Market Street Opens Putt-Putt Course to Non-Profits

Is your non-profit organization looking for a creative way to raise money and build visibility for its cause? If so, then Market Street (located in The Woodlands, Texas) wants to hear from you.

The lifestyle center's nine-hole putt-putt course, located on the south side of the project across from Starbucks, now is available on a complimentary basis for Montgomery County non-profit organizations to host fundraisers and awareness efforts. The rules are simple. Non-profit organizations can reserve the course for a morning, an afternoon or all day any day of the week.

Groups can raise money for their organization by charging a fee for individuals to play the course. Moreover, organizations can pass out materials to players and register the names of those interested in learning more about the charity. Shankz Indoor Golf Center supplies the golf clubs and golf balls. Relay for Life, Interfaith of The Woodlands, John Cooper School "Putt-Putt for Polio," and the American Legion are among some of the non-profits that have held putt-putt fundraisers.

To reserve a day for a non-profit organization, or to learn more about this unique opportunity, contact Market Street Activities Coordinator Jenny Taylor at jtaylor@trademarkproperty.com Located across from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Market Street is bounded by Lake Woodlands Drive, Lake Robbins Drive, Grogan's Mill Road and Six Pines Drive. Market Street is a joint-venture development of Trademark Property Company and Kimco Developers, Inc., an affiliate of the real estate investment trust (REIT) Kimco Realty Corporation.

Source: www.town-center.com by The Woodlands Township

Human service seminars to be offered at college

Lone Star College - Montgomery will be offering two human services seminars this spring. The workshops, which are sponsored by the Human Services Professional Institute, are designed to provide continuing education opportunities for professionals in the field. HSPI's seminars are offered in addition to the college's human services program, which includes a two-year associate's degree and certificates for students seeking a career in social services. The series kicks off Feb. 22, with a three-hour session entitled, "Substance Abuse and the Family."

Registration for the seminar, which runs from 9 a.m.-noon, is $38, and includes a continental breakfast. The presenter for the substance abuse seminar will be Teddy Noble, a licensed professional and licensed chemical dependency counselor who is certified in addiction treatment. Throughout her career, Noble has worked with patients in a number of treatment settings, who suffered from a range of psychological disorders.She has experience working in private practice, in an agency setting, a psychiatric hospital and several residential and partial-hospitalization programs.

Noble also has experience as a presenter and educator, and is currently the program director of the eating disorder and substance abuse programs for women at Cadwalder Behavioral Clinics in Tomball. Among the items discussed in the seminar will be the roles family members often play in substance abuse cases and intervention techniques that can be used by counselors working with families.The second seminar is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon March 28.

That seminar deals with counseling and social work ethics. William Schmidt, who has his Ph.D. in social work from the University of Houston, will run the seminar. Schmidt is the current director of the AMANECER and New Day Programs, where he provides psycho-social evaluations, counsels his patients and advocates for Spanish-speaking and hearing-impaired patients.

The seminar will cover a range of issues, including the role of technology in providing services, to privacy and confidentiality guidelines. Tuition for the seminar is also $38. Both of the seminars will be offered at the Lone Star College System's Training and Development Center in Room 113-115. The center is located at 5000 Research Forest Drive, in The Woodlands. On-site registration with continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m.

Source: The Villager by Jake Muonio

BEAUTY PAGEANT FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, YOUNG ADULTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 AT THE WOODLANDS MALL - Boys and girls invited to participate in Sunburst Beauty Pageant and Model Search. CONTESTANTS IN A PREVIOUS SUNBURST BEAUTY PAGEANT - February 9, 2008 ~ On Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. in JCPenney Court, The Woodlands Mall will host the Sunburst U.S.A. Beauty Pageant/Model Search and Baby Contest. The pageant is open to children, teenagers and young adults, including boys and girls ages infant to three and girls ages four to 27.

Every contestant in the Sunburst Pageant will receive a trophy. Registration for the pageant will begin at 6:00 p.m. the day of the event. Applications with detailed information including attire, categories and more are available at Customer Service in Center Court. There is a $40 entry fee. The pageant at The Woodlands Mall is a preliminary competition to the Sunburst State and International Finals.

All winners and runners up in the The Woodlands competition will have their $200 entry fee paid directly to the Sunburst State Finals. At the State Finals, held in Houston, contestants will compete for more than $7,000 in cash and prizes and the chance to advance to the International Finals held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Source: www.town-center.com by The Woodlands Township

Community associations to combine

Putting their stamp of approval on a voter-approved form of governance, board directors of The Woodlands Township unanimously approved the transition agreement that will combine neighborhood associations and services and put them under the township's direction Wednesday.

The changeover will result in homeowners paying a 2-cent sales tax and a new ad valorem tax, based on the assessed value of real estate or personal property, to the township as opposed to property assessment fees to separate homeowners associations. "It's an incredibly historic day for The Woodlands," said Nelda Blair, board chairman, after the motion passed unanimously.
In November, voters approved The Woodlands Township, which is governed by seven at-large members, as the entity to provide municipal-type services. The Woodlands Community Association and The Woodlands Association, which govern residents in the older and newer villages, respectively, will be phased out after 2010.

