ECO FRIENDLY: Home products that save money ... - The Insite Group

ECO FRIENDLY: Home products that save money and the planet 

February 2008 

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4 Insite/February 2008 

publisher’sdesk 

THERE’S A CHAIR in the sunroom of our house 

that anyone is welcome to sit in, including our 

cats, but is still known as “my brown chair.” It’s 

the place I go in anticipation of a glass of tea, a 

new magazine or book and at least a brief respite 

from deadlines and daily life. It is also the place in 

our house you are most likely to find my husband, 

kids and cats lolling about, talking and generally 

winding down from the fervor of the day. It is my 

favorite space. 

There are two stories in this month’s Insite 

that speak to the heart of a home: one is about 

how our favorite places build a refuge for our 

relationships and the other spotlights the latest in 

eco-friendly home products available locally. Both 

topics are close to my heart and I want to say a 

special thanks to the five public figures that shared 

a private view of their own favorite spaces. 

As for the green home products, the variety 

– and economy – of building and remodeling in 

an environmentally friendly way is “think global, 

act local” at its best. More than 20 years ago, 

my husband and I had to ship most of what we 

needed to restore our historic home down from 

the northeast. Now you can buy low- or no-VOC 

refinishing products and sustainable building 

materials from local retailers. When the president 

of the Brazos Valley Home Builder’s Association is 

promoting green building techniques, you know 

the eco-ideal has finally grown its own market. 

It’s enough to warm your heart – and your home. 

– Angelique Gammon 

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(45% off newsstand price) 

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or www.insitegroup.com 

and click on Subscribe Now

6 

14 

10 

11 

22 

contents 

areaevents | page 6 

What’s Happening 

Activities around the Brazos Valley 

compiled by the Insite Magazine staff 

artsmart | page 10 

Innovation in the Arts 

MSC OPAS recognized for season preview show 

by Craig Boleman 

communityoutreach | page 11 

The Art of Helping Children 

Event to honor champions and friends of children 

by Candace Leslie 

favoritespaces | page 14 

Heart & Home 

Bricks and sticks build places where love can grow 

by Nancy Hardeman 

ecofriendly | page 22 

Get Green 

Home products that save money and the planet 

by Erin Hill Littlefield 

departments 

4 Publisher’s Desk The home of your heart 

30 Business Briefs Notable Brazos Valley news 

INSITE Magazine is published monthly by Insite Printing & Graphic Services, 123 E. Wm. J. Bryan 

Pkwy., Bryan, Texas 77803. (979) 823-5567 www.insitegroup.com Volume 24, Number 11. 

Publisher/Editor: Angelique Gammon; Account Executive: Cynthia Kauder; Graphic 

Designer: Alida Bedard. Insite Magazine is a division of The Insite Group, LP. Reproduction of 

any part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Insite Printing & Graphic Services 

Managing Partners: Kyle DeWitt, Angelique Gammon, Greg Gammon. General Manager: 

Carl Dixon; Production Manager: Mike Hogeboom; Pre-Press Manager: Mari Brown; IT 

Manager: Glenn Richards; Office Manager: Wendy Sweard; Sales & Customer Service: 

Molly Barton, Linda Browning; Janice Hellman; Kim Hogeboom; Manda Jackson; Cynthia Justice; Marie Lindley; 

Production: Anthony Battles; Stephen Beatty; Joe Campise; Marilyn Carey; Don Coburn; Ricky Conchola; 

Armando Elguezabal; Jeremy Frank; George Galloway; Connie Gosch; Brad Hillegeist; Cadence King; Doug 

Madison; Arthur Maldonado; Gene McCallum; Frank Ramirez; Randy Valencia; Jimmy Welch. 

February 2008/Insite 5

what’shappening compiled by the Insite Magazine staff 

areawide 

February 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Frame 

Gallery hosts First Fridays. Join the Frame Gallery 

in Downtown Bryan on the first Friday of every month 

for local art, live music, horse drawn carriage rides, and 

more. Jazz band starts at 6:30 pm. For more information, 

contact Greta Watkins at (979) 822-0496. 


FEBRUARY 

events 

February 21 at 7:30 p.m., MSC OPAS presents 

“Movin’ Out,” in Rudder Theatre. The Broadway 

musical by director/choreographer Twyla Tharp and 

Billy Joel is set over two decades during the time of 

the Vietnam era, presented by a cast of musicians, 

singers and dancers. For more information or to 

purchase tickets, call the MSC Box Office at (979) 

845-1234 or visit www.opas.tamu.edu. 

Beginning February 1 and continuing throughout the 

month, the Arts Council of Brazos Valley presents 

“Lunar New Year” at the Texas Gallery. Displayed at 

this Asian art exhibit are artifacts from China, Japan and 

Indonesia. A reception featuring art, music and food will 

be held February 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission 

is free. For more information, contact the Arts Council at 

(979) 696-2787. 

Beginning February 1 and continuing throughout the 

month, join The Children’s Museum of the Brazos 

Looking for love? 

Find your 

four-footed, furry-faced, 

forever Friend 

at 

Valentine’s Day 

Half-Price Adoptions 

February 14 th 

Valley for a variety of special programming and activities 

for children. Highlights this month include special 

recycling programs, the Daddy/Daughter Dance, 

space days and more. For specific program dates, times 

and more information, contact The Children’s Museum at 

(979) 779-KIDS (5437) or visit www.mymuseum.com 

February 1-2 at 7:30 p.m., MSC OPAS presents Ray 

Benson & Asleep at the Wheel in “A Ride with Bob: 

The Bob Wills Musical” in Rudder Theatre. Call the 

MSC Box Office at (979) 845-1234 for ticket information. 

February 7 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., The George Bush 

Presidential Library and Museum presents “The 

Life of the Buffalo Soldiers” at the Frymire Auditorium 

at George Bush Presidential Library Center. Features will be 

the legacy and history of the contributions by the African 

American Cavalry and Infantry Regiments. Admission is 

free. For free reservations email Bush.Education@nara.gov 

or call Monica Lerma at (979) 691-4006. 

February 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the American 

Heart Association will host the 2008 Go Red for 

Women Luncheon at the Hilton College Station Hotel 

and Conference Center. Linda Shelton is the featured 

speaker along with honorary co-chair Cherry Ruffino. 

They will discuss the signs of heart disease and stroke and 

how it affects women. New this year will be two optional 

educational seminars from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. This 

annual event is a chance for women to gain valuable 

knowledge about heart disease and stroke and to raise funds 

that will support research and education efforts. Tickets are 

2207 Finfeather Rd. · Bryan, TX 77801 · (979) 775-5755 · www.brazosanimalshelter.org

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Our Comprehensive 

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3 Digestive Disorders 

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3 Adrenal, Thyroid, and Sex Hormone 

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3 Enzymatic Malfunction 

3 Vitamin Deficiencies 

3 Food Allergies 

3 Inhalant Allergies 

3 Yeast Overgrowth 

3 Carbohydrate Metabolism 

3 Fat Metabolism 

3 Intestinal Dysbiosis

what’shappening 

March 1, OPAS Jr. presents “Musical Adventures 

of Flat Stanley,” in Rudder Theatre. For more 

information or to purchase tickets, call the MSC Box 

Office at (979) 845-1234 or visit www.opas.tamu.edu. 

$30; seating is limited. For more information, contact Co- 

Chairs Cortney Tenhet (ctenhet@neutralposture.com) or 

Dedra Nevill at dnevill@davidgardnersjewelers.com. 

February 7-9, 14-16, and 21-23 at 7:30 pm, StageCenter 

presents “Make Me a Match,” a comedy about the 

perils of modern day matchmaking. Tickets are $10 for 

adults, $8 for students and seniors, and $6 for children 

12 and under. All tickets are $6 on Thursdays. For more 

information contact StageCenter at (979) 696-2787. 

