Category: Conroe Courier

Oak Ridge North officials are putting a stop to homeowners looking to register new properties as a short-term rental, a movement that has increased around the country. 
In April, officials debated the topic of banning short-term rental properties from coming to the city that neighbors The Woodlands — after noise complaints and disturbances were made towards some properties.
During a city council meeting on June 24, council members voted unanimously to ban future rentals as well as create a licensing program for long-term rentals and existing short-term rentals as a way to mitigate complaints.
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City Attorney Brandon Morris said the program would allow the city to keep an eye on the rentals currently operating in the city.
“It’s similar to our other rental ordinance,” said City Manager Heather Neeley, noting that a long-term rental usually has to register with the city and have an inspection done. 
It’s not new for cities to try and put more restrictions on short-term rentals associated with companies such as Airbnb, VRBO and Hopper. 
In 2023, New York City officials moved to regulate short-term rentals by requiring rentals be shorter than 30 days and allowing them only if hosts register with the city, according to the Associated Press. In Houston, city council members are looking to create an ordinance of their own after residents raised concerns over the properties in their neighborhoods. 
And in Oak Ridge North, referred to sometimes as a “sleepy town,” officials said parties at some of these properties do not go unnoticed. 
What is in the ordinance?
Any short-term and long term rental are required to register with the city if the property is within city limits, according to city documents. This also bans any new property from being registered as a short-term rental. 
Established short-term rentals are not assignable or transferable and are valid for one year from the date the license was approved, the city documents state. Properties that aren’t considered “established short-term rentals” are not allowed to advertise as one and people are not allowed to rent, lease or stay at a property without a license issued. 
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Licenses to short-term rentals can be revoked if there are life safety or critical violations, information provided on the permit application was materially false or incorrect, and if two or more citations related to parking, noise, or nuisance violations are issued upon the licensed property within a rolling 12-month period, the documents state.
A violation of this ordinance can result in a misdemeanor and a fine up to $2,0000. 
The new ordinance should hopefully give residents some peace of mind, Neeley said. 
“I think the residents, hopefully, will be pleased that this is put into place in order to preserve the neighborhood feel as opposed to the party environment,” she said. 

Several Montgomery County school districts will begin the 2024-25 school year with some changes, such as new campuses, boundary changes, extended breaks and new superintendents. 
Here’s what to know for the upcoming school year:
Opening new campuses
As districts across the county continue to grow, Montgomery and Magnolia ISDs are will open two elementary schools — Creekside and Audubon. 
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Montgomery ISD’s $43.4 million Creekside Elementary School broke ground in June 2023 behind Lake Creek High School off FM 2854. The school is expected to alleviate overcrowding in the Stewart Creek and Keenan elementary schools — designed for a maximum enrollment of 900 students. The elementary school is part of the district’s $326 million bond package voters approved in 2022, which includes a career and technical center, an agriculture science center, and a junior high school. 
Magnolia ISD’s $41 million Audubon Elementary School is part of the district’s $228 million bond package passed in November 2022. The school in the Audubon subdivision is expected to open with more than 500 students, officials said.  
Boundary and zoning changes
With the opening of the Montgomery and Magnolia ISD elementary campuses comes changes to the districts’ boundaries. 
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For Montgomery ISD, students affected by the new elementary boundary were those zoned at Stewart Creek and Keenan elementary schools, officials said. Incoming fifth graders impacted by the new attendance boundary could remain at their current zoned school for the new school year, however, families would have to provide their own transportation.
At Magnolia ISD, boundary changes include Williams Elementary School boundary, which will avoid buses having to cross the railroad tracks around FM 1488 and FM 1774, officials said. Due to the changes, some students in Magnolia Elementary School are expected to move to Williams Elementary School and vice versa. Some students at Nichols Sawmill Elementary and Ellisor Elementary are expected to be zoned to different elementary schools for balancing.
