Museum Hosts KindieFest, internationally acclaimed Sugar Free Allstars on August 2, 2011

The Woodlands (Texas) Children’s Museum is proud to host Kindiefest on Tuesday, August 2, featuring Sugar Free Allstars, a group that plays a variety of unusual New Orleans funk instrumentation with humor and high-energy.

“This is a rare treat for our community,” Angela Colton said, executive director for the Museum. “The Sugar Free Allstars are always on the road. They’ve toured Europe and nationally and I like that they have an educational aspect to their music. Kids are going to love this event.”

In spring 2010, the band released its second family music CD, “Funky Fresh and Sugar Free”, to rave reviews.  Some of the highlights since its release have been: a review on People Magazine’s website, a mention in Parents Magazine, a starred review in School Library Journal, a National Parenting Publication Awards (NAPPA) Gold Award and a second #1 hit on the Sirius-XM Satellite Radio Kid’s channel (the James Brown-influenced “Tiger In My Backyard”).  In addition, following this release SFA was one of twelve family music acts included in a photo essay on Time Magazine’s website featuring some of the “Kindie Rock” (indie rock for kids) genre’s top stars.

“I’m inviting everyone to come in and have some fun with us on Tuesday,” Colton said. “We will also be featuring author Lauri Rosen who wrote “Pixie and Trixie Bug” as part of the Museum’s ongoing Meet ‘n Greet the Authors program.”

The Woodlands Children’s Museum is located at 4775 W Panther Creek next to Sears Hardware in the Panther Creek Shopping Center. Museum hours are Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm and Sun, Noon – 5pm. Events are Free with Admission. For more information, call 281.465.0955 or go to their website: www.woodlandschildrensmuseum.org.  

Childrens' Fishing Tournament in The Woodlands - 28th annual Kiwanis, September 3rd, 2011

Each year in late summer, the Kiwanis Club sponsors a fun catfish tournament for children, toddlers up to the age of 16. Trophies are provided for all participants. There are assistants on hand to teach and help the children use their equipment.

Date: September 3, 2011 

Registration begins at 7:00 am 

Location: Creekwood Park, The Woodlands Texas, Village of Panther Creek

Fishing begins at 8:00 am with over 150 kids and their families expected to participate in the event! 

Free food

Free drinks

Free bait

Come early for the best fishing spot!  Bring your rod & reel and lawn chair.

The Woodlands Kiwanis Club is an informal, collegial group that is part of Kiwanis International.  Its mission is serving the children of the world.  The club warmly welcomes visitors and new members.

At each weekly Thursday morning breakfast meeting at 7:00 am at the South County Community Center on Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands Kiwanis Club offers a program chosen from a wide range of informative and entertaining topics.

Currently active club participants include our members - men and women from all walks of life and age groups - plus community service-oriented teenagers from area high schools, the Kiwanis Education Youth (KEY) Clubbers. 

Related article for directions etc : Creekwood Park in Panther Creek  

Suspect arrested for local sexual assault

Montgomery County Sheriff has arrested a suspect who is allegedly responsible for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl that occurred on January 24, 2011. Daryl Lee Beeson, 49, has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child. His bond was set at $400,000.

Suspect

According to authorities, the victim was lured by a white male into a green Honda Civic. Inside the car was religious literature and pamphlets. The victim reported that she was taken to a trailer house off of Rayford Road in South Montgomery County and sexually assaulted. She was then released at a restaurant on I-45 were she reported the incident to police. 

Similar automobile used in crime

Detectives believe there may be additional victims and urge anyone with information about the suspect to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 281 297-6510.

Children's Museum in The Woodlands Texas

Mr David Dunlap, CEO Superior Energy Services

On September 24 2010, a grand opening event was conducted at The Woodlands Children's Museum at their new location in Panther Creek. It was in honor of David Dunlap, President of this non-profit learning museum for children under 6 years old. "This is the first opportunity to show our family learning center to the community. Our admission of $5 is to encourage all children of varying financial resources to experience the museum and learn something here. Membership at $59 is also very reasonable to encourage involvement and support within the community. We came here because we wanted to be in this community for this community and area. Our current location is better than before, because it is more accessible to the residents of The Woodlands. We need additional board members, so if there are some of you who can help us move forward, we would appreciate you volunteering some time to a worthy cause."

