The Woodlands Community News

The Woodlands Hometown Community Update – May 14th, 2009

by Ken Brand, Sales Manager - Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors / The Woodlands TX / Cell: 832-797-1779 on May 15, 2009

A big thank you to The Woodlands Development Company for all this great information.

Final Weekend to Discover the May Valley Tour of Homes

May Valley Tour of HomesHundreds of people have already discovered the new neighborhood ofMay Valley in the Village of Sterling Ridge at the May Valley Tour of Homes. Nine beautifully furnished and decorated model homes, priced from the $140’s – $500’s, are open free for touring this Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 from 10 am – 6 pm. Visitors to the Home Tour can also register to win nine valuable prizes including six family four-packs of tickets to five Houston Astros’ baseball games, two family season passes to The Woodlands’ 13 community pools, and a romantic weekend getaway for two at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center.

In addition to the prize drawing, visitors to the May Valley Tour of Homes may take advantage of valuable builders’ incentives and their choice of either a free initiation fee for Canongate Golf Clubs or a free, one-year family membership to the South Montgomery County YMCA. Homebuyers must purchase a new home in May Valley between May 8, 2009 and August 31, 2009 and close by October 31, 2009 to be eligible for these incentives. Bring your clients and let them reap the benefits of home ownership in May Valley! 119 families have already purchased homes in this new area of Sterling Ridge.

The popular homebuilders participating in the May Valley Tour of Homes include Chesmar, Gracepoint, Highland, Lennar, Plantation, Village Builders and David Weekley Homes. Trendmaker Homes is also building new homes in May Valley, and Trendmaker’s model will be completed in June. Pictured is Plan 506 by Highland Homes in the neighborhood of Vershire in May Valley. The home features 3,164 square feet of living space, five bedrooms, downstairs study, formal dining room, upstairs game room, outdoor living area, 4 ½ baths, and a two-car attached garage. It is priced from $353,990.

May Valley will feature a new nine-acre park that is scheduled to open late this summer. It is located on a heavily wooded site with a stream running through it. Amenities will include a pavilion, tennis and basketball courts, playground, picnic area, stream crossings and pathways. Other parks in Sterling Ridge, including Terramont Park and Cranebrook Park, are also nearby, along with convenient shopping at Woodlands Parkway and FM 2978, and Sterling Ridge Village Center and Indian Springs Village Center.

For more information and directions to the May Valley Tour of Homes, visit www.thewoodlands.com and click on the icon on the home page, or call 281-719-6333.

Partners in Building Hosting Grand Opening of New Model in Tupelo Woods

Partners in BuildingThe new neighborhood of Tupelo Woods in the Village of Creekside Park is the setting for a Grand Opening event hosted by Partners in Building. Come see Partners in Building’s new model home on Thursday, May 21 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. Enjoy fabulous food by Carriage Caterers and great door prizes. The model home is located at 139 N. Sage Sparrow in the Village of Creekside Park. For more information about the Open House, call 281-290-0656.

Partners in Building offers homes priced from the $520’s to more than $1 million in Tupelo Woods. The model, plan 10945.A, includes 5,295 square feet, five bedrooms with the master down, five full baths and one half bath, a downstairs gameroom and a sprawling outdoor living space. Visit www.partnersinbuilding.com for a list of available homes and more information. To schedule an appointment for your client, call Greg Miller at 832-651-7487.

The Woodlands Custom Homes Featuring 
Custom Home Open House This Weekend

The Woodlands Custom HomesEleven custom homes, including 10 in the Village of Sterling Ridge near theGary Player Signature golf course and one in East Shore, the “Garden District” of The Woodlands Town Center, will be open this weekend for touring. Pictured is 18 E. Loftwood Circle by Meadowlark Homes, featuring 5,335 square feet of living space with five bedrooms, five full baths and two half baths, and a three-car garage. Priced at $1,024,000, this home is complete and ready for move-in. It will be open on Saturday, May 16 from 2-5 pm and on Sunday, May 17 from 1-3 pm.

For a complete list of all homes open for touring this weekend, with photos, descriptions, dates and times, click here.