New Caney ISD has also made changes to its zoning for elementary students. Under the current attendance zone arrangement, Tavola and Valley Ranch elementary schools are projected to be over capacity, according to the district’s website. Officials voted to change the attendance zones for nearly 300 elementary students during a regular board meeting in January.  
Changes in New Caney ISD’s schedule
New Caney ISD is expected to start the 2024-25 school year with changes to its schedule. This includes new start and dismissal times as well as an eight-period schedule.

The district’s new start and dismissal times at all campuses is to create more availability of school buses, reduce the time spent and number of students on buses, according to a release from the district. 

For elementary schools, campus start time will be 8:30 a.m. and the dismissal time will be 3:55 p.m. For middle schools, campus start time will be 7 a.m. and the dismissal time will be 2:25 p.m. For high schools, campus start time will be 7:45 a.m. and the dismissal time will be 3:10 p.m. 
The district is also changing its alternating, block schedule to an eight-period per day schedule .
Different start times and extended breaks 
Several districts have made some changes to their academic calendars as well as schedule for students. Some of these changes include starting school a week later and having extended breaks for students and staff. 
Montgomery ISD students will be starting school a week later and will have an additional holiday. Students will be expected to return to school for the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 15, a change from the current year’s official start date — Aug. 10. There will also be a student holiday on Nov. 5 as officials anticipate some campuses being utilized by the county as polling locations for election day, officials said. 
Magnolia ISD students and staff will once more have an extended break in October and February. The fall break for students and staff will be Oct.7-11, while the extended February break for students will be Feb. 17-18. 

New year, new superintendents 
Several school districts have seen changes to leadership, including Willis and Magnolia ISDs. 
In April, Willis ISD named Kimberley James, former deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Corpus Christi ISD, to serve in the district’s lead role after former Superintendent Tim Harkrider announced that he would be stepping down from his role in June 2023, where he was named the new superintendent for College Station ISD. James officially started her new role in May. 
In the same month, Magnolia ISD announced Deputy Superintendent Jason Bullock would serve in the lead role after Superintendent Todd Stephens announced his retirement in March.

In August and September, the Conroe Symphony Orchestra, Montgomery County Choral Society and Conroe’s two downtown theater groups will launch their respective new seasons for the 2024-25 performance year. 
The symphony and choral society will begin assembling in August and have the first performance of the season in October. The theater groups will have their first shows in September. 
Here’s what to know about each group for the 2024-25 year:
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Montgomery County Choral Society 
The 53-year-old Montgomery County Choral Society is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite singers who celebrate their love of music through professional-quality performances and community outreach.
In addition to performing four concerts per season the group has a scholarship program where they annually award scholarships to deserving students who wish to pursue collegiate studies in music-related fields.
In May, the group announced the appointment of Jim Kritikos as the organization’s new artistic director. 
A social event to meet Kritikos is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Pedro’s Taco and Tequila Bar at 2101 W. Davis Street, Conroe. Registration to become a singer with the group is now open on the Choral Society website through Aug. 5. 
Kritikos, a native Texan hailing from San Antonio, is a musician, educator, mentor and advocate for fine arts. He currently serves as the director of worship at Wildwood United Methodist Church in Magnolia.
“I’m excited to enter this new adventure in my music life,” he said. 
The first concert “A New Direction” is at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at First Methodist Conroe on Texas 105. 
“Since I’m new, we’ve titled our concert ‘A New Direction,’ and what we will be doing is taking music from across the world — north, south, east and west,” he said. “We’ll be doing some northern music, eastern music, some Korean music, some western music and taking the audience on a little trip around the world.”
Other season concerts include “Gloria” Dec. 6, “Ties That Bind” exploring themes of peace, love, family, faith, joy, acceptance and inclusion Feb. 28 and “Stage & Screen” May 2. 
More details about the season are on the choral society website. 
Conroe Symphony Orchestra 
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra is in its 27th year. The group was founded in 1997 as a nonprofit community orchestra in Conroe. The orchestra is made up of professional and amateur musicians from a variety of backgrounds.
