New Caney band competes in California

New Caney High School band members traveled to San Diego, Calif. during Spring Break and took home honors and awards at the Hertiage Festival.

The concert band won a gold rating and second place, with the jazz band earning a silver rating and second place. The concert band was also invited to attend the Festival of Gold where the best bands throughout the country compete.

Beautification committee works hard to improve community

By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
Updated: 03.27.09

Seeds were flying at the monthly Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County’s Beautification Committee meeting March 26.

Through donations, members took hundreds of seed packets and emptied them into bowls to get ready for their planting season.

“Some of the seeds that we are working on today (March 26) will be planted at the Lake Houston Park, Barbara Egan, committee president, said to the members as well as guest speaker, Paul Hendrix from the park.

Planting flower seeds is just a small part of what the Beautification Committee does year round. Established in 2005 after the 2004 Team City meeting, the committee’s goal is to beautify the area by removing bandit signs, litter, abandoned cars and junk trailers.

“We also work on improving animal control, saving trees, teaching school children about protecting our environment and encouraging others to beautify their property,” Egan said.

To meet its purpose, the members have landscaped the front area of the East County Courthouse Annex and planted plants at the Lake Houston Park and sold Crepe Myrtle trees to have flowering trees in East Montgomery County.

Read the full story HERE.

FBI arrests veteran Conroe police officer in bank robbery

By Nancy Flake
Updated: 03.24.09
The Conroe Police Department and FBI arrested longtime Conroe Police Sgt. Mike Tindall Tuesday and charged him with one count of bank robbery in connection with the Aug. 11, 2008, robbery of First Bank of Conroe.

The 23-year CPD veteran allegedly was off-duty and monitoring a police radio when he entered the bank, located at 2201 Westview Blvd., wearing a white motorcycle helmet. Tindall, 47, allegedly demanded money from the tellers and walked away with more than $28,000.

An affidavit complaint released by the FBI Tuesday afternoon states bank and Conroe Police officials believed months ago that Tindall, who worked for several years in his off-duty hours as a security guard at the bank, closely resembled the robber in the bank’s surveillance video. Grand jury subpoenas for Tindall’s bank account in January showed he made two large cash deposits into his personal bank account shortly after the robbery, including one for $5,000 about an hour after the bank was robbed.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew R. Bland III and Conroe Police Chief Charlie Ray announced Tindall’s arrest in a press conference in Houston early Tuesday afternoon. The unsealed federal complaint, which contains details of the seven-month investigation also was released.

Read the full story HERE.

Investigating and arresting one of his veteran officers – and one he’s considered a friend for more than 20 years – was “a very difficult thing,” Ray said.

On the open trail

Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo Trail Riders make their way to a dinner area during a lunch break for the riders on Saturday.

Conroe Courier

By Elliott Cochran
Updated: 03.23.09
What began as a ride with three wagons and 42 horseback riders has yielded a crowd of more than 20 wagons and approximately 325 riders taking in the scenes of the 10,000-acre, three-day trail ride benefiting students across the county.

This is the 17th year the Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo trail ride has brought horseback riders together to enjoy the outdoors and good company while raising money for scholarships.

For San Jacinto County resident Linda Shaw, the ride is a family affair with her husband Doug as well as their grandchildren Ryder, 6, and Jay, 11.

“We’ve come out for at least five years, since we heard about it, and it’s always been one of the best rides of the year,” she said. “It’s a good time for your family to come closer together and get to now different people or seeing folks we’ve seen on different trail rides.

“We took our kids on trail rides, now we’re taking the grandkids.”

Read the full story HERE.

2009 IAH Bush Intercontinental Airport Festival set for March 28

The 2009 IAH Bush Intercontinental Airport Festival will lift the spirits of locals once again. The family-orientated event promises to be a fun and educational way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a great way to let the people at the airport know how much we appreciate them being in our service area,” said Alisha Roberts, director of marketing and special events for the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, the group putting on the event.

Taking place on Saturday, March 28, at the Continental Airlines hangar from noon until 4 p.m., the festival celebrates its 26th year.

Popular attractions will include static displays of F-16s, T38s, T6s, Apaches, Hurricane Hunters, helicopters and more.

Pilots will be on hand and families can climb inside to see the inner workings of these aviation marvels.

Guests can also view EMS vehicles, pet animals from the Houston Zoo Mobile and spend time in the Children’s Area.

This year’s festival has added meaning to the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce and the airport.