Scott Hollingsworth

The theme of this event was "Magic at the Museum". Scott Hollingsworth, a popular Houston area magic entertainer was present to wow visitors with his tricks.¹

Patches

This young man, Patches, has a magic act that is fascinating. It was especially geared to children, but I can tell you it baffled me as well. He had three balls and would switch them around on me. I was never correct which ball(s) was in my hand or his! He is part of the JL & Company Productions. ²

Donna Wick, Angela Colton, Jenny Wright (Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival)

Donna Wick (left) organized the event. To her left is Angela Colton, Executive Director.

Tea please, Mr Hunter!

Claude Hunter, Woodlands Township Director, playing in the children's play kitchen, serving his wife Peggy some play tea.  

Visitors learning what they can do to help and some history of the museum from the President, Mr David Dunlap.

Social interaction was enjoyable by all. Everyone who came was there to help promote this non-profit organization.

As this lady expressed it, "this is a perfect place to bring the grandchildren". We were experiencing the water play area where the children have boots and aprons so they can play with water toys. 

A large aquarium provides an attractive and interesting place for adults and children. 

There are innovative sponsorship projects that can be funded by businesses or private individuals. This stand showed what is available and gives visitors a "market place" to explore funding opportunities.

Museum staff who makes it happen

Donna Wick, Cynthia Martinez (intern with MC Youth Services)

Entrance as viewed from the street

The event was organized by Donna Wick. It was sponsored by Jaspers Gourmet Backyard Cuisine, Exit Realty Group, JL Co Productions, Mr Scott Hollingsworth, Bryan and Deb Stuart of Ultimate Pools, and Vino 100 in Sterling Ridge Shopping Center.   

Since Mervyns closed their doors at The Woodlands Mall and abandoned their space, the Woodlands Children's  Museum has continued to blossom and grow here in The Woodlands. The huge facility of 25,000 sq ft at the mall was premium and costly real estate. It really was not the right place for this educational museum. In July of 2010, the museum moved to the Panther Creek Shopping Center, the previous site of a dance studio and another business. Two business locations were combined and remodeled into this 10,000 sq ft facility.  Although the previous location was 2.5 times the size of this one, you would not know it when you arrive. There is still plenty of room for the activities of visiting children. The museum has a seven year contract with the shopping center owner. It has been working with the local development standards group to get a suitable sign, so their establishment will be easily visible from the parking lot. Until there is an agreement, they will have this temporary sign. 

Did you know this non-profit project started as the museum in 2005 at the mall but started originally from a small group of mothers in The Woodlands?  Today, they have something going on every day. Got a two-year-old? Go! Got a five-year-old? Go!  Check out the calendar from their webpage. <sup>3

1</sup> Scott Hollingsworth Entertainment

² JL & Company Productions - total entertainment portfolio

³ The Woodlands Children's Museum

ONLY IN AMERICA! July 4th in Woodlands needs your help!

The South County 4th of July Committee is seeking volunteers for 2010. The committee is a group of volunteers who organizes the 4th of July Parade in The Woodlands. This year, the committee is seeking 130+ volunteers to produce the 2010 parade, scheduled for July 3rd in The Woodlands Town Center. This year’s theme is ONLY IN AMERICA! Over the years, the event has evolved from a small hometown parade with families riding bikes to a large-scale parade attracting 20,000 – 25,000 spectators from around the region. Last year, the parade had approximately 145 entries and 2,000 to 3,000 participants. The parade route is approximately 1.3 miles and will begin and end at The Woodlands United Methodist Church. The parade starts at 9 a.m. and typically lasts an 1.0 to 1.5 hours.

Why volunteer for this event? The story of the birth of the United States is thrilling and inspiring, full of heroes and their words and deeds. We hope this inspires you as it does us. Volunteering for the 4th of July parade is your opportunity to give back to your community, in arguably the largest family oriented event in The Woodlands area. There are a number of volunteer positions still available. Breakfast and refreshments are provided on the day of the event. The volunteer orientation will be held Wednesday July 1, 7pm at the United Methodist Church. If you have volunteered before and would like a specific location and/or duty, please let the coordinator know.

