2010 Houston ADA Dignity Memorial® Tour de Cure on September 25, 2010
Take an active step to prevent and cure Diabetes by signing up to ride in the second annual 2010 Houston ADA Dignity Memorial® Tour de Cure on September 25, 2010. Approximately 2,000 riders are expected to participate in the event that runs from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. and offers activities for the whole family.
Routes are available for novice, occasional or expert cyclists, with 10-, 27-, 47-, 63- or 100-mile rides, and each route will start and finish in front of Katy Mills Mall at Champion Nissan, 25550 Kingsland Blvd., Katy, Texas 77494. Interested parties should go to www.diabetes.org/tour , select Texas and the Houston event to register Registration is ongoing until Thursday, September 23rd and costs $25.
Benefits from the ADA Dignity Memorial Tour de Cure go to the American Diabetes Association in Houston for research and programs designed to prevent, manage and cure diabetes. Read more
New UT Study: The Affect of Foreclosures on Crime
According to a recent study from the University of Texas at Austin, while foreclosures may “destabilize and disorganize” communities, they don’t directly affect crime rates.
David Kirk, assistant professor in the department of sociology at UT and the lead researcher on this study said, “Foreclosures do not indepentently affect crime. Rather, both foreclosures and crime are the products of similar community-level factors, which include a community’s clout, (or lack thereof), poverty and segregation.”
Derek Hyra, associate professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech, was the co-author of the study. Crime and foreclosure data from Chicago during the period of 2000 to 2008 was calculated. During this time, foreclosures tripled. Research focused on the consequences of those rising foreclosure rates including effects on the community structure and crime statistics.
Kirk said. “We were able to statistically adjust for confounding influences such as segregation, the political hierarchy of communities and other unobserved factors predictive of both foreclosures and crime.”
To research foreclosures and to tour properties, contact me at 713-818-2404 or via my website, FuellingKaty.com.
McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting, LLC staff helps in the Gulf Shore Oil cleanup
Venice, Louisiana July 22, 2010 – The staff of McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting, in conjunction with the National Audubon Society, spent the day on the Gulf Coast as volunteer wildlife transport liaisons.
The staff volunteered in three different locations throughout the coast and Plaquemines Parish: Venice Beach, Joshua Marina, and Delta Marina. The volunteer effort was a success; each employee reiterated that giving back to the community was both gratifying and rewarding. “The oil spill has really hit our community hard, but with everyone’s efforts we can do our part in helping the cleanup and recovery,” said Lee Youngblood, co-founder of McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting, and a New Orleans resident.
McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting, LLC’s primary volunteer responsibility was to make sure that personnel at Unified Command-Houma Dispatch were assisted in the transportation efforts of affected wildlife to the rehabilitation center in Fort Jackson, Louisiana. McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting staff worked closely with National Audubon Society employees and animal transportation experts.
The animal activity was abnormally low on this day, which experts said could be both good and bad. The decreased pelican sightings were most likely caused by the looming tropical depression Bonnie, said animal transportation expert, Chris Trahan. “Animals naturally go in to hiding when weather patterns change,” said Trahan. The recovered pelicans have been tagged and released in Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Overall, the volunteer efforts were a success, with every McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting, LLC employee saying that the experience was both gratifying and rewarding.
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McIntyre Youngblood Recruiting, LLC specializes in direct hire employment, consulting, and temporary staffing of accounting, finance, legal, administrative, and information technology (IT) professionals in Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans. With 30 plus years of experience we provide experienced candidates at all levels including management consulting. MYRecruiting is a certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and HUB qualified. Visit us at www.myrecruiting.biz
Cinco Charities Hosts “Sip n Stroll” Wine Tasting
Katy Residents now have their own event for wine lovers! Save the date, Thursday, Sept. 23rd, 5:30 to 8:30, for the 1st Annual Cinco Charities Sip n Stroll. There will be over 20 wine tasting stations, restaurant and chef demos, a specialty brew sampling station, a silent auction and live music.
Villagio Town Center provides the perfect venue. Centered around a cobblestone courtyard with a picturesque fountain and clock tower, Villagio has the atmosphere of a Tuscan village. Villagio is located at the northeast corner of Westheimer Parkway and Peek Road.
