Park Lakes - December 2018

Park Lakes

December 2018 Official Publication of Park Lakes

Property Owners Association

Volume 6, Issue 12

HOUSTON REPERTOIRE BALLET'S 20TH ANNUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE HOLIDAY CLASSIC "THE NUTCRACKER" Musical Performance by the Cypress Philharmonic for Sell-Out Performances on December 7, 8, & 9 WHO: Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRB), Houston’s premier preprofessional ballet company, celebrates its 23rd season, beginning with its 20th annual performance series of The Nutcracker, featuring professional guest artists Elizabeth Keller as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Andrew Taft as the Cavalier, and Joe Modlin as Herr Drosselmeyer, with the Cypress Philharmonic directed by Glynnes Lanthier.

WHAT: The Nutcracker’s brilliant blend of beautiful costumes, lavish sets, and fresh choreography creates a magical storybook world enjoyed by children and adults alike. With a cast of more than 100 HRB dancers and area children, and musical performance by the Cypress Philharmonic, HRB’s masterful production is the highlight of the holidays!

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, December 7 at 7 pm – abbreviated Arts & Education performance perfect for young children – tickets for this performance only are $12 Saturday, December 8 at 2 pm & 7 pm Sunday, December 9 at 1 pm & 4:30 pm Tomball High School Theatre 30330 Quinn Road Tomball, Texas 77375 TICKETS: Cost is $23 for adults, $18 for students & seniors.

For ticket information, call 281-940-HRB1 (4721) or visit www. hrbdance.org.

OUTREACH: HRB has received a generous grant from Texas Commission on the Arts, enabling HRB to expand its outreach mission to children currently attending three Title-1 schools. Up to 24 students from each campus will participate, free of charge (including class attire, costumes, and other supplies), in one-hour weekly ballet classes at their respective campuses, and will receive dance instruction in the “Nutcracker Experience.” These children Copyright © 2018 Peel, Inc.

will have the opportunity to participate as dancers in three HRB Nutcracker Arts & Education school performances, for an audience of their peers comprising more than 1,500 Tomball ISD third graders.

HRB dancers are committed to sharing the arts with the community. Community engagement events include costumed appearances at various nursing homes, group events, and at Arts & Education performances. HRB brings three matinee performances to Tomball ISD third grade students, fulfilling the arts component of their curriculum. To request an outreach event for your organization, call 281-940-HRB1 (4721).

GUEST BIOS: Elizabeth Keller – Associate Artistic Director, Idaho Regional Ballet Elizabeth was born in Dubai, UAE and started her ballet training at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. After moving back to the United States, she continued her training at Ballet Center of Houston under the direction of Victoria Vittum and Gilbert Rome. At age 15, she was invited to train at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet on full scholarship. She danced with Pennsylvania Ballet for two seasons and was coached extensively by “Prima Ballerina Assoluta,” Violette Verdy. Elizabeth then joined Miami City Ballet under the direction of Edward Villella where she danced corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles for 10 seasons. With MCB, Elizabeth danced works of choreographers, such as George Balanchine, John Cranko, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Anthony Tudor, Lynne TaylorCorbett, Trey McIntyre, Marius Petipa, and August Bournonville, to name a few. She also danced with Miami Contemporary Dance Company and taught on the faculty at Miami City Ballet School.

She was appointed Children’s Ballet Mistress for Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” from 2009-2012. During the summers, Elizabeth taught (Continued on Page 3) Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018 1

Park Lakes HELPFUL PHONE NUMBERS Park Lakes Property Owners Association

Sterling Association Services Inc...........................(832) 678-4500 SplashPad Texas Onsite Office..............................(281) 441-3557 Recreation Center Onsite Office..........................(281) 441-9955 Gate Attendant.....................................................(281) 441-1089

