Category: Lake Conroe Area News

Magnolia resident Charles Lee was frustrated at the lack of entertainment options for kids that live outside of Conroe and The Woodlands, so he decided to open his own venue. 
Roller skating, paintball and arcade
Ultimate Arena, which opened in June off Hardin Store Road, was something “that the community needs,” Lee said — a family-owned venue that offers indoor roller skating, outdoor paintball and virtual reality arcade machines. 
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“Most of the kids these days are on the iPhone and iPad too much,” he said. “And this creates activity, some exercise, some sort of workout for them to do, having…fun for the community is good.”
This comes after several venues recently announced openings, bringing more entertainment choices to Montgomery County. 
Although the venue is marketed for families, Susan Rozell said the company is also trying to bring in companies to do team building through paintball. 
Looking for ways to expand events
Rozell, who runs the social media page for the venue, said she’s already seen a lot of positive feedback from the community, stating that a lot of people give them ideas for events such as 80s Night or Teen Night. There are plans to add skate lessons in the future, she said. 
“Everybody loves it,” Rozell said. “I think it’s great for the community. It gives families something to do during the week or on the weekends.” 
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Tickets prices vary depending on activity.
For roller skating, tickets range from $12 to $15, depending on if a person rents skates at the venue or brings their own. For paintball, the venue can accommodate for 20 players with the price of $40 per person, which also includes a face mask, paintball gun, vest shield and paintballs. For a single ticket of admission, it costs $5. 
The venue also offers membership plans up to $90 monthly and $30 for additional members up to 10 people. 
Lee said he anticipates business to increase as the 2024-25 school year gets underway. 

Independent artist Ryder Grimes has once again soared to the top of the Texas charts with his latest single, “8 Seconds at a Time,” marking his second consecutive No. 1 hit.
Hailing from the Northeast Texas town of Poetry, Grimes has grown his fan base across the state and beyond with his authentic blend of heartfelt lyrics and traditional country sound.
“8 Seconds at a Time” is a song about rodeo life and chasing the dream of earning a gold belt buckle.
“The lyrics describe the pain of losing, but in the end when you win – it’s the greatest feeling ever, in my opinion,” said Grimes. “You can relate it to a lot of things in life, not just rodeoing.”
Fans and radio stations are relating to the song’s message and loving it! It’s found a home on the Texas charts for an impressive 28 weeks.Grimes’ latest success comes on the heels of a remarkable first half of 2024 where he not only clinched the New Male Vocalist award at the Texas Regional Radio Awards but also secured sponsorships with four prominent companies that recognize his talent and potential in the music industry.
He feels humbled to have the support of R. Watson Boots, Ranch Fuel Energy, COWI Brand (apparel), and Cowboys Trailers and Ranches.
“It means a lot to be recognized by companies that I love and to know that they like what I am doing and want to partner with me – that’s cool,” said Grimes.
Grimes attributes his success to hard work, a great team, and his dedication to growing as a songwriter.
He recalls a pivotal moment listening to country legend Toby Keith discuss songwriting in an interview.
“Toby once said, ‘Anything can be a song. If you see something inspiring, put it in your pocket so you always have something to pull out and write.’ That advice stuck with me,” Grimes shared. “We all have those songs that mean a lot to us, and a lot of those songs came from guys and gals who poured their heart and soul out into the music they wanted to write and play – and that’s my goal. I just want to write great songs and put out good music.”
Since he was only 11 years old, he has spent thousands of hours on and off stage perfecting his craft, turning him into the performer he is today. His inspirations range from ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s country legends such as Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley and Tracey Lawrence – to Texas stars like Randy Rogers, Deryl Dodd and Charlie Robison. Named the 2023 Texas Country “Emerging Artist of the Year” and 2024 “New Male Artist of the Year” with two No. 1 hits under his belt, Grimes is having a massive year and learning firsthand how hard work and great songs pay off. 
