
But Howardcontends the
interest is there andgrowing.
So is the demandfor
downtownliving, whichif
developers strike the right
balance of creating lofts and
apartments for purchase and
for rent couldevolve into
other developments suchas
hotels andmore retail and
eateries.
Whatever happens, don’t
expect overnight changes.
“These things take time,
they really, really do,”
Howardsaid. “Obviously,
whatever happens, youwant
it to succeed.”
Alexander andAudrey St.
Andrews, property manager
andresident at the Neches
Electric building lofts, said
they wouldlike to see a phar-
macy, a bakery anda grocery
store opendowntown.
“I just think that will do so
muchfor the building and
the economic development
of this area,” St. Andrews
said.
By Mike D. Smith
[email protected]
(409) 880-0753
beaumonT
Downtown
grows up
Number of loft and apartment residents rises with development
Commercial development
inBeaumont has headed
andwill continue to head
west, according to local
industry professionals.
“If youjust look at the way
things moved, as soonas
Amoco openeduptheir land
onDowlen, everything has
gone ina northwest direc-
tion,” saidCharles Foxworth
of FoxworthReal Estate
Company.
BryanLee, owner of Bryan’s
797inOldTownandBistro
LeMondeonDowlenRoad,
saidthewestwardcommercial
development is anatural pro-
gressioninlinewiththecity’s
expansions of DowlenRoad
andMajor Drive.
In2005, Lee purchased
the oldsite of the West End
YMCAonDowlenRoadand
intends to builda planned
community, Metropolitan
Park, onthe site. His planin-
cludes retail andoffice space
as well as corporate housing,
homes andcondos.
Dade PhelanwithPhelan
Investments agreedthat the
westwardtrendwill contin-
ue. He saidredevelopment
by local entites or businesses
might occur downtownon
streets like Calder Avenue,
but not onthe scale of what
will happenat intersections
like PhelanBoulevardand
Major Drive or Major and
Folsomdrives.
“The infrastructure is
already inplace. They built
(Major Drive) where it’s not
going to have the problems
that DowlenRoadhadas
far as traffic flows. It’s much
more developer-friendly,”
Phelansaid.
However, Foxworthsaid
the volume of newdevel-
opments has considerably
slowedinlight of the eco-
nomic recession.
“There’s a lack of demand
onthe consumer’s part and
lack of financing for major
commercial developers so
what youendupwithis ev-
erybody withhands intheir
pockets waiting to see what
happens,” Foxworthsaid.
Lee saidthe economic re-
cessionhadnegative effects
onthe building progress of
MetropolitanPark, but he
hopes aneconomic turn-
aroundwill get the project
back ontrack.
“We want to make sure
the market starts to warmup
before we proceed,” Lee said.
Lee saidhe hopes the
development will benefit the
community by creating more
jobs.
“Beaumont is a hometown
for us, so we’re just trying to
doour little part being a good
business citizen,” Lee said.
Foxworthsaidcommercial
development is dependent
onpopulationgrowthand
the demandfor consumer
andretail goods.
“The more rooftops you
get, the more people youget,
the more local demandright
inthat area you’re going to
get,” Foxworthsaid.
Hightraffic locations, like
the intersectionof Major and
Folsomdrives or the area
aroundthe newmultimil-
liondollar athletic complex
andfootball stadiumalong
Interstate 10, will draw
national chains andtenants
looking for hightraffic and
large housing developments,
Phelansaid.
“Where the housing
developments go, so will
the commercial properties,”
Phelansaid.
By Teresa Mioli
[email protected]
(409) 880-0745
beaumont’s westward expansion
Commercial progress mirrors housing growth
Pete Churton/The Enterprise
One hot spot for commercial development in Beaumont is the
properties on Texas 105 and Major Drive near Ritter Lumber.
16D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 BeaumontEnterprise.com
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The recessionhas been
toutedas creating a home-
buyer’s market, especially
withloads of foreclosed
homes for sale. But, buyer
beware: Sometimes a fore-
closedhome isn’t as gooda
deal as it sounds.
JimGaines withthe Texas
A&MReal Estate Center said
buyers of foreclosedhomes
will oftencome away witha
lowprice, but less informa-
tionabout the property for
sale.
