Decades ago, Conroe resident Annette Spikes gave birth to her two sons at the Montgomery County Hospital on First Street in the city. On Tuesday morning, after a thorough renovation, she walked back into the same facility built in 1938 and marveled at its transformation into the new senior-living community Landmark 301. “It’s almost inconceivable as to…
Margaritaville Lake Resort on Lake Conroe is inviting Jimmy Buffett fans to keep the party going in memory of the late Trop Rock singer with “Jimmy Buffett Day” Friday.
Buffett died Sept. 1, 2023 at age 76 from skin cancer. His iconic song “Margaritaville” was the inspiration for tropical-themed resorts across the U.S. and in several countries. The Lake Conroe resort opened in June 2020.
Here’s what to know about “Jimmy Buffett Day” at Margaritaville Lake Resort and other Labor Day weekend events at the resort:
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Musical tributes for Jimmy Buffett
Special musical tributes are planned for Friday and Saturday night.
A Jimmy Buffett Musical Tribute by Phillip Lee is set for 6 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Palm Court and then again from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. these days in the Boathouse Bar & Lounge.
”Margaritaville is a global lifestyle brand inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett, whose songs evoke a passion for tropical escape and relaxation which is at the center of the Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe-Houston’s vision and purpose; what better way to celebrate and honor Jimmy Buffett’s life and legacy,” said Tom Faust, vice president, sales and marketing at Margaritaville Lake Resort.
Commemorative “Jimmy Buffett Day” items such as shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, cups, hats and bags will be available for purchase this weekend.
Partying with a purpose
To further honor Buffett’s legacy and his heart for service, the resort will donate $1 from each “Jimmy Buffett Day” special drink purchased in a special commemorative cup to Child Advocates of Montgomery County.
Through the nonprofit, volunteer advocates provide information and assistance to those in the child welfare system, in the juvenile justice system and youth struggling with school attendance or participation. The group recently rebranded from the CASA organization to Child Advocates of Montgomery County.
Through Labor Day weekend, the resort is offering the “Keep The Party Going” package. Enjoy everything Margaritaville Lake Resort has to offer, including access to the Jolly Mon Water Park and onsite dining at LandShark Bar & Grill, License to Chill Bar & Cafe and Joe Merchant’s Coffee and Provisions.
Book by Friday and a portion of the proceeds from the stay will benefit Child Advocates of Montgomery County. Two special edition commemorative cups are included with each package.
WILLIS ISD BOND: Willis ISD calls $115.4 million bond election in third attempt to get new stadium approved
More weekend events
The “Magic at Margaritaville” show with magician Harry Mauer in the Paradise Amphitheater is at 8 p.m. Saturday. Mauer is an “Atlantic City Entertainer of the Year Award” nominee and former magician at Houston’s Magic Island.
A Glow Pool Party at the 5 O’clock Somewhere Pool is also planned for 8 p.m. Saturday.
Additionally, the resort has Labor Day weekend packages.
For $299 per night, guests can book any number of days from Friday through Sunday. Plus, add additional dates before or after Labor Day weekend for $179 per night.
Montgomery ISD has joined other school districts in asking voters to raise its tax rate in hopes of recruiting and keeping staff, maintaining student programs and providing safety and security. A Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election, also known as VATRE, requires districts to seek voter approval to raise the tax rate above a prescribed amount, according to…
A new $10 million facility Mongomery County nonprofit Children’s Safe Harbor in Conroe is now under construction with the goal of better serving the needs of children who have been abused. The 45,000-square-foot building will be on Conroe’s Loop 336 East and is expected open next fall. WILLIS ISD BOND: Willis ISD calls $115.4 million bond election…
A 2009 Willis High School grad who discovered his love for acting on Montgomery County stages is now a part of a popular Netflix reboot this summer. Tyler Tackett served as a stunt double for the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt who plays Detective Bobby Abbott in Netflix’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” released July 3. Tackett’s work is…
Have you ever been to a Conroe Noon Lions Club Meeting?
Imagine walking into a room that is hustling and bustling with laughter and conversation. The buffet is ready and as the room is filling up, you see people you know, people you don’t know and people you want to know.
The first question I always ask myself is, “’Where am I going to sit?” I always sit at a different table because I want to meet as many people as possible. Over the last 12 years as a Lion, I have sat at every table, and I have yet to meet everyone. I choose my table at the front right corner and get ready for another great meeting.
