This year’s Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival returns in October featuring a Montgomery native, one of Houston’s most popular tribute bands and local up-and-coming acts in the music lineup.
The 35th annual festival is set for Oct. 11-13 on the downtown Conroe square. Josh Ward and William Clark Green are the headliners with returning favorites including Wayne Toups, Geno Delafose and Bayou Roux.
Here’s what to know about the festival’s music lineup and changes for this year’s event:
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What is the festival?
The nonprofit group the Friends of Conroe puts on the event every year. Proceeds from the event support student scholarships and the annual Friends Feeding Friends Thanksgiving meal.
Inspired by Cajun music and the common desire to bring a festival to downtown Conroe, the 15 founding members first came together in 1990 to organize the first Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival. Co-founder Charles Tullos said it all began when he and Sandra Walker were talking. They were reminiscing about when the Lions Club Carnival took place on the downtown square in the 1950s and 1960s.
The first festival was held in mid-November in 1990. In 1995, the 74th state Legislature designated the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival as the official Cajun Catfish Festival of the state of Texas.
Music lineup
There will be two stages for entertainment with one on North Thompson near the Owen Theatre and the other on Main Street near Texas 105. Devon Stevens, vice president of the Friends of Conroe, said the stage with Cajun acts will return to Main Street this year based on feedback from last year’s event.
The carnival with free admission opens at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at the corner of Texas 105 and Texas 75. Music kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday.
The stage previously known as the Texas Stage will be the Xfinity Stage this year. Friday’s music line up on this stage includes Matt Castillo, Jesse Raub Jr. and Josh Ward. Saturday brings Payton Riley, Payton Howie, The Wilder Blue, William Beckmann and William Clark Green. Sunday’s lineup is The Fab 5, Escape, Zach Jones and the 45’s and the Allie Rae Band.
On the stage with Cajun music the Friday lineup includes Double Trouble Zydeco, Geno Delafose and French Rockin Boogie. Saturday is Double Trouble Zydeco, Keyun and the Zydeco Masters, Wayne Toups and Bayou Roux.
The Payton Riley Band, the Allie Rae Band and Zach Jones and the 45’s band were selected after the nonprofit’s Catfish Got Talent show at the Table at Madeley July 14.
The Mr. and Mrs. Catfish Pageant will take place Sunday afternoon at the stage on Main Street.
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Need to know
The vendors have expanded for this year. Visitors can expect more than 50 vendors on festival weekend. Two new food vendors include Poly Wog’s Cajun and Midnight Cravings dessert spot.
Shuttles will continue this year. Conroe Connections buses will pick festival visitors up from the Park and Ride spot under Interstate 45 at FM 2854 and drop them off at the festival.
The shuttle rides are free and will continue throughout the festival’s run.
Early bird ticket pricing continues through Aug. 18. Discounted tickets continue from Aug. 18 through the opening of the festival. See the festival website for ticket options and more details about the event.
Conroe ISD’s newest elementary school will open on the city’s northwest side Wednesday, celebrating the legacy of a 30-year educator in the district.
Students in pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade will attend Janet K. Bartlett Elementary at 11255 Cielo Drive. The new school is off FM 1484 within the new Cielo community that is scheduled to have more than 830 single-family homes.
Here’s what to know about the school and Bartlett as school begins this week. Conroe ISD resumes classes at its 71 campuses Wednesday morning.
About the school
Bartlett Elementary— originally Flex School 23 for the Caney Creek High School feeder zone — was part of the 2019 Conroe ISD bond referendum and cost approximately $39.4 million to build, according to district data.
It will have a capacity of 950 pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade students and will bring overcrowding relief to Caney Creek and Conroe feeder elementary campuses.
The school colors are maroon and gray, and the bobcat is the mascot. The school will relieve some overcrowding at Austin and Anderson campuses and is situated between the two attendance zones for those schools.
The Bartlett Elementary attendance zone is bordered by FM 1484 on the north side and runs south of Texas 105 on the southern side. The students at Bartlett Elementary will eventually attend Timber Mill High School on Conroe’s east side when it opens in August 2027.
Early passion for teaching
Bartlett was two when her family moved to Conroe so her father could work in the Conroe oil field. She’s familiar with the land around Bartlett Elementary because her father worked on wells in the area and some Saturdays she’d tag along.