AREA		Positions	TIME (on July 3rd)
Traffic		Traffic Control - 20	7:00 – 11 am
Staging		Staging - 57	6 am – 10 am
Staging		Emergency vehicle staging - 2	6 am – 9:30 am
	Judges Area	Judges/Judging stand - 2		7:30 am – 11 am
	Judges Area	Judges’ families - 2		7:30 am – 11 am
	Entry Check-in	Pre-Parade Entertainment – 4		7:30 am-10 am
	Parade Marshall	Parade Marshals - 24		7:30 am – 11 am
	Senior Tent	Senior Tent – 2		7:30 am – 11 am
	Hospitality	Dignitaries – VIP Breakfast – 4		6 am – 9:30 am
	Hospitality	Dignitaries Breakfast - Set up		2:30 – 4:30 pm  July 2

Please fill out the volunteer form (this currently has to be printed from this site; make sure  you use the print option in the website or you will get more than one page printed. You can download the .doc file to your computer and fill it out electronically using WORD) and return to Kelly Dietrich at kdietrich@thewoodlandtownship-tx.org. If you’re not available to volunteer, we hope you and your family will join us to watch the parade on July 3rd.

Rotary Club and Polio Battle

Rotary International's mission is to raise $200 million in the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. The Bill Gates Foundation will match the amount.

Pictured L-R are Rotary's President-Elect Ann Wolford, The John Cooper School's Deb Spiess, and Rotarian Bill Friebel.

Rotary Club of The Woodlands members recently sported purple shirts and collected donations in an iron lung they had on display at Market Street. For each donation, the donor’s Pinkie finger was marked with purple ink. When children are immunized in Third World countries, the Pinkie is colored purple to indicate that child received the vaccine.  It’s a fun reminder of how we are helping make those purple Pinkies possible!

The group has collected more than $1,500 by fundraising!  It will continue to raise funds on an ongoing basis with many activities.  People are encouraged to donate to Rotary Club of The Woodlands Foundation, PO Box 7353, The Woodlands, TX 77387-7353.  Please indicate the donation is for Polio Plus.

Polio, or more properly poliomyelitis, was one of the most feared and studied diseases of the first half of the 20th Century. Though the Salk--and later the Sabin--vaccines have essentially eliminated the disease in developed countries, many mysteries remain regarding polio.    

What is Polio? Polio is a viral illness that produces no symptoms in 95% of cases.  In 4-8% of cases, the illness appears as a mild form with flu-like symptoms, sore throat, and respiratory infection. A more serious form is associated with aseptic meningitis--with sensitivity to light and neck stiffness.  The most severe cases cause muscle paralysis and can result in death.

How do you get it? Polio is usually transmitted by ingesting material contaminated with human waste.  Drinking contaminated water and not washing hands are common culprits, making the eradication of polio in poor countries extremely difficult.

Prevention: In the US, it’s recommended for children to have 4 doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) between the ages of 2 months and 6 years.

Iron Lung:  In the height of the polio epidemic, the standard treatment involved placing a patient with a paralysis of the breathing muscles in an “iron lung”--large machine that actually pushed and pulled the chest muscles to make them work.  The damaged limbs were often kept immobilized because of confinement to the iron lung.  Where polio still exists, ventilators and some iron lungs are still in use today.

The Gates Foundation Challenge:  Rotary International has spent millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours on polio eradication. Today polio exists in 4 countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria (PAIN).  Through a challenge grant from the Gates Foundation, the Rotary will raise $200 million and the Foundation will match it. 

Great Strides Made:  In 1988, there were 355,000 cases of polio in 125 countries. In 2009, there were fewer than 400 cases worldwide! 

For more information, contact Rotarian Kay Hohman at 281-363-8104.

Woodlands Rotary Club

CASA - taking care of our children

On April 1st, 2010, start of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I had the privilege of attending the annual CASA Light of Hope at the Conroe courthouse.  The start of this event is documented at this link. Jill Cantarella, photo to the left, is Operations Manager of the CASA organization here in Montgomery County.  You may recognize the blue ribbons. The story behind these ribbons is provided at this link. CASA is the child advocate organization for the courts in Montgomery County.