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February 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Brazos County Master 

Gardener Association presents “Fruit Trees for the 

Brazos Valley and Heirloom Vegetables” at the 

Brazos Center. Topics will include information on heirloom 

vegetables and various fruit trees fit for the Brazos Valley. 

Tickets are $10 and registration opens at 8:30 a.m. For more 

information contact the Brazos County Master Gardener 

Association at 823-0129 or email brazosmg@tamu.edu. 

February 9 at 10 a.m., the American Guild of Organists 

and Concerts on Carter Creek host guest artists Dr. 

Steven Egler, organist, and Fran Shelly, flutest, for Master 

Class at the First Presbyterian Church in Bryan. For more 

information call (979) 693-8141. 

February 9 at 1 p.m. and February 10 at 6 p.m., the 

American Guild of Organists and Concerts 

on Carter Creek host Music for Organ and C 

Instrument at the First Presbyterian Church in Bryan. 

For more information call (979) 693-8141. 

February 9 at 7 p.m., the local chapter of the American 

Cancer Society (ACS) will host the 2008 Cattle 

Baron’s Ball at The Zone Club at Kyle Field. Co- 

Chairs Amanda and Rob Childress and Julia and David 

Gardner will host “From Denim to Diamonds…” for this 

12th anniversary event celebration. Live music, dinner, 

gaming, and auctions will raise much-needed funds to 

support the Brazos Valley Chapter of the ACS. For more 

information, contact Sheree Moore at (979) 776-1464 or 

visit www.cattlebaronsball.net. 

February 14-16, 21-23 at 7:30 p.m., and February 17, 24 

at 2 p.m., the Navasota Theatre Company presents 

“Almost Maine,” a romantic comedy about the triumphs 

and disappointments of love experienced by the residents 

of Almost, Maine. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or 

reservations may be made by phone at (936) 825-3195. 

February 16 at 1:30 p.m., the International Institute 

presents the 4th International Guitar Festival at Round 

Top. Throughout the day artists will participate, including 

Cem Duruoz, Juan Miguel Canizares and Philippe Bertaud. 

For the full schedule and more information, call (979) 249- 

3129 or visit www.festivalhill.org. 

February 17 at 10 a.m., a workshop and Master class 

with Cem Duruoz and Philippe Bertaud will be held. 

For more information call (979) 249-3129 or visit www. 

festivalhill.org. 

February 20 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the George 

Bush Presidential Library and Museum invites you to 

“Celebrate President’s Day,” at the Frymire Auditorium 

at George Bush Presidential Library Center. This is an 

interactive presentation exploring the challenges President 

Washington and the Constitutional framers faced. Featured 

is historical impressionist Peter M. Small. Admission is 

free. For free reservations email Bush.Education@nara.gov 

or call Monica Lerma at (979) 691-4006. 

February 21-23 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, support the 

used book sale at the Washington County Fairgrounds in 

Brenham sponsored by the Fortnightly Club to benefit the

Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library. Admission 

fee is $10 per person on February 21 and $1 following days. 

Parking is free. Call (979) 337-7201 for more information. 

February 21 at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the Piney Woods 

Fine Arts Association presents “James and the Giant 

Peach” at the Crockett Civic Center. Composed of both 

deaf and hearing actors, each actor will use Sign Language 

as the audience hears a voice through a microphone. Tickets 

are $3. For more information contact the Piney Woods Fine 

Arts Association at (936) 544-4276 or visit www.pwfaa.org. 

February 23 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., the Grimes County 

Master Gardeners will hold a Landscaping and 

Planting Seminar at Martha’s Bloomers in Navasota. 

Topics at the seminar will include “Designing and 

Accessorizing Your Landscape,” “Garden Preparation 

and Water Systems,” and “Landscaping for Wildlife.” For 

a registration form and information, contact the Grimes 

County Extension Office at (936) 825-3495. 

February 23 at 7:30 p.m., the Brazos Valley Chorale 

presents Nobility of Pop at the College Station Hilton. 

Tickets are $60/person. For more information, or to purchase 

tickets, go to www.bvchorale.org or call (979) 776-1776. 

February 24 at 5 p.m., the Brazos Valley Symphony 

presents “Myths, Nymphs, & Fairy Tales” at Christ 

United Methodist Church in College Station including 

music by Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Mussorgsky and 

guest artist, Hakan Rosengren, playing a clarinet concerto. 

Tickets are $25 for adults; $8 for students and are available 

through the MSC Box Office by calling (979) 845-1234 or 

visit boxoffice.tamu.edu. 

February 25 at 7:30 p.m., the Friends of Chamber 

Music present a Community Chamber Concert 

featuring Marian Anderson String Quartet and the 

Colorado String Quartet at First Presbyterian Church in 

Bryan. Admission is free. For more information, call (979) 

690-3593 or visit www.communitychamberconcerts.com. 

February 29, March 1-2, 7-9, the Arts Council of Brazos 

Valley and the Theatre Company present “Camelot.” 

Performances are Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. 

and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticket sales are cash, 

check or credit card, and can be purchased online at 

www.theatrecompany.com or at the Arts Council (2275 

Dartmouth St. in College Station). For more information, 

call the Arts Council at (979) 696-2787. 

March 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the American Business 

Women’s Association presents the first Mini 

Conference at the Holiday Inn & Suites. Women are 

invited to enhance their business skills and knowledge 

while networking, shopping, and listening to speakers 

provided by the Bryan College Station Charter Chapter. 

National President Lina Lawson, and Vice President Vicki 

Marlett will be keynote speakers for the event. Professional 

development certificates will be offered for attendees. 

Advanced registration is required by February 26. The 

event includes a meal and corporate tables are available. 

For more information, contact Rilene McCord at (979) 

779-6886 or email hospitality@abwabcs.org. i 

Sponsored by: 

Tuesday & Wednesday, March 4 & 5 (7:30 PM) 

Rudder Auditorium 

TICKETS: 

MSC Box Office 979-845-1234 

www.MSCOPAS.org 

Bringing World-Class Entertainment 

to the Brazos Valley 


artswatch 

MSC OPAS was recently selected by the 

National Arts Marketing Project Conference 

as one of 15 arts organizations from across 

the United States for their innovation in 

marketing and communication. OPAS was 

selected from among numerous applicants 

for its partnership with KBTX News 3 to 

unveil the 35th anniversary season via a 30minute 

program that aired exclusively on 

the station on April 19, 2007. 

Executive Director Anne Black, who has 

been with OPAS for 23 seasons, states, “This 


by Craig Boleman 

The Producers 

MSC OPAS 

Innovation in the Arts 

was the first 

year we tried a 

season unveiling 

collaboration 

with KBTX 

and it yielded 

fantastic results. 

This summer’s 

season kickoff 

campaign 

produced more 

new season ticket buyers in recent history, 

with a record number of season ticket orders 

arriving in the first week of sales.” 

OPAS has a history of setting precedence 

for presenters across the nation. Ten years 

ago, OPAS was the first presenter to host 

a “Preview Party” event for season ticket 

holders. Today, numerous arts organizations 

across the country unveil their seasons with 

similar events. While the KBTX program 

replaced that event last spring, Black 

forecasts that next season’s unveiling may 

combine the “Preview Party” with the season 

unveiling on KBTX. She continues, “You 

can bet, we not only presented our ideas 

at the November conference, but we also 

listened to what others do as well. We are 

always looking for new and innovative ways 

lose weight and 

gain back your life 

The Physician’s Centre Hospital Surgical Weight Loss Program 

u Procedures performed include: Lap-Band, Gastric Sleeve, and 

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u Specialized program that focuses on individualized patient care, 

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A new way of caring 

Hospital 

to reach new audiences with our message. 

As to what the future holds, you’ll have to 

stay tuned.” 

For more about MSC OPAS, including 

the events coming to the 35th anniversary 

season, visit www.MSCOPAS.org. i 

Coming from MSC OPAS this Spring: 

Asleep at the Wheel 

in A Ride by Bob 

February 1-2, Rudder Auditorium 

Movin’ Out 

February 21,Rudder Auditorium 

The Producers 

March 4-5, Rudder Auditorium 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 

March 6, Rudder Theatre 

From OPAS Jr. 

Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley 

March 1, Rudder Theatre 

For performance times and ticket information, call 

(979) 845-1234 or visit www.MSCOPAS.org

communityoutreach by Candace Leslie 

A variety of celebrity autographed 

ostrich eggs, including this one 

signed by Richard Petty and other 

NASCAR notables, will be auctioned 

at this year’s event. 

The Art of 

Helping Children 

What a perfect world this would be if all 

children had happy homes and 18 years 

of carefree growing-up. For too many 

youngsters, there is no such utopia. Even 

here in the Brazos Valley, neglect and abuse 

�� 

* 

2008 

* 

* 

rear their ugly heads far too often, turning 

what should be a gentle, trusting childhood 

into a time of fear and loneliness. 

We don’t always have “a village” to raise 

our children, but we do have a goodly number 

of local people committed to easing the paths 

for many struggling youngsters. Some mentor 

and tutor, coach sports, become big brothers 

and sisters, or work with the courts to advocate 

in children’s interests. Many teach. Others 

commit long hours to service organizations, 

donating time as well as money and raising 

funds for a variety of programs. 

The Champions, 

Friends & Advocates 

On March 1, Voices For Children, Inc., the 

local chapter of CASA (Court Appointed 

Special Advocates) will hold its fifth 

annual fund-raiser, The Art of Helping 

Children Art Auction and Dinner. While 

the chief purpose of this delightful event 

is increasing financial support for the 

growing organization, it is also a way to 

recognize some of the individuals who are 

making a difference in the lives of children. 

Past recipients have been as varied as the 

* 

* 

* 

* 

THE ART OF HELPING CHILDREN 

DINNER & ART AUCTION 

WHEN: March 1, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

WHERE: Brazos County Expo Complex 

at 5827 Leonard Road in Bryan. 

FOR INFORMATION: Voices for 

Children, Inc., (979) 822-9700; 

www.vfcbrazos.org 

voicesforchildren.org 

or e-mail vfc@ 

capacities in which they serve. They included 

Margi Lalk, Candy Rust, Judge Van Stovall, 

Ronnie Jackson, Richard Guerrero, Becca 

Simons, Helen Spencer, Jacque Flagg and 

Scott DeLucia, Ann and Kevin O’Neill, and 

Mel and Willie Pruitt. 

This year, four new honorees will join 

this stellar roster at the Voices for Children, 

Inc.’s Fifth Annual Art of Helping Children 

Art Auction and Dinner. VFC has selected 

David and Julia Gardner as the “Champions 

of Children.” Local philanthropists and 


communityoutreach 

Julia and David Gardner have been 

selected by Voice for Children, Inc. as 

the 2008 Champions for Children. 

community volunteers, the Gardners 

unstintingly support local charities, many 

of which serve children and families. Voices 

for Children has been a grateful recipient of 

the Gardners’ interest and generosity since 

its inception in 2001. 

In addition to his role as a public school 

teacher, this year’s “Friend of Children,” 

Agustin Lara, gives time to several nonprofit 

organizations, including leading 

Bryan elementary students in the Ballet 


Photo by Eric Aguirre 

Folklorico Los Altos de Jalisco. Lara founded 

this after-school dancing group in 2006 and 

they perform at various events throughout 

the community. That same year, Lara was 

nominated as “Person of the Year” by the 

Hispanic forum and has received many 

awards including “Teacher of the Year” by 

Anson Jones and Milam Elementary Schools. 

Ginny Gibbs has been a volunteer CASA 

for Voices for Children since 2003. “She has 

a true passion to affect children’s outcomes 

in anyway that is in her power to do so,” 

says VFC Executive Director, Liana Lowey. 

“She is always one of the first to volunteer 

additional aid and time when the need calls” 

and has even drawn her family into her VFC 

involvement. Ginny has been named by 

VFC as the 2008 “Advocate for Children.” 

The Event 

This year’s Art of Helping Children Art 

Auction and Dinner will be held at an 

exciting new venue, the Brazos County 

Expo Complex, with catering by Global 

Events. As in previous years, silent auction 

entries will include a wide variety of fine 

oil paintings, watercolors, and sculptures 

from artists across the Brazos Valley and 

the Southwest. There will be an enchanting 

garden scene painted by Bryan artist Bets 

Davis who has contributed annually since 

the first year’s call for donations, and several 

multi-medium paintings by popular artist, 

Mary Stone. Ed Hoag, remembered by 

many as a local artist, teacher, and signature 

member of the Texas Watercolor Society 

and Western Art Association continues to 

contribute to The Art of Helping Children 

even though he now resides in Las Vegas, 

Nevada. Another long-time contributor 

is Dr. Joe Smith of Caldwell, whose 

remarkable sculptures with the signature 

of “J. Lyle,” are well-known in the Brazos 

Valley and beyond. 

Autographs of the rich and famous also 

fall within the definition of art especially 

since the coveted signatures are inscribed 

on ostrich eggs. Donated by the Wildlife 

and Exotic Animal Center at the College of 

Veterinary Medicine at TAMU, ostrich eggs 

are initially used for scientific research and 

weigh about three-and-a-half pounds. These 

perfect empty-shell specimens, signed 

by such notables as mystery writer Tony 

Hillerman, highly decorated NASCAR 

driver Richard Petty, and Southern-homecooking 

queen, Paula Deen, have proven to

e especially popular with auction bidders. 

Students from Saint Michael’s Episcopal 

School are also decorating ostrich eggs 

which will be used for table decorations. 

These, too, will be for sale at the dinner. 

While traditional artists and their 

works have been the heart and soul of the 

auction since its inception, boundaries have 

continued to expand while still falling 

comfortably within the above definition of 

art. “The Art of Fine Living” will include 

such elegant items as a brunch for 12, 

rounds of golf, spa baskets, and a night at 

a B&B. This has given local businesses and 

individuals a chance to donate some of their 

particular specialties while expanding the 

range of auction items. 

The Organization 

Ginny Gibbs and 50 other current volunteer 

advocates are committed to helping fulfill 

the mission of Voices for Children, Inc., the 

local CASA: To advocate for the best interest 

of abused and neglected children under the 

court’s jurisdiction until each is placed into a 

safe, nurturing, and permanent home and to 

ensure that each child’s needs are addressed 

and fully met. 

Each CASA volunteer undergoes 

extensive training in order to become a voice 

for children during the stressful journey 

through the court system. Appointed by a 

district court judge, each one stays with his 

or her child or sibling set throughout the 

course of the case (usually 12-18 months.) 

They talk with therapists, teachers, foster 

parents, biological parents and family 

members, and professionals involved with 

the case, seeking to gather information to 

better advocate for the child. They do not 

work alone, but closely with volunteer 

coordinators to develop action plans and 

recommendations on each case. For most 

children, the CASA is the only constant in 

their turbulent lives while in foster care. 

Currently, VFC can serve only about half 

of the cases requested by the court. More 

volunteers are always urgently needed. 

One might think volunteers surely must 

be folks with plenty of time on their hands. 

This is seldom so. While a number are active 

retirees, many CASAs also hold jobs, raise 

families, and take part in other community 

and church activities. Like Ginny Gibbs, they 

find being CASAs satisfying in so many ways. 

“I would do just about anything for 

this organization,” Ginny says, praising its 

accomplishments with children and, equally, 

expressing great admiration for the staff 

that so skillfully supports its volunteers. 

“With such a kind and smart team behind 

me, I have learned how to effect change in 

the lives of children, and that change can 

happen today. 

“For children to have the consistency of 

one adult in their lives is so important,” she 

has learned. “Inspired and rejuvenated” by 

volunteering for VFC, Ginny has discovered 

that in working with children, “one must 

never give up hope.” i 

For information on how you can become 

a CASA volunteer for Voices for Children, 

Inc. and to learn of other ways that you 

can serve, call (979) 822-9700 or visit 

the website at www.vfcbrazos.org. 