Creekside Forest Elementary Invites the Community to a Pep Rally on May 14

Tomball ISDTomball ISD administrators invite the community to a Pep Rally to meet Jeanine Deyoe, principal, and the faculty of the new Creekside Forest Elementary (K-6) school (see rendering, left) that will open in August in the Village of Creekside Park. The Pep Rally will be held on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 pm at Rob Fleming Park. District administrators from various departments and the principals from Tomball Junior High and Tomball High School will be on hand to talk with parents and answer questions. The Tomball High School jazz band, steel pan band, drill team, cheerleaders and choir will perform and provide entertainment for the event. The Tomball High School cougar mascots along with Puffy Pine Cone, lovable mascot of The Woodlands, will greet those in attendance.

If you have clients with children who are interested in purchasing a new home in the Village of Creekside Park, please let them know about this opportunity to learn more about Creekside Forest Elementary School and the Tomball ISD.

Early registration for the new Creekside Forest Elementary School begins Monday, June 29 from 9 am – 1 pm at New Haven House of Prayer, located next to the new school on Creekside Forest Drive. Registration will be for grades K-6 for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year. For more information about Tomball ISD and registration at Creekside Forest Elementary School, visit www.tomballisd.net.

Hundreds Visited Wendell Open House in East Shore Last Weekend

East ShoreMore than 500 people visited anOpen House hosted by Wendell Custom Homes in the new Mid-Lake neighborhood of East Shore, the “Garden District” of The Woodlands Town Center bordering 200-acre Lake Woodlands. Guests visited five classic custom homes, priced from $765,000 – $935,000. Wendell Custom Homes’ New Orleans Cottages and Paddington Terrace designs were featured on North Bay Blvd. and Brightwork Way (pictured, left). This neighborhood borders “The Ellipse” (pictured, right), a new garden park with sculptural elements, a fountain, picnic and seating areas, and an elliptical green, rimmed by live oak trees and blooming perennial gardens.

Events Around Town

Promote Local Arts in The Woodlands with Arts in the Park

Arts in the ParkArts in the Park, the newest program offered by the Community Associations of The Woodlands Parks and Recreation Department, brings local artists and their wares to residents at Rob Fleming Park in theVillage of Creekside Park. Arts in the Park will be held Saturdays, May 16 and 23, from 5 – 7 pm. Vendors will be selling everything from photography to jewelry to paintings.

This free event, which includes face painting for the kids, allows the public to sit back, enjoy a variety of entertainment and shop to help promote local arts.Alyssa Rubich will be the featured performer on May 16, and Toast and Jam Band will entertain on May 23. Concessions will be available. For more information about Arts in the Park and other programs of the Community Associations of The Woodlands Parks and Recreation Department, visitwww.thewoodlandsassociations.org and click on Parks and Recreation.

More Live Music Coming Up at Waterway Square 
in Live at Lunch, Live at Five Series

Live at Lunch, Live at FiveLive music continues to attract happy crowds at the Live at Lunch and Live at Five music series at Waterway Square. Live at Lunch features music from Latin singer Ramon Torres on Tuesdays in May from 11 am – 1 pm. Chick-fil-Awill provide food and beverages (cash only) on May 19 and 26. Live at Five will continue on Wednesday evenings through May 27 from 5-8 pm. Tomorrow evening, May 13,Texas Johnny Boy, featuring classic R & B music, will perform at Waterway Square. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/texasjohnnyboy.

On May 20, the featured group is Fidelity Maxx performing funky dance music, www.fidelitymaxx.com, and on May 27, enjoy the return of Yelba & Max Cat, featuring Latin and rock music, www.yelba.net. Hubbell & Hudson will provide food and beverages on May 13, Kirby’s will be featured on May 20, and Américas will be featured on May 27. Don’t forget to bring cash for food and drink purchases, and blankets or lawn chairs for the concerts!