Patty Sexton (right), CASA Supervisor, speaks out on the difficulties and needs of these children. When a child needs assistance because their parents or a parent is in custody, or because the child has been abandoned or abused, the court appoints an advocate from CASA to represent the child.  Anything and everything happens to a child who has parents in the world of drugs and crime.  Someone has to step forward on behalf of the child. That someone from CASA is trained to act on behalf of the child in cases of abuse and neglect.  Those volunteers make a huge difference in the lives of children in these circumstances. It is a daunting but highly rewarding job. Each child is handled uniquely for their situation, in order to place them and to provide hope for a real loving home.  There is no generic solution. Therefore, the advocate must get to know the parents, the child and the circumstances around the lives of them all. We lost two children in this county last year due to abuse. We need more volunteers.  Recovery from such dire circumstances is not easy but very rewarding.

So the candle lighting was a vigil in memory of those who were not able to survive and a prayer for those facing such sufferings in their lives.  A candle was lit for every child currently being represented by an advocate. To the left, Jill Cantarella lights the starter candle as  Lindsey sings "This Little Light of Mine." 

Conroe mayor Webb K. Melder giving his view of the importance of this organization.  There were 1019 cases in Montgomery county last year. That is a heavy load for such an organization and shows the magnitude of the problem.

Each candle was lit as the procession of people remembered the hope of each child in the advocate program. Note the blue ribbon armband.

From left to right, Randy Scott (me), Odessa Ross (board member), and Mayor Melder. Note the blue ribbons.

A variety of law enforcement automobiles were present to honor the organization and its efforts for the community. The blue ribbons were on the cars.

In front of the CASA office in Conroe was this sign, with the blue ribbon  pinwheels to emphasize the annual national Child Abuse Prevention Month of April.

Related links
+ Abuse by Jill Cantarella
+ Montgomery CASA website
+ Google Map to CASA office  

Substance Abuse Meeting for The Woodlands area - April 27, 2010

There will be a coalition meeting on April 27th at the Shenandoah Municipal Building on I-45. This organization builds data and action plans to deal with local substance issues. If this is of interest to you, please attend.   

AGENDA: there will be three panel discussions consisting of community experts. Includes business owners, substance abuse professionals, law makers, law enforcement & community activists; the three panels have 13 presenters in total, that will speak on prevention and the importance of  education, legislative change and enforcement in Montgomery county and also present ideas about strategies to address our local conditions.

This coalition website has more information (click here). 

Easter at the Pavilion

My wife and I went to the Sunday service this year at the Pavilion. Most of the 6000 seats were filled, if not all. One aspect I particularly liked regarding the venue is the parking. There is plenty of parking available near the Pavilion for this event, since it is on Sunday morning. The service itself was very moving and everyone was really into the life of Christ, his death and the joy of his resurrection.

I was personally touched by much of the service, but especially about this song we sang together- "I am free to run. I am free to dance..." as the ballerina danced on the stage. Now you know why I portray myself on my candidate signs as a runner. I am a runner, in many more ways other than racing. The feeling you have as a runner relates easily to being freed from the bondage of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Dr. Bruce Webb is the perfect person to lead the First Baptist Church of The Woodlands in this Easter service. His difficulties in early life with the sudden loss of his mother and the problems of his dad, makes him simply one of us, just normal people, surviving what trials God puts upon us to make us better servants. He was rescued from the mental anguish associated with those trials and now shares his life experiences to rescue others from such difficulties. A testimonial from several church members showed how a church can play an important role to full recovery from cancer to divorce. It is apparent that members and staff of this church are engaged in caring ministries for people. There were many guests similar to me and my wife, who also were quite impressed with the service.

Some of the powerful messages I gleaned from the pastor were:
1. Jesus Christ is the most influential person of all time in this world.
2. Jesus Christ was not an attractive man but physically a strong one. He lived his short life as we do. He knew how it felt to hammer a nail and hit your hand with the hammer. He worked hard just like we do for a living. He survived the scourging before he was nailed to the cross, when many died from it.
3. What is it like to be connected to God through Christ? It is more than praying. It is more than answers to prayers. It is a relationship, freeing a person from empty religion. It is real! It is now! He influences our daily lives when we accept him as our savior.
4. Jesus is the ultimate example to us of influence. From a poor family, he has influenced many things on this earth to bring us to where we are today, such as hospitals where once, man would not venture because of his fear of disease and death. With Christ's teachings, mankind has overcome that fear and embraced caring for the sick.

