Free To Do What’s Right For You

Since 1947
220 E. Washington Ave. • Navasota
936-825-6789
www.MillerInsuranceTexas.com

The Navasota Examiner – Since 1894 — www.navasotaexaminer.com

VOL. 125 NO. 9 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 22 PAGES • $1

City to draft
developer
guidelines
BY CONNIE
CLEMENTS
Examiner reporter
The Navasota City
Council wrapped up city
business early Monday
night after approving sever-
al action items that included
a change order to the 2016
Street Maintenance Project,
a taxpayer-friendly revision
to a Grimes Central Ap-
Examiner photo by Nicole Shupe
praisal District agreement
Dr. John C. Webb accepts the first Navasota/Grimes County Chamber of Commerceʼs Lifetime Achievement
and hearing the city’s plans
award at the annual awards banquet Thursday night at Camp Allen. Morris Weaver presented the award to
for developer guidelines.
Webb, who has spent more than six decades helping the youth of Navasota and Grimes County. Pictured,
left to right, are Weaver, Webb and his wife, Aminuan Webb.
City responds
to developer needs
ally going to have our own
which will be very similar
to Bryan and College Sta-
tion. We’ve got agreements
through the City of Bryan
and City of College Station
that we can utilize theirs.
That helps developers that
develop in both places to
understand what we’re re-
quiring.”
Stafford praised Streets
and Sanitation Director Jose
Coronilla and Director of
Utilities Jeff Greer for their
many hours working on the
project with Laza.
He added, “It should be
very helpful in the near fu-

Chamber honors Webb City Manager Brad Staf-

Receives Lifetime Achievement
BY NICOLE SHUPE
Staff writer
WHITE HALL —
While the legendary Sam
Houston regaled attendees
of the 2017 Awards Ban-
quet on Thursday night
with witticisms, the Cham-
ber of Commerce geared
up to honor five special
people and one business.
Dr. John C. Webb was
the recipient of the first
Navasota Grimes County
Chamber of Commerce
Lifetime Achievement
Award. According to
award presenter Morris
Weaver, Dr. Webb has
been an active force within
Navasota for the past 66
years since his arrival as an
elementary school teacher
in 1950.
Weaver joked, “He
planned on staying for one
year; however he never
left.”
As a Navasota Inde-
pendent School District
employee, first as a teach-
er then a principle and
finally a superintendent,
Dr. Webb has “experi-
enced many firsts” while
in Grimes County. Weaver
described Webb’s forma-
tion of both the first middle
school athletic programs
and the first little league
baseball program in the
city.
“I am sure some peo-
ple thought he had lost his
mind as there was no base-
ball field,” said Weaver.
“No problem, he and his
boys build that park from
scratch.”
The list of achieve-
ments for Dr. Webb was
as long as his tenure and
he seemly genuinely sur-
prised and grateful when
the Chamber presented
him with the award.
Citizen of the Year
Other honorees for the
night were Citizen of the
Year, Grant Holt. Present-
ed by long-time friend and
fellow city council mem-
ber and mayor, Bert Mill-
er, the award showcased
Holt’s dedication to the
city in every form possi-
ble.
Whether sitting on the
ford announced that city
staff is working with Kent
Laza of Civil Engineering
Consultants to create guide-
lines for developers seeking
to build in Navasota.
He said, “In years past,
the city has pieced together
some from Brenham and
other places but we’re actu-
Texas Birthday
Bash lineup set
BY NICOLE SHUPE
Staff writer
Examiner photo by Nicole Shupe
Grant Holt (center) accepts the Navasota/Grimes The fifth annual Tex-
County Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year as Birthday Bash this
award at the True Texas Annual Awards Banquet weekend in downtown
last Thursday night at Camp Allen. Bert Miller, (not Navasota will feature an
pictured) presented the award. Also pictured Cham- A-list lineup of Texas and
ber President Meribeth Shimshack and Executive Nashville country.
Director Johnny McNally. Hosted by the City
of Navasota, the Friday
council as Mayor Pro-Tem Grimes County Citizen of night concerts will begin
or working with the Nava- the Year in 2015. at 5:30 p.m. and include
sota Theatre Alliance,
Hometown Boys, Chuck
Holt’s work throughout Chamber Member
Ligon and Kevin Fowl-
the community netted him of the Year
er. The all-day event
the evening’s top honor. Mike Hopkins Distrib-
Saturday will showcase
Holt is the owner of the uting was awarded the Dave Alexander, Clayton
Lindley-Roberston-Holt 2017 Chamber Member of Gardner, Bri Bagwell,
Funeral Home and was
named as the Best of Asleep at the Wheel and
SEE CHAMBER PAGE 12A Neal McCoy.
ture for us when developers
come in wanting to build a
subdivision or something
like that.”
Change order wraps up
street project
Council members ap-
proved a change order to the
SEE CITY PAGE 12A
The bands will begin
filling the stage at 5:30
p.m. Friday night with
the Hometown Boys, fol-
lowed by Chuck Lignon
at 7:30 p.m. and Kevin
Fowler at 9:30 p.m. Shut-
tle buses will be available
from the parking at Nava-
sota High School begin-
ning at 5 p.m.
Family fun can begin
at 11 a.m. for the Satur-
day festivities with event
goers enjoying vendors,
a petting zoo, pony rides,
a mechanical bull and an
Old West gun fighting
show. Dave Alexander
SEE BASH PAGE 12A