“Alot of times youdon’t
knowexactly what you’re
getting,” Gaines said.
Gaines saidperspective
buyers oftenwon’t be able
to viewthe interior of the
property andwon’t be able
to access property records.
“Sometimes, not always,
youcanget a really good
deal,” saidBetty Cheek with
ERARealtors inBeaumont.
The realtor saidshe has
soldthree foreclosures in
the last month. She recently
closedona 3-bedroom,
2-bathroombrick home
inSilsbee for $59,000 and
is working onthe contract
for a 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath-
roomBeaumont home for
$16,500.
Foreclosedhomes are
postedonthe first Tues-
day of eachmonth. Gaines
recommends the first-time
foreclosedhomebuyer
visits properties onthis day
without making anoffer. He
saidto observe andfindany
available informationonthe
property.
Gaines saidbuyers who
purchase foreclosedhomes
ona regular basis knowthe
traps of the business. He
recommendedasking those
buyers for advice.
Another pitfall inbuying a
foreclosedhome is that buy-
ers might not get a full war-
ranty withtheir purchase,
Gaines said.
“The foreclosedcompany
is not going to give youa
home warranty, but youcan
purchase one yourself andit
is very wise,” Cheek said.
Cheek saidyoucan
purchase a one-year home
warranty througha Realtor
for about $450.
Insteadof footing the cost
of a survey, Cheek recom-
mends asking the title com-
pany if they have a survey on
file. She saidthat will save
buyers about $750 to $1,000.
Gaines saidthat until last
year, Texas hadpretty well
avoidednational foreclosure
trends, yet the state caught
upwiththe rest of the nation
in2009. He saidincreased
foreclosures are tiedto job
loss, a trendthat is relevant
inthe Beaumont andPort
Arthur area.
For more researchon
foreclosures, visit the Texas
A&MReal Estate Center’s
Website at Recenter.tamu.
edu.
By Teresa Mioli
[email protected]
(409) 880-0745
Use caution on foreclosed deals
Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
A buyer purchased this house, at 105 Read Street in Silsbee
through Betty Cheek of ERA Real Estate for $59,000.
“Texas U-turns” have
made all the difference for
Texas 62 in Orange.
Since the Texas Depart-
ment of Transportationbuilt
the smoothcurve inthe
service roadbeneathInter-
state 10 near Womack Road,
drivers have hadeasier ac-
cess to the highway, Orange
economic development
director Jay Trahansaid.
The extra traffic helped
transformthe highway, on
the western rimof Orange,
fromcattle pastures with a
lone truck stop into a strip
of hotels and restaurants.
The perfect trap for
catching some of the
estimated 70,000 vehicles
gliding through that stretch
of Interstate 10 daily.
“It just makes it more
convenient,” Trahan said.
“It’s more inviting for a
family to get out on the
interstate and go to their
destination instead of just
avoiding us.”
It’s about getting folks
to stop and stay a while,
whether for a meal, shop-
ping or the area’s museums.
That’s the mantra driving
the push to seek investors
for the feeder roads along
the interstate, Texas 62 and
the city’s already buzzing
retail corridors such as 16th
Street and the Strickland/
MacArthur Drive area
shared by Orange, West
Orange and Pinehurst.
Strickland and MacAr-
thur drives handle major
traffic loads daily, with ro-
bust shopping activity dur-
ing the day and an active
restaurant scene at night,
Pinehurst City Manager
Robert Ewart said.
The development has
exploded in recent years
with all three cities reaping
the rewards.
“Anything that happens
in Orange or West Orange
affects us to our benefit,”
Ewart said.
Attracting restaurants to
the area tops the list of eco-
nomic pursuits, Trahansaid.
“That’s what our sur-
veys and feasibility studies
indicate are that people
are really wanting a nice
medium-priced dining
experience when they come
to Orange,” Trahan said.
Leaders are developing
another corridor that will
bring activity back to the
heart of downtownOrange.
Plans call for anoutdoor
pavilionalong FifthStreet
near the Lutcher Theater.