She knew she wanted a career in teaching at age 6, she said.
“I would line my little stuffed animals up and I would teach away,” she said. “My friend across the street, Jimmie, we would play school. She would go in her room and I would go in mine and we’d meet in the street and have recess (for their play classes.) It’s a gift that God gave me and I’m so glad he gave me this gift. There is nothing else I would have done.”
She was also inspired by her teacher Martha Jones a longtime teacher at Anderson Elementary.
Bartlett went on to graduate from Conroe High School in 1971 and then Sam Houston State University.
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Always in the classroom
Her first teaching assignment was at Runyan Elementary in 1975. A few years later she moved on to teach at the school she attended Anderson Elementary and her final assignment was at Giesinger Elementary School working with principal Bonnie Wilkinson, who also has a school named after her.
She retired from full-time teaching in 2006 but continued on at Giesinger as a long-term substitute teacher. She said the staff of Giesinger continues to remain a family and they still get together often.
She also volunteers with Conroe ISD’s Project Mentor and was the Conroe Education Association’s 1993-94 Elementary Teacher of the Year.
“I still have that urge to be in the classroom,” she said. “Kids are kids and they come with this thirst and they’re like little sponges and they need love and need to be loved back.”
She looks forward to being involved at Bartlett Elementary and especially wants to work with students that need a little extra help.
On Wednesday, she looks forward to the smiles and young wide eyes she expects to meet as they come to school the first day.
“I just think so many of them have never seen anything like this,” she said of the beauty of the new school.
A dedication ceremony for the school will take place in October. Bartlett lives in Conroe and has three children and eight grandchildren. Her daughter and daughter-in-law are teachers as well.
‘It takes a team’
When she first learned a new Conroe ISD school would be named after her she had mixed feelings. She wanted to ensure that the community knows her success in the classroom was a team effort.
“To say a school is named after you is hard to accept. It wasn’t about me it’s about everybody. It takes a village. It takes everyone,” she said. Therefore the glass case at the front of the school contains pictures of her classes and the teachers and staff there with her. She wanted it to be about them, too.
Conroe Mayor Duke Coon is one of the many in the community who nominated Bartlett for the honor.
“I was so proud and honored to put her name forward along with many others in the community,” he said. “I have watched her over the years give everything she’s got to this school district and the children within it. She’s an amazing testament to the love and compassion a teacher can bring into a student’s life.”
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Back to school
More than 74,000 students are expected at the 71 Conroe ISD campuses Wednesday. The district will see new principals at more than a dozen campuses and 82 buses have been added to the fleet for the new year.
This year also includes the opening of the district’s new transportation facilities. A $16.5 million project expanded the district’s transportation hub on Gladstell Street in Conroe and adds a new facility to its Caney Creek High School location off FM 1485.
Catherine Dominguez contributed to this report.
Since being established as a national forest by the Texas Legislature in 1933, Sam Houston National Forest has been home to bird watchers, glampers and Bigfoot aficionados.
The national forest, about 50 miles north of Houston, spans nearly 200,000 acres between Conroe, Cleveland, Huntsville and Richards, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. With land in Montgomery, Walker, and San Jacinto counties, the Sam Houston National Forest is intermingled with privately owned timber lands and small farms, the agency’s website states.
And as the forest nears its most popular seasons, which tends to be winter and spring, there are several things visitors should know before planning a trip.
Here are three things to know before traveling to Sam Houston National Forest:
Lone Star Star Hiking Trail spans 128 miles
The Lone Star Star Hiking Trail, which spans 128 miles, winds through the national forest and has gained National Recreation Trail status, the agency’s website states. The trail consists of three sections — the Lake Conroe, Central Area and the Winters Bayou/Tarkington Creek Area sections.
While the Lone Star Hiking Trail can be hiked all year round, winter and spring are the most popular seasons due to the mild southeast Texas climate. During deer hunting season in November and December, hikers are encouraged to wear highly visible clothing. The trail, typically, isn’t crowded and is home to several native trees, plants and wildlife.
There is also 86 miles of of single-track multi-use trails. These trails are accessible to hikers, cyclists, equestrians and motorized users. It’s the only national forest in Texas that offers a motorized accessible trail system, according to information from the Sam Houston Trails Coalition.