For directions and more information about all the live music events happening this summer in The Woodlands, visitwww.thewoodlandscvb.com. 
Did You Know?
  • On the 2nd Thursday of each month from 4 pm until closing, Jason’s Deli is donating 10% of its sales to The Friendship Center. For more information about “Thursday Night Out” at Jason’s Deli, call 936-756-5828, ext. 24.
  • Wine & Food Week, the largest and most comprehensive destination culinary and wine event in the country, uncorks in The Woodlands May 26-31. For a complete schedule of Wine & Food Week events, visitwww.wineandfoodweek.com.
  • Looking for a Memorial Day weekend getaway for the whole family that offers a range of activities for everyone and the best rates in Texas? Find it close to home at The Woodlands Resort. Visit the website atwww.woodlandsresort.com for more information about Resort Packages for Memorial Day weekend (or any weekend).
  • Fellowship of The Woodlands is hosting The Cancer Fair, a free event on Saturday, May 16 from 10 am – 1 pm. Free breast cancer screenings (by appointment only, call 281-367-1900) and many other cancer care-related exhibits and resources will be provided. For more information, visit www.woodlandschurch.tv. 

 

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The Woodlands, Community Update – March 5th, 2009

by Ken Brand, Sales Manager - Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors / The Woodlands TX / Cell: 832-797-1779 on March 6, 2009

 

Annual Meetings Set for Community Associations of The Woodlands

The three homeowners associations of The Woodlands – The Woodlands Community Association (WCA), The Woodlands Association (TWA) andThe Woodlands Commercial Owners Association (WCOA), collectively known as the Community Associations of The Woodlands, have set dates for their annual meetings. At these meetings, the associations install their new directors and officers, recognize theVolunteers of the Year, and celebrate the year’s accomplishments. The meetings are free and open to the public.

The WCA will hold its Annual Meeting at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel, Waterway Five Ballroom, on Wednesday, March 11 at 7 pm. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Bill White, mayor of the City of Houston, who will speak about the future of our region, particularly as it relates to the partnership between The Woodlands and Houston. WCA serves residents in Grogan’s Mill, Panther Creek, Cochran’s Crossing andIndian Springs, east of Falconwing Drive.

On Tuesday, March 31, TWA will hold its Annual Meeting at 7:30 pm at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott,Waterway Four Ballroom. Speakers from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will address The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and share some of the renovation plans. The evening will also include a retrospective on TWA. The TWA serves residents in Alden Bridge, Sterling Ridge, Carlton Woods, Indian Springs, west of Falconwing, Creekside Park, East Shore and the neighborhoods of Harper’s Landingand Grogan’s Forest in the Village of College Park.

The WCOA Annual Meeting is on Monday, March 30 at 3:30 pm at the Community Associations of The Woodlands Building at 2201 Lake Woodlands Drive. This association serves residents in Town Center, Research Forest and other commercial areas.

For more information about the Annual Meetings, call 281-210-3800 or visit www.thewoodlandsassociations.org.

Spring Home & Garden Show Set for This Weekend

The Seventh Annual Spring Home & Garden Show at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Centeris slated for this weekend, March 7 and 8. The show will be brimming with hot, new products and ideas to make your dream home “green”, including solar window films, cork flooring, Marmoleum click flooring, Ice Stone kitchen countertops, Kirei Board (a “green” wood substitute) and much more. In all, the show features over 200 top-quality exhibitors.

A host of dynamic speakers including Angelique Grado of Green Builders Source; green architect LaVerne Williams; Ron Thompson, outdoor living expert; Michael Strong, co-host of Home Improvement Hotline on 9-5-0AM radio; Randy Lemmon 740 AM Radio GardenLine host; and Michael Garfield, the High-Tech Texan. Laura Wilkinson, Olympic diving gold medalist and a resident of The Woodlands, will make a special appearance at the show on Saturday, March 7 from 12 noon – 3 pm and Sunday, March 8 from 2 – 4 pm.

Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors and children under 12 are admitted free. Free covered parking is provided in the Convention Center garage on Six Pines Drive with a walkway to the hotel. Valet parking is available at the Hotel entrance. A $1 discount coupon can be downloaded at www.woodlandsshows.com, where a speaker schedule and list of exhibitors is also available.

Cooper Seniors Named Candidates in Presidential Scholars Program

Ben Donahoo (pictured left) and Alex Valderamma (pictured right), seniors at The John Cooper School, have been named among more than 2,600 candidates nationwide in the 2009 Presidential Scholars Program. Established in 1964 by executive order of the President, inclusion in the program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars. “It is a wonderful accomplishment that two seniors from the same school have been invited to apply for this distinguished honor,” said Cooper’s Director of College Counseling, Anne Naman.