As the service proceeded,  an artist was painting the face of Jesus as he perceives it was. Yahoo has had a series of articles this past week which have depicted a reasonable vision of Christ, not a blue-eyed white person, but a dark brown-eyed Middle Eastern person.

I hope you like me walked away refreshed and renewed in the hope and freedom that Jesus brings to us, and will go next week to continue that spiritual renewal.

To the gentleman I met this past week, who was in the depths of depression trying to find a job, and to the gentleman I met two weeks ago who is in the throws of a divorce -
Go to a church! This one would be a fine choice, but there are others as well. You should find people willing to help you and minister to you. Don't try to do it by yourself. Both of you are fine people. Let God into your hearts and be free from oppression and sin. That is the gateway to happiness and renewal of spirit. I hope you are reading this article and listen. I have zero doubt that it would help you tremendously!


Happy Easter everybody. May God be with you!

Friends of the Women's Center Montgomery County are really a good thing, they make the world go round more happily

One thing the Women's Center here in Montgomery County is appreciative of is the business community and organizations which help them help the victims of abuse. The Commentary today salutes the following establishments for their support to the center and encourages its readers to support them for their generous donations.

Shelli Moran (right) operating partner for Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, stands with Sarah Raleigh, executive director for the Montgomery County Women's Center, holding items from Fleming's recent food drive. Flemings hosted the food drive for the Women's Center's dwindling food pantry in an effort to stock up on items needed by women coming to the agency for counseling support and legal services. With the challenging economic climate, more clients have been seeking food items from the agency's small food pantry. Donations are always needed and appreciated for standard staple food items such as canned vegetables and meats, soup, boxed meals, pasta, juice boxes and more.

Montgomery County Women's Center, a Pacesetter agency for the Montgomery County United Way Campaign, recently hosted an Italian luncheon fundraiser benefiting United Way. Food was generously provided by members of the MCWC Board of Directors. The Women's Center is a United Way agency and serves victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault through crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, support services and legal advocacy.

Pictured are staff members Sonia Rodriguez, accounting clerk, and Lauren Stratton, education specialist. 

Spring Moms and Babes organized by Lori Carrese (second from left) made a generous donation of baby items, games, DVDs and diapers to the Montgomery County Women's Center for women and children currently residing in the agency's emergency shelter for abused and battered women.  Spring Moms and Babes provides play dates, story time and family fun for those in the Spring, Tomball and The Woodlands area and can be reached by going to www.meetup.com/springmoms.  

Elizabeth Glass, (left) manager of Rags to Riches resale shop stands with Eva Morgan, a volunteer, as they stock the shelves with a huge donation of women's career suits. 

Northwest Houston BPW donated the women's suits to the agency so that women in shelter and working women could benefit from the brand new, stylish career suits. Rags to Riches is located behind Pappas BBQ at I-45 and Woodlands Parkway and can be reached by calling (281) 292-0443.

Rags to Riches resale shop, located in the Wood Ridge shopping Center behind Pappas BBQ at I-45 and Woodlands Parkway, received a huge donation of women's career suits.

"The suits are brand new with the tags still on them," Elizabeth Glass said, manager of Rags to Riches. "The suits are gorgeous and are in a variety of sizes. These name brand suits won't last long especially at our discount prices."

Rags to Riches is the resale shop associated with the Montgomery County Women's Center and all proceeds go towards the agency's emergency shelter for abused and battered women and their children.

"These suits would lift any one's spirit," Donna Wick said, director of outreach and communications for the agency. "Everyone is living a little differently these days - more frugally. These brand new suits were donated by business women, so they are very nice."

The suits were donated by Northwest Houston Business and Professional Women which unites professional women, supports business and community relationships, provides educational opportunities and leadership skills.

"Between our Upscale Resale Boutique featuring designer fashions and now these very stylish suits, women are going to have a field day shopping with us," Glass said.