Hikers can also get views of several rivers, creeks, lakes and streams throughout the nation forest.
Popular place for Sasquatch sightings
Visitors may be unaware of the rumors of a giant that may lurk in the forest, which allegedly attacked some explorers in 2015.
Bigfoot hunters have made their way to the national forest, which is an apparent hotspot for sightings of cryptids (animals whose existence is debated) that attracts hunters from across the Gulf Coast region and beyond.
With 254 square miles of wilderness, a suitable climate and close proximity to reliable water supplies, the woods north of Houston offer a perfect spot for roaming mystery creatures — which might explain the more than two dozen reports the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization has logged in the area. Bigfoot aficionados told the Houston Chronicle in 2017 that Montgomery and Liberty counties may boast more Bigfoot sightings than anyplace else in Texas.
One quick Facebook search will show that some members of the Texas Cryptozoology Network and BFD Bigfoot Discovery Ops of Texas are still inquiring about Sasquatch sightings while also trying to find like-minded individuals.
Home to North American birds
The national forest is also home to several North American bird species, including a couple of endangered birds such as the bald eagle. Lake Conroe and the surrounding National Forest lands provide wintering habitat for the endangered bald eagle.
During the winter months, the eagle is not an uncommon sight soaring over the lake, perched on a flooded snag or in a tall pine along the shoreline.
Another endangered species, the red-cockaded woodpecker, is found throughout the Sam Houston National Forest and frequently spotted by observant visitors. The small black and white woodpecker with distinctive large white cheek patches is slightly larger than a bluebird. The male has a single streak of red feathers on each side of his head. Its unique high-pitched, squeaky call can be recognized at considerable distances.
Magnolia resident Charles Lee was frustrated at the lack of entertainment options for kids that live outside of Conroe and The Woodlands, so he decided to open his own venue.
Roller skating, paintball and arcade
Ultimate Arena, which opened in June off Hardin Store Road, was something “that the community needs,” Lee said — a family-owned venue that offers indoor roller skating, outdoor paintball and virtual reality arcade machines.
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“Most of the kids these days are on the iPhone and iPad too much,” he said. “And this creates activity, some exercise, some sort of workout for them to do, having…fun for the community is good.”
This comes after several venues recently announced openings, bringing more entertainment choices to Montgomery County.
Although the venue is marketed for families, Susan Rozell said the company is also trying to bring in companies to do team building through paintball.
Looking for ways to expand events
Rozell, who runs the social media page for the venue, said she’s already seen a lot of positive feedback from the community, stating that a lot of people give them ideas for events such as 80s Night or Teen Night. There are plans to add skate lessons in the future, she said.
“Everybody loves it,” Rozell said. “I think it’s great for the community. It gives families something to do during the week or on the weekends.”
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Tickets prices vary depending on activity.
For roller skating, tickets range from $12 to $15, depending on if a person rents skates at the venue or brings their own. For paintball, the venue can accommodate for 20 players with the price of $40 per person, which also includes a face mask, paintball gun, vest shield and paintballs. For a single ticket of admission, it costs $5.
The venue also offers membership plans up to $90 monthly and $30 for additional members up to 10 people.
Lee said he anticipates business to increase as the 2024-25 school year gets underway.
Independent artist Ryder Grimes has once again soared to the top of the Texas charts with his latest single, “8 Seconds at a Time,” marking his second consecutive No. 1 hit.
Hailing from the Northeast Texas town of Poetry, Grimes has grown his fan base across the state and beyond with his authentic blend of heartfelt lyrics and traditional country sound.
“8 Seconds at a Time” is a song about rodeo life and chasing the dream of earning a gold belt buckle.
“The lyrics describe the pain of losing, but in the end when you win – it’s the greatest feeling ever, in my opinion,” said Grimes. “You can relate it to a lot of things in life, not just rodeoing.”
Fans and radio stations are relating to the song’s message and loving it! It’s found a home on the Texas charts for an impressive 28 weeks.Grimes’ latest success comes on the heels of a remarkable first half of 2024 where he not only clinched the New Male Vocalist award at the Texas Regional Radio Awards but also secured sponsorships with four prominent companies that recognize his talent and potential in the music industry.
He feels humbled to have the support of R. Watson Boots, Ranch Fuel Energy, COWI Brand (apparel), and Cowboys Trailers and Ranches.