Writing is how Grimes spends most of his time when at home in Poetry, and he tries to write at least half a song each day. When on the road, he spends his time focusing on the positives, reading scripture, and praying before he hits the stage to give his best to his fans.
“Doing this for a living is a blessing, for sure. It makes me happy that people are coming to see me – whether it’s five people, 500 or 5,000 – I want to give them the best show I can and perform like it’s my last show to play,” he added.
As Grimes celebrates his second No. 1 hit, he is solidifying his place in country music – and there is no place he’d rather be.
For more information on Ryder Grimes and to stay updated on his latest music releases and tour dates, visit www.rydergrimesmusic.com.

A long-time disc golf player, Synjin Dillard, said he’s seen the sport grow tremendously in the Houston area in the last four years. 
His family owns Lone Star Disc in Conroe that manufactures the golf discs used in the sport. As people became restless during the early days of the pandemic, the outdoor sport offered the opportunity for socially distanced fun while shedding a new light on the sport. 
Here is what to know about disc golf and where to play in Montgomery County and northern Harris County:
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What is disc golf? 
According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, disc golf is played much like golf except, instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws).
The app UDisc offers a database of 15,000 disc golf courses including ones in Montgomery County. Each description lists the location, level of difficulty and condition of the course. 
Disc golf courses in Conroe
Conroe maintains two disc golf courses. The one at McDade Park was established in 2004 and is adjacent to the San Jacinto River. It’s an 18-hole course with both narrow and open shots in a park setting. McDade Park is at 10310 FM 2854 in Conroe. 
An 18-hole course was established at John Burge Park in 2012. This is described as a wooded, hilly course with lots of shade. It’s at 11050 Little Egypt Road in Conroe. 
A nine-hole course exists in Gwen Hruska Park in Conroe’s River Plantation neighborhood. It’s off of Brandon Road at Butler’s Island Road. Lone Star Disc also has a nine-hole course adjacent to the shop at 12686 FM 1314 in Conroe. 
The city offers a free disc golf clinic at 8 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. The free clinic is at Madeley Pavilion at Owen Park. The city also offers private lessons. 
For more information contact the Westside Recreation Center at 936-522-3990 or on the City of Conroe website. 
Disc golf in The Woodlands 
The Bear Branch Sportsfield Park has an 18-hole course described as wooded with a pond challenge. This course was established in 1994 and has sports fields and public picnic areas nearby. It’s at 5205 Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands. 
A nine-hole course is in Terramont Park in The Woodlands. It’s described as a course for intermediate plays that is very hilly. It’s at 8500 Terramont Drive in The Woodlands. 
Designed in 2010, an 18-hole course is behind Stonebridge Church and offers a range of shots. It’s at 1 Stonebridge Church Drive in The Woodlands just south of FM 1488. 
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Magnolia and Tomball disc golf courses 
A revamped nine-hole course is at Gracepoint Fellowship Church off FM 1488 at 426 Corporate Woods Drive in Magnolia. Plans for an 18-hole course are in the works. 
The Spring Creek disc golf course is along Spring Creek. It’s a nine-hole course near Lone Star College – Tomball. It’s off of Coral Canyon in Tomball. 
An 18-hole course at Graceview Baptist Church was designed in 2023 as a memorial to Eric Paddy, a longtime church member. According to the description, this course offers a challenge for players of all skill levels and shaded benches at every hole. Paddy was a coach in Tomball ISD and he died in January 2021 of cancer. 
The course is at Graceview Baptist Church at 21206 Telge Road in Tomball. 
Spring disc golf course
Spring Valley Golf & Disc Golf is a 53-hole course owned and operated by World Disc Golf Hall of Fame member Andi Young and husband Don Young. There’s a pro shop, a flex league, snacks and dogs are allowed on the course as long as they are cleaned up after. 
It’s at 25110 Gosling Road in Spring. 

