The Woodlands

The Woodlands "Come Home for the Holidays" Celebration Underway

The Woodlands kicked off a special holiday promotion on October 31, 2009 offering buyers of selected new homes in the community a $2,000 Woodforest National Bank MasterCard if they purchase between October 31, 2009 and December 31, 2009 and close by February 28, 2010, according to Tim Welbes, President of The Woodlands Development Company (TWDC).

Nearly all of the homebuilders active in The Woodlands are also offering incentives in the “Come Home for the Holidays” Celebration. The homes designated in the program range in price from the $140,000’s to more than $3 million. The buyer will also receive their choice of either a free one-year family membership to the South Montgomery County YMCA or free initiation fee and two months free dues to Canongate Golf Clubs.

Home shoppers are being directed to The Woodlands Homefinder Center, where they can register for the program before visiting the sales offices. After the home closing, the buyer should notify the Homefinder Center and make arrangements to redeem their $2,000 MasterCard and YMCA or Canongate gift certificate by March 31, 2010.

Pictured is Pulte Homes’ model in the neighborhood of Timarron in the Village of Creekside Park. Pulte is offering an incentive of a $10,000 discount on inventory homes purchased during the “Come Home for the Holidays” Celebration.

For more information about “Come Home for the Holidays”, call The Homefinder Center at 281-719-6333 or visit www.thewoodlands.com.

Waterway Square Parking Garage Now Open to the Public

Waterway Square Parking Garage, a new 1,933-space parking facility, is now open on Lake Robbins Drive, adjacent to Waterway Square® in The Woodlands Town Center.

“This new parking garage provides enhanced access to convenient parking in The Woodlands Town Center,” said Dan Leverett, vice president of commercial for The Woodlands Development Company. “Having this much additional parking will make it easier for residents and visitors to this new area, especially with the holiday season fast approaching.”

Free parking in the new garage is being offered by participating Waterway Square retailers and restaurants, with validation. For others parking in the garage, the first hour is free during this introductory period; up to two hours is $1; up to three hours, $2; up to four hours, $3; or 4-24 hours is $5. The Waterway Square Parking Garage is being managed by Ace Parking Management.

Park Rangers Earn Badges

After completing 1,000 patrol hours in the field and 80 hours of specialized training, seven park rangers have earned their badges. The ceremony was attended by Community Associations of The Woodlands officials, community leaders and family members. Pictured from front row, left to right: Parks and Recreation Director Chris Nunes; Co-Interim General Manager John Powers; The Woodlands Community Service Corporation Chairman Bruce Tough; Ranger Supervisor James Birdwell; Lead Ranger Bob Bruning; and Co-Interim General Manager Fire Chief Alan Benson. In the back row, left to right: Park Rangers John Durisko; Ron Wiley; Andy Catanzaro; Earl Lewis; Bob Carl; Ron McComas; Freddie Bundage; Terry Gibson; Elliott Scarborough; Rebecca Richards; Jeff Cogburn; and Delmor Williams.

The rangers are on duty seven days a week and utilize ATV quad Mules to assist them in their daily rounds through the 111 parks in the community and more than 180 miles of pathways. As stewards of our parks, they are on the lookout not only for any violation of park rules or would-be vandals, but also for any unsafe conditions that may exist.

For more information about the parks and pathways in The Woodlands, please visit www.thewoodlandsassociations.org and click Parks & Recreation then Parks and Pathways.

Township Recruits Volunteers for Development Standards Committee

The Woodlands Township is recruiting for volunteers needed to fill four positions on The Woodlands Development Standards Committee effective January 1, 2010. The Development Standards Committee is an architectural design and review group that considers and acts upon requests for variances from property owners as well as considers appeals of the decisions made by a Residential Design Review Committee.

The Committee is also responsible for adopting rules and regulations regarding the administration, interpretation and enforcement of The Woodlands Covenants, Restrictions, Easements, Charges and Liens. The Development Standards Committee typically meets on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. The Committee also meets jointly with other committees about four times a year.

At least two of the four appointees will be required to have experience in architecture, engineering, contracting, building code enforcement or a related field. Applications are available at the Community Associations office, 2201 Lake Woodlands Drive, or The Woodlands Township office, 10001 Woodloch Forest Drive #600. Applications can also be found on the Community Associations and The Woodlands Township websites. All applications must be received, not postmarked, by 5 pm on Monday, December 7. Resumes noting training or experience in related fields will also be considered. For more information, please visit www.thewoodlandsassociations.org or www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-3973.

Educational Panel Addresses Economic Development Partnership Luncheon Guests

The Economic Development Partnership (EDP) recently held their Quarterly Partner Luncheon at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center on October 27. The luncheon topic was the “State of Education” in South Montgomery County. Guest speakers were Julie Ambler, Head of School with The Woodlands Christian Academy, Dr. Richard Carpenter, Chancellor with Lone Star College System, Michael Maher, Head of School with The John Cooper School, and Dr. Don Stockton, Superintendent with Conroe Independent School District. The program’s moderator, Robert Collins, Special Counsel with Montgomery County Precinct 3 began the session by allowing each panelist an opportunity to inform attendees about their respective schools, as well as highlight their accomplishments.