Ginger Hopper, Chairperson for Cinco Charities, said, “The Sip n Stroll will be a first of its kind Katy event. We’re excited to partner with Food and Vine Time to make this event a regional favorite.”
Cinco Charities, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing temporary housing for individuals and their families who are hospitalized or receiving treatment in local medical facilities for a serious medical condition. It has been providing housing since 2008. Keller Williams Katy, also located in the Villagio Center, founded and sponsors Cinco Charities.
For more information and to get your tickets contact Sip n Stroll. Tickets are $25 and only 1,000 tickets will be available.
What’s the Current State of Foreclosures in Katy?
Nationwide, foreclosure inventory fell for the third straight month in June. Realty Trac, a subscription service that tracks U.S. foreclosure rates, reports that nationwide foreclosure filings last month dropped 2.81 percent from May’s statistics. This year’s national figures are down 6.98 from June 2009.
Katy has never suffered from the foreclosure disaster at the level plaguing many other areas of the country. Still, there are opportunities to purchase a foreclosure in Katy with inventory on both sides of I-10.
Considering only houses in the Katy Independent School District, there are 24 houses in foreclosure on the southside of I-10 and 36 on the northside.
Most people are surprised to find out there are Read more
HEB at Katy’s Main Street Scheduled to Open
The date has been set, Saturday, August 14, for the opening of the new Katy HEB grocery. The store is located on the south-side of I-10 at the intersection of I-10 and Pin Oak.
The Katy Main Street project, of which HEB is the anchor store, is being developed by Woodcreek Development Company. Eventually, it will include retail shops, restaurants, banks, hotel and office space. A Walgreen’s drugstore was the first business to open. The HEB gas station has a tentative opening date of July 21.
There are three other HEB grocery stores in the Katy area; locations can be found at the Grand Parkway at Fry Blvd; Mason Road at Highland Knolls; and, Fry Road at I-10. The new store will be extremely convenient to residents of Woodcreek Reserve, Firethorne, Old Katy, Pin Oak and the Falcon neighborhoods.
Katy Community Advocates Summer Blood Drive
The Katy Community Advocates invite all Katyites to make a donation at the summer blood drive. All who attempt to donate and credit the Katy organization will receive a sling backpack, 200 bonus points from the Commit for Life program, and a $10 gift card from Willie’s Restaurants. Also, donors will receive a free health check and can save up to three lives.
To donate, visit Katy Neighborhood Donor Center at 1575 South Grand Pkwy. from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday, June 27th.
Four Katy ISD High Schools Make NEWSWEEK’s America’s Best High Schools List!
NEWSWEEK recently released the 2010 list of America’s Best High Schools, representing only 6% of all American public high schools and Katy has made the list, not once but four times as among the top schools in the nation!
Of the top 1,622 schools Cinco Ranch High School ranked # 478, Seven Lakes High School ranked #689, Taylor High School came in at #982, and Katy High School at #1387.
Rankings are determined by a combination of the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge (AICE) tests given at the schools, compared to the number of graduating seniors. To view the full list, please click here.
Proper Grape Growing and a Little Wine Making
Join the Fort Bend Master Gardeners sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service on Thursday, June 17, 2010 to hear Billy Cox, owner of Retreat Hills Winery in Navasota, TX. He will speak on the correct way to grow grapes and how to use them to make wine. The program is from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will be held at the Bud O’Shieles Community Center located at 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg, 77471. The program is free to all. No reservation required. Anyone with an interest in gardening is encouraged to attend. 281-341-7068 or http://www.fbmg.com for more information.
CrossPoint Hosts community Crawfish Boil and BBQ
It’s back and better than ever! CrossPoint Community Church will host a Crawfish Boil and BBQ for the Katy community on Friday, May 21 from 4:00 – 8:00 pm at George Bush Park and Pavilion. The event features live music, inflatables and activities for the kids and of course, lots of great food. Cost is $10 for adults; $5 for kids. Sign up and pay on line at www.crosspt.org. For more information call 281-398-6464 or e-mail jeff.d.armstrong@gmail.com.
ARTreach – Art on the Plaza
On May 2nd from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, ARTreach is introducing our local and international artists to the Katy Community at the Art on the Plaza event at Villagio Town Center. You’ll meet musicians, dancers, and professional teaching artists from around the world demonstrating their culture and lifestyle through their art making process.