The next two-week classroom training 

begins February 16, 2008. Independent 

Study Options (ISOs) are scheduled for 

March and May, as well as being offered 

at other times as interest demands. 

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Heart & Home 

Where is your favorite place in your 

home…your retreat whenever you 

have a moment to yourself? It 

could be your kitchen, your patio, 

even your bathroom. It may be 

pretty or cozy, elegant or peaceful 

– or all of the above – but most of 

all, your favorite place makes you 

feel safe … and loved. 

Some very public people have 

shared the secrets behind their own 

very private places. Each one has a 

favorite space that brings them peace 

and is the retreat in their life for the 

relationships that matter most. 

Brick and sticks build places where love can grow 

14 Insite/February 2008

favoritespaces story and photos by Nancy Hardeman 

Mary Mike Hatcher, well-known 

radio personality and frequent 

emcee for area charity events, 

shares her home with her mother, Polly 

Hatcher. “My favorite place in the house is 

my living room,” Mary Mike says without 

hesitation. “This room welcomes me when 

I come home at night. It is the first thing 

I see in the morning. It is the heartbeat of 

my house.” 

Mary Mike is a very busy woman, 

currently a senior account representative for 

WTAW. She designs and sells advertising 

and frequently provides the voice in radio 

ads; in years past, she was one half of 

the popular WTAW morning program, 

“Muck and Mire.” Serving as host of 

many charitable luncheons and dinners, 

and volunteering her name and energy to 

worthwhile community organizations is 

almost a second job for Mary Mike. 

When Mary Mike and her mother built 

the house in 1995, they planned ahead for a 

time when Mrs. Hatcher might need special 

accommodations. Her wing has wide doors 

and accessible bath facilities to allow for 

easy passage of a wheelchair. The kitchen, 

breakfast room and dining room are all well 

defined but movement between them and 

Mary Mike and Polly Hatcher 

the living room is unrestricted due to open 

doorways and lack of thresholds between 

rooms. A wall of windows opens to a cheerful 

enclosed garden room, which Mrs. Hatcher 

has filled with flowering plants. “That is 

Mother’s garden,” Mary Mike says. “She 

loves to see things bloom.” 

After living with white walls for years, 

last year Mary Mike had the living room and 

nearby dining room painted in lively Tuscan 

We’ve had wedding showers, baby showers, 

family christening parties, staff parties from 

the radio station.” 

When Polly Hatcher celebrated her 80th 

birthday in 2001, more than 100 people 

came for the party. “We even had tents set up 

in the backyard to make room for everyone 

but people keep congregating here in this 

room,” Mary Mike laughs. “I come from a 

large family, and they come often. We can 

This is the communication center for our family – engagements 

have been announced here, good news has been shared 

and big decisions are made here.” Mary Mike Hatcher 

colors. “I love Italy,” she says, “and I love the 

warmth and texture of the finish.” The color, 

a muted tangerine, combines with the wood 

plank floors and family antiques to create 

a calm and soothing spot for this energetic 

woman to unwind and regroup. “Mother 

sits in her chair and I sit in mine and we talk 

about our day. This is the communication 

center for our family – engagements have 

been announced here, good news has been 

shared and big decisions are made here. 

seat 12 people just in the chairs that are here 

and, when we have a large group, we drag in 

as many chairs as we need.” 

To Mary Mike, the time spent with her 

mother here is the reason that this room is 

her favorite. “Mother and I watch the news 

together,” she says. “We watch I Love Lucy 

reruns and laugh. We play with her puppy. 

She has had a difficult year healthwise and 

the time we spend together in this room is 

very special to me.” 


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hearthome 

“My kitchen 

Fain and Janie McDougal 

is the heart of my home,” philanthropist and 

volunteer Janie McDougal says. “It is such a sunny, 

pleasant, cheery place to be.” Bright windows, a huge 

granite-topped island, and spacious counters and cabinets combine to 

create a pleasant and homey room. 

When their house was being built, Janie commissioned a sevenfoot 

mural of Texas wildflowers on the wall behind the stove. Artist 

Joyce Ahearn of Houston hand painted the work on individual tiles 

depicting Janie’s favorite flowers as well as a beeskeep and honeybees. 

Ahearn had recently started using a different type of tile and, within 

weeks of the installation, cracks began to appear in the surface. 

However, the artist redid the entire mural on new tiles and personally 

came to oversee the replacement of all the handpainted tiles in the 

kitchen. This time it was successful and the mural remains as vivid 

today as it was 12 years ago. 

“I love the painting!” Janie says. “When she repainted it, we didn’t 

make any changes in the scene she had done originally. I love the 

colorful flowers and the little bees.” Additional tiles scattered around 

the kitchen, also created by Ahearn, contain favorite Bible passages of 

the family members. Janie’s choice is a verse from First Thessalonians

Healthy Relationships 

5 Things You Can Do Today … and Keep Doing Tomorrow 

by Angelique Gammon 

Everyone knows the general advice on how to nurture and grow strong 

relationships: the importance of communication, trust and caring. It’s the 

actual day-to-day execution where most of us fall down on the job. Life is 

busy and demands our time and attention … relationships are supposed 

to be there when we need them, but they deserve our attention, too. In a 

completely unscientific – but really interesting – survey, we asked people 

what they would like the people they are with in a relationship to do for 

them. Whether it’s a spouse or partner or close friend relationship, here 

are five relationship tips anyone can pick up and run with. 

Be the planner … 

In most relationships, it’s usually one person who most often takes the 

time to plan an outing or getaway … or neither does. So be the planner. It 

doesn’t have to be elaborate – just do it. Hire the sitter, review the movie 

times, pick a restaurant or pick up carry out and just go to the park and 

sit and talk. If finances are tight, pack cheese and crackers; give the kids 

to a neighbor and “camp” in your own backyard – alone and away from 

phones, work and distractions. The point is you taking the time to plan how 

you will spend time with someone you care about. 

Remember When … 

One of the oldest tricks in the relationship books is to remind one another 

of what attracted you to each other in the first place, whether it’s your 

spouse or a special friend. The first time you met, your best (or maybe 

even worst) time together, a special memory you share. If you’re having 

trouble coming up with things to talk about, “Remember when…” is a 

sure-fire conversation opener. 

Laugh out loud … 

Humor helps any relationship over life’s bumps. Conflict is unavoidable 

in any long-term relationship, but often, after the heat of the moment 

has passed, some conflicts seem silly. See if you can find the strength 

to laugh in the face of adversity – maybe even at yourself – the next time 

conflict comes knocking at your relationship door. You have to know what 

makes the people closest to you laugh…don’t be afraid to pull out all the 

silly humor from your personal joke bag. Better still, try humor before the 

friction starts. Start with a smile. It will improve any moment. 

Hug … 

Never underestimate the power of touch to deliver a message you may not 

have the words for … hug when you say goodbye in the morning and see 

one another again in the evening. Hug a (good) friend. Add a little back rub 

or a squeeze. Hugging was voted number one in our unscientific survey 

as the easiest – and most overlooked – way to show someone every day 

that you care. 

Say something nice … 

Sometimes it seems as if the world is divided into two groups: those 

who can always think of something nice to say about someone, and 

those who really struggle to pay a compliment. If you fall into the 

second camp, work at it. It may be as simple as saying, “I know it’s 

going to be a long day today, but knowing you’ll be here at the end of 

it makes me smile.” 

For him, it’s easy to compliment her appearance on special occasions 

– try telling her she looks nice on an “ordinary” day. For both of you, 

trying thanking your partner for the day-to-day things they do that build 

your life together – cooking dinner, picking up the kids, even chores 

around the house. Yes, it’s part of their “job” in the relationship, but 

it never hurts to show your gratitude, and that perhaps, is the easiest 

compliment of all to pay. 

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hearthome 

that begins “Rejoice always.” 