Our President Bryan Rennell rings the bell, and the meeting begins by honoring our great nation and a prayer for those near and far. Lion Wes Carr started the introduction of guest with a joke. Lion Ricky Morton was to lead our club song, ‘Smile,’ however he must have forgotten the words, twice, because he started with singing ‘Happy Birthday” and then “Row, Row, Row your Boat?”
This Week’s Announcements included: Our local eye glass center making a global impact on vision in July. We processed over 1,000 pounds of glasses and supported a global mission trip to West Kenya, Africa.
Community Partnerships – This is an opportunity for local businesses and citizens to support the Lions Club missions both near and far with a one-time annual donation. Reach out to VP Tracey Irvine for more information on how you or your business can get involved.
Hometown Military Hero – Judge John Hafley shared a beautiful PowerPoint honoring those who are or have served our country as he talked about our application process for our next Hometown Military Hero. We are looking for a local active Military Hero that we can support this fiscal year. Applications are due by Sept. 30.
Our ‘kids on the lake’ – fishing tournament for special needs children has now moved to Saturday, Sept 21, at Owen Park. If you know of a special child that would enjoy some fishing, food, and fun; please go to the events page on our website conroenoonlions.org to register.
Congratulations to Lion Ric Millington for receiving ‘Lion of the Month’ for July and additional congrats to all that received a perfect attendance award.
Program Chair for Life, Mike Sproba, introduced our speaker and fellow Lion Rebecca Smith-Nash Founder and CEO of Love Heals Youth. Rebecca shared the impact that her organization is making with the children in the foster care system. They are working with local and national leaders, along with Texas State Representative Steve Toth, who was also in attendance to improve and overhaul parts of the program.
As I begin to prepare for this article, I reflect on the reason I became a Lion. I wanted to make a difference in our local community while connecting with others. If this is you, join us any Wednesday at the Lone Star Convention Center. I promise you will have a great time. Get involved and you will be impacted beyond your wildest imagination. I know I have been.
The Conroe Noon Lions Club meets on Wednesdays, at noon, at the Lone Star Convention Center. For more information about the Conroe Noon Lions Club, please visit our website, www.conroenoonlions.org, or call the club office at 936-760-1666.
The Rotary Club of East Montgomery County, will be hosting its 15th annual Spelling Bee for adults and high school students on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.
This event runs from 5:30 to 8 pm. This is no regular spelling bee! A team of three people works together to attempt to spell each word challenge correctly. You can collaborate with each other about the correct spelling of the word challenge. You can even write it down on a white board to ensure it is spelled correctly before the final spelling submission. No one spells alone or stands up in front of the audience. The registration fee is $150.00 for a team and it includes two passes that can be redeemed when you mis-spell a word to allow you continue in the Spelling Bee Competition – sort of like a “get out of jail free” card! They are called “stings.”
For an additional $100, you can acquire an additional four stings to continue competing in the Spelling Bee with incorrectly spelled words. This Spelling Bee is a lot of fun while raising money for scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors at Caney Creek High School, Porter High School, New Caney High School, and Splendora High School. The scholarships are awarded at the College Connections Program at Lone Star College Kingwood in the Spring. This fun educational event is all about raising awareness in the community for education advancement. I dare you to put together a threesome to out spell the other adults in the room. For more information, email Suann Hereford at muse@consolidated.net.
The Rotary Club of The Woodlands is starting the celebrations of its 50th year. Dr. Robert Schucker has compiled a book of pictures and history of the Rotary Club’s contributions to Montgomery County and the World! This book will be issued just as The Woodlands Community celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Look for some fun celebration events in the coming months for this world class organization.
The Rotary Club of Conroe is resurrecting its Spirits of Texas Fund Raiser on Tuesday, Oct. 29, just two days before Halloween. Costumes are optional. This event will feature Texas wines and Texas beers to provide another aspect of what the spirits are about. To add to the event’s mystique, the event will be held at The Table on Madeley in historic downtown Conroe. Light finger foods will be available with more substantial foods available at the food trucks on the site. The covered outdoor stage will feature live Texas music for patrons’ enjoyment under the huge oak trees covering the site. The weather should be fine for the beautiful weather during the end of October. Tickets will be available online at www.conroetable.com or from Conroe Rotarians for $50 per Adult. This is a family affair with food trucks feeding those with big appetites being adults and children. Funds raised for this event will benefit the education of our local youth through the Rotary Club of Conroe Foundation.
For more information on what Rotary is about, please email me at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
Willis ISD, after failing twice since 2022 to convince voters to support bonds for a new stadium and aquatic center, will put both issues on the ballot a third time in November as part of a $115.4 million bond package.
