Kleinwood - December 2013 by Peel, Inc.

KLEINWOOD

K leinwood Krier Official Publication of the Kleinwood Homeowners Association

December 2013

Volume 3, Issue 12

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Sign Up for Spring Soccer Klein Soccer Club Spring Registration Opening Soon Klein Soccer Club is gearing up for the spring 2014 season. The season kicks off February 15 and games and practices will be played at Burroughs Park (Tomball) and Meyer Park (Spring). Klein Soccer Club is open to boys and girls, ages 4 to 18. Children of every skill level can play. Klein Soccer Club gives them the opportunity to enjoy a fun and competitive soccer experience, while learning the value of sportsmanship, teamwork and respect. Registration includes one to two practices per week, a uniform for every player, evenly matched and competitive play, positive coaching and more. No tryouts are required to play. Registration opens on December 1, 2013. The last day to register is February 1 (placement is not guaranteed after this date). Register by January 25 to avoid late fees. For more information or to sign up, visit kleinsoccerclub. org or contact Klein Soccer Club’s Communications Director Kristine McKitrick at 281.320.2211 or kmckitrick@ kleinsoccerclub.org.

The holidays are upon us and there’s a lot of holiday happenings in our area. Here are just a few… Lone Star College-CyFair, Bosque Gallery presents the Lone Star College-CyFair 2013 Student Art Exhibition, on display in the Bosque Gallery Nov. 19 through Dec. 5. This annual exhibition features the work LSC-CyFair visual art students have completed in their classes in a variety of media such as photography, painting, drawing, design, ceramics and art metals. Admission Info: Free and open to the public. Lone Star College-CyFair, Bosque Gallery 9191 Barker Cypress Center for the Arts, Suite 101 Cypress, TX 77433 For more info, visit: http://www.lonestar.edu/bosquegallery.htm Holiday in The Woodlands: Holiday Fountain Songs at Waterway Square. The sights and sounds of the holidays will be everywhere in The Woodlands, from the bright, twinkling holiday lights in Town Green Park to the majestic, choreographed Fountains at Waterway Square which will perform to a selection of holiday songs beginning November 23, 2013. The fountains will perform every fifteen minutes weekdays, from noon – 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 11 p.m., and weekends from noon – 11 p.m. through January 4, 2014. In addition to the dancing fountains, the one-acre plaza will be highlighted by a 43-foot, lighted holiday tree, lit nightly at 5:30 p.m. from November 23, 2013 through Friday, January 3, 2014. (Continued on Page 3)

The Kleinwood Krier - December 2013

KLEINWOOD IMPORTANT NUMBERS KLEINWOOD MAINTENANCE BOARD Larry Chamberlin, President............................ 281-580-2222 Ronnie Brod, Vice President............................. 281-370-9200 Tom Houser, Secretary..................................... 281-379-6517 Jeff Gobbell, Treasurer...................................... 281-251-7767 Kelly Smith, Director at Large.......................... 281-370-9735 KLEINWOOD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT Robert Ehmann, President............................... 281-251-8621 Sherry Allard, Vice President............................ 281-923-8603 Joe Fratangelo, Secretary/Treasurer................... 281-251-3189 Bernie Bryl, Assis. V. P. & Asst. Sec.................. 281-251-2688 Mike Morgan, Assis. Sec.& Investment Off...... 281-376-6607 MANAGEMENT COMPANY Chaparral Management.................................... 281-537-0957 POOL MANAGEMENT COMPANY Southwest Pool Management........................... 281-370-2474 MUD FACILITY MANAGER & BUILDING RENTALS Roger Schuett................................................... 281-685-1275 NEIGHBORHOOD COORDINATORS Jeff Gobbell, Message Board Coordinator................................ ...........................................................jeffgob1@sbcglobal.net Jeff Gobbell, Pool Liaison................................. 281-251-7767 Mona Currey, Newsletter Editor............. mona@aegis-web.com Ronnie Brod, Tennis Liaison............................ 281-370-9200 Head Block Captain.....................................................OPEN SCHOOLS Mittelstadt Elementary..................................... 832-484-6711 Kleb Middle School......................................... 832-249-5500 Klein High School............................................ 832-484-4000 COMMUNITY SERVICES Emergency........................................................................911 Harris County Constable................................. 281-376-3472 C.C.E.M.S....................................................... 281-440-4300 St. Lukes Vintage Hospital............................... 832-534-5000 Methodist Willowbrook Hospital..................... 281-737-1000 Poison Control Center..................................... 281-654-1701 Waste Management.......................................... 713-686-6666 Klein VFD Business Office............................... 281-376-4449 Water/Sewer Repairs (24/7).............................. 832-467-1599 Water/Sewer Billing Questions......................... 832-467-1599 Reliant Energy/HL&P..................................... 713-207-7777 Centerpoint (report streetlight outings)............ 713-207-2222 Harris County Library, Barbara Bush Branch... 281-376-4610 Harris County, Precinct 4................................. 281-353-8424 Harris County Animal Control........................ 281-999-3191 Aircraft Noise Complaints................................ 281-233-3900 Environmental Development Partners.............. 832-467-1599 NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER PEEL Inc.................................................... www.peelinc.com Advertising....................................................... 888-687-6444 2

