News
Bunch Bytes
The Woodlands Township e-News from Director GORDY BUNCH
Highlights of June 27 Board Meeting
(Note: These are not official minutes of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors meeting which are available at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov after approval by the Board. Videos of each meeting are also available at the site.)
REPORTS by the Village Association presidents were followed by MARIAN LECK, Township Director of Law Enforcement, who updated the board and resident attendees about a downturn in Woodlands crime. JOHN POWERS, Asst. General Mgr., Community Services gave an illustrated presentation on the extensive damage to the community caused by the June 12 storms. He estimated approx. $425,000 in costs to structures and trees. External contractors, residents and personal contractors were all working to remove tree debris as fast as possible. If you are still having storm debris or related problems go to the Township web site and click on Service Request and then Parks and Recreation. Or, call 281-210-3800.
COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS for the new Board terms were made by Chairman BRUCE TOUGH. (Note: At a previous meeting Bruce Tough was re-elected chairman, PEGGY HAUSMAN was elected vice chair, ED ROBB was elected Secretary, and GORDY BUNCH is the new Treasurer.) Parks & Recreation Chairman is MIKE BASS; Law Enforcement Advisory Committee chair is ED ROBB; the Waterway Arts group will be served by NELDA BLAIR; the Audit Committee trio will be BRUCE TOUGH, MIKE BASS, and JEFF LONG; while the Convention & Visitors Bureau will be guided by NELDA BLAIR, PEGGY HAUSMAN, and GORDY BUNCH. NICK WOLDA was re-elected President of the CVB, with CASEY SNYDER returning as General Manager.
GROGAN’S MILL BRIDGE renovation was approved at a cost of $34,625. THE WOODLANDS PINE CONE LOGO will also be painted on the bridge. Unfortunately, staff was unable to convince vendors to split their bids by type of work, as I suggested. We could have realized $10,000 in savings if one did the cleaning and painting, and the other did the general contracting work. Trying to save!
(Author’s Note: The Woodlands Pine Cone logo was selected in an international competition as one of the overall best of all logos alongside the Nike Swoosh and Apple’s apple logo
ELECTION MATERIALS and candidates will be allowed in certain areas of the Township headquarters building for the convenience of the Village Associations during their meetings.
In Other Township News
RELOCATIONS & EXPANSIONS include The J. BEARD Real Estate Company which is relocating and expanding its commercial real estate offices to 10077 Grogan’s Mill Road, Suite 135, The Woodlands, TX 77380.
PLENTY OF RAIN lately, but last we heard, The Joint Powers Agency had implemented Voluntary Water Restrictions. An Odd-Even schedule went into effect with odd-numbered addresses asked to water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Even-numbered addresses should water on Thursdays and Sundays.
WHY? Several wells are out of service for rehabilitation.
Watch The Courier, The Villager, and the Township site www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov for updates. The Joint Powers also ask you not to irrigate after 4 a.m. to allow adequate water pressure for busy early morning households.
Congratulations to The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau for a bang-up Red, Hot & Blue Festival with great crowds and great fun. It was all preceded by the “Best of the Best” in The Woodlands, and that, of course, is the hometown Fourth of July parade which delights everyone from old to young and new to long-time residents.
JAMES STILWELL also deserves congratulations for agreeing to serve as the new Chairman of the South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce effective Sept. first. The incredible business and commercial success of The Woodlands did not just happen without the hard work of KAREN HOYLMAN, GIL STALEY and their boards and committees. Thank you, James and Chamber leaders.
Here in this month of our Nation’s birth, I am pleased to present one of my all-time favorites for your enjoyment and inspiration. My wife, Michelle, and I, moved to The Woodlands in 1995 and began our business in 2001. We believe we did it the “American Way” through hard work, saving and sometimes scrimping, and always caring for our customers and employees. Since then we have added three wonderful sons to our family and now the Bunch family, including our in-laws, are all enjoying the blessings of life in The Woodlands.
An American’s Creed by Dean Alfange
I do not choose to be a common man
It is my right to be uncommon… If I can.
I seek opportunity… not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
to dream and to build, to
fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life to the
guaranteed existence; the thrill of
fulfillment, to the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
nor my dignity for a hand out.
I will never cower before any master
nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect,
proud, and unafraid, to think and act for
myself; enjoy the benefits of my
creations and to face the world boldly
and say, “This I have done with my own hand”
All this is what it means to be an American.
Dean Alfange was born more than 100 years ago on December 2, 1897 and died on October 24, 1989. He was an American politician who held nominations and appointments from a number of parties, including the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the American Labor Party, and the Liberal Party of New York, of which he was a founding member. Born in the Ottoman Empire to two native Greek parents, Alfange remained involved in Greek-American organizations for much of his life, as well as activist Zionist groups. He is best remembered as the published author of “AN AMERICAN’S CREED.” I submit he was 100 years ahead of his time.
DRAIN AFTER RAIN TO PREVENT MOSQUITOES
Following recent rains, The Woodlands Township urges residents to check their property for standing water and to empty containers of water to prevent mosquitoes. Standing water is an open invitation for female mosquitoes to lay eggs.
Drain after rain is a simple, yet critical task for homeowners to reduce mosquito populations, explains Ms. Aldrich, manager of environmental services for the Township.
“We urge everyone to inspect their yard and dump out water from household containers or anything that can hold even a miniscule amount of water like buckets, toys, birdbaths, plant saucers and yard art,” she says. Water can also accumulate on spa covers, inside meter boxes, in rain gutters and around downspouts. Areas of standing water that cannot be drained should be treated with mosquito dunks or bits available at home and garden centers. The products contain bti, a biological larvicide.
Irrigation systems should not be running during and for at least seven days following heavy downpours. “An inch of water a week is best for lawn and landscape according to the turf experts at Texas Agrilife Extension,” Ms. Aldrich notes. Run-off from overwatering remains a major factor in the proliferation of mosquitoes in the community. Irrigation systems that do not have an operating rain sensor should be turned to manual control so the landscape is watered only when needed and no more than twice a week.
Mosquitoes have been particularly active in the region this summer, according to Ms. Aldrich. Texas Department of Health Services reports that 37 pools of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus in The Woodlands/South Montgomery County area. No human cases have been recorded in the county at this time.
Ample breeding sites coupled with warm temperatures accelerate the development of mosquitoes from egg to larvae to biting adult. Eliminating mosquitoes before they fly is the most effective way to stop the insect, she notes. “When neighbors work together to control breeding sites,” she says, “we have the most success in reducing disease-carrying mosquitoes.”
When mosquitoes become a problem, the Township reminds residents to think WET: Wear repellent; Eliminate breeding sites; Treat where you cannot drain. For more information about repellents and controlling mosquitoes, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/mosquitoinfo or call 281-210-3800.
< Back to Press Releases Page