Thenthere wouldbe use
of the oldJack Tar Hotel on
the waterfront to anchor a
“Kemah-type” boardwalk on
the Sabine River along Front
Street, Trahansaid.
Trahanexpects things to
continue moving forward
thoughthere will be a few
“growing pains” incom-
ing years —also relatedto
Interstate 10.
The transportation
department will begina $32
millionproject to improve
the interstate betweenTexas
62 andAdams Bayou.
There still is the proposal
to continue reworking the
freeway entirely throughthe
city to the Louisiana border,
whichwoulddeconstruct
the interstate’s tricky inter-
sectionwith16thStreet.
But Trahansees a benefit
to the almost certaintraf-
fic delays: guiding drivers
throughdetours that might
leadthemthroughthe city’s
streets andright into stores
andrestaurants.
By Mike D. Smith
[email protected]
(409) 880-0753
ORANGE
Orange on highway to development
Texas 62, other major roadways pick up traffic, business
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise
Once housing a single truck stop, Texas 62 at Interstate 10 now has restaurants and hotels.
By Ken Fountain
[email protected]
(409) 880-0729
There are a number of
bright spots popping upin
MidCounty, withbig retail
growthinthe “GoldenCor-
ridor” along FM365.
“That’s where the traf-
fic is,” saidMary AnnReid,
president of the Port Arthur
Chamber of Commerce.
The area immediately
surrounding Central Mall
at the nexus of U.S. 69 and
FM365 has beenbooming
for the past several years,
largely drivenby the traffic
of employees of area pet-
rochemical plants who live
elsewhere, Reidsaid. Aside
fromPort Arthur, Groves and
Bridge City, workers also
commute fromas far away as
HardinandOrange counties.
“We love having those
workers come downhere.
But we also like to see some
of those dollars stay inthe
area,” Reidsaid.
Retail andfoodestablish-
ments have noticedthe trend
as well, she said, accounting
for the boominnewbusi-
nesses along the corridor.
She notedthat about four or
five years ago, many of those
businesses were nowhere to
be seeninthe area.
But while the Mid-County
area’s recent growthhas
beeninthe “GoldenCor-
ridor,” Reidsaiddowntown
Port Arthur is poisedfor a
comeback.
Reidsaidmembers of the
Chamber of Commerce have
teamedupwithrepresen-
tatives of the Port Arthur
Economic Development
Council andCity Council to
developa revitalizationplan,
whichshe saidwill soonbe
rolledout.
“There are a lot of things
that are going to happen,”
she said. “It really is the heart
of the city.”
To that end, Reidsaid, the
Chamber will soonintroduce
Chamber University, a series
of seminars that will intro-
duce the public andbusiness
owners to the importance of
the Port of Port Arthur to the
southeast Texas region.
Withthe expansionof the
Panama Canal, she said, the
Port of Port Arthur will be-
come anevenmore impor-
tant hubof shipping for the
nation, as well as the Texas
Gulf Coast.
Golden Corridor booms
FM 365, U.S. 69 area is hub
of development; downtown
PA is poised for a comeback
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise
With the addition of a shopping strip near U.S. 69, FM 365 will house a Best Buy, several fast food chains and retail stores.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 17D BeaumontEnterprise.com
Brock Badger
781-9543
www.BrockBadger.com
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The Area’s First Public Vehicle, RV, Motorcycle and ATV Auction!
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Industrial expansionin
Southeast Texas forges ahead
inseveral places, while some
standpat inanother, and
some failedto come through
inyet another.
While muchof the United
States begins a slowrecov-
ery froma deeprecession,
Southeast Texas enjoyed
the prospect of at least $11
billioninnewprojects,
including the Motiva Port
Arthur refinery expansionat
$7 billionandthe Total Port
Arthur refinery expansionat
$2.2 billion.
There are also the Che-
niere Energy Corp. liquefied
natural gas terminal inCam-
eron, La., andthe Golden
Pass LNGterminal onthe
Texas side of Sabine Pass.
The terminals cost at least
$1 billionapiece. Cheniere
is operational, andGolden
Pass is expectedto receive its
first shipment by September.