“It means a lot to be recognized by companies that I love and to know that they like what I am doing and want to partner with me – that’s cool,” said Grimes.
Grimes attributes his success to hard work, a great team, and his dedication to growing as a songwriter.
He recalls a pivotal moment listening to country legend Toby Keith discuss songwriting in an interview.
“Toby once said, ‘Anything can be a song. If you see something inspiring, put it in your pocket so you always have something to pull out and write.’ That advice stuck with me,” Grimes shared. “We all have those songs that mean a lot to us, and a lot of those songs came from guys and gals who poured their heart and soul out into the music they wanted to write and play – and that’s my goal. I just want to write great songs and put out good music.”
Since he was only 11 years old, he has spent thousands of hours on and off stage perfecting his craft, turning him into the performer he is today. His inspirations range from ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s country legends such as Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley and Tracey Lawrence – to Texas stars like Randy Rogers, Deryl Dodd and Charlie Robison. Named the 2023 Texas Country “Emerging Artist of the Year” and 2024 “New Male Artist of the Year” with two No. 1 hits under his belt, Grimes is having a massive year and learning firsthand how hard work and great songs pay off.
Writing is how Grimes spends most of his time when at home in Poetry, and he tries to write at least half a song each day. When on the road, he spends his time focusing on the positives, reading scripture, and praying before he hits the stage to give his best to his fans.
“Doing this for a living is a blessing, for sure. It makes me happy that people are coming to see me – whether it’s five people, 500 or 5,000 – I want to give them the best show I can and perform like it’s my last show to play,” he added.
As Grimes celebrates his second No. 1 hit, he is solidifying his place in country music – and there is no place he’d rather be.
For more information on Ryder Grimes and to stay updated on his latest music releases and tour dates, visit www.rydergrimesmusic.com.
A long-time disc golf player, Synjin Dillard, said he’s seen the sport grow tremendously in the Houston area in the last four years.
His family owns Lone Star Disc in Conroe that manufactures the golf discs used in the sport. As people became restless during the early days of the pandemic, the outdoor sport offered the opportunity for socially distanced fun while shedding a new light on the sport.
Here is what to know about disc golf and where to play in Montgomery County and northern Harris County:
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What is disc golf?
According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, disc golf is played much like golf except, instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws).
The app UDisc offers a database of 15,000 disc golf courses including ones in Montgomery County. Each description lists the location, level of difficulty and condition of the course.
Disc golf courses in Conroe
Conroe maintains two disc golf courses. The one at McDade Park was established in 2004 and is adjacent to the San Jacinto River. It’s an 18-hole course with both narrow and open shots in a park setting. McDade Park is at 10310 FM 2854 in Conroe.
An 18-hole course was established at John Burge Park in 2012. This is described as a wooded, hilly course with lots of shade. It’s at 11050 Little Egypt Road in Conroe.
A nine-hole course exists in Gwen Hruska Park in Conroe’s River Plantation neighborhood. It’s off of Brandon Road at Butler’s Island Road. Lone Star Disc also has a nine-hole course adjacent to the shop at 12686 FM 1314 in Conroe.
The city offers a free disc golf clinic at 8 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. The free clinic is at Madeley Pavilion at Owen Park. The city also offers private lessons.
For more information contact the Westside Recreation Center at 936-522-3990 or on the City of Conroe website.
Disc golf in The Woodlands
The Bear Branch Sportsfield Park has an 18-hole course described as wooded with a pond challenge. This course was established in 1994 and has sports fields and public picnic areas nearby. It’s at 5205 Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands.
A nine-hole course is in Terramont Park in The Woodlands. It’s described as a course for intermediate plays that is very hilly. It’s at 8500 Terramont Drive in The Woodlands.
Designed in 2010, an 18-hole course is behind Stonebridge Church and offers a range of shots. It’s at 1 Stonebridge Church Drive in The Woodlands just south of FM 1488.
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Magnolia and Tomball disc golf courses
A revamped nine-hole course is at Gracepoint Fellowship Church off FM 1488 at 426 Corporate Woods Drive in Magnolia. Plans for an 18-hole course are in the works.