“Anytime we have people at the house, whether it is our children 

or friends, everyone seems to gather in the kitchen,” Janie McDougal 

says. “They sit at the island and chat while I put the meal together. 

I love to cook, even though I’m not a very good cook. But this is a 

great cooking kitchen. I also like that it is open to the den but it’s not 

all one room.” A large den and a sunny breakfast room open off the 

kitchen on two sides and a butler’s pantry connects the kitchen to the 

dining room. 

Janie has spent most of their marriage as a volunteer for various 

community and charitable organizations. She serves on the board of 

the Brazos Community Foundation and she and her husband Fain 

are benefactors of numerous charities in Bryan and College Station, 

especially those that are health related. Closest to her heart may be 

the St. Joseph Foundation, where she and Fain headed the highly 

successful Promise Campaign, raising millions of dollars to benefit 

St. Joseph Hospital. 

On Sunday morning, Fain McDougal spreads the paper “all up and 

down the island or spreads out papers and drawings he’s working on,” 

Janie adds. “It’s a great work space for him, and we are together.” When 

Fain’s company developed the Sweetwater subdivision, he and Janie 

chose a large, somewhat secluded lot for their own home. Deer graze in 

the yard, and smaller wildlife scamper across. “Even so,” Janie says, ”we 

find that we start and end our day talking together in the kitchen.” 

“We enjoy 

Reba and Bob Ragsdale 

our entire house, but we really love the living 

room,” Reba Ragsdale says. “We love the openness of 

the room and the way the light comes in through the 

sunroom right behind us. Our children and grandchildren come here 

for Christmas and for birthdays. It is a lovely place to gather.” 

Even during years of working as director of donor relations for the 

12th Man Foundation, Reba was an active community volunteer. She 

was named the Chamber Volunteer of the Year, and was the first woman 

to be elected president of the Bryan Rotary. Since her retirement, her 

involvement in charitable activities has increased. In the past few years,

she has chaired the Cattle Baron’s Ball, the Surviving and Thriving 

Luncheon for Breast Cancer, and, for several years, the Newman 10 

Rotary Club Awards. In 2006, she received the prestigious Jefferson 

Award for her numerous contributions to the community. Currently, 

Reba serves as chair of the St. Joseph Foundation. 

Although she is very modest about the work that she does, a week 

doesn’t go by that some organization doesn’t benefit from Reba’s 

efforts. Having a place of personal refuge is extremely important 

to her and she has filled their home with beautiful and meaningful 

belongings. “The living room is a calming, quiet place,” Reba says. “I 

feel peaceful here.” 

The Ragsdales purchased their home from an acquaintance in 2002 

and have made only minor changes. Their previous home had been 

filled with built-in cabinets and bookcases and they had not expected 

There is no TV in this room but there are lots of 

chairs. People can look at each other and carry on 

a conversation. – Bob Ragsdale 

to find another with that feature. They were delighted to find the 

house they bought had even more built-in cabinets and shelving than 

in their old house. 

However, one difference was obvious right away. “The wall behind 

the bookshelves and fireplace was painted red when we moved in and 

we weren’t certain that we would leave it that way,” Reba says. “Then 

we saw what a dramatic background the color made for our art and 

photographs and left it exactly as it was.” The woodwork throughout 

the room, including that on the red wall, is a lustrous white that 

keeps the red from being overwhelming. Other walls in the room are 

a mellow khaki and glow with a soft light. Also, the high ceilings 

allow for furniture that they had not been able to display previously. 

A tall walnut wardrobe stands opposite the fireplace, an heirloom 

from Bob’s great-aunt Bess Ragsdale. His unmarried aunt was a self- 

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hearthome 

taught artist who lived with Bob’s family when he was a young man. 

Her photograph and some of her artwork hang in their home. The 

flowered couches, the tufted velvet chairs, and the antique mahogany 

furnishings create a room that is both charming and comfortable. 

Bob and Reba are active in their church and frequently have 

church gatherings in this room as well as occasionally holding 

small committee meetings and planning sessions for their various 

organizations. “We like this room because we can talk, because 

everybody can talk when we have guests,” Bob added. “There is no 

TV in this room but there are lots of chairs. People can look at each 

other and carry on a conversation. Even when it is just Reba and me, 

we can catch up without any distractions.” 

Shirley and Ben White 

One look at the “Aggie Room” in the home of Ben and Shirley 

White would convince any casual observer that one or 

both had attended Texas A&M University. Maroon carpet, 

maroon recliners, Gig’em afghans, and memorabilia (ranging from 

fine art to bobblehead dolls) collected over a lifetime of fandom fill

the room. Even the hall runner leading to the doorway is edged in 

Aggie maroon. Part study and part sitting room, this is where Ben 

and Shirley catch up with each other, sit to watch TV or read, and 

enjoy replays of Aggie games. This is also where Ben keeps up with 

his responsibilities as mayor of the City of College Station. “We like 

the feel of the room,” Shirley says. “For us, it is very comfortable and 

easy. Not formal, not stuffy, just us.” 

Surprisingly, neither Ben nor Shirley attended Texas A&M although 

their children and grandchildren are Aggies. However, Ben says, “I’ve 

been an Aggie at heart since I was a child. My dad was a Texas grad 

and we always came to College Station for the football games. I loved 

it. I loved the Corps of Cadets. I loved the band. Much to my dad’s 

dismay, I loved everything about A&M. I wanted to grow up and play 

basketball here.” 

Unfortunately, Ben was not able to win a scholarship to play 

basketball in Aggieland and he reluctantly went elsewhere. “I was 

too proud to come here if they wouldn’t let me play,” he says sadly. “I 

wished so many times that I had not been so proud.” This was during 

I use it as an office, too, but mostly 

we just come in here to relax. 

The kids and grandkids come 

for visits and we always seem 

to wind up here. – Ben White 

the time of the Korean War and, shortly afterwards, he was drafted. 

Ben served in the Army (although in Kansas, not Korea), married 

Shirley and became a father. He did go back to school but his dreams 

of being an Aggie drifted into the background. 

During a career in a healthcare associated field, Ben and Shirley 

primarily lived in the Austin area. The traffic and congestion took 

its toll and when he retired, they started looking for a more pleasant 

place to live. Actually, Ben has retired several times but it doesn’t 

seem to stick. Even here, he serves as executive director of the Brazos 

Valley Parkinson Association. 

After checking out a few Hill Country communities, Ben and 

Shirley decided to look at College Station. “We’ve had season tickets 

to football since 1978,” Ben says. “We decided, why not live in a place 

that we have enjoyed for years?” They found their lot and Shirley 

designed their home. They moved into their new home in July, 2001 

and Ben was elected mayor of his new hometown in 2007. 

Originally, the couple had planned on Shirley’s mother living 

with them and designed the room to accommodate her health needs. 

“When my mother made the decision not to move, we immediately 

started making plans to furnish the room with the things we had 

accumulated,” Shirley says. 

“I use it as an office, too,” Ben adds “but mostly, we just come in 

here to relax. The kids and grandkids come for visits and we always 

seem to wind up here.” 

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hearthome 

Mark and 

Cathy Conlee 

When Mark and Cathy Conlee 

added a cabana in their backyard 

in 1999, their original goal was 

simply to conceal a solar water heating 

system for their pool. The cost of heating 

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the water for the two-year-old pool was 

more than Mark wanted to pay. A system of 

plastic pipes laid out in the sun, combined 

with a pump to circulate the water, would 

solve the problem. “Our contractor said we 

would need a flat surface at least 40-feet 

long to hold the pipes and he suggested that 

we build something attractive and useful,” 

Mark says. “It is a timber frame structure, 

built in an Amish style of pine and held 

together with wooden pegs instead of nails. 

All of the pieces were cut, shaped, and laid 

out in our driveway. It was like watching a 

huge puzzle being put together.” 

Not only does the cabana add an extra 

month to the beginning and end of the 

swimming season, but also the ceiling fans 

and the southern-facing roof provide both 

shade and breezes during the summer heat. 