Conductor Gary Liebst joined the orchestra in 2022. Liebst has directed community bands, community jazz bands, community pit orchestras and previously led the Kingwood Pops Orchestra. 
“It’s amazing to see all the talent that exists in the area,” Liebst said of this group and others. 
The orchestra will host its first concert of the year in October featuring “Tunes from the Toons” at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 19. Other concerts in the season will be Dec. 14 “Christmas Around the World,” “Great Expectations” Feb. 8 and “The Best of Broadway” featuring Broadway star Sal Viviano April 26.  
 In August, the Friends of the Symphony will host an afternoon of music where more about the season will be announced and season tickets will be available. Musicians can volunteer to perform with the symphony on the group’s website. 
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Conroe’s theaters 
The Players Theatre Company opens the 2024-25 season with the rock musical “Rock of Ages.” The songs of Journey, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and other artists underscore a tale of big dreams in Hollywood in the 1980s. The show runs at the Owen Theatre Sept. 6-22. 
Other shows in The Players new season include “Steel Magnolias,” Oct. 25 through Nov. 10, “White Christmas” Dec. 6-22, “Bedroom Farce” Jan. 24 through Feb. 9, 2025, “Tuck Everlasting” March 14-30, 2025 “Little Shop of Horrors,” May 9-25,2025 and “Private Lives” June 20 through July 6, 2025.
Stage Right opens its 2024-25 season with “The Play That Goes Wrong” also Sept. 6-22 at the Crighton Theatre in downtown Conroe. 
Other Stage Right shows for the new season include “Dracula” Oct. 18 through Nov. 3, “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory,” Nov. 29 through Dec. 15, “Big The Musical” Feb. 7-23, 2025, “Shakespeare in Love,” April 4-20, 2025 and “The Wedding Singer,” July 4-20, 2025. 

Texas grapes will be coming into many Texas wineries over the next few weeks after a past week of rain. The Gulf Coast Harvest of Blanc du Bois was finished around the first week of July thank to Hurricane Beryl, with the harvest starting in the second week of June. Normally the first grapes from the Texas interior being the classic grapes, vitis vinifera, are the Chardonnay grapes with the thin-skinned reds coming into the wineries from the vineyards. The last grapes to be harvested are the thick-skinned grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. I predict our Texas harvest will be finished before the first week in October which is normal for end of grape harvest.
Texas wineries will be celebrating with harvest celebrations. Below are a few of the winery celebrations:
• Messina Hof Winery in Bryan celebrates the grape harvest every weekend in August. This ticketed event will feature grape harvests, meals, grape-stomping contests, and more. For more information, on this 47th Annual Harvest Celebration, go to www.MessinaHof.com. • Bernhardt Winery holds its Grape Stomp Festival on Aug. 10 from noon to 6 pm and is free to attend and enjoy. Wine tastings, grape stomps and train tours through the vineyards are nominal in cost. For more information, go to www.BernhardtWinery.com.• Texas Hill Country Wineries invite you to a multitude of Harvest Celebrations which can be found at www.TexasWineTrail.com. It does pay to plan ahead to attend the various grape stomps, wine tastings, concerts, and wine dinners in the nation’s second most popular wine country destination. For instance, Pedernales Cellars is also hosting a Harvest Picnic on Saturday, August. 17th from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. where guests can enjoy a BBQ lunch and glass of wine. You can also participate in a “Grape Stamp” where they will use corks to stamp fabric paint onto a Pedernales t-shirt. Once the harvest of grapes is in and the wines have fermented, celebrate Texas wines with October being designated as Texas Wine Month.