The Spring Creek disc golf course is along Spring Creek. It’s a nine-hole course near Lone Star College – Tomball. It’s off of Coral Canyon in Tomball.
An 18-hole course at Graceview Baptist Church was designed in 2023 as a memorial to Eric Paddy, a longtime church member. According to the description, this course offers a challenge for players of all skill levels and shaded benches at every hole. Paddy was a coach in Tomball ISD and he died in January 2021 of cancer.
The course is at Graceview Baptist Church at 21206 Telge Road in Tomball.
Spring disc golf course
Spring Valley Golf & Disc Golf is a 53-hole course owned and operated by World Disc Golf Hall of Fame member Andi Young and husband Don Young. There’s a pro shop, a flex league, snacks and dogs are allowed on the course as long as they are cleaned up after.
It’s at 25110 Gosling Road in Spring.
Fearing a nuclear attack by Chinese communists in the 80s, the late Ling-Chieh “Louis” Kung financed the construction of a nuclear bomb shelter next to the former Westland Oil Co., building off Texas 105 near Montgomery.
Originally intended to withstand the effects of a 25 megaton bomb, the site is now being used to ensure power interruptions in the Houston area are minimal for businesses and agencies that are dependent on saving lives.
Bomb shelter turned data bunker
A week before Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda Bay on July 8, Houston-based Data Journey moved into the property that sits on roughly 50 acres, with some 911 centers renting space at the data center.
The site was put to the test of whether it could withstand hurricane winds that knocked out power to more than 2.2 million customers.
“If this facility had failed, which it didn’t during any of these hurricanes, there would be major problems in the city of Houston for 911 services and other things that really could make an impact on people,” said Todd M. Smith, commercial adviser for the data firm.
Having a nuclear bomb shelter 50 feet below ground with several data halls and fail-safe backup generators while also not being reliant to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s electric grid operator, has its perks.
“All of our tenants were up,” said Ishnella Azad, managing partner of the company. “We did not go down.”
The facility gets its power from Entergy Texas, which is on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator electricity grid. It serves 15 states spanning from Louisiana up through Minnesota.
What is a data center?
For those unfamiliar with the IT world, a data center is a physical location that stores computing machines and their related hardware, according to Amazon Web Services. It contains the computing infrastructure that IT systems require, such as servers, data storage drives, and network equipment. It is the physical facility that stores any company’s digital data, the website states.
Almost every business operation uses data centers to store computing equipment at a central location, where they can run web applications, offer services, sell products or run internal applications for accounts, human resources and operations management.
The benefits to using a data center include backup power supplies to manage power outages, data replication across several machines for disaster recovery, temperature-controlled facilities to extend the life of the equipment and easier implementation of security measures for compliance with data laws, Amazon Web Services’ website states.
It’s like an apartment complex for businesses’ computing machines and related hardware.
‘A data center with gun turrets’
After World War II, Kung came to the United States as a diplomat assigned to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., then later moved to Houston, according to a previous report. The multimillionaire founded Westland Oil Development Corp. in 1962, moving its headquarters to Montgomery.
In the 80s, Kung financed what was known as the “Westland Bunker.” The bunker could comfortably accommodate 500 people for about six months in its two levels that totaled 40,000 square feet. Features of the bunker included dormitories, hospital facilities, a jail, wells for an unlimited supply of water and a generator that could provide electricity.
The walls were built with 2 feet of heavily reinforced concrete as well as blast doors.
Walking through its halls today, remnants of the past can still be seen such as bullet holes left on a window to one of the entrances to the shelter, prison cells that are now used as storage and empty spaces where gun turrets were once stationed.
“This you won’t find at another data center,” Azad said, noting the bunker comes with a unique background. “Who the hell has a data center with gun turrets?”
While the data center definitely has unique features, it also has enough power that could support a small neighborhood, Smith said.
“It has been a successful property,” he said. “It just hasn’t gotten the appropriate love and attention in a number of years…and now that the industry is more important, bigger and more dynamic, now it’s time.”
Data center beginnings
As for the “Westland Bunker,” the site was previously used as a data center after Westland Oil Co., filed for bankruptcy in 1987 and sold the property.
Before Data Journey acquired the site, the previous owner had one company that used the site to store computing equipment. As of Aug. 8, Data Journey has 60 tenants at the data center. Costs are customized based on the needs of each organization’s requirements.