The agreement will bring The Woodlands Community Association Inc., The Woodlands Association Inc., The Woodlands Commercial Owners Association Inc., The Woodlands Community Service Corporation, The Woodlands Recreation Centers Inc. and The Woodlands Fire Department Inc. under the direction of The Woodlands Township, which will become the main governing body of The Woodlands in 2010.

Mike Page, the township board's legal counsel, said that while the transition resembles a corporate merger, it is more flexible and fundamentally different in purpose. "It is not an agreement for profit and is instead an agreement to achieve a common service objective," Page said.

Page also said the transition will be more flexible than corporate mergers in that the other associations will be able to give input on township board decisions. Injection well opposition: The township board voted to join The Woodlands Community Association, Montgomery County and the city of Conroe in opposition of a proposed waste injection site in East Montgomery County. County Attorney David Walker spoke to board members about the site. Walker is opposed to the proposition, saying that the ground it would be installed in is unstable from years of oil drilling.
Walker said Hubert Collier, a hydro-geologist, has advised him that the unstable ground could lead to waste leaking into the Gulf Coast aquifer system, tainting the county's drinking water. "If injected waste migrates into the aquifer, there will be no fixing that," Walker said. "It makes no difference if the injection site is in East County or not, if it gets into the aquifer The Woodlands would probably feel the effects of that before Conroe."

Logo contest: The township board created a contest to develop the logo of the newly renamed organization. Open to the residents of The Woodlands, the winning logo will be used as the township's official logo in all of its correspondence, signage, marketing, advertising and public relations. The winner will be awarded a grand prize of $500 and an evening of entertainment in The Woodlands. The first 25 entries submitted also will receive two free tickets to the Tinseltown movie theatre. Entries will be accepted through April 30.

For rules, go to www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/logocontest. E-mail logocontest@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Source: The Villager by T.L. Hamilton

Market Street Hosts "Italy for Life" Tour

The Italian Government Tourist Board has initiated an unprecedented campaign throughout the United States to bring a little bit of Italy and its warmth right to the doorsteps of potential new visitors. The mobile unit "Italy for Life" will be at Market Street in The Woodlands on Wednesday, February 13 from 11:00am to 5:00pm in the HEB parking lot.

Inside the exhibition, consumers will be immersed in the beauty, culture and destinations within Italy. The café-style interior will feature comfortable seating and tables where consumers can sit, sip coffee and look through brochures and beautiful coffee table books depicting Italy.

In addition to the over-sized photomurals mounted on walls, depicting Italian destinations and recreation possibilities, a series of large, touch screen monitors will enable consumers to personally discover each of Italy's 20 different regions and explore attractions found in each. A library of sorts will be available for perusal and literature will be available for consumers to leave with, providing inspiration for that honeymoon trip or dream vacation.

"In this digital age" as the Director of the Italian Government Tourist Board North America Riccardo Strano says "where remote access to information and self-discovery is the common currency, we at the Italian Government Tourist Board, feel compelled to, sometimes, go against the current. We want to get close to our visitor; we want the human side of the traveling experience to take center stage and to leave an indelible mark in everyone’s memory." So, come on board you'll catch a glimpse of what Italy is all about.

Located across the street from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Market Street is bounded by Lake Woodlands Drive, Lake Robbins Drive, Grogan’s Mill Road and Six Pines Drive.

Source: TheWoodlands.net by The Woodlands Development Company

Learn Cooking Techniques In Free Classes At Wiliams-Sonoma At The Woodlands Mall

Start the new year with new cooking skills by attending one of the free Technique Classes at WILLIAMS-SONOMA in The Woodlands Mall. The classes are scheduled on select Sundays through the end of February.

Two-hour classes, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m., include:
· Sunday, January 20: Chili Basics. Just in time for football bowl games, learn to make a hearty basic chili along with delicious variations and tasty toppings.
· Sunday, February 3: Chocolate. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, get the scoop on chocolate, learn basic cooking technique and get ideas for simple, yet decadent, chocolate desserts. Discover tempering, how to evaluate the quality of ingredients in chocolate and make a basic ganache [icing].
· Sunday, February 10: Stocks. Learn basic stock-making techniques and how to both make and store homemade stock. Includes meat- and vegetable-based stocks and recipes.
· Sunday, February 17: Soups. Learn effortless ways to create warming pureed soups and discover secrets for making smooth, velvety soups with great flavors, including low-fat recipes.
· Sunday, February 24: One-Pot Dinners. Learn simple and delicious one-pot wonders that will simplify your cooking. Discover the basics, tips for when to add ingredients and sure-fire flavor enhancers.

Class size is limited, and individuals are advised to reserve a space. Call 281.480.1705 for a reservation and also for exact times. Williams-Sonoma is located outside in The Courtyard.
The Woodlands Mall is located at I-45 north at Lake Woodlands Drive. For directions, visit www.thewoodlandsmall.com or call 281.363.3409.

Source: TheWoodlands.net by The Woodlands Township