Utilities

Comcast (Customer Service)................................(713) 341-1000 Electricity (TXU).................................................(800) 368-1398 Gas (Centerpoint)................................................(713) 659-2111 Trash (Republic Waste).........................................(281) 446-2030 Water & Sewer (EDP Water District)...................(832) 467-1599 Electricity (Centerpoint–Report street light outage)........(713) 207-2222 Texas One Call System (Call Before you Dig)........................ 811

Property Tax Authorities

Harris County Tax...............................................(713) 368-2000 Harris MUD #400...............................................(281) 353-9809

Public Services

US Post Office......................................................(281) 540-1775 Toll Road EZ Tag.................................................(281) 875-3279 Voters/Auto Registration......................................(713) 368-2000 Drivers License Information.................................(281) 446-3391 Humble Area Chamber........................................(281) 446-2128

BOARD MEMBERS 2018 Kennetha Smith-Tolbert – President parklakeskennethat@gmail.com (Resident Voting Member) Rachel Gwin – Vice President Land Tejas (Voting Member) Julieta Ortiz – Treasurer parklakesjulieta@gmail.com (Resident Voting Member) Charles Williams – Treasurer parklakescharles@gmail.com (Resident Voting Member) Jeff Sheehan – Director Land Tejas (Voting Member) Gerald Jones – Ex-Officio (Resident Non-Voting Member) parklakesgerald@gmail.com Taylor Williams – Ex-Officio (Resident Non-Voting Member) parklakestaylor@gmail.com Zachary Stewart – Ex-Officio (Resident Non-Voting Member) parklakeszachary@gmail.com Conrell Hadley – Ex-Officio (Resident Non-Voting Member) parklakesconrell@gmail.com Michael Joseph – Ex-Officio (Resident Non-Voting Member) parklakesmichael@gmail.com

Police & Fire

Emergency............................................................................. 911 Constable/Precinct 4 (24-hr dispatch)..................(281) 376-3472 Harris Co. Sheriff’s Dept./Prec 4, Dist 2 (24-hr)......... (713) 221-6000 Eastex Fire Department........................................(281) 441-2244 Emergency Medical Service................................. (281) 446-7889 Poison Control.....................................................(800) 222-1222 Humble Animal Control......................................(281) 446-2327 Texas DPS............................................................(281) 446-3391

Area Hospitals

Renaissance Northeast Surgery.............................(281) 446-4053 Kingwood Medical Center...................................(281) 348-8000 Northeast Medical Center Hospital......................(281) 540-7700 Memorial Hermann Hospital (The Woodlands)........(281) 364-2300

Public Schools

Humble ISD........................................................(281) 641-1000 Park Lakes Elementary (K-6)................................(281) 641-3200 Humble Middle School (7-8)...............................(281) 641-4000 Summer Creek High School (9-12)......................(281) 641-5400

Private Schools

Holy Trinity.........................................................(281) 459-4323 St. Mary Magdalene Catholic...............................(281) 446-8535 The Christian School of Kingwood......................(281) 359-4929 Humble Christian School.....................................(281) 441-1313

DISCLAIMER: The Association doesn’t verify, endorse, or approve any products, information, or opinions mentioned at Association sponsored functions or contain in this community newsletter.

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Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018

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(Continued from Cover) at MCBS, Ballet Center of Houston and helped run and was on the faculty at the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) in Saratoga Springs, NY, under the direction of Damian Woetzel and Jennifer Ringer.

Elizabeth moved to Boise in 2012 to dance with Trey McIntyre Project and work with nationally renowned Trey McIntyre for two seasons. Elizabeth then joined Ballet Idaho as a Principal dancer.

Ms. Keller has been trained in the “Dance for PD” method and has taught Dance for Parkinson’s classes all over the country. She started the first Dance for Parkinson’s classes in Idaho in 2014 and now has two classes in both Boise (Ballet Idaho) and in Eagle (at Eagle Performing Arts Center). Ms. Keller currently teaches on faculty at both Eagle Performing Arts Center and Ballet Idaho.