Gil Staley, CEO of the EDP, said, “Our esteemed panel of educators provided a unique opportunity to learn more about our education systems in our area which is vital to recruiting new and retaining current businesses.”

Pictured from left to right are: Gil Staley, Michael Maher, Dr. Don Stockton, Julie Ambler, Dr. Richard Carpenter, Mike Karlins with Karlins & Ramey LLC (an EDP partner), and Robert Collins. For more information on the EDP, visit www.edpartnership.net.

Planning Underway for the May Valley Turkey Trot on Saturday, November 14

Planning is underway for the May Valley Turkey Trot on Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 12 noon – 5 pm at the new, nine-acre May Valley Park in The Woodlands’ Village of Sterling Ridge. May Valley Park is located on May Valley Circle.

Activities for the special family-oriented pre-Thanksgiving event will include large inflatable rides, rock climbing walls, live music from Rockit Bayou, a petting zoo with live turkeys and other lovable critters, pony rides, Gobbler Games on the Green, colorful Indian Dancers, and a raffle for free turkey dinners with all the trimmings from The Woodlands Resort. Each of the 11 model homes in May Valley will be handing out raffle tickets, and visitors will receive one ticket at each home they tour – the more models you visit, the better your chance to win. The turkey dinners will be raffled off every hour during the event.

In addition to receiving raffle tickets for visiting the model homes, guests will have the opportunity to win tickets for food items sold onsite during the festival. Bring three non-perishable food items for Interfaith’s Food Pantry, and receive two free food tickets, or win tickets at “The Gobbler Games on the Green”. You can also purchase The Woodlands 35th anniversary green t-shirts for the whole family for just $5 each.

The “Turkey Trot”, a short walk around the green for kids and their parents, will take place every 30 minutes from 1:00 – 2:30 pm. Kids who complete the trot will have a chance to get their photos taken at the finish line with “Pilgrim” Puffy Pine Cone, lovable mascot of The Woodlands, dressed in Thanksgiving attire.

Concessions will feature “Turkey Trot Treats” priced from $1 - $5 (cash only.) All proceeds from the food sales will be donated to GHBA Benefit Home charities.

The Greater Houston Builders’ Association (GHBA) Benefit Home will also be open for touring, and guests to the home will be given two raffle tickets when they visit. Each year, several new homes are built for the GHBA Benefit Homes Project, with building materials and services donated by GHBA members. The homes are sold at market value and the majority of the proceeds are donated to charity. The three 2009 beneficiaries are Texas Children’s Cancer Center, the Alzheimer’s Association and HomeAid Houston. Trendmaker donated the new home construction management and The Woodlands Development Company donated the home site.

For more information about the May Valley Turkey Trot, visit www.thewoodlands.net.

Nick Wolda Featured Speaker at Recent Urban Land Institute Luncheon

Nick Wolda (left), Vice President of Marketing for The Woodlands Township, was a featured speaker at a recent Urban Land Institute membership luncheon regarding hotel development and its impact as an economic driver. Joining Wolda were Bob Eury (center), President of Central Houston, and Joe Esch (right), Executive Director, Business and Intergovernmental Relations for the City of Sugar Land.

Casey Snyder Earns International Certification

At the recent convention of the International Festivals & Events Associations (IFEA), Casey Snyder (pictured) of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau received professional designation as a Certified Festival and Event Executive (CFEE).

Initiated by the IFEA in 1983, the certification program recognizes professionals in the festivals and events industry who have attained the highest level of competency in their field. Requirements include experiential career achievements; required course work; published articles based on research pertaining to events; professional speaking requirements; and meeting the professional standards of the association and its assessment board.

For more information on the IFEA, go to www.ifea.com.

• The Woodlands Mall has unveiled its new mall gift card – the Shop Etc. mall gift card. The new card is an American Express gift card that has no fees after purchase, funds never expire, and it can be redeemed at nearly all U.S. retailers and restaurants that accept American Express. The Shop Etc. mall gift card is available at The Woodlands Mall or online at www.shopetcgiftcard.com or www.thewoodlandsmall.com.
  
  
• The 27th Annual Lighting of the Doves along The Woodlands Waterway® and the International Winter on The Waterway (iWOW) at Town Green Park will be held on Saturday, November 21 from 2 – 7 pm. For complete information on all holiday events in The Woodlands Town Center, visit www.HolidayinTheWoodlands.com.
  
  
• The 20th Annual Run Thru the Woods is scheduled for November 26 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Proceeds benefit youth charities in Montgomery County including the South Montgomery County YMCA Partners Scholarship program. Early registration is November 12. To register or for more information, visit www.runthruthewoods.com.