Fearing a nuclear attack by Chinese communists in the 80s, the late Ling-Chieh “Louis” Kung financed the construction of a nuclear bomb shelter next to the former Westland Oil Co., building off Texas 105 near Montgomery.
Originally intended to withstand the effects of a 25 megaton bomb, the site is now being used to ensure power interruptions in the Houston area are minimal for businesses and agencies that are dependent on saving lives. 
Bomb shelter turned data bunker
A week before Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda Bay on July 8, Houston-based Data Journey moved into the property that sits on roughly 50 acres, with some 911 centers renting space at the data center. 
The site was put to the test of whether it could withstand hurricane winds that knocked out power to more than 2.2 million customers.
“If this facility had failed, which it didn’t during any of these hurricanes, there would be major problems in the city of Houston for 911 services and other things that really could make an impact on people,” said Todd M. Smith, commercial adviser for the data firm.
Having a nuclear bomb shelter 50 feet below ground with several data halls and fail-safe backup generators while also not being reliant to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s electric grid operator, has its perks. 
“All of our tenants were up,” said  Ishnella Azad, managing partner of the company. “We did not go down.”
The facility gets its power from Entergy Texas, which is on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator electricity grid. It serves 15 states spanning from Louisiana up through Minnesota.
What is a data center? 
For those unfamiliar with the IT world, a data center is a physical location that stores computing machines and their related hardware, according to Amazon Web Services. It contains the computing infrastructure that IT systems require, such as servers, data storage drives, and network equipment. It is the physical facility that stores any company’s digital data, the website states. 
Almost every business operation uses data centers to store computing equipment at a central location, where they can run web applications, offer services, sell products or run internal applications for accounts, human resources and operations management. 
The benefits to using a data center include backup power supplies to manage power outages, data replication across several machines for disaster recovery, temperature-controlled facilities to extend the life of the equipment and easier implementation of security measures for compliance with data laws, Amazon Web Services’ website states. 
It’s like an apartment complex for businesses’ computing machines and related hardware. 
‘A data center with gun turrets’
After World War II, Kung came to the United States as a diplomat assigned to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., then later moved to Houston, according to a previous report. The multimillionaire founded Westland Oil Development Corp. in 1962, moving its headquarters to Montgomery.
In the 80s, Kung financed what was known as the “Westland Bunker.” The bunker could comfortably accommodate 500 people for about six months in its two levels that totaled 40,000 square feet. Features of the bunker included dormitories, hospital facilities, a jail, wells for an unlimited supply of water and a generator that could provide electricity.
The walls were built with 2 feet of heavily reinforced concrete as well as blast doors. 
Walking through its halls today, remnants of the past can still be seen such as bullet holes left on a window to one of the entrances to the shelter, prison cells that are now used as storage and empty spaces where gun turrets were once stationed.  
“This you won’t find at another data center,” Azad said, noting the bunker comes with a unique background. “Who the hell has a data center with gun turrets?”
While the data center definitely has unique features, it also has enough power that could support a small neighborhood, Smith said. 
“It has been a successful property,” he said. “It just hasn’t gotten the appropriate love and attention in a number of years…and now that the industry is more important, bigger and more dynamic, now it’s time.” 
Data center beginnings
As for the “Westland Bunker,” the site was previously used as a data center after Westland Oil Co., filed for bankruptcy in 1987 and sold the property.
Before Data Journey acquired the site, the previous owner had one company that used the site to store computing equipment. As of Aug. 8, Data Journey has 60 tenants at the data center. Costs are customized based on the needs of each organization’s requirements. 
While the company does welcome bigger clients to rent out space at the center, it doesn’t want to “get away from serving the community of the sites that we’re in,” Smith said. 
“We want the smaller customer,” Azad said. “We’re not just going after the big guys with the huge money. We want everybody to be OK. This is a place where our fellow Houstonians can come to make sure that their money, their business and their families are safe.” 