The stadium would replace the nearly 50-year-old Yates Stadium and is part of a proposed $68.8 million athletic complex. The aquatic center is projected to cost $19.6 million. The district also will ask voters again to approve a bond proposition, which failed in May, to build a new $27 million student activity center.
In May, voters partially approved the district’s $218.1 million bond package, securing funds to expand Willis High School and build a new transportation center.
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“As we have worked on long-term planning for Willis ISD, we wholeheartedly believe the facilities proposed through this referendum will provide students with the opportunities they need to excel in academics and extracurricular activities,” said Kimberly James, who was named superintendent in April after the former left the district for another.
Former Superintendent Tim Harkrider, who is now serving in a leadership role in College Station ISD, previously highlighted the need for the new facilities after voters approved a only a portion of the district’s 2022 bond package. At that time, the bond for the stadium was priced at $62.6 million and the aquatic center was priced at $19.4 million.
“We still do not have a natatorium, a place for our swimming and diving team to practice, and that will not change, that is not something we can recreate,” Harkrider told The Courier in May 2022. “Same thing as far as space at Yates Stadium during our football season. Space will be limited.”
What’s in the $115.4 million bond package?
On top of including funds for a stadium and aquatic center, district leaders also hope to build a new student activity center at Willis High, which includes additional classrooms and offices, a set of girls’ and boys’ locker rooms, a weight room, a multipurpose indoor field to alleviate concerns about athletes practicing in harsh temperatures, according to a news release by the district.
Proposition B includes the new athletic complex and stadium with a community room, which would be built on 62 acres off FM 830 and Texas 75 — across from Willis High. The stadium would be built to accommodate growth, with 8,500 seats, a competition-length track and field, home and visitor press box, concessions and a fieldhouse, the release states. The community room would provide a place to hold meetings, end-of-year banquets and other events.
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Proposition C is for the aquatic center, which would include a 50-meter swimming pool with an additional dive well. The pool would would include two bulkheads to accommodate UIL events. The facility would also accommodate for 800 people, additional classrooms, locker rooms and a weight room.
If all propositions are approved, there is a potential tax increase of 1 cent to the interest and sinking rate, which is used to pay off debt for district facilities.
Board hopes presidential election will drive turnout
Last spring, the district received results of a demographic study that projected that it would add more than 10,000 students by 2033 — doubling the current enrollment, which is roughly 9,000.
“Willis ISD is obviously experiencing significant growth in infrastructure and homes,” board president Kyle Hoegemeyer said in a written statement.
“Along with that growth we see evolving needs in our students, families and staff. The projects proposed in this bond election are a reflection of what our board, administration and long-range planning committee members have identified as needs that focus on improving the overall academic experience for students in Willis ISD.”
Hoegemeyer said the propositions failed in May due to low voter turnout. With a presidential election in November, Hoegemeyer said during a board meeting in August that he expects a much higher turnout than in May.
District officials did not immediately respond to questions on next steps should the November bond package fail, or if only a portion is approved by voters.
Given that the entire world is online and some of the “stuff” posted on social media these days can absolutely ruin someone’s day, here’s a little food for thought. Spoken words and written words may be exactly the same, but they’re completely different. No, that’s not a typo nor a riddle. It’s simply pointing out that the written word has no inflection, so its message tends to be interpreted by the reader rather than the writer.
Consider this statement, “I didn’t steal your idea” and think of how it might be read._I_didn’t steal your idea (someone else may have but it wasn’t me). I didn’t steal your idea (denial). I didn’t steal your idea (I just borrowed it). I didn’t steal your idea (I stole someone else’s). I didn’t steal your idea (just some of your thoughts). Five words, five meanings. So, next time you read (or write) something on any social media platform, slow down. If reading someone else’s post, try to consider what they “might” have meant rather than what your own biases absolutely know they meant. Take a deep breath. It’ll help your blood pressure.
And, when writing your own post, read it again before you hit “send” and ask yourself what the reader might hear. Better yet, problem solved if we just minimize online chat and talk more in person. Case in point, the monthly Mix ‘n’ Mingle at the club happens from roughly 4-7 every third Tuesday in the Crescent Grill, and it’ll typically find fifty or so of your neighbors there mixing and mingling. You know, talking to one another. This event was started initially as a venue for welcoming new residents, and that’s certainly still the case, but there are also lots of regulars showing up. Regularly. No membership required. No entry fee. No minimum purchase. Just folks talking with other folks. Yep, communicating. Every word spoken with inflection. No misinterpretation. Y’all come.