“Even though we thought it was beautiful,” 

Cathy adds, “we didn’t expect it to make the 

difference in our lives that it did.” 

The couple quickly found that the openair 

cabana became their favorite spot. “What 

I like best is that it is not in here,” Mark 

says, referring to the house itself. “In here, 

the phone is ringing, the TV is playing. If 

we have a disagreement, it is in here. Out 

there, �� 

it is peaceful. It gets me away from the 

normal day-to-day stuff.” 

979-260-7103 

Cathy Conlee frequently hosts parties, 

showers, receptions, and meetings in the 

cabana. Occasionally, friends ask to hold 

their parties there. Cathy can set up five or 

six tables and comfortably seat 40 or more 

people for a meal. “When the kids are here 

(the Conlee’s have two grown children and a 

new grandson), we build a fire in the firepit 

and talk and joke and admire the baby,” Mark 

says. “It is sort of like camping, without all 

the muss and fuss.” 

But their more common use of the cabana 

is for coffee and the paper in the morning 

and for relaxing and talking together in the 

evenings. Wooden rockers pulled up to an 

old wood-burning stove can ease the chill of a 

cool evening or make for a calm beginning to 

days that can become very hectic. 

Mark Conlee, mayor of the City of Bryan, 

has a demanding schedule and he says that 

the quiet of the cabana provides him a place 

of solitude. After a stressful city council 

meeting, Mark comes home and sits quietly 

to unwind. “He puts on music from the 

1960’s and ‘70’s, maybe talks with a friend, 

but usually just reads or talks with me,” 

Cathy says. “It is a great time for us to catch 

up from a busy day and for me to know what 

is going on with him. It’s his favorite spot 

and he lets me share it with him.” i 

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10326

ecoproducts by Erin Hill Littlefield 

Get Greenn 

Home Products that save money AND the planet 

You 

wouldn’t know by 

looking that all of the 

light bulbs in Bruce Martin’s home are 

compact fluorescent bulbs, those “curly-cue” 

bulbs that cost more and last longer, since 

nearly every light fixture, from Tiffany-style 

lamps and opaque glass, covers those bulbs. 

You wouldn’t know that even his ceiling 

fans meet Energy Star specifications, along 

with all the windows and appliances (at least 

those that come with Energy Star ratings), 

or that the entire house is “wrapped,” in a 

sense, with 1-inch Foamular boards and 

proprietary adhesive spray-in insulation that 

exceeds the required R13 factor, making the 

house both silent and fairly cheap to heat 

and cool (a $90 electric bill last July). 

You also wouldn’t know that he stained 

the distinctive concrete slab floor himself. 

Kent Moore Cabinets in Bryan has 

changed to a waterborne finishing 

technology that is among the most 

environmentally friendly finishes available 

anywhere in the world. 

“I ended up saving money and being 

green, since no fuel was expended for a ton 

of tile made overseas,” says Martin. 

But you would know that the home is stylish, 

with rough-hewn (and local) cedar beams, an 

outdoor fireplace and a limestone façade. 

Martin just happens to be a green builder, 

and he practices what he preaches. As president 

of the local Homebuilders Association 

and committed member of the National 

Homebuilders Association, he adheres to the 

Builder Bruce Martin of Bandera Master 

Builders adheres to green building 

techniques that both consumer and 

eco-friendly. 

NHBA’s guidelines on green building. 

“To some extent everyone is a green 

builder,” says Martin, since Texas and 

national building codes require that new 

homes meet energy efficiency levels. Those 

same codes will most likely become even 

more energy conscious. 

NHBA will be unrolling its new green 

program on February 14. Martin says that the 

NAHB announced in a press release “that when 

a green home doesn’t look or feel significantly 

different, then green has arrived.” 

For many people in the Brazos Valley, 

those green choices are beginning to arrive. 

“Since 20, 30 or 40 years ago, everything 

has had to change. A lot of people are 

mandated to do green building whether 

they really know it or not,” he says. Martin 

definitely knows it. His company, Bandera 

Master Builders, offers multiple “green” 

choices to its customers. The website 

www.banderamasterbuilders.com offers 

information about the NHBA’s eight phases 

of green building, which include optimal 

value engineering, energy efficiency, 

environmental and community stewardship, 

resource efficiency, reduction of passive solar 

heat gain, and water conservation (including 

low-flow toilets and showerheads). 

Decisions like planting native trees, 

incorporating a gray-water sprinkler 

system (which Martin does), building with 

engineered products like SmartSide (a 

commonly-used siding “made from the little 

chips they would otherwise throw away or 

burn,” says Martin) can “green” a home, 



ecoproducts 

layer by layer. Employing local craftsmen 

and purchasing local products are also part of 

environmental stewardship, as is recycling. 

Even more careful use of dimensional 

lumber in framing can significantly reduce 

waste; more builders are realizing that green 

building can save money. 

Consumers are realizing, too, that 

environmentalism is about smart, 

sustainable choices, not a total renunciation 

of convenience or style. There is a growing 

awareness in our community, though it’s 

obvious that central Texas is not California. 

For some, that’s probably a relief. But even 

here in the south, where environmentalconsciousness 

has lagged, consumers are 

starting to care. 

Martin says that, “For the last two or 

three years, the number one driver for 

green building is energy efficiency.” Polls 

show the second reason is health; number 

three is that “it’s the right thing to do for 

the environment.” 

Their pocketbooks may motivate 

people, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do 

some good while outfitting their homes. 

“Consumers are getting really educated on 

green building,” says Martin. He cites one 

NBHA article conclusion that consumers 

are expected to double spending on green 

products and services in the near future. 

For those in Bryan/College Station there 

are plenty of businesses that offer those indemand 

green products and services, from 

the ground up. 

Flooring 

n 

Chuck Moreau, Brazos Valley Carpet 

Outlet owner, carries carpet products 

from Shaw and Mohawk, two innovative 

companies. The Shaw Green Edge recycles 

carpet fibers, while Mohawk uses “alternate 

products such as corn,” and “a polyester that 

is basically recycled coke bottles and things 

like that,” says Moreau. 

“We sell a lot of that,” he says. In the past, 

those innovative polyesters didn’t always 

perform as well, but the fiber construction 

has really improved. 

Don Foltermann, carpet manager at

Chapman Paint Company, says, “Everything 

is now cradle-to-grave,” which means 

recycling more frequently, even carpet 

padding. “The price is about the same,” he 

says of these innovative carpets, sometimes 

even a little less. 

Moreau lauds industry efforts to recycle 

wood. Whereas previously, used wooden 

flooring might have been “just scrapped,” 

many companies now strip down discarded 

wood and refinish it. In some cases, this 

means reclaimed wood from old barns and 

historical buildings with lots of character, 

like “old nail holes, burn marks and cracks,” 

says Moreau. 

“It’s really neat stuff,” he says excitedly. 

BVCO does sell it, but Moreau admits the 

current demand from customers for unique 

historical planks isn’t overwhelming. “I do 

see the manufacturers moving toward green, 

making it more price-effective,” he adds, and 

believes it will become “more predominant 

in our market.” 

As an environmentally conscious person, 

he notes “it has to start with me,” he says, 

meaning additional promotion of “green” 

flooring choices in the future. 

Paint 

n 

Just as the flooring industry is addressing 

the chemicals it uses in carpets, so too 

is the world of paint, says John Jahnke, of 

Chapman Paint Company. It doesn’t take an 

environmental activist to recognize that paint 

fumes aren’t exactly healthy. Paint choices 

inched toward low-odor and the elimination 

of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the 

recent past, but “now nearly everything is 

green and more environmentally friendly,” 

says Jahnke. 

He is particularly intrigued by Benjamin 

Moore’s new Aura product line because it 

reinvents the concept of paint. “They’ve 

rethought the whole process, and the 

colorants are totally different from the 

standards by every other company.” 

Usually colorants have different oils, but 

the Aura line is pure colorant with water. 