Candidates were selected based on their exceptional performance on the College Board SAT or ACT assessments. Application to the program is by invitation only; students may not apply individually nor be nominated by their schools. A review committee of qualified individuals experienced in secondary and post-secondary education then evaluates applicants on their academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities and an analysis of their essay in order to name 500 semifinalists that are forwarded to The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars for further review. The final selections will be announced by the U.S. Department of Education in May. Scholars will be invited to Washington, DC for several days in June to receive the Presidential Scholar medallion at a recognition ceremony.
  • The Branch Crossing YMCA, located at 8100 Ashlane Way, celebrated its 5th Anniversary in February. The 40,000-square-foot facility sits on 15.5 acres of land donated by The Woodlands Development Company (TWDC). The YMCA also recently broke ground for its third branch in The Woodlands in the Village of Creekside Park. Phase I, scheduled to open in 2010, will include a 15-acre adventure camp, lodge, and outdoor education facility and Phase II will be a complete YMCA facility. The 21-acre site was also donated by TWDC.

  • A variety of dance groups are needed to perform at the Swing into Spring Carnival, scheduled for Saturday, March 28 from 10 am – 2 pm at Sterling Ridge Village Center. This first-time event will also feature free carnival games, rock walls, delicious treats and exhibitor booths, plus a drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree at Sterling Ridge Village Center. If your group is interested in performing, please e-mail Lorrie Parise at lparise@thewoodlands.com.

  • To date, 538 homes have been sold in the Village of Creekside Park, and 72 have been sold in May Valley in the Village of Sterling Ridge.

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The Woodlands Texas – Community News, New Homes News and News News

by Ken Brand, Sales Manager - Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors / The Woodlands TX / Cell: 832-797-1779 on October 30, 2008

 

ASID 08 SHOWHOUSE PREVIEW EVENT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT THURSDAY - A Realtor® Preview of the new ASID 08 Showhouse in East Shore is scheduled for Thursday, November 6 from 5 – 8 pm at 6 Georgian Row (pictured) in the Colonial Parkneighborhood of East Shore, the “Garden District” of The Woodlands Town Center.

Members of the American Society of Interior Designers/Texas Gulf Coast Chapter (ASID)have come together to design the interior of this magnificent $2.6 million Southern Colonial home by Post Homes, Ltd.  Each room has been designed by a different ASID member. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. See the ASID Showhouse before it opens to the public on November 8! The 2008 ASID Showhouse is a benefit for the Gastro Esophageal Cancer Foundation, Inc. and donations will be accepted on the evening of the preview event.  To RSVP for the preview, call 281-719-6345.

The home will be open to the public Saturday, November 8 through Sunday, November 23 from 10 am – 4 pm Wednesdays through Sundays and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is $15 at the door, or $12 in advance through ASID. Call 713-626-1470 or visit The Woodlands Homefinder Center to purchase tickets.  Also, The Woodlands Custom Homes Center sales team of Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors will open to the public over 20 newly constructed homes in The Woodlands every Saturday and Sunday, November 8 through November 23, 10 am – 4 pm.

CARLTON WOODS OFFERS ADDITIONAL $2,000 GIFT CARD AS PART OF THE WOODLANDS “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS” PROGRAM  – The Woodlands is offering buyers of selected new homes who purchase by December 31, 2008, a $2,000 Woodforest National Bank MasterCard and a free one-year family membership to the South Montgomery County YMCA. To be eligible, the buyer must close on the new home by February 28, 2009. In addition, nearly all of the homebuilders in The Woodlands are offering valuable incentives of up to $50,000. More than 200 new homes are available in the program. 

Carlton Woods Properties is offering a $2,000 American Express gift card with the purchase of a new home in addition to the incentives mentioned above as part of the “Home for the Holidays” program.  Pictured is the estate at 83 South Palmiera Circle, offering a lake view in the gated community of Carlton Woods. Built by Rohe and Wright Builders, this 5,984-square-foot home is ready for move in and priced at $1,749,000. 