ARTreach is a 501(c)3 non-profit art and eduction outreach organization. For more information, visit www.artreachonline.org.
Keep Katy Beautiful City Wide Garage Sale
This weekend Keep Katy Beautiful presents a community wide garage sale. Happening in yards and garages all over Katy on Saturday, April 17th.
Want to take part? Register your garage sale address by Wednesday, April 14th at the Katy City Hall Annex at 5718 Second St.
For more information, call 281-391-4726 or e-mail keepkatybeautiful@cityofkaty.com.
For those whose neighborhoods don’t allow garage sales – you can still participate! Old Town Katy Market Days will be offering booths for garage sales and reserved parking for “trunk sales”. To reserve a booth or parking space call 281-391-1993 or 281-391-2299.
Katy ISD 25th Annual Folk Life Festival
What was life like for the pioneers of early Texas? How did they dress? What skills did they need to survive? Where did the children go to school? What kinds of animals did they own? These questions and many more will be answered for those who attend the Twenty-fifth Annual Katy Folk Life Festival.
On Saturday, April 10th, 2010 the Katy ISD Outdoor Learning Center will be transformed into scenes of the late 1800’s, as many demonstrations and activities of pioneer life are recreated from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Read more
The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking in Houston
Evidence of being controlled. An inability to move or leave a job. Bruises or other signs of physical abuse. Fear or depression. No passport or ID. These are clues to help identify victims of human trafficking. On Tuesday, February 23, Pandora’s Box presents Alyssandra Granado of the Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition who will speak about human trafficking in Houston. This non-profit’s mission is to raise awareness about human trafficking, assist in identifying victims, and improve victim services in the greater Houston metropolitan area. Librarian Cindy Belmar will introduce the speaker.
HCC students, faculty, staff, and the public are invited. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. in the HCC Katy Cyber Lounge at 1550 Foxlake Drive, 77084. For more information please call 713-718-5750, contact michael.ronan@hccs.edu, or view http://commons.nwc.hccs.edu/pandora.
Katy Rodeo
The 2010 Katy ISD Open Pro Rodeo will be a three night event held on February 25, 26, & 27 sanctioned by the CPRA and featuring the Lancaster Rodeo Company. This great Katy event is one of the only remaining high school rodeo, livestock show & parade events that still exists in the State of Texas.
Tickets for the 2010 events are available for purchase at the arena gates each night before the event. Adult Ticket Prices are $7.00 per night or $15 for advanced purchased 3 Day Pass*. Children Ticket Prices for children 6 to 12 are $3.00 per night or $6.00 for advanced purchased 3 Day Pass*. Children 5 and under are free. Tickets are available at Tradition Bank on Pin Oak and All Katy ISD FFA Booster Clubs. (*passes are paid for in advance and are non-refundable.) Read more
KVPAC’s Encore Players Share The Love ~ Dog Adoption Day
Encore Players has proudly partnered with the Katy-area rescue organization, Zeke Animal Rescue Fund, to showcase precious doggies in need of loving homes on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2010 from 12:0 pm to 6:00 pm in the Share The Love ~ Dog Adoption Day at KVPAC, during the matinee performance of Sylvia, a romantic comedy about a husband, wife and the free-spirited dog who comes between them! Sponsored by Waggin Tails Pet Ranch. For more information contact Lisa Connolly, KVPAC Marketing Director, 281-829-2787 or e-mail lconnolly@KVPAC.org.
The Katy Visual & Performing Arts Center is lcoated at 2501 S. Mason Rd #290, (located in the Great Southwest Equestrian).
A Tribute to Katy Annual Gala
Katy Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend the Annual Gala “A Tribute to Katy”. The event will be held on Friday, February 12, 2010 from 6:30 to 11:30 pm.
There evening will include a Silent Auction and Cocktails from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, Dinner and a Program from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, followed by Dancing and Enterment beginning at 9:00 pm.
Located at Safari Texas Ranch, 11627 FM 1464, Richmond, Texas, they will be recognizing the Volunteer of the Year: Charles and Gayle Boggess; Business of the Year: LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch/Vista Equities Group; Citizen of the Year: Honorable William (“Bill”) Yeoman, Harris County Justice of the Peace Court, Precinct 5, Place 2.
For more information, to buy a program ad, donate an auction item, or purchase tickets/tables, please visit www.katychamber.com.