The chamber is celebrating its 35th anniversary while the airport is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

“It’s an honor to have any kind of partnership with the airport,” Roberts said. “The airport brings a lot of economic wealth to this area. It provides so many jobs to people and brings so many people into the northwest area.”

Admission is $10 for adults in advance, $15 at the gate and children 3 to 12 years old are $5.

The ticket price includes food, beverages, parking and activities for everyone as well as a raffle ticket for a chance to win two pair of Continental Airline tickets.

The airline tickets are good for anywhere within the continental United States as well as Alaska, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.

Sponsoring corporations and local organizations will showcase their businesses in the Expo Area.

“This is a great opportunity for businesses to meet their client base,” Roberts said. “For example, the Houston Northwest Medical Center representatives will be there and have the chance to meet their patient base or get new patients who may have not thought about joining before.”

Averaging 2,000 to 3,000 people, the festival also yields aviation scholarships sponsored by business men and women for high school seniors which are awarded at the Airport Festival Scholarship Luncheon held in June.

“The festival is a way for people to come out and experience the airport in a way that they wouldn’t normally if they were travelling,” Roberts said. “It gives them an opportunity to talk to airport rangers, pilots and see aircraft up close and personal.”

For more information click HERE.

Taste of EMC March 25th.

Mark you calendar for Wednesday the 25th...11:00 to 2:00 PM. plan on having lunch at the Taste of EMC in Splendora.

Admission is $10 at the door, $5 for Seniors and children.

troll among the booths and sample a variety of food beverage offerings. This year you will have the opportunity to enjoy cuisine with an International flavor, savor samples of old favorites, as well as to try something new prepared by some of EMC's most accomplished chefs.
Local Restaurants, Caterers and Home-Cooks will tempt your taste buds with their favorite menu items recipes.

Where:
EMC Community Dev. Center (Gym)
16401 1st Street
Splendora, TX 77372

Cost:
General Admission $10
Senior Citizens (60+) $5
Children (6 Under) $5


For more information click on the link HERE.

County officials discuss legislative issues, construction projects

Issues to be discussed during the 81st Texas Legislature and current construction projects in the area were the topics of conversation at the monthly Concerned Citizens of East Montgomery County meeting March 2.

Ann Car, chief of staff for Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler, addressed members regarding legislative issues they may want to consider during this session.

“Many of us know that the 81st Texas Legislature is in session and there are many important issues they are discussing,” Carr said. “They will be discussing the conversion of ground to surface water, gaming in Texas and puppy mills.”

According to Carr, the conversion of water from ground to surface is an important issue for residents in Montgomery County because it will decide who will convert to surface water, who will stay on ground water and who will pay for it.

“It will also decide how we are going to get the water to the people,” she said. “Everyone should pay attention to this, because it will affect all of us.”

Gaming in Texas is another hot item that has been discussed for years and more recently after the destruction of Hurricane Ike in Galveston.

“That sounds really easy because most of us think, ‘I am for it. Yes, I want casinos here. Yes, it will create more jobs and tax revenues,’ but there is a flip side. Right now it is called destination resort casinos,” Carr said.

REad the full story at The Observer HERE.

Residents deal with unwanted animals left on property

By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 03.08.09

As Suzanne Kratz looked out her window while tending to her birds, she saw a dull red pick-up down the street from her home in Porter making a shoveling motion.

“At first, I was not sure what they were doing until I saw that they were dumping puppies. I tried to catch them and when I got to where they had dumped the puppies, I found four cute puppies,” Kratz said.

Kratz, with her husband, Steve Combest, have opened their home as a foster home to other dogs and animals, took the puppies in to take care of them.

Now that the puppies are older and healthy, they are available for adoption through Pals for Pooches every weekend.

“When I first found the puppies, they were hot and panting. They are all so cute and have their own personalities, they are going to be okay,” Kratz said.

“But the truth is, this is a small part of a larger problem. There are people who cannot afford to spay or neuter their dogs and just let them run off. It is almost puppy season, so we are going to see even more.”

Kratz’s neighbor, Kelle Davis volunteers for Pals for Pooches, has also opened her home as a foster home for other puppies who were dumped in their Porter neighborhood, possibly by the same person.

Read the full story HERE.

Ike may have uncovered lost Civil War warship

Experts say this sonar image, taken by crews surveying the Gulf of Mexico for Hurricane Ike debris, could be that of the Civil War-era merchant ship the Carolina.