Speaking of communication, do you know about Operation School Bell? It’s the signature program of Assistance League, and is kicking off its Fall “dressings” this month, providing vouchers for in-need students (as determined by school counselors) to shop for school clothes at local stores. League volunteers help organize and staff the events at Burlington Coat Factory, J.C. Penney, Kohls, and Walmart stores, all funded by the Assistance League Thrift Shop in Conroe which is staffed entirely by volunteers and gets its inventory from community donations.
So, shop at Assistance League and you’ll get great deals while helping school kids get new clothes. Win, win. Plus, it’s yet another opportunity to mix and mingle with lots of your neighbors, volunteers at the Thrift Shop. Cindy Cooper tells me they include: Linda Baker, Kathy Berringer, Cindy Cooper, Colleen Cremer, Susan Day, Marsha Dolhonde, Pat Edwards, Dolores Gonzlez, Angie Grimes, Eileen Holbart, Joyce Isenbarger, Carolyn Jones, Liz Jones, Sharon Jones, Sharon Jorczak, Marlene Keeling, Jan Kendall, Karen Krauszer, Mary Krenek, DeWitt Lamb, Judy Love, Barb Michels, Joanne Naughton, Molly Parkhill, Shirley Parrish, Sherrie Ponto, Annette Prokop, Kay Raun, Anna Richards, Nancy Sappenfield, Karen Spartz, Nancy Stewart-Newsom, Lana Sultz, Karen Walker, Phyllis Weisbrook, and Lennie Woodford. Hoping to see all of them (and you) at Bentwater’s next Mix ‘n’ Mingle.
Send Bentwater fun news and social tidbits to Bruce at Bruce@TheLakeConroeGroup.com
The summer is moving quickly but not the heat!
Before we move into the Labor Day weekend, please consider supporting Family Promise of Montgomery County at their Annual “Rise Up” Luncheon Thursday, August 29 at 11:00am at Lone Star College, Maverick Center to celebrate families that have graduated from their 90-Day program to independence and to raise funds to assist their mission of helping homeless families with children to become self-sufficient and stable. Get tickets and information at www.FamilyPromiseofMC.org.
The last First Thursday Concert of the season is Thursday, Sept 5 with a tribute to the 80’s/90’s country music with Shotgun Road. This is a free concert starting at 7:00pm. Bring your lawn chairs and any food or beverages inside Heritage Place Park but leave the glass bottles outside the gates. Thank you to the City of Conroe for hosting this event every year.
Our community theatres start their new 2024-2025 season on Friday, September 6. The Crighton Theatre will premiere “The Play That Goes Wrong” and over at the Owen Theatre “Rock of Ages” will take the stage. Both shows will be for three weeks through Sunday, September 22.
Saturday, Sept 7 is Downtown Conroe’s First Saturday Stroll from 10:00am-2:00pm at the merchant shops with live music, sidewalk sales, restaurant and drink specials, and the Main Street Market Conroe at the Courthouse on Thompson Street. The North Houston Back to School Bash will take place at Heritage Place Park on this Saturday also.
Down to the road at Lone Star Convention Center, stop by Saturday, Sept 7 through Sunday, Sept 8 for the 6th Annual Fall Montgomery County Home and Outdoor Living Show. Homeowners will be able to speak one-on-one with home improvement experts, primarily from the Montgomery County area, with the latest products and services on the market all under one roof. Special guest appearances by Tom Tynan of Home Show Radio, the Houston do-it-yourself expert for 36 years, and Skip Richter, gardening expert from KTRH GardenLine.
The show will also have a special appearance by Dr. Lori Verderame, a Ph.D. antiques appraiser, and award-winning TV personality of Discovery Channel Auction Kings, The History Channel’s The Curse of Oak Island and Pawn Stars Do America, Netflix’s The King of Collectables, and FOX Business Network’s Strange Inheritance. Admission is FREE! This is a unique opportunity for attendees to take their treasured antiques to Dr. Lori for the Antiques Appraisal Comedy Show for two showings on Saturday, Sept 7 (11:00am and 2:00pm) for an on-the-spot appraisal of family heirlooms, garage sale finds, and quite possibly an unbelievably valuable item. Dr. Lori has shared her expertise with Business Insider, NBC TV’s Today Show, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, NBC TV’s The Tonight Show, Inside Edition, People, and Lifetime Television. The hours are Saturday, Sept 7 from 10am-6:00pm, and Sunday, Sept 8, 11:00am-5:00pm. More information at www.TexwoodShows.com
Stay safe. Shop local.
Margie Taylor may be reached at margie@taylorizedpr.com.