WILSHIRE SALES EVENT, OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 2 –Wilshire Homes is offering the “72 Hour Vote for Wilshire Inventory Sales Event” from Friday, October 31 – Sunday, November 2, 2008.  Wilshire has a wide range of “ready to move-in” floorplans and unprecedented savings.  Wilshire Homes is also offering a $15,000 decorator’s allowance at Wilshire’s Design Center as part of The Woodlands “Home for the Holidays” program (see details above). 

“Only Wilshire Homes with its nationally award winning energy efficient features can claim the platform of Houston’s Most Energy Efficient Home Builder,” states Kim McDaniel, vice president of marketing for Wilshire Homes.  “Plus, with our spectacular floorplans to choose from, you’ll learn firsthand why Wilshire Homes was recently appointed 2008 Gold Winner of the Energy Value Housing Award.”

Pictured is the Sinclair in the neighborhood of Wilde Creek in the Village of Creekside Park.  For more information on the “72 Hour Vote for Wilshire Inventory Sales Event”, call Wilshire Homes in Arrow Canyon in the Village of Creekside Park at 281-290-0194, Almondellin the new expansion of the Village of Sterling Ridge at 281-296-2207 and Wilde Creek in the Village of Creekside Park at 281-290-0659.

LAST CHANCE TO DONATE TO HOLIDAYS FOR HEROES – The Women’s Council of Realtors® – Montgomery County (WCR) needs items or monetary donations for the Third Annual Operation Holidays for Heroes to support the Montgomery County military men and women currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Help send 1,000 gift packages to them.  The deadline is Monday, November 3.  

Items Needed:  Phone Cards (AT&T International only), disposable digital cameras, I-Tunes gift cards, DVDs and hand-held games (no war movies, please), beef jerky, nuts, hard candies, granola bars, sunflower seeds, Christmas cards and homemade children’s cards.  For more information, visit www.MontgomeryCountyCares.com or contact underwriting co-chairs Serena Schneider at 281-536-2429 or Becky Shannonhouse at 281-719-6392.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY’S PRECINCT 3 RECYCLING AND REUSE COMPLEX HONORED BY TAC -  Montgomery County’s Precinct 3 Recycling and Reuse Complex was recently honored during the Commissioners Court meeting by the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) Leadership Foundation.

The program is one of 24 county programs around the state selected to receive high honors for innovation, achievement and delivery of service in the 2008 County Best Practice Awards, which recognizes county initiatives that serve as a model to others and save taxpayer monies. Montgomery County’s program, which began in 2000, was honored for superior innovation in community improvement.

“Conservation Colors” is the county’s latest recycling program where they re-blend viable latex paint that is collected. The paint is sorted along seven color schemes, drained into 150-gallon vats and then poured into one- and five-gallon buckets. These conservation colors are given to the public free-of-charge. This program typically saves about 650 gallons of paint a month from being thrown in a landfill or poured down the drain.

Montgomery County currently has a recycling and re-use complex on several acres of land with a community collection center, a mobile collection trailer, a hazardous waste collection center and a re-use distribution center along with a demonstration garden for environmentally friendly gardening and yard keeping.  Pictured is Montgomery County Commissioner, Precinct 3, Ed Chance, who heads up the Recycling and Reuse Complex.

  • The Woodlands College Park and Oak Ridge High Schools will be hosting “No Tricks, Just Treats of Canned Food” Drive, benefiting Interfaith of The Woodlands.  Both campuses will be collecting food throughout this week and at the football game on October 31. For more information, email Barbara Cicchillo at cicchillo@earthlink.net.
  •  The Water Taxi general day pass is $5 for adults and $2.50 for seniors, children and disabled. Passes are valid for unlimited rides throughout the day along The Woodlands Waterway®.  For more information, log on towww.VisitTheWoodlands.com.    

  • The Montgomery County Women’s Center is offering a teen support group that meets Monday evening from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at 1600 Lake Front Circle.  Female teens between the ages of 13 – 17 who are victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are invited to participate. For more information, call Cynthia Martinez at 281-292-4155, extension 276.  The 24-hour crisis hotline is 936-441-7273

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