Athirdpossible LNG
terminal couldbe built
by Sempra Energy further
upstreaminthe Sabine-
Neches Waterway near
its intersectionwiththe
Intracoastal Waterway, but
a Sempra executive recently
saidthe site couldbe for sale
if a buyer wants it. The San
Diego-basedcompany has
the appropriate permits to
buildthe terminal.
Expansionat the Valero
Energy Corp. Port Arthur
By Dan Wallach
[email protected]
(409) 838-2876
Industrial projects
keep economy alive
Expansion helped shield effects of nation’s recession
refinery, once estimatedat
$1.7 billion, is onindefinite
hold. The EastmanChemical
Co. industrial gasification
plant plannedfor Beaumont
andexpectedto cost $1.6
billionwas canceled.
The major projects
scheduledor under way in
Southeast Texas helpedto
cushionthe area fromthe
recession.
The amount of construc-
tionactivity associated
withhurricane recovery
—supportedby insurance
claims —also helpedto keep
Southeast Texans working
andspending.
The recessionthrewsharp
elbows onits way into the
Upper Texas Gulf Coast. On
the bright side, the region
couldhelpto leadthe rest
of the nationout of reces-
sion, a Federal Reserve Bank
economist recently tolda
groupof business leaders in
Southeast Texas.
For that to happen, how-
ever, developing countries in
Asia must recover as well.
“The recovery is under
way inthe UnitedStates,”
saidRobert W. Gilmer, vice
president andsenior econo-
mist of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Dallas. “Canthe
Gulf Coast get out infront?
That depends ondeveloping
Asia.”
He referredto countries
like China, Japan, SouthKo-
rea andIndia, andhe’s opti-
mistic about their chances.
“Recovery is here, and
we’re sharing init,” he said.
“Whether it’s fast or slow
depends onthe developing
world. Otherwise, we’ll be
the tail dragging behindthe
dog for a while.”
The prospect of 6,500
industrial constructionjobs
at Motiva will drawworkers
fromnear andfar.
Exactly howmany local
workers will get jobs is un-
knownat the moment and
depends ona BatonRouge,
La., company calledPerfor-
mance Contractors.
The company wonthe first
Industry, next page
Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
A $7 billion expansion will make Motiva Enterprises’ Port Arthur refinery the nation’s largest.
18D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 BeaumontEnterprise.com
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Continued from page 18D
of Motiva’s major contracts
to builda significant piece of
its expansionproject that will
double the refinery’s capac-
ity to 600,000 barrels a day,
making it the largest refinery
inthe UnitedStates.
Motiva’s expansionproject
director Nick Smallwood
estimatedthat the project
will employ about 6,500 con-
structionworkers at its peak.
The refinery expects activity
to intensify this year.
Total Port Arthur refinery
continues withits expansion
calledthe DeepConversion
Project, whichbegana year
ago.
It will allowTotal to refine
heavier sulfur crude, whichis
cheaper thanthe lighter and
more expensive crudes. Re-
fineries hope to improve the
spreadbetweenhowmuch
their rawmaterial costs and
howmuchthey cansell their
finishedproducts.
The recessiondidclaimat
least one casualty whenEast-
mancanceledits plans for an
industrial gasificationplant
that wouldhave turneda
refining product calledcoke
into higher-value gases.
The cancellationeliminat-
edas many as 1,500 prospec-
tive industrial construction
jobs and250 permanent
operating jobs.
It also wouldhave contrib-
utedto future tax receipts for
the Beaumont Independent
School District, whichhad
grantedits third-ever tax
abatement for the project
whenit was announcedJuly
2007. Property taxes also
wouldhave beenpaidto Jef-
fersonCounty andthe city of
Beaumont andother smaller
taxing entities.
The company blamedits
withdrawal onworsening
global economics, squeezed
margins for the product itself
—making gases like ammo-
nia andhydrogenfromcrude
oil refining leftovers —and
uncertainty swirling around
proposedcarbon-limiting
federal legislationsince
Eastmanexecutives unveiled
their expansionplans inJuly
2007.
industry: Global economy, uncertainty cancels one plant
Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
The Total Petrochemicals refinery in Port Arthur is getting a $2.2 billion upgrade.
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