While the company does welcome bigger clients to rent out space at the center, it doesn’t want to “get away from serving the community of the sites that we’re in,” Smith said.
“We want the smaller customer,” Azad said. “We’re not just going after the big guys with the huge money. We want everybody to be OK. This is a place where our fellow Houstonians can come to make sure that their money, their business and their families are safe.”
Inside of the 100,000-square-foot facility next to the bunker is a community area, which Smith calls “Club Journey.” Both Smith and Azad said they hoped the space would help them in making a connection with the community.
“We want to be more personable,” Azad said. “We don’t want to be cookie cutters. We want a relationship with our clientele and we want to make sure that we are on this journey together … we’re going to have a hangout zone, we’re going to connect with each other, we’re going to know what each others needs are so we can fulfill those needs.”
Smith said he hopes the company can host people at the facility to get to know them better and offer consulting if needed.
“And if that means that that some of the data won’t live here, that’s fine,” he said.
Ronald Bailey, technical adviser for the company, said that there are already conversations with clients that work with artificial intelligence. Smith said he predicts that the company will eventually work with bigger corporations such as Google and Microsoft.
Conroe’s Dillard family has turned a favorite family hobby into a successful spin-off business from their Conroe-based custom injection molding company for oilfields.
During the pandemic, Terry and Barbara Dillard along with sons Synjin, Travis and daughter, Britney, launched Lone Star Disc on FM 1314 alongside their Lone Star Molding. They manufacture the plastic or rubber round discs used for playing disc golf.
An idea that sprung out of a slow time during the pandemic, now has the family shipping disc golf discs all over the world from their shop just south of Conroe. In addition to a pro shop there is also a nine-hole disc golf course on the property.
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What is disc golf?
According to the World Flying Disc Federation, disc golf is a variant of ball golf, but with special frisbees or flying discs. However, instead of hitting a ball off a tee and aiming at getting it down a hole in as few strokes as possible, disc golf involves throwing a disc from the tee and hitting an above-ground target basket in as few throws as possible.
Conroe has disc golf courses at McDade Park and John Burge Park at Shadow Lakes and there are several other courses throughout Montgomery County.
Synjin and Travis have played the sport for years. given their experience in making molds, years back Synjin had an idea to make a custom disc.
Starting Lone Star Discs
The plan got shelved but he eventually showed the drawing to his brother, Travis, who was just out of the U.S. Navy.
They manufactured their first disc in 2017.
“It was terrible. When you threw it, it almost made a complete circle in the air. I told him ‘I don’t think we did this right,’ Synjin said.
During the pandemic time, their oilfield injection molding business slowed down and they came back to the disc golf project.
This time they were successful and Travis took the disc to a local park to play. They caught the eye of one of the local disc golf professionals and they bought 100 that day.
Then they made a starter set with driver, midrange and putter discs and he said their hobby project snowballed from there. They developed several different series of discs made from a variety of materials and in every color one could think of.
Discs with Texas themes
The disc series have different themes with many having Texas themes such as the Yellow Rose, The Tex, The Trinity, The Dillo, Waco, Frio River and The Dome which was Britney’s vision as they pay homage to the Astrodome with the design.
Travis’ designs involved a penny inspired by his service on the U.S.S. Lincoln in the Navy.
They also carry glow-in-dark discs for night-time play and special series related to professional disc golf players like Fredy Meza, Jake Hebenheimer, Carter Ahrens, Deann Carey and others.
For Synjin it’s an honor for their designs to forever be associated with the sport.
“Me and Travis have been playing disc golf for a long time and we thought it would be cool to have our own little footprint in this. Even if it doesn’t last that long, people are going to know Lone Star forever,” he said. “It feels cool to know we’re going to be a part of disc golf history.”
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‘We were willing to try something new’
Britney said their start in disc manufacturing was at the right place and time.
“Things were slow in the oilfield side and we were willing to try something new,” she said. “It happened to be in the time when people were tired of being locked up in their houses and wanted to do something outside that they could be with people but you’re not necessarily standing next to each other.”
Synjin said it is a very good social-distancing sport.