Expanding Your Wine Palette
People ask me how to develop your palette on wines. I have several opportunities for you to have an evening of tasting diverse, but outstanding wines. The best way to expand and educate that palette is to taste a diversity of wines while also getting an education on each wine. Your first opportunity is September 20th at Bayway Cadillac of The Woodlands located on the east side of I-45 at 16785, I-45. There will be sixty or so premium wines for you to experience at a variety of wine tasting stations manned by wine experts providing their take on each wine’s characteristics. Did I also mention that outstanding Chefs will be pairing foods with those wines? A limited number of tickets for this palette pleaser are still available through Food and Vine Time as a part of their expanded Food and Wine Week in The Woodlands Don’t forget their Market Street Stroll moved to October 17th. This event runs for four hours starting at 5pm. and will be held during the cooler time of the year in lieu of in June during Wine & Food Week in The Woodlands. 
Ron Saikowski may be reached at rsaikowski@comcast.net. 

Montgomery County is next in line for a statewide effort to receive a bronze plaque featuring a famous Alamo letter, a gesture one Houston historian says seems mostly symbolic but could offer residents an opportunity to consider the full context of Texas history at the time. 
In late May, commissioners passed a resolution to accept the 203-pound bronze plaque as a gift to the county that recognizes the letter written by Lt. William B. Travis 188 years ago in the days leading up to the battle at the Alamo.
The plaque was funded by a donor with ties to Montgomery County. 
The plaque is a part of a plan set forth by the nonprofit Alamo Letter Society to have a replica of the letter on or near the courthouse lawn in all of Texas’ 254 counties.
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Travis and Texas history
A co-commander of the Alamo soldiers, Travis died early in the battle from a single bullet in the head on March 6, 1836. His body and those of the other defenders were burned. 
The letter, a call for aid, communicates in dramatic fashion what was happening at the Alamo. “If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country — Victory or Death,” Travis wrote. 
Long celebrated as a hero of Texas history, writings in recent years have brought up some of Travis’ moral failings including deserting his first wife and child in Alabama, his support of slavery and even how the Texas State Historical Association’s biography of Travis mentions his reputation as a troublemaker. 
Raúl A. Ramos, an associate professor of history at the University of Houston and a native of San Antonio, said the letter project could lead people to overlook the full context of what was happening in Texas at the time, and opens up an opportunity to ask questions and further explore the state’s history.
“Texas in 1836 was a very rich and complicated place. It involved a lot of different groups, religions, languages and cultures,” Ramos said.
He said it’s easy to draw comparisons between this project and the movement to place a copy of the Ten Commandments in schools. 
“You can ask the same question, ‘Will putting the Ten Commandments in every classroom accomplish what people hope it accomplishes?” he said. “I think it’s more of a symbolic gesture than any kind of historical inquiry and an attempt to understand the past on its own terms.” 
Ramos is interested in Travis’ motivation in coming to Texas and said there are clues about his motivation in the letter. According to the Texas State Historical Association, he arrived early in 1831, after the Law of April 6, 1830, that made his immigration illegal.
“He’s different from those 300 families that came with Austin. One of the aspects of this history that I’m spending time trying to decipher and understand is to what extent is Travis fighting for Texas independence and what extent is he fighting for the annexation of Texas to the United States?” he said. “There are clues in this letter to take seriously. He’s not saying Texas character he’s saying American character.” 
He said many Americans coming to Texas at the time saw an opportunity to expand the United States, particularly to expand with states open to slavery. 
“These were the debates of the time and the concerns of the people at the time. That’s the type of context it’s important to keep in mind.” 
What is the Alamo Letter Society?
Bill McNutt of Dallas, a co-founder of the project, got the idea from his daughter, who at 13 saw the original “Victory or Death” letter plaque at the Alamo and said it should be “all over Texas.” Other co-founders of the organization include Rosser Coke Newton, Sr. and John Vick.
The letter is meant as an urgent message to other Texans and Americans calling for aid and describing the Texas soldiers plight to “not surrender or retreat” facing the Mexican Army.
McNutt said the goal of the project is “to educate current and future Texans about their forefathers’ armed struggle for freedom and liberty” during the Alamo battle. Vick said this project is about maintaining the state’s history. 