The Kleinwood Krier - December 2013

"Cypress Serenades" Cypress Symphony Presents Second Concert of their Inaugural Season The Cypress Symphony invites you to celebrate our historical inaugural season at our second concert in January! Join us as we explore some of the earliest orchestral writing by the lighthearted CPE Bach and journey through history to the romantic and passionate Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. We are pleased to welcome our talented guest conductor Mark Dupere, as he leads the Cypress Symphony through a musical odyssey! We look forward to seeing you on this magical evening! Saturday January 18th, 2014 7pm at the Centrum Mark Dupere, guest conductor Program: C.P.E Bach Symphony for Strings in B-flat Mendelssohn String Symphony No. 7 in D minor Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings Op. 48 Tickets can be purchased at cypresssymphony.org. Student admission is free.

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KLEINWOOD Holiday Happenings (Continued from Cover)

Admission Info: Free event. Waterway Square 31 Waterway Avenue The Woodlands, TX 77380 For more info, visit: http://www.thewoodlandscvb.com/ Join Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) Monday, December 2 at 7 p.m. to celebrate its production of Elf - The Musical with TUTS Film Series: ELF at the Sundance Cinemas Houston. A free screening of the film that started it all. Admission Info: Free screening. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is also free via validation or reimbursement. Sundance Cinemas Houston 510 Texas Street Bayou Place Houston, TX 77002 For more info, visit: http://www.tuts.com/ Chabad Lubavitch Outreach of Houston presents The Galleria Lights (Public Menorah Lighting at The Galleria), on the eight night, Wednesday, December 4 at 6:30pm. Admission Info: Admission Free.

The Galleria 5085 Westheimer Rd. Houston, TX 77056 For more info, visit: http://www.chanukahinhouston.com/ Galveston’s East End Historical District Association will host its 24th Annual “A Victorian Christmas” Holiday Homes Tour on Friday, December 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Admission Info: Tickets are $15, and are available through The Grand 1894 Opera House. To purchase tickets call 409-765-1894 or 800-821-1894, or purchase online at www.thegrand.com. For more info, visit: http://www.eastendhistoricdistrict.org/specialevents. html Jesse H. Jones Park invites you to join them for their OldFashioned Christmas 2013! There's nothing like Jones Park's annual Old-Fashioned Christmas to get you in the Yuletide spirit! Saturday, December 7, visitors will be taken back in time for an evening of food and festive entertainment. Admission Info: All programs are free of charge and open to the public. Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center 20634 Kenswick Drive Humble, TX 77338 (Continued on Page 4)

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Holiday in The Woodlands: Waterway Square Caroling on the Square concert series (Saturdays) December 7-December 21, 2013. Waterway Square once again will host the popular Caroling on the Square, the first three Saturdays in December, with performances by local musicians who will put their own special touches on our holiday favorites. Enjoy performances on December 7, 2013 by Dena Blue & The Blue Jazz Band, Girl Friday on December 14, 2013 and Brenda Guy on December 21, 2013. Admission Info: Caroling on the Square is free and open to the public. Waterway Square 31 Waterway Avenue The Woodlands, TX 77380 For more info, visit: http://www.thewoodlandscvb.com/ Come Experience the Magic of The Nutcracker Ballet! Artisan Ballet Company invites you to attend its annual performance of the timeless ballet classic The Nutcracker, at the Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, Texas 77433. Performances are at 7pm Friday, December 13th and at Noon, 3:30pm and 7pm on Saturday December 14th. Admission Info: Reserved Seating Tickets for $20. Call for group ticket information. For more info, visit: http://www.artisanschoolofdance.com/ Join the Arthritis Foundation this hoilday season in the fight to end the pain of arthritis at the annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis on Saturday December 14 at 7 a.m. at Northshore Park in the Woodlands. Admission Info: 5K (Certified & Chip Timed): $37 - Month of Registration (Nov 2 thru Dec 8) $40 - Packet Pick-up Registration (Dec 11-12) Snowman Shuffle (1 Mile Fun Run / Non-Timed): $25 - Regular Registration (Nov 2 - Dec 8) $25 - Packet Pick-up Registration (Dec 11-12) Jingle In Your Jammies: $30.00 I want to help the Arthritis Foundation, but I want to do it from home, in my jammies! My event t-shirt will be mailed to me after the Jingle Bell Run/Walk. Northshore Park (The Woodlands) 2505 Lake Woodlands Dr. The Woodlands, TX 77381 For more info, visit: http://www.thewoodlandsjinglebellrun.org/ Cypress Creek FACE presents Express Theater: A Gotcha Christmas,10 a.m., Saturday, December 14, 2013. A short distance away from Santa’s Village, is the town of Gotchaville where the merchants are very upset. Christmas sales are way down and so is their Christmas spirit. So, the thing to do is delay Christmas until the Mayor’s birthday by kidnaping Santa! Can the Elves save Santa in time for his Christmas Eve trip to all the children? Admission Info: All Children’s Series concerts are FREE and no tickets will be distributed. 4