Andrew Taft – Principal, Ballet Idaho Andrew was born in Miami, Florida where he began his classical training at the age of nine with Ruth Wiesen at the Miami Conservatory. He also studied with Thomas Armour, Robert Pike, Nancy Raffa, and other professional guest artists. He trained in both Limon and Graham technique at the New World School of the Arts.

His ballet training continued in New York City with private coaching

by Johan Renvall and David Howard.

Andrew has danced leading roles with Michael Uthoff Dance

Park Lakes Theatre, Miami Ballet, Francis Owen/Cox Dance, Ballet Hawaii, and Miami City Ballet. Notable roles include Franz in Coppelia, Soloist in Theme and Variations, Prince Charming in Cinderella, and The Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty. In 2011, Andrew had the honor to perform for Michelle Obama and her daughters in Ballet Hawaii’s The Nutcracker. Andrew joined Ballet Idaho in the 2008 season and has been a principal since 2012. He has danced leading roles in Yes, Virginia, Another Piano Ballet, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Pulcinella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Piano Concerto in G, Firebird, and many others.

Joseph Modlin In 1993, Joseph Modlin, an Indiana native, began training in classical and modern dance performance at Ball State University and performed with Anderson Young Ballet Theatre, both under the direction of Ms. LouAnn Young. Joe moved to Houston in 1997, and began a performance and teaching career that has spanned 20 years, seven professional companies, and continues extending to flourish in the Houston community, as well as nationally. Joe has performed/worked with Hope Stone, Inc., Houston Repertoire Ballet, Chrysalis Dance Company, Houston Dance Theater, Allegro Ballet, Freneticore, and Woodlands Dance Company. He has been invited to work as a guest artist with independent choreographers and performance artists, such as Leslie Scates, Erin Reck, Amy Ell, (Continued on Page 4)

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Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018 3

Park Lakes (Continued from Page 3)

Ballet, and other prestigious companies.

Karen Stokes, Lindsey McGill, Toni Valle, and Sara Draper.

MISSION: HRB’s mission is dedicated to providing the finest classical ballet instruction, education, and performance experience to local gifted students, and to preparing them for a professional career in the world of dance. HRB is committed to serving the suburban Houston region with high-quality theatre productions that educate, engage, and entertain residents of all ages and perpetuate their appreciation of dance as an art form.

ABOUT HRB: The Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRB) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded by Victoria Vittum and Gilbert Rome, both nationally acclaimed teachers and choreographers who served as its co-artistic directors. Today, Ms. Vittum oversees training and programming with an equal eye to serving the needs of the community. Since 1995, HRB has contributed to the cultural fabric of Harris and Montgomery Counties by providing excellent dance training to the area’s young ballet stars and dance educators of tomorrow, while also presenting high-quality productions at affordable prices. The Nutcracker in December, and the Celebration of Dance in April introduce area children and their families to the world of classical and contemporary ballet. HRB closes its season in May with the Choreography Project, a free-admission program initiated to discover, mentor, and give artistic voice to our choreographers of tomorrow. Today, HRB is considered to be the premier pre-professional ballet company in the Houston region, and is recognized for sharing its gifts with the community and beyond.

Many of HRB’s dancers advance to professional ballet companies throughout the country. HRB graduates have danced with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Houston

Major funding provided by the City of Tomball and Texas Commission on the Arts.

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Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018

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Park Lakes EXCLUDING PESTS When the weather turns towards autumn and leads into winter, many pests start looking for a cozy place which can often lead them inside your home. By performing a thorough inspection, you can locate areas where these pests may enter and stop them before they become a problem.

Inside the home, look around doors and windows when there is light outside; if you see light around roods or windows, then there isn’t a good seal and weather stripping should be replaced. The attic should be inspected for holes or entry points for small mammals such as rats, mice, and squirrels. Attic vents should be covered with stainless steel screening to block animals from entering. Outside, inspect the perimeter of the home for any cracks and crevices in the foundation that should be sealed. Locate pipe and wire penetrations that enter the structure and repair any areas that allow pests to enter the home.