Jahnke says even the tinting machine is 

different; it uses a humidifier to keep the 

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paint moist. This new line is also a one-coat 

product with a unique color-lock that means 

customers can use flat paint in bathrooms or 

any sheen anywhere they want. 

“It still looks like a gallon of paint,” he 

laughs, but is completely different inside. In 

the case of the Aura line, the color vibrancy 

and VOC reduction means a significantly 

higher price. For some consumers, especially 

those with allergies or sensitivities, that price 

increase is worth it, though it is not yet “a 

mass market product,” he says. One woman 

contacted Chapman about Aura paint before 

they had received it, but Jahnke promised 

her she could be “the first in Brazos Valley” 

to buy it, and she was. 

Jahnke says, “My speculation is that five 

to seven years from now, that old system 

will be gone,” and all paint will use these 

oil-free colorants. It’s “market changing.” 

Benjamin Moore and other paint lines are 

also selling paints with reduced solvents. For 

his business, he says it’s the quality that sells 

first and then “oh yeah, it’s also green.” The 

technology was first available in California 

and Europe (“they are always ahead of us, 

in terms of standards,” says Jahnke), and is 

unrolling stateside one market at a time. 

“It’s the thing of the future,” he says. 


“The market will drive it because they 

have to ultimately get away from the 

entrenched system.” 

The Aura paint line and all other paints 

sold there are available in two-ounce sample 

jars so that customers can test the colors 

before buying an entire gallon. 

Cabinets 

In 

n 

2004, Kent Moore Cabinets 

decided to update its finishing 

center to something more automated. They 

traveled to an Atlanta builder products show 

to see what was available, says Teresa Galliher, 

vice-president of sales West at KMC, and 

discovered a waterborne technology “being 

used in Europe that had not been brought 

to the U.S. on a widespread basis.” 

This Giardina Flatline system is “the 

most environmentally friendly finish 

available in the world,” and KMC offers 

it right here in our community, one of 

only a handful of companies in the U.S. 

to use this unique finishing system. 

(More information is available at www. 

kentmoorecabinets.com.) 

When KMC upgraded to Giardina 

Flatline, “hardly anybody asked or 

mentioned it,” says Galliher, “but in the last 

six to eight months, more people are asking 

about it.” 

The idea that green products lead to a 

compromise in quality couldn’t be further 

from the truth at Kent Moore Cabinets. 

“Actually it’s a superior product with 

smooth, consistent application,” says 

Galliher. Additionally, the flatline system 

meant getting away from VOC-emitting 

varnishes. They have cut their VOC 

emissions tremendously. 

“We wanted to make an impact on the 

environment by doing that,” she adds. It just 

so happens that Giardina is also more durable. 

Galliher is proud that their system 

would easily “qualify” in California, where 

compliance regulations are more stringent. 

“Usually what happens in California 

eventually rolls over to the rest of the 

country,” she says. “We are already there.” 

Interiors by 

Joan 

General Contracting 

and Professional 

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25 Years Experience

Kent Moore Cabinets recycles wood 

scraps and sawdust, which is used as “an 

alternative energy source” for another 

company; it fuels their boiler. They also 

recycle their solvents. 

In keeping with their company-wide 

environmental statement, they only 

purchase lumber “from companies that use 

sustainable forestry practices. What we 

don’t do is buy wood out of the Brazilian 

rain forest,” says Galliher. 

So green thinking is the company 

culture at Kent Moore Cabinets that the 

state of Texas “has asked us to apply for an 

award they are giving for environmentally 

friendly businesses,” states Galliher. KMC 

is also applying for their trade association’s 

environmental stewardship certification. 

“It’s so important,” she says sincerely. 

“We want to make our environmental 

efforts go hand in hand with our operating 

costs so that customers can buy the 

environmentally friendly stuff without it 

being a huge increase in cost to them, like 

the waterborne sealing.” 

n 

Window 

treatments 

One of Barbara Holley’s customers suffers 

from breathing problems requiring her 

to use a breathing machine. This woman 

did a little interior design homework and 

discovered that ADO’s Actibreeze fabric 

“literally cleans the air, not only of dust but 

of bacteria,” says Holley, owner of Holley’s 

Window Fashions. It was the perfect fabric 

for this client, and Holley could not be more 

thrilled to be selling it. 

“I don’t know how they made it,” says 

Holley, but it is just “great!” 

You might assume that industrial-grade 

odor-eliminating fabric only came in shades 

of gray or tan better suited for medical offices 

(where it is actually used) than cheery living 

rooms, but the Actibreeze fabric selections “are 

very pretty,” says Holley cheerily, who has sold 

the relatively new product for about a year. 

It is perfect for people “who want to use 

fabric but have allergies.” 

“Barbara has given us a room 

beyond our expectations… 

it’s a warm comfortable, cozy 

room our entire family can 

enjoy” – Donise ernst 

Holley also sells environmentally 

friendly shutters made of composite wood 

material or manmade products that look 

every bit as elegant as wood. She is proud 

that the interior design industry “has been 

very focused on trying to really help our 

environment as we make our surrounding 

areas beautiful.” 

She has made a personal commitment 

“to use green products as much as possible.” 

This means selling fabrics that incorporate 

bamboo; “they look the same as cotton or 

linen,” she says, without any stiffness. 

For Holley, the marriage of beautiful interiors 

with green products “is a wonderful thing.” 

Showers 

“G 

WINDOW FASHIONS & INTERIORS 

n 

lass is green,” says Donna Morehead 

of Acme Glass. “We’ve been thinking 

about how we can better advertise that.” 

Of course she’s not just talking about 

green-tinted glass. Our ubiquitous shower 

curtains “release chemicals in the bathroom” 

when they’re in use and clutter landfills 

when they’re not. Morehead recommends 

checking out bathenclosures.org for some 

surprising information about the dangerous 

toxicity of polyvinyl chloride, used in most 

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(979) 690-8889 · Cell (979) 219-1482 • Email holleyswfi@msn.com 


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“Red Rose” by Sherry O.S. Ginzel 

getgreen 

HOME PRODUCTS SHOW 

Looking for the newest in home building and remodeling products – all in one place? 

Visit this year’s Brazos Valley Home Builder’s Association Home Products Show in its 

new location at the Brazos County Expo Center, February 23-24. More than 130 suppliers 

of all things home-related will be available to answer all your home product questions. 

Admission is $3 per adult; $2 for seniors; $1 for children 12 years old and under. For 

more information about the 2008 Home Products Show, call (979) 846-1420. 

shower curtains. 

For this reason, Acme Glass’s “shower 

enclosures are better than shower curtains,” 

says Morehead. Anyone who has ever 

unfolded a brand-new vinyl shower curtain 

knows well the odor that accompanies it. 

The curtains are often difficult to keep clean, 

which can lead to other health issues. 

While none of their customers have yet asked 

about the environmental benefits of shower 

enclosures, “there are people who are really 

interested in going green,” says Morehead. A 

glass shower enclosure can be an attractive, 

environmentally friendly way to go. 

Pools 

n 

ost people do not want a green 

“Mpool,” jokes Mark Davies of 

Aggieland Pools. “Our purpose is to keep 

the environment out of your pool.” 

However, even outdoor pools can go a 

little green, and not in an algae way. Davies 

says an ozonator can help reduce chlorine 

usage to some degree, though with the warm 

water and constant sun we experience here, 

the reduction is not as great as it would be 

in cooler climates. Salinated pools may offer 

a slight green advantage, though a saline 

system “is just a different way of making 

chlorine,” says Davies. 

A new variable-speed pump called the 

Intelliflo “changes the flow rate so that it 

reduces electricity usage,” and does offer a 

measurable reduction in energy consumption. 

(The energy costs for traditional pumps can 

cost $100 per month.) 

Lights 

n 

he customers are the ones coming 

“Tto us,” says Dane Brock of Dealers 

Lighting. “We have had a lot of interest.” 