County reviews EMS situation

BY NICOLE SHUPE
Staff writer
ANDERSON — The
county is in the process
of reviewing the EMS
situation throughout the
area as part of the Grimes
County Strategic Plan.
The addition of EMS
units was ranked No. 12
on the plan and Commis-
sioner Barbara Walker
and Commissioner Chad
Mallett were tasked with
the research and imple-
mentation of any needed
changes. During Tues-
day’s Commissioners
Court meeting, Walker
and Mallett briefed the
court on progress that had
been made to date.
“We recently have
been having meetings
throughout the later part
of 2016, we met and dis-
cussed questions that we
had about the reports that
were requested from CHI
St. Joseph,” Walker said.
The reports included
timelines and data reflect-
ing response time from
various areas throughout
the county.
“We looked at all the
metrics we needed to col-
lect to know whether or
not Grimes County is at
the point of where they
need more EMS or pos-
sibly a truck that could
get there prior to the
SEE EMS PAGE 12A
Upping the game with a bird’s-eye view
BY CONNIE a different stage of their
CLEMENTS life. And at a time when
Examiner reporter public golf courses are
closing their doors, Has-
sell has embarked on a ma-
Since the day contrac-
jor transformation of the
tor and developer James
clubhouse at Pecan Lakes
Hassell put down roots
Golf Club (PLGC) that
in Navasota more than
will provide fitness and
15 years ago, he has been
spa facilities, a broader
committed to improving
menu, a conference room
the community and the
and a dining experience
quality of life of those who
not found anywhere else
live here. His current con-
in Grimes County.
struction projects bear that
out.
PLGC bucks the trend Examiner photos by Connie Clements
Hassell’s Heritage
While public golf A crew at work laying fiber optics and gas lines to
Meadows subdivision of
courses in Conroe and Navasota’s newest subdivision Pecan Lakes Estates
“starter homes” contin-
the Woodlands are being on Fairway Drive off SH 105. In the background, is
ues to grow and his latest
choked out by corporate the Pecan Lakes Golf Club that has virtually doubled
venture, the upscale Pe-
can Lakes Estates, reaches in size and will soon offer fitness facilities and a bird’s
out to people perhaps at SEE PECAN PAGE 3A eye view dining experience.

Thank a veteran Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13A Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14A

and military Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11A Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
person for their Index Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18A
service to Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20A The Beat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6A
our country. Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16A Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22A