Inside of the 100,000-square-foot facility next to the bunker is a community area, which Smith calls “Club Journey.” Both Smith and Azad said they hoped the space would help them in making a connection with the community.
“We want to be more personable,” Azad said. “We don’t want to be cookie cutters. We want a relationship with our clientele and we want to make sure that we are on this journey together … we’re going to have a hangout zone, we’re going to connect with each other, we’re going to know what each others needs are so we can fulfill those needs.” 
Smith said he hopes the company can host people at the facility to get to know them better and offer consulting if needed. 
“And if that means that that some of the data won’t live here, that’s fine,” he said.
Ronald Bailey, technical adviser for the company, said that there are already conversations with clients that work with artificial intelligence. Smith said he predicts that the company will eventually work with bigger corporations such as Google and Microsoft. 

Conroe’s Dillard family has turned a favorite family hobby into a successful spin-off business from their Conroe-based custom injection molding company for oilfields.
During the pandemic, Terry and Barbara Dillard along with sons Synjin, Travis and daughter, Britney, launched Lone Star Disc on FM 1314 alongside their Lone Star Molding. They manufacture the plastic or rubber round discs used for playing disc golf. 
An idea that sprung out of a slow time during the pandemic, now has the family shipping disc golf discs all over the world from their shop just south of Conroe. In addition to a pro shop there is also a nine-hole disc golf course on the property. 
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What is disc golf? 
According to the World Flying Disc Federation, disc golf is a variant of ball golf, but with special frisbees or flying discs. However, instead of hitting a ball off a tee and aiming at getting it down a hole in as few strokes as possible, disc golf involves throwing a disc from the tee and hitting an above-ground target basket in as few throws as possible. 
Conroe has disc golf courses at McDade Park and John Burge Park at Shadow Lakes and there are several other courses throughout Montgomery County. 
Synjin and Travis have played the sport for years. given their experience in making molds, years back Synjin had an idea to make a custom disc. 
Starting Lone Star Discs
The plan got shelved but he eventually showed the drawing to his brother, Travis, who was just out of the U.S. Navy. 
They manufactured their first disc in 2017. 
“It was terrible. When you threw it, it almost made a complete circle in the air. I told him ‘I don’t think we did this right,’ Synjin said. 
During the pandemic time, their oilfield injection molding business slowed down and they came back to the disc golf project. 
This time they were successful and Travis took the disc to a local park to play. They caught the eye of one of the local disc golf professionals and they bought 100 that day. 
Then they made a starter set with driver, midrange and putter discs and he said their hobby project snowballed from there. They developed several different series of discs made from a variety of materials and in every color one could think of. 
Discs with Texas themes
The disc series have different themes with many having Texas themes such as the Yellow Rose, The Tex, The Trinity, The Dillo, Waco, Frio River and The Dome which was Britney’s vision as they pay homage to the Astrodome with the design. 
Travis’ designs involved a penny inspired by his service on the U.S.S. Lincoln in the Navy. 
They also carry glow-in-dark discs for night-time play and special series related to professional disc golf players like Fredy Meza, Jake Hebenheimer, Carter Ahrens, Deann Carey and others. 
For Synjin it’s an honor for their designs to forever be associated with the sport. 
“Me and Travis have been playing disc golf for a long time and we thought it would be cool to have our own little footprint in this. Even if it doesn’t last that long, people are going to know Lone Star forever,” he said. “It feels cool to know we’re going to be a part of disc golf history.”
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‘We were willing to try something new’
Britney said their start in disc manufacturing was at the right place and time. 
“Things were slow in the oilfield side and we were willing to try something new,” she said. “It happened to be in the time when people were tired of being locked up in their houses and wanted to do something outside that they could be with people but you’re not necessarily standing next to each other.” 
Synjin said it is a very good social-distancing sport. 
The Lone Star Disc pro shop is at 12686 FM 1314 in south Conroe. Shop hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shop is closed Saturday and Sunday.