Greater Houston Rowing Club Celebrates
New Boathouse in Sugar Land
Planned Community Developers, Ltd., in partnership with the First Colony
Community Association and Greater Houston Rowing Club, broke ground on a new
boathouse. The boathouse will be located along Brooks Lake in Lake Pointe Town
Center in Sugar Land, where the GHRC has been actively rowing since 1988.
“We’re thrilled to be breaking ground on a new boathouse,” said GHRC President Kerry Whitehead. “This will allow the club to expand our membership and to introduce the sport of
rowing to many who have never given it a try.
”
PCD, who donated the land on which the boathouse will be built, partnered with
the First Colony Community Association to donate the majority of the funds
needed to build the new boathouse and the GHRC contributed the remaining amount
through fundraising efforts.
The GHRC, which participates in regional and out-of-state regattas, hopes that
the new access to 10 km of water on Oyster Creek will attract novice and elite
rowers alike. The increased membership will allow the GHRC to offer new
programs and expand existing ones.
Meadows Place Improves Emergency Notification System
The city of Meadows Place upgraded its account with Emergency Communications
Network, providers of the CodeRED high-speed telephone notification system.
This is a no-charge update that will allow those receiving a CodeRED message to
easily identify calls coming through the system. In a recent test, the Caller
ID for all those who were called read 866-41-5000. There is a chance that it
may read
Emergency Communication Network but all the test subjects in Meadows Place, and
all cell phones tested, read 866-41-5000 .
“Most relevant for our citizens” says Capt. Gary Stewart, the Meadows Place Emergency Notification Director, “is the residents can simply dial the number displayed on their Caller ID to hear
the last message delivered. This will greatly reduce the confusion and the
number of inbound inquiries handled by our office and will offer the residents
an immediate replay of the message.
”
The CodeRED system provides city officials the ability to deliver messages to
targeted areas or the entire city within minutes. If Meadows Place residents
are not sure if they are included in the database, they can log onto the city
web site,www.cityofmeadowsplace.org, log onto CodeRED and fill in the CodeRED Residential Data Collection form provided on the Web site. If they are already
logged in, the system will note the duplication and prevent the data from being
entered again. Those without Internet access or unsure of the process may call
Capt. Stewart at 281-983-2900, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to get logged
on or to verify their information. Required information includes first and last
names, physical street address, city, state and zip code.
Businesses should register along with individuals who have unlisted number, have
changed their phone numbers or address within the past year and those who use a
cell phone or VoIP as their primary number.
For more information, contact the Meadows Place Police Department at
281-983-2900.
Quail Valley Parks Project Update
Progress on the Quail Valley Parks Project is right on track, just a little more
than a year after Missouri City acquired the property to further enhance the
city
’s parks and recreation system.
The overwhelming majority of voters approved the $17.5 million bond referendum
for the parks project on Nov. 4, 2008. Missouri City
envisions creating a new community center, a tennis/fitness facility and other
recreational opportunities on the property, in addition to renovating the golf
course.
Thus far, only $9.4 million from the $17.5 million bond referendum has been
used. Bond proceeds funded acquisition of the property, renovation of the El
Dorado course, a new pump house and a new irrigation system for both the El
Dorado and La Quinta courses.
The La Quinta Course opened for play as a public golf course on July 4, 2008.
Within its first 12 months, the La Quinta Course had 37,750 rounds of golf,
even with Hurricane Ike having impacted operations for about six weeks. Rounds
of play are up 54 percent since the city took over ownership. The renovation of
the El Dorado course began in January 2009 and is on schedule.
Several developments are under way to move the parks project forward. In
September, the city will host public charettes, or meetings, for residents to
contribute ideas for developing the old Executive Course, from playgrounds to
trails to green space improvements. The improvements will be under way by the
end of the first quarter of 2010.
Missouri City will put a $1 million grant toward the purchase and development of
a center for tennis and other recreation activities. The acquisition has been
initiated and the city anticipates it being in the city
’s possession this fall.
In May 2009, the city established the Missouri City Recreation and Leisure Local
Government Corporation. The nonprofit entity will aid the city in the
acquisition, improvement, maintenance and operation of certain public parks and
public recreation facilities, including the Quail Valley Golf Course. With the
establishment of this corporation, the golf course can be a self-sustaining
enterprise.
In February 2009, the City Council approved a conceptual Master Plan for the
Quail Valley Parks Project. The plan was generated from ideas submitted by
residents during a community-wide meeting in January.
Citations to Drivers Using Cell Phones in School Zones
Sugar Land has posted warning signs in all city school zones notifying drivers
of a new law prohibiting the use of cellular phones in crossing zones. House HB
55
—a new Texas law that takes effect Sept. 1—amends the state’s Transportation Code, Section 545.425 to prohibit the use of a wireless
communication device while operating a vehicle within a school crossing zone
unless the vehicle is stopped or the WCD is used with a hands-free device.
An exception allows the use of WCDs to make emergency calls to specific
organizations listed in the law, including police, fire and emergency medical
services.
The new law also prohibits bus operators from using a wireless communication
device while operating a passenger bus with a minor passenger unless the bus is
stopped. Violators are subject to a fine up to $200.
State Awards Homelessness
Prevention Funds to Fort Bend County
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs announced a significant
award of federal stimulus funding to Fort Bend County designed to mitigate and
prevent the effects of homelessness both for those individuals who are homeless
and for the communities in which they are located.
TDHCA awarded $1.9 million to three nonprofit organizations services to rapidly
re-house homeless residents or prevent individuals from falling into
homelessness. The awards were made through the department
’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, an innovative program
created by the federal American Recovery
& Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“By stabilizing at-risk individuals, we’re strengthening families and stabilizing entire neighborhoods. We pledge to do
this in a manner that is both efficient and effective, ensuring these funds are
directed to individuals who will benefit the most,
” said Michael Gerber, TDHCA executive director.