Amazing Spaces recently provided storage facilities for the Montgomery County Women's Center while the agency was rebuilding storage units damaged by Hurricane Ike at the women's shelter for battered women and children.

Pictured are: (left to right) Chris Swetnam, assistant manager; Donna Wick, director of outreach and communications for MCWC; Jeremy Garman, area manager and Kim Sommers, manager.

The shelter can accommodate 60 women and children needing emergency shelter for a period of 60 days and last year served approximately 900 women fleeing violent homes.

Connect 2 Health Wellness Center, specializing in chiropractic, prenatal and pediatric care, recently hosted a Grand Opening Fundraiser Event for the Montgomery County Women's Center and presented the agency with a check for $1,200.

Pictured are: (from left) Cafe Del Mar owner, Mario Gapultos with manager, Tiffany James; Amanda Stephens (front) Connect 2 Health; Rodney Anderson, owner, Crescent Moon Wine Bar; Donna Wick, MCWC; and Dr. Amber Smith, Connect 2 Health. 

Dr. Amber Smith can be reached at (281) 419-8555 or by going to www.C2Hwellness.com. The Women's Center was selected by Dr. Amber Smith as the Center's charity of choice because of the recent spike in domestic violence calls in Montgomery County.

Sue Moehring, (far right, kneeling), VBS outreach and mission director for Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Conroe organized a VBS hands-on mission project called: Operation Kid to Kid whereby children created a stuffed toy to give to a child currently residing at the Montgomery County Women's Center emergency shelter for abused and battered women and children.

Operation Kid to Kid reaches out to Children in Shelter - the Vacation Bible School program at Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Conroe organized a mission project called Operation Kid to Kid whereby children at the church could reach out to children residing in emergency shelter.

"This was a way our children could spread God's love to another child," Moehring said. "We also asked that the children expand their giving by bringing in specific items the women's shelter was in need of, like: school supplies, toiletries and baby items."

Moehring chose the Women's Center as the agency of choice because the shelter was in the same county as the church and she, personally, taught school for five years in the Conroe ISD.

"I know those students have many needs and those needs are fulfilled by the Women's Center," Moehring said.

"We were touched at the outpouring from the children and their families," Donna Wick said, director of outreach and communications for the Center. "Tree of Life Lutheran Church has made a huge difference in the lives of the children that are currently residing in our shelter. And once those children move on to higher ground, more children will be right behind them. We are reaching out to the community to continue to assist the Women's Center in meeting our growing and immediate demand for school supplies, toiletries and baby items."

Tree of Life Lutheran Church is located at 3201 N. Loop 336 West in Conroe and can be reached at (936) 539-9530.

Scott Bauer, co-founder of Lifestyle Fitness Center, stands with food items donated by club members in order to stock the food pantry at the Montgomery County Women's Center. The food pantry serves women seeking counseling, support groups and/or protective orders at the agency's administrative offices located at 1600 Lake Front Circle in The Woodlands. Lifestyle Fitness Center is located at 9110 Forest Crossing Drive and can be reached at (281) 292-4883.

Cynthia Martinez, education specialist for the Montgomery County Women's Center, stands with Harold Wise, general manager of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers/Shenandoah in front of a banner announcing the restaurant's canned good food drive in efforts to help stock the food pantry at the Women's Center. Every Monday, customers will receive $3 off their food bill (excluding alcohol) when they donate two canned-food items. Red Robin is located at 19433 I-45 in Shenandoah and can be reached at (281) 465-9896.

What is coming up in October? "Use your Voice, make a choice" and the annual "Walk a Mile in her Shoes"

October is the month of many things. First and foremost Fall color begins to move our way. Of course it will not be Fall until November here, but Fall tradition originates from the Northeastern states. It is an important month for observances, from Halloween to special organization recognitions. Of special significance to IndianSpringsGuy in this month will be the activities related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is also Crime Prevention Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Country Music Month, Hispanic Appreciation Month, and many others. For a complete list, I recommend ButlerWebs.com. 


Domestic violence is something everyone should contemplate. Many people are victims, fewer but many are abusers, and the issue exists everywhere you go. Your neighbor may be impacted by this terrible behavioral and criminal issue. The problem may exist in your family. Wherever or however, we all should be aware of its presence among us and help to eradicate it from our society. 