The Kleinwood Krier - December 2013

The Centrum (at the Cypress Creek Christian Community Center) 6823 Cypresswood Drive Spring, TX 77379 For more info, visit: http://www.cypresscreekface.org/ It's time once again for the best neighborhood Christmas festival in Houston, 2013 Lights in the Heights. This Year's Route is Bayland and Woodland Streets and will be held on December 14th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Admission Info: Free Event Houston Heights Houston, TX 77009 For more info, visit: http://www.lightsintheheights.org/ On Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15, The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park will host the 51st Annual Candlelight Tour a wonderful holiday tradition. Sam Houston Park is lit with thousands of twinkling lights, the historic structures are all beautifully decorated with old fashioned lights and adornments, and historic characters relate stories of the past. Admission Info: Advanced tickets $10 for adults, $18 for seniors, $5 for students, free for children 5 and under. Ticket prices increase at the door. The Heritage Society 1100 Bagby Houston, TX 77002 For more info, visit: http://www.heritagesociety.org/ Architecture Center Houston (ArCH) in partnership with C2 Creative presents the 5th Annual Gingerbread Build-Off at City Hall’s Hermann Square December 14, 2013. Competing teams will create their masterpieces using 100% edible materials. More than 3,000 spectators are expected to attend and cheer on the teams, play in the kids’ construction zone, and see Santa! Admission Info: Free and open to the public. Downtown Houston - Hermann Square 901 Bagby St. Smith and Bagby Houston, TX 77002 For more info, visit: http://www.aiahouston.org/ Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens presents Yuletide: Holiday Time at Bayou Bend, November 26–January 1, 2013. Bayou Bend is renowned for its annual Yuletide tradition featuring festive lights, decorations, and holiday room settings that bring Early American celebrations to life. Admission Info: Family Days at Bayou Bend are free events! Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens 1 Westcott Street Houston, TX 77007 For more info, visit: http://mfah.org/visit/bayou-bend-collection-andgardens Dosey Doe Coffee House presents Pam Tillis - Christmas Trio. December 20, 2013 Admission Info: Dinner/Show $118 / $98 / $78. Price Includes: (Continued on Page 5) Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc.

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Salad, Choice of Entrée, Dessert, Soft Beverage. Dosey Doe Coffee House - The Big Barn 25911 I-45 North The Woodlands, TX 77380 Cypress Creek FACE and the Houston Symphony present Houston Symphony on New Year's Eve (at the Centrum) at 8 p.m., Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Celebrating the new year has become a tradition at The Centrum. Brett Mitchell (pictured) will lead his seventh consecutive New Year’s Eve gala concert with the Houston Symphony. Admission Info: Tickets are $65 Platinum, $50 Gold, $45 Silver, $35 Bronze. The Centrum (at the Cypress Creek Christian Community Center) 6823 Cypresswood Drive Spring, TX 77379 For more info, visit: http://www.cypresscreekface.org/ Traders Village Houston presents the 2013 Traders Village Holiday Market with Santa Claus November 30th, 2013 - December 22nd, 2013. Get into the spirit of Christmas with thousands of dealers who are selling holiday gifts and more for all tastes and budgets.