They’ve heard about compact fluorescent 

light bulbs and want to know more. These 

bulbs “use much less energy, thereby 

conserving oil, and actually produce less 

heat, so it takes less energy to cool your 

home in the summer,” Brock says. This 

means lowered utility costs for consumers, 

which is also good. 

LEDs, the little bulbs used in car 

headlamps are on the horizon, though with 

a hefty price tag right now, says Brock. 

Brock shares that, “If one lightbulb was 

changed in every household it would make 

a huge difference in the amount of energy 

consumption.” The compact fluorescent 

version of a typical 60-watt bulb would 

“only pull 13-15 watts,” he says, “and they 

do last longer,” from 4000 to 10,000 hours. 

Of course those bulbs do cost a bit more, 

and for some consumers, especially those 

building new homes with lots of bulbs to 

buy, that $2 to $3 extra per light bulb “can 

be hard to swallow.” 

But someday, perhaps soon, compact 

fluorescent bulbs will be what everyone 

uses. “That change has already started,” says 

Brock. Some regulation is already in place, 

and California has outlawed the selling of “a 

standard light bulb after this year.” Texas may 

not be the next state on the bandwagon, but 

think how nice it would be to change light 

bulbs half as often and reduce electricity usage.

Appliances 

n 

he difference between an Energy 

“TStar-qualified appliance and one that 

just meets basic government requirements is 

about $8 a year,” says David Price of Buddy’s 

Appliance. He says that the cost difference 

is usually minimal, and customers do see a 

reduction in electric bills, almost evening 

out the difference. 

“You might spend $30 more for a fridge 

and yet save $7 to $8 on energy,” says 

Price. Some cities – not Bryan or College 

Station – offer rebates to consumers who 

purchase Energy Star appliances, a real 

motivator. Typically the Energy Star 

rating is found on refrigerators, laundry 

machines and dishwashers. 

Price does note that Energy Star-rated 

front-loading washing machines are nearly 

double in price from traditional machines. 

What consumers might not know, however, is 

that that traditional washing machines use 45- 

50 gallons of water per load. The front-loaders 

use only 25 gallons, a serious reduction. 

“Regular washers do meet energy 

guidelines but front-load washers far 

exceed them,” says Price. “For home use, 

Westinghouse made them for 30 years but 

nobody would buy ‘em. Now people are 

buying them,” he adds. 

n 

Air 

Conditioning 

Bruce Martin thinks that HVAC systems 

absolutely need to go green. Even 

if you’re not building a new home, air 

condition systems can be remodeled or 

retrofitted. He recommends “a zoned central 

AC system” that includes a dampener in the 

attic, controlled by the thermostats. The 

cost is about $1000, but the gain could be 

greater over the long run. His 1800-squarefoot 

home has five zones. 

Why zone, you ask? 

“Why cool the whole house to 71 degrees 

during the summer if you only 

need it in your bedroom?” he answers. In his 

home, he doesn’t turn on the guest bedroom 

zone unless someone is using it; energy isn’t 

wasted on a room not in use. 

He also recommends programmable 

thermostats as well as variable-speed air 

handlers, which better reduce humidity 

without resorting to the full-blast-thenturn-off 

cycles of traditional ACs. Martin 

says that 70 degrees with a traditional 

AC unit “will feel a lot hotter than 70 

degrees in a house with a variable air 

handler,” and the air handler cuts back 

on energy consumption. 

Another available energy-saving appliance 

is a tankless water heater; Martin estimates 

that the cost is about $1300 more, but says 

a family of four would recoup that in four 

to five years. Because there is no reservoir 

of hot water you’re paying to heat 24 hours 

a day, the customer saves; because a gas jet 

heats all water as it enters from an exterior 

wall, showers never run cold, no matter how 

many houseguests are staying. 

Customers of Mid-South Synergy, the 

Navasota-based electric cooperative, also 

have access to an environmentally friendly 

water heater, sold by the cooperative, says 

Jeff Murski, marketing coordinator. 

The Mid-South Synergy website 

(www.midsouthsynergy.com) offers 

tipsheets on saving energy as well as an 

energy calculator to give a better sense of 

consumption patterns. 

Murski says that they “also offer to our 

membership energy audits to provide tips 

to make their houses more efficient and not 

use as much electricity.” While a few of his 

customers have installed solar panels or a 

geo-thermal ground water system, most 

are interested in small measures they might 

take to reduce rising electric bills. Murski 

predicts that like all technology, cuttingedge 

environmental apparatus will become 

more mainstream and affordable. 

Barbara Holley thinks 2008 is the year for 

Bryan/College Station to catch the vision of 

environmental stewardship. “Unfortunately 

I have to say that the B/CS area is not quite 

as forward thinking in this area, but I think 

we’re catching up now in our thinking 

green. More and more people are thinking 

about our environment,” she believes. 

Bruce Martin likes to tell customers 

that those eight green phases are doable. 

“You can get a lot of payback for a small 

investment, which you can recoup. There 

are a lot of things you can do that are 

already affordable!” i 


quality customer service that... 

MAKES YOU 

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HOME 

123 E. Wm J. Bryan Pkwy. Bryan, Texas 77803 

979.823.5567 • 800.364.2665 Toll Free • 979.823.3894 Fax 

www.insitegroup.com

localnotables 

business 

briefs 

February 2008 

(l-r)Cindy Peaslee and Liz and Michael Perez were 

recently recognized as the 2007 Mayor’s Downtown 

Impact Award recipients. Peaslee is vice chair of the 

Downtown Bryan Economic Development Association 

and chair of the Events & Tourism Committee. The 

Perez’s are owners of Papa Perez Mexican Cuisine 

in historic Downtown Bryan. All were recognized for 

their work in the revitalization of Downtown Bryan. 

Neutral Posture’s newest innovation, the N·tune 

Seating System, has earned the company its 5th 

consecutive Attendees’ Choice Award at the 2007 

National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition 

in Las Vegas. The N·tune concept is all about raising 

desk heights from 30” up to 40” and then raising the 

chair to stool height, allowing users to easily and freely 

stand up to work when needed. Neutral Posture is a Bryan 

based manufacturer of ergonomic seating products and 

compiled by the Insite Magazine staff 

accessories. The company is the largest woman-owned 

furniture manufacturer, co-founded by mother/daughter 

team of Jaye Congleton and Rebecca Boenigk. 

Neutral Posture is a certified women’s business 

enterprise (WBE), and is one of the top diversity 

suppliers for the U.S. government and for Fortune 500 

companies worldwide. For more information regarding 

the N·tune Seating System, please visit www.getntune. 

com. (l-r) Walter Charnizon, president of Continental 

Exhibitions; Cortney Tenhet, marketing manager for 

Neutral Posture; Dr. Jerome J. Congleton, professor 

at Texas A&M University and consultant for Neutral 

Posture; Michele Smithey, vice president of Customer 

Relations for Neutral Posture; Dr. Mark Benden, 

executive vice president of Sales for Neutral Posture. 

Hospice Brazos Valley recently was honored during 

BTU’s annual Power Pedal Week. (l-r) Debbie 

Britten, CFO of Hospice Brazos Valley, received a 

$1,500 check from Joe Hegwood, CFO of BTU, along 

with Craig Borchardt, CEO and president of Hospice. 

After six months of construction and a $1.5 million 

renovation, the College Station Hyatt Place recently 

celebrated with a Grand Opening. The event was held 

in conjunction with the B/CS Chamber of Commerce 

and Brazos Valley Restaurant Association’s 

Epicurean Extravaganza Preview. Festivities 

included menu tasting from local restaurants, live music 

and door prizes. The free event was open to the public 

and included tours of the newly remodeled guestrooms. 

In November, the hotel officially changed over from 

AmeriSuites to Hyatt Place. The owner is Kyle Legends, 

and the hotel management is the Oldham Goodwin 

Group, which has provided management of the hotel 

since early 2006. For more information, contact Hyatt 

Place College Station at (979) 846-9800 or The Oldham 

Goodwin Group at (979) 268-2000. i 

�� 

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