“It’s about explaining to those folks why we are truly proud Texans,” he said. “Some folks outside Texas or even some Texans don’t realize why we’re so proud to be Texans. If you go back and read the letter, then it all makes sense.” 
Questioning the accuracy of history
In 2021, Texans Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford published the book “Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth” that questions the accuracy of heroic stories depicting the Battle of the Alamo. 
Tomlinson is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and in August 2023, published a column calling out Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham for installing a statue of Travis in San Antonio. He paints Travis as an enslaver, illegal immigrant and sexual predator in the column. 
Co-founders of the nonprofit said they want people to focus on the message of the letter, not necessarily the man. 
“We are not the Travis Letter Society, we are the Alamo Letter Society,” McNutt said. “We promote the message more than the messenger. Travis was a hero and will always hold a special place in our history, but it was his letter that sends the message that is powerful and captures the spirit of the Lone Star State.”
Vick said in the seven counties where they have dedicated replica letters, not one negative issue has come up. 
“We’ve worked very hard to keep politics out of this,” Vick said. “We will ensure in no way that politics will be brought into this mission … Why would you question the personal actions of our heroes that died for us? In 2024, that’s the world we live in. I’m not going to give them the time of day.” 
Courthouses offer visibility
McNutt said the group chose courthouse lawns because the courthouse is the center of government in each Texas county. 
“The courthouse is where we go to interact with our local government, were we register to vote and where some citizens stand before a jury of their peers,” McNutt said.
The first plaque was placed in Ellis County, south of Dallas in February. Other plaques have since been dedicated in Rockwall, Nueces, Van Zandt, Hood and Reeves counties. The most recent plaque was dedicated on July 4 in Gillespie County. 
Vick and McNutt acknowledge it could be a lengthy effort to complete the project in 254 counties. “If we dedicate one county a month, our effort will take us 11 years,” McNutt said.
Plaques that are completed and await dedication other than Montgomery County are Brazos, Nacogdoches, Hunt, Lee, Burnet, Ward and San Augustine counties. Currently no other Houston-area counties are on the schedule to receive a plaque soon. 
Plan for Montgomery County plaque
In Montgomery County, the project is headed up by Kat Rummell.
She lost her fiance in February and his services were held in First Baptist Church Corsicana, where Rummel met pastor Danny Reeves. Once Reeves discovered her many connections in Montgomery County, he asked her to chair the local project. 
“I felt like God put it on me,” she said. “I liked the mission of educating our youth about our Texas history. Some people don’t even teach Texas history anymore and there are also people coming in from out of state who have never been exposed to Texas history. I thought this was really neat.” 
A committee including Precinct 2 County Commissioner Charlie Riley is deciding the best place to place the plaque. 
“I am a firm believer in if you don’t study history or keep history alive we are doomed. You cannot erase history and do some of the things that people are doing now a days,” he said.
 Riley expects a dedication for the plaque before the end of the year. 

Angela and Travis Kovar had always dreamed of running a wedding venue after getting married in 2017 — just a weekend after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. 
They were married in a rustic barn venue in Montgomery. When the Kovars looked at the former owners of Big Sky Barn, they saw themselves in them — a husband and wife with similar backgrounds. 
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The seed for The Blue Magnolia, a premier equestrian inspired farmhouse wedding and event venue, had been planted, Travis Kovar said. 
In 2019, the Kovar’s sold their home in the Heights and moved to The Woodlands in pursuit of looking for land to build their dream venue. And one day while jogging, Travis Kovar noticed a 10 acre equestrian horse farm off FM 1488, between The Woodlands and Magnolia.
He dreamed that maybe one day he could build him and his wife’s dream venue on top of the property, he said. Then shortly after, the property became available. 
“(Me and my wife) looked at each other and destiny seemed to be forming right before our eyes,” Travis Kovar said. “And we went all in. We sat down and talked to each other (and) we realized this is absolutely the gamble that we want to take if we were able to take one.”