Ideas on how to exclude pests from your home: • Trim back or prune any trees and shrubs that touch or overhang the home • Seal pipe & wire penetrations with copper mesh, sealant, or expanding foam • Replace weather stripping around doors and windows if there is not a good seal

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• • • • • •

Repair or replace any window screens with holes For homes with brick or stone facades, stuff weep holes with steel wool* or copper mesh *steel wool will rust if it gets wet, so do not use on light colored façades Inspect all furniture, boxes, and bags for pests before carrying them into the home Inspect all plants for insect pests before bringing them into the home Do not store firewood inside the home, against the outside walls, or near doors Use sheet metal, hardware cloth, or steel wool to seal any areas where animals have chewed to enter the home** **make sure animal is not in the home or you’ll seal it inside!

For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check out my blog at www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com This work is supported by Crops Protection and Pest Management Competitive Grants Program [grant no. 2017-70006-27188 /project accession no. 1013905] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018 5

Park Lakes The Park Lakes Newsletter is a private publication published by Peel, Inc. It is not sanctioned by any homeowners association or organization, nor is it subject to the approval of any homeowners association or organization, nor is it intended, nor implied to replace any publication that may be published by or on behalf of any homeowners association or organization. At no time will any source be allowed to use The Park Lakes Newsletter contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees.

Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.

JJ WATT LIVES WITH US

By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center Did you know that JJ Watt lives with us at our wildlife center on Hammerly B o u l eva rd i n Houston? Now you didn’t think I was actually talking about the football player for the Texans, did you? JJ is our bullsnake. We named him JJ Watt because when we got him, he was exactly the same height at JJ, the football player. Our JJ has continued to grow so now he would be a bit taller than the human JJ Watt.

JJ, the bullsnake, is one of our Animal Ambassadors and is a man about town. He goes to community events, schools and was recently on TV. He’s a real star! We use him to educate the public about snakes.

Usually, the first reaction we get from people is fear and there’s a big misconception about how snakes feel. No, they are not slimy. By the time we finish talking to people about JJ and how valuable he is to the environment, they feel better about snakes.

Bullsnakes are fairly common throughout the United States and are probably best known for their ability to mimic the dreaded rattlesnake. This ability to mimic a rattler is used when the bullsnake feels threatened. They can mimic the rattler’s behavior, the markings are very similar, and they are about the same size. When threatened, a rattlesnake will shake its tail before it strikes. You will actually hear the tail rattle. You may hear a similar sound from a bullsnake. It’s either making the sound with its mouth, vibrating its tail or moving leaves around with its tail, or you may hear nothing at all. The rattlesnake raises its tail when threatened but the bullsnake keeps its tail low to the ground. Bullsnakes have narrow heads and rattlesnakes have triangular heads that are wider than their body.

The diet of a bullsnake is comprised mainly of rodents but they also eat small rabbits, gophers, frogs, lizards and birds. It will use its mouth to grab its prey and will slowly constrict it. The prey dies due to lack of oxygen and the snake eats it whole.

If you’d like us to bring JJ Watt and our other Animal Ambassadors to your school, company or event, contact Victoria at education@ twrcwildlifecenter.org for pricing. You’ll get to meet Iris, the screech owl and Beatrix, the opossum along with our box turtles. It’s fun and educational, too.

For more information about TWRC Wildlife Center, check out our website at www.twrcwildlifecenter.org and be sure to like us on Facebook.

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Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018

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Park Lakes

Attention KIDS: Send Us Your Masterpiece!

Color the drawing below and mail the finished artwork to us at: Peel, Inc. - Kids Club 308 Meadowlark St. Lakeway, TX 78734-4717 We will select the top few and post their artwork on our website at www.peelinc.com/index.php/kids-club DUE: December 31st, 2018

Be sure to include the following so we can let you know!

Name (first name, last initial): ___________________________________________ Age:________________

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Park Lakes 308 Meadowlark St. Lakeway, TX 78734-4717

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Park Lakes Property Owners Association Newsletter - December 2018

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