TxDOT proposes new route for 249 Extension The Texas Department of Transportation proposed its recommended route for the Hwy. 249 Extension, which will span from FM 1774 in Pinehurst to FM 1774 in Todd Mission, Oct. 3 at an open house. The new recommended route by TxDOT is a hybrid alignment that was created as a result of public input throughout the environmental study process, according to Raquelle Lewis, public information officer for TxDOT. The road project is still in the environmental process and TxDOT will continue to solicit public input through the end of the year and into next. The remaining steps in the process include continuing to refine the layout of the recommended alternative, drafting an environmental impact study and conducting a public hearing to present the preferred alternative in spring 2014, Lewis said. After the final public hearing, which will be recorded and documented, TxDOT will finalize its environmental impact study and submit it to the Federal Highway Administration for approval. “Our hope is that everything will be submitted for review and that we will be granted approval through that process,” Lewis said. After the FHA has approved the recommended route, TxDOT will begin negotiations to obtain right of way to construct the road. Right of way is a legal agreement that allows one entity to use another’s (Continued on Page 6) Brilliant Energy Texas OUC #10140

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property for public use. “We have got the concurrence of most of the landowners across Montgomery County, so it should make it real easy to get right of way,” said Paul Mendes, city administrator for Magnolia. “Getting the right of way is one of the most difficult projects.” The purpose of the proposed road, according to TxDOT, is to efficiently link the suburban communities and major roadways, respond to economic growth in Montgomery and Grimes counties, as well as enhance mobility and safety in the region. “Magnolia is about 1,400 people in population, but within seven miles we’ve got 138,000 people,” Mendes said. “You think about their ability to get around, the roads just do not support it. By putting 249 in it will open up areas that had not been able to be developed before.” Other benefits of the 249 Extension to Magnolia are that it will clear local roads from traffic and move high-speed traffic around the city, Mendes said. The roads in Magnolia often get clogged with traffic from people passing through town and this road will provide them with another, quicker option, he said. “It will be useful to Magnolia because people travelling to Bryan, College Station or Navasota will take the high-speed road to get around us,” Mendes said. “It will leave our roads open for local business, for the people that live in the area to make use of it.” Reprinted with permission: Community Impact News. http://impactnews.com/houstonmetro/tomball-magnolia/txdot-designates-new-route-for-249-extension/

The Kleinwood Krier - December 2013

MUDs take active role in development Parks, trails planned along with developing communities After the 2013 Legislature passed a law allowing MUDs to use the areas where utility lines run for trails, several Cy-Fair MUDs have taken advantage of this by starting park projects. In 2005, the Texas Legislature passed a bill giving MUDs the power to take on debt to fund park projects with help from bond elections. “Some MUDs are taking very aggressive roles in developing parks because they realize there’s a quality of life benefit for residents,” said Jim Robertson, chairman of the Cypress Creek Greenway project, which has been working with MUDs to develop parks along the creek. “Particularly if they provide these amenities in subdivisions, there is an effect of increasing property values.” Some MUDs have been more aggressive than others, Robertson said. Newer MUDs are more likely to use parks (Continued on Page 7)

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and trails to promote their developments. Bridgeland, Coles Crossing and Lakewood Crossing are among the communities that have launched projects. “Older, more established areas don’t have parks and trails,” Robertson said. “Newer MUDs realize it’s a way of invigorating areas that don’t have these amenities. They are essentially retrofitting parks and trails into existing subdivisions.” Projects MUD 365 at Coles Crossing has been working for the past year on Cole’s Park. Plans include enhancements of the sports fields, a bird and wildlife habitat and viewing stations, walkways, piers and a deepwater fishing station. MUDs 364 and 365 also previously teamed up to create a 4-mile jogging trail with benches, fido houses and connecting sidewalks. Although these projects did not require bond elections, other parks—such as that Cypress Forest Park—have looked in that direction. The law states that up to one percent of MUD debt can be used for park development. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said MUDs play a crucial role in the ongoing effort to connect all the different parks and trails along Cypress Creek. “The big idea is to have all of our riverways within this region connected along with our major park systems,” Cagle said. “When it is all done that way, what a beautiful central park we will have extending into all of our neighborhoods.” As parks continue to be developed and connected with trails, opportunities exist to implement other amenities—such as dog parks or disc golf courses—based on the desires of MUDs or residents in the area, Robertson said. The project is being tackled in small pieces, so there is no set date for the entire Greenway to be completed. Around 25 new parks have been developed along Cypress Creek—from Hwy. 290 to Spring Creek—since greenway studies began in 2004, Robertson said. Individual developers have played a role, as have precinct commissioners and MUDs. Peter Houghton, vice president of master planned communities with the Howard Hughes Corporation, said the more entities that partner on these projects, the better. Houghton oversees park projects underway at Bridgeland in Cy-Fair. “The more funding sources that can be harnassed, the better the parks tend to be,” he said. “We go build the park and the MUD’s contribution is usually paid at a later date when they sell bonds.” Bond elections can result in an increase in the district’s tax rate, but they do not necessarily require one. MUDs have the option of issuing the bond in small increments over time to keep the rate low.

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Reprinted with permission: Community Impact News. http://impactnews.com/ houston-metro/cy-fair/muds-take-active-role-in-development/

The Kleinwood Krier - December 2013

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The Kleinwood Krier - December 2013