A $10 million venue with greenery and space
As of July, the roughly $10 million venture is soon to become a reality for the Kovars, with the opening of the venue planned for May 2025. Angela Kovar said nine weddings and a prom are already in the works ahead of the opening. 
When walking onto the site, the Kovars vision can be seen — a 20,000 square-foot venue with a chapel, interior cocktail area, a grand staircase leading into the reception, a second-story bridal suite and a detached grooms suite.
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The final touch is the planned greenery space that surrounds the venue, including a 32-year-old blue magnolia tree that will face newly weds when they officially say “I do.” 
There are also plans for people to rent out the space for other events, Angela Kovar said. 
It had been a lot of ups and downs to get to this point, she said. While chasing this dream, the Kovars were also raising their two children, who are now ages two and four. 
“It was a lot of emotions going on,” Angela Kovar said. “I think the most…rewarding part for me now seeing where we are at is having people come and tour and say this is the most beautiful land they’ve ever seen…getting that gratification that we’ve always felt towards this land and then having others see the true beauty of it as well.”
A dream realized
There were several obstacles the Kovars had to go through in order to make their dreams come true. First, they had to convince Angela Kovar’s father, Randy Barr, to invest in the dream as well. And then, they had to secure a loan from different banks as well as price increases during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
And now, seeing a building in place, the land cleared and roughly 30 to 40 workers on a given day is “mind blowing,” Travis Kovar said. 
There were some fears the Kovars shared during and post COVID-19. The couple had been turned down by enough banks that they feared they would be at a significant loss since they threw “absolutely everything we had into it,” Travis Kovar said. The couple was on the verge of leaving their dream behind.
“We said one more year,” he said. “And 10 months after that is when we finally got our yes. So, we were right there on the edge of this dream really ending. And now, to see how far along we are, it’s unreal for sure. We pinch ourselves daily.”
For more information on the wedding venue, visit thebluemagnoliatx.com. 

Greetings to all Lions and Courier readers.  Our new Lions Club president Bryan Rennell finally got to call a weekly meeting to order.  His term started in July, but with Independence Day and Beryl, he had to wait until this past Wednesday.  Lion Karl Johnson’s antics of absconding with the gavels on the podium was foiled as President Bryan came prepared with a third gavel and officially called the meeting to order in a timely manner.  If this lighthearted shenanigan is any indication of what is to come it is going to be a fun year.
Lion Charlie Irvine gave our opening prayer with remembrance of Mike Medved’s passing suddenly a couple of weeks ago.  Lion Mike was admired by and a friend to all.  He never said no when asked to serve and lead many Lion’s events and fundraisers.  Like so many of our Lions, Mike was also involved with other organizations, causes, and his church.  Please pray for Mike’s family in the weeks and months to come.  He will be missed.
President Bryan recently represented the Conroe Noon Lions Club at the Lions International Convention in Melbourne, Australia.  There were over eleven thousand delegates at this annual global event.  Lion Fabricio Oliveira of Brazil was elected president for a one-year term.  Worldwide there are forty-nine thousand Lions Clubs with 1.4 million members.  He has challenged all Lions to “make their mark.” Our Lion President has challenged the CNLC membership to go forward and perform our projects with “true grit.” We all know the iconic cowboy with that characteristic.  So, without “burning daylight” let’s mosey on into some upcoming projects.
This past weekend our Lions held a Service Saturday at the Heritage Oaks home for seniors by serving savory pizzas and scrump-dilly-icious ice cream to the residents.  Our Summer Blood Drive will be this Wednesday, July 24, at the Lone Star Convention Center.  Lion Christie Sproba says you don’t have to be a Lion to give blood, just go to the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center website to sign up.  Next up is a children’s vision screening at the Lone Star Health Center this Saturday, July 27.  Lion Ed Roth will lead our Lions to provide this free screening.  Lion Tracy Irvine announced there will be a New Member Orientation on Thursday, August 1, in the evening at the CNLC office. Any member can attend if you need a refresher on Lionism.