The ghostly image of an object recently found on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico just off Galveston Island is little more than a shadow.
But experts believe the sonar scan could be that of a well-known but never before discovered ship that sank nearly 150 years ago as it tried to break through the federal blockade of Galveston during the Civil War.

The Carolina, also known as the Caroline, was a merchant ship that left Galveston in July 1864 with a load of cotton.
Federal gunships followed the ship for hours until its crew ran it aground in shallow water between Galveston and San Luis Pass, then set it ablaze rather than let the enemy capture it.
Experts know little more about the ship except that it was privately owned and sank in the area where workers took the sonar image, said Steven Hoyt, state marine archeologist with the Texas Historical Commission.

Hoyt said he will research the ship’s size, style and other characteristics so that he and other divers can determine whether the object is the ship or part of it. It could be a more modern shipwreck or other debris. But experts said the shape of the image suggests it is a ship.

Hoyt said he expects divers to investigate the site in the spring or summer when the Gulf’s waters are calm. Even then, the cloudy water makes visibility near zero, and divers may have to identify the object by touch.
“It’s certainly significant if it turns out to be a historic wreck, as we think it is,” Hoyt said. “That’s really exciting.

Read the full story HERE.

Volunteers needed for 16th annual Trash Bash

By OBSERVER STAFF
Updated: 03.04.09
More than 5,000 Texans in the Houston-Galveston area will be participating in the “Clean it like you mean it” 16th annual River, Lakes, Bays ‘n Bayous Trash Bash.

Families, schools, churches and Scout troops are just a few of the groups that are gathering on Saturday, March 28, to participate in the state’s largest waterway cleanup event. With 16 Trash Bash locations in the Greater Houston-Galveston area, participants will have no trouble finding one close by.

Go to www.trashbash.org to choose a site. Download the registration/liability forms and bring them to the chosen Trash Bash location or fill out a form onsite. Registration and check-in start at 8:30 a.m. Every site will provide volunteers with gloves, trash bags, T-shirts, lunch, door prizes and educational activities. A commemorative patch is available for Scouts and patch collectors.

Read more HERE.

13-year-old boy found safe in east Texas forest

SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL FOREST, Texas (AP) — A 13-year-old boy who became disoriented during a map-reading exercise in a national forest was found safe Monday after spending the night alone in near-freezing temperatures.
Cody Moore, a member of a junior ROTC unit, appeared alert while sitting on a stretcher inside an ambulance. A woman who appeared to be a relative said he was fine and eating a doughnut.
Helicopters, horses and dogs had been searching for Cody since he was reported missing about 5 p.m. Sunday. Temperatures early Monday morning dipped below freezing.

A hovering search helicopter apparently alerted the boy Monday, said Duane Adams, director of the weekend exercise in using maps and compasses to navigate.
"He came out waving his hands and walking on his own," Adams said. "The helicopter hovered over him and the ground crew went in to get him."

The student from Crosby Junior High School in suburban Houston had a map and a compass when he went into the woods shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday as part of a navigation exercise.
"Apparently what he did was what we call a 180-degree error," Adams said. "He went north instead of south."
He said tracking dogs followed Moore's scent to a road that was intended as a boundary. But the disoriented 13-year-old crossed it and headed north in the woods marked by towering pine trees, choking brush and occasional streams, he said.
"We're elated that they found him and that he's OK," Adams said. "We're obviously always worried about this."

The event sponsored by the Houston Orienteering Club attracted some 350 people to the huge Sam Houston National Forest north of Houston.

Artist Showcase First Saturday Arts Market

Artist to feature paintings at First Saturday Arts Market


Beth Duke, a New Caney resident, admires her artwork that she sold to a resident in Farmington, N.M. The local artist will display her oil paintings at the First Saturday Arts Market March 7 in Houston.


By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
Updated: 02.27.09
As Beth Duke talks about her life growing up in oil painting, one can’t help but notice her passion for the craft.

“My oil painting is a compulsion for me. I don’t have any other choice because painting is a release for me; it is peaceful and quiet,” Duke said. “I think that I have oil paint or turpentine in my blood,” she joked.

The New Caney resident along with other artists and merchants will present their products at the First Saturday Arts Market March 7 in Houston. The First Saturday Arts Market provides a monthly venue for emerging and established artists, musicians, jewelers and craftsmen to showcase their work.

“I have been a part of the First Saturday Arts Market off and on for the past two years. It really is a neat event because there are a lot of vendors who make bread and olive oil and some present their photography and artwork,” Duke said. “The works on display are very diverse, very eclectic.”

Read the full story HERE.