During this month, we will see several local events conducted in the spirit for the recognition of domestic violence in our community and the need to fight it. We also will see people asking for support for the victims and initiatives to educate the public on what domestic violence is and what services are available to victims. Below are the main events  of the month hosted by The Women's Center of Montgomery County. 

The Women's Center of Montgomery County.

1. October 17 at 9:00 AM (Saturday) - Use your voice, make a choice Teen Conference. Free educational program sponsored by Baker Hughes. 

2. Oct 11, 2:00 PM at Market Street (Sunday) "A Real Man March" otherwise known as "Walk a Mile in her shoes"  - this is a serious but fun event primarily sponsored by Verizon. Note the red high heels of the guys. 

Grand Opening of Reaching Pines - Apartment Housing for Recovering Victims from the Women's Center

A huge milestone, one significant step forward, occurred this morning when the Women's Center of Montgomery County Texas held its ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of these apartments for healing battered women and their children.

 

In this photo is 

Nell Belanger front and Donna Wick
behind her.

 

 

It is so difficult for a woman who has been controlled, to start all over independently. This facility project will provide a huge enabler towards a new healthy life for both women and their children. While transitioning, those who previously cried behind closed doors, now will besubsidized with housing and taught how to take care of themselves while they live here. Normal duties of the head of household such as budgeting, managing a checkbook, finding employment, etc will be taught over the maximum two years of stay here.³ Not only will they have financial assistance but they can share and grow together. Located near other neighborhoods and a school, the apartments are beautiful and will beckon to those needing to escape and start all over. Walking through these doors will be difficult, yet reap bountiful rewards. Those who helped make this happen attended the ribbon cutting ceremony to help celebrate the milestone, including the mayor of Conroe Webb Melder who cut the ribbon, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ed Chance, and Executive Director of Montgomery County Women's Center Sarah Raleigh. Also present was Marsha Willams (wife of Senator Tommy Willams). Mentioned with special thanks by Sarah Raleigh were Tom Cox who "drove" the project, Cook Construction of Cleveland (notably Dan Cook and his son who was the construction manager), and The Woodlands Development Company coupled with The Brickman Group¹ who provided all the landscaping and the automated watering system. For their generosity and support, Catherine and George Lindahl, Candi and Gerald Glenn, and Houston Endowment Inc² were recognized. 

                                                                                 

 

As Mayor Webb Melder cut the ribbon, he stated "This is truly the Lord's work." The mayor was also recognized by Sarah for his role of minimizing administrative costs and speeding up the permit processes.
                                 

In her recognition speech, Sarah Raleigh thanked Tom Cox for his special and tireless effort as he "drove" the project to completion. One of the apartment buildings is named in his and his wife's honor - the "Tom and Mary Cox Building". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She also thanked two special employees, committee co-chairs Nell
Belanger (left) and Marion Fischer (right - yellow), of the center for their energetic help to complete the project.

As a staff member of the Women's Center, this young lady was making sure everyone was comfortable and the event was proceeding without a hitch. 

Ground breaking for the 24 apartment complex started back in November of 2008. A hillside had to be cleared and dirt removed to be able to provide level ground for the foundations. From there, it was all "downhill". "The construction was straight forward after we got going", noted the construction manager who complimented the architect on his work.

These apartments are very pretty inside. One apartment was
furnished as a model to show how the they can or will be furnished. I think it is relatively safe to say that victims with
or without children who want to start out on their own will be encouraged to do so here. One of five battered women go back to their battered lifestyle after escaping, primarily because they do not have the resources to make it independently or just don't know how. This is designed to give them that transition to a
more normal  life.

Like Martin Luther King's universal words of wisdom and emotion:

"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." .... "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" ...
So our prayer goes out for these ladies in despair yet with hope. Yes mayor, this is indeed a work of the Lord. The women contained behind those closed doors - let them be free at last from those who abuse them.

 

Donations can be sent to MCWC, c/o Reaching Pines Project, 1600 Lake Front Circle Suite 100, P.O. Box 8669, The Woodlands, TX 77387-8669.

¹ Brickman Group
² Houston Endowment Inc
³ Women's Center Reaching Pines Project Page