This past Wednesday Lions were enlightened on the Ninetieth Anniversary of the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce.  Mr. Scott Harper, President, presented a well-articulated video of the Chamber’s history from start to present day.  He also stated the Chamber now boasts over one thousand members and is the sixth largest Chamber in the greater Houston area.  The Chamber has experienced substantial growth through leadership and community growth.  Chamber events include Athena Awards, Lobsterfest, Job Fairs, Tastefest, Chairman’s Ball, and parades to name a few.  The role of the Chamber is to increase membership, be a voice for businesses, and workforce and professional development.  Thank you, Mr. Harper and the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce for all you do for our communities.
If you are not a Lion but have a little grit and want to turn it into some “true grit,” then visit us 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 local club office at 936-760-1666.

The Rotary Club of The Woodlands officially kicked off its 50th Anniversary Celebration at last Thursday’s meeting.
The meeting was presided over by President Denton Florian. The meeting began with a prayer by Rev. Dan Hannon who alluded to those early pioneers in the Rotary Club of The Woodlands on whose shoulders Rotarians stand on today to better serve the Community. This Rotary Club has grown to over two hundred active members, making it the largest Rotary Club in Montgomery County.
The Rotary Club of Conroe sponsored this Club fifty years ago, receiving its Rotary Charter in May 19, 1975 when The Woodlands was just starting to be created by George Mitchell. This Rotary Club has broken records in its generosity and community involvement. Over one million dollars in scholarships have been provided to over a thousand deserving high school Seniors as they further pursue their education. It has sponsored more High School Juniors at leadership development camps than any other Club in the entire USA! This Club has planted trees, spruced up dilapidated housing in Tamina, served meals to the elderly and so much more.
Their recent Project is helping those patients and their Families seeking medical assistance in the growing medical communities in Montgomery County. The Rotary Club sponsors interim local housing for these patients’ families as they go through months of medical treatment in Montgomery County. What once was a financial burden to these families is now literally free housing so the families can focus on getting well together. The Rotary Club of The Woodlands has provided mentors for elementary school children with that Mentoring Committee chaired by Natalie Saikowski Goertz. The Rotary Club of The Woodlands has also mentored young adults at Angel Reach and has assisted in building their facilities for those aging out of foster care. In addition, members of The Rotary Club of The Woodlands have contributed 245 gallons of blood to the American Red Cross, saving countless lives. These Rotarians have donated tons of food supplies for the Montgomery County Food Bank to distribute to those food-needy citizens in our community. 
The 50 years of community service is now documented in a “coffee table” book authored and compiled by Rotarian Dr. Robert Schucker. This book’s official release is in November with a hardback book price of $40.00 at the present time.
Dr. Ann Snyder who Chairs The Woodlands Township Board of Directors presented a Proclamation on behalf of The Woodlands Township naming July 18, 2024 as “The Woodlands 50th Anniversary Day.” This is a great way to start off a 50th Anniversary Celebration for the year! The Woodlands Township Board of Directors represents the 118,000+ residents of The Woodlands.
The speaker for this 50th anniversary kick-off was Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Mr. Crenshaw has the Rotary spirt of service having served his country and is a decorated Veteran. He knew serving his country as a Congressman was in his future after serving the Houston area after Hurricane Harvey. Congressman Crenshaw represents The Woodlands and is an obvious choice as the speaker for this 50th anniversary kickoff event. Congressman Crenshaw presented to a packed house of Rotarians his role in serving The Woodlands and is focusing on key issues like immigration, sex trafficking, and providing financial assistance in key structures such as the Bear Branch Regional Storm Water Detention Facility and the Sawdust Road bridge upgrade at Panther Creek.
President Denton Florian concluded the meeting establishing a Rotary Fund with Club Members establishing a community fund similar to what Benjamin Franklin did in his Last Will. The meeting concluded as all Rotary Meetings with the Four-Way Test. Next week’s Speaker is renowned local sculptor Craig Campobello.
For more information on Rotary, please email Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.