The Lone Star Disc pro shop is at 12686 FM 1314 in south Conroe. Shop hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shop is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Howdy folks, it’s that time of the year again! Our 48th year of the Conroe Noon Lions Club – Annual Buddy Moorhead Pigskin Preview. Beginning in 1976, but was named in 1983 after Coach Buddy Moorhead, who was a Lions club member passed away unexpectedly.
President International Director Don Buckalew designed the program somewhat after the “Touchdown Club” and until Lion Buckalew passed away he served as the program’s Master of Ceremonies. Many of our club members were Conroe Tiger football players and still have that Tiger passion for their local team.
Dr. Null Superintendent of CISD introduced the nine-area high school football coaches who brought us up to date on both the offense and defense for their teams. They talked about how they are looking forward to their players performance this season. I have enjoyed how the coaches, over the past few years, banter and tease back and forth between each other making for an interesting and entertaining program. Conroe Noon Lions greatly appreciates the coaches guiding these students to not only become good sportsmen but mentoring them to become productive citizens. In return we, as a community Lions Club, strive to provide scholarships for many high school students to achieve their goals. Thank you coaches for your leadership!
Now for some club news. We are looking forward to completing our drive for school supplies this week for our adopted school – Reaves Elementary. Also, our Service Saturday project was a big success helping the teachers at Reaves set up their classrooms for the new school year. Plus, we have the club’s major fundraiser for the year, our annual 2024-2025 Community Partners drive underway. If you’re interested in helping Conroe Noon help our community this program is for you.
President Bryan Rennell-thanked the coaches for coming and we’ll be looking forward to hearing from them at our next Pigskin Preview. Before closing the meeting, he reminded us of club projects coming up and we should always strive to invite new members. Remember to encourage our newbies to join in on our activities and make them feel welcome. Please come and join us any Wednesday at noon. The food is good, and fellowship is great!
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.
Education of our youth has been a large part of the service aspect of Rotary. We sponsor Interact Club at High Schools which is Rotary for High Schoolers. We provide scholarships for college-bound students in the tens of thousands each year. We mentor at schools. We support sports activities for our youth, including the Rotary Club of Conroe sponsoring “Girls on the Run” at Runyan Elementary School.
This past Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Conroe hosted the six Head Football coaches to tell Rotarians about what they are doing to elevate youth. These Head Football Coaches are also the Athletic Directors for each of their High Schools. These six Coaches had common goals and values. It was wonderful to hear how supportive these coaches are amongst this cadre of six. The older coaches mentored the younger coaches. The six were focused on building up the youth by enhancing their lives intellectually, physically, emotionally, and more. These six focused on elevating our youth as athletes, leaders, and learners.
Their goal is to include all that want to be involved in sports. Coach Shaun McDowell at Grand Oaks High School lets the volleyball teams monopolize their three indoor gyms since the girls’ volleyball team for this young school has won a State Championship once and encourages them to make it again to the State Championships. Coach McDowell’s Football Team is young, but growing with lots of potential to more than best their 3-7. He has more starters returning than the other schools to the Varsity Football Team. It was interesting and very pleasing to hear how these Coaches are proud of not only the athletic prowess of their students, but to hear them brag of their educational achievements and leadership on and off the field. These six were obviously elevating their students and emphasizing the need to have well balanced lives, including nutrition.
These six coaches along with principals from Conroe High School and Caney Creek High School and the CISD Athletic Director provided great perspectives on how CIS is focusing on developing our youth, both boys and girls, turning them into accomplished men and women. The only regret that these six coaching mentors had was they had to play against each other. These educators strongly believed in building up the youth. It is delightful to hear of such great things about our youth and how CISD implements greatness in our youth. This is a Rotary value. Later that week, these six sports directors also provided their insights to the Rotary Club of The Woodlands.
Clarence Lewis of the Rotary Club of Conroe heard of a need of a 77-year old elderly gentleman whose residence was hit hard by Hurricane Beryl. He visited the home and scoped out what was needed by the elderly, disabled gentleman before recruiting a cadre of Rotarians to help clean up the mess of trees that ransacked this gentleman’s yard. Besides Mr. Lewis, Billy Tarver, Brian O’Keefe and others worked diligently to clean up the debris and get the yard back to manageable. Rotarians are servants of the community!
The Rotary Club of Conroe meets each Tuesday at noon at Honor Cafe, 103 N. Thompson in downtown Conroe.
For more information on Rotary, please contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
