Rotarians are team players. We work within our communities to make the most of challenging situations to address problems. One challenge Rotarians have focused on is the complete eradication of Polio. It killed a U. S. President and kept many young children in the USA indoors during the summer, avoiding water sports. Then came a preventive shot created by Dr. Salk.
Eventually that evolved into an oral dose that could be taken orally. In a matter of a few years, Polio was no longer the dreaded disease it was in the 1940’s. The oral dose of Polio immunization rapidly eliminated Polio in the 1960’s 70’s, and 80’s. Polio was still repent in “third world countries.” Rotary teamed up with the Bill Gates Foundation and worked together spending billions of dollars in working to eradicate Polio. This past year, the Polio epidemic on a world-wide basis appeared to be working with months and months of no disease found. Then Polio raised its ugly head in Afghanistan with several cases in rural villages appearing.
Now, war-torn Gaza has the Polio virus found in its wastewater system. Sleeves are rolled up again to fight this contagious disease and money is being allocated to address these two outbreaks to finally curtail and eradicate Polio. Rotary has pledged to work world-wide disseminating the oral Polio doses all over the world, especially in hard to reach places. Polio will be meeting its match with the additional dollars and manpower coming from Rotary, the Bill Gates Foundation and other to wipe out this disease. It is only a matter of time with time on our side!
However, time is not always on the side of Rotary. The Rotary Club of Conroe and the Daughters of the American Revolution have teamed up to acquire “living history” videos of the remarkable women who have serve in the Armed Forces of our Country. The Rotary Club of Conroe has paired up with the D. A. R. local Chapter to present a total contribution to the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County in the amount of $3,500 to video our women war heroes with such videos available for free online at heritagemuseum.us.
The first to be interviewed will be Marcey Phillips who is the Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 4709 on Semands Street in Conroe. She and eight others will be interviewed by Glory White, President of the Heritage Museum for this series of living history documentaries of women in the war zone. Commander Phillips served our Country in the Middle East conflicts. Commander Phillips will be selecting the other women who will be interviewed. This is all possible via a generous donation of the Rotary Club of Conroe and the local Chapter of the D. A. R. which meets monthly at the Heritage Museum. It is collaborations of Rotarians and the Community to leverage activities and money to get things done.
For more information on Rotary, please contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
Conroe Noon Lions are having an action-packed Summer and never let the heat stop us from giving back! Our lunch meeting on Wednesday was full of surprises and opportunities to greet old friends and meet new ones. The program was presented by the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber staff members Pauline Veazey and Steve Scheffler, and Chairperson Jennifer Millington “shook things up” by teaching us Chamber information through a fun and competitive game of Trivia. The Lions like nothing better than a little friendly competition! The winning team had an almost perfect score thanks to wise team member Lion Donnie Buckalew. Lions are life-long-learners and are always anxious to hear about ways to care for our community. We received updates concerning what has been happening and alerts for what’s coming up in the future. We want to Congratulate our ‘Lions of the Month’! A big round of applause for Lions Ed Roth and Michelle Greif; your dedication and hard work does not go unnoticed.
The Blood Drive committee extended a BIG thank you to everyone who donated blood at the Summer Blood Drive on July 24. Because of your generous donations, 85 lives were saved. You truly make a difference!
Hannah Medley and Morgan Freeman showed a fantastic video recap of the first year for the Leo Club. Participating High School students from local schools, including home schoolers, from around the community have had an action-packed year. They performed numerous service projects, having fun together and learning what it means to be a Lion.
Lion Andrew Perry let us know that Service Saturday is this Saturday, August 3rd at Reaves Elementary. NOTE the time change: we will be meeting from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Let’s make an impact in our adopted Elementary School. We will be helping the staff prepare the school for the children to arrive in a few short weeks.
PLUS – speaking of Reaves, we’ll be collecting school supplies to help students prepare for the upcoming school year. If you’re out and about grab some colors, pencils, paper, folders, etc and bring to the club meetings over the next 2-weeks we’ll have a box to collect, and the committee will deliver to the school.
This week’s quote goes hand in hand with “True Grit” that President Bryan keeps mentioning. “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart”. Lions’ willingness to make time for others has always stood out. Where there’s a need there has truly been a Lion. Let’s show our true grit as Lions over the next few months as our schedules fill up.
If you are interested in learning more about the ‘Greatest Lions Club in the World’, contact the Lions club office at 936-760-1666. Visit our webpage https://www.conroenoonlions.org/
The company’s senior leadership will relocate to Houston by the end of 2024, with all corporate operations expected to be in Houston over the next five years
As part of the a $1.9B bond package in 2023 as well as the $653.57 million 2019 bond package, Conroe ISD is building three new elementary schools, one high school campus and making major renovations to five different campuses among other projects.
Vendors of Willis Mercantile sell indoor plants, candles, pickled foods, laser engraved items, boutique items and there’s a coffee shop located in the back of the store.
By the time you read this, the main entry to the dog park will have been regraded and the concrete pad will have been enlarged considerably, making access and egress much cleaner and neater and less muddy for our furry friends’ (and our) enjoyment. Stop by and check it out.
Meanwhile, we’re in the midst of the political season and I’m reminded of Grandma, once upon a time, describing one particular politician as being an absolute snake in the grass. Though I didn’t understand exactly what that meant at the time, I was pretty sure it wasn’t intended as a compliment. Though she was the most genteel soul ever, she tended to call a spade a spade (I didn’t know what that meant either back then). Yet, compared to some of the superlatives we hear in our political discourse these days, calling someone a snake in the grass sounds pretty tame. Almost cute. That is, of course, unless there really is actually a snake in your grass. And chances are pretty good there’s at least one. Right now.
Seems that the warm weather and ample rain have combined to cause critters without shoulders to procreate with gusto, and their offspring are roaming a bit earlier than usual this year. That means that, if you haven’t already, you’re likely to cross paths with one (or several) in the coming days. According to Google, there are over a hundred species of snakes in these United States, though only nineteen are deemed to be a threat to humans, and even fewer are dangerous enough to possibly be fatal. Problem is, pretty much all the ones that can make life uncomfortable for you (or your pets) are here in Texas. Probably in Montgomery County. Perhaps in Bentwater. Maybe even in your backyard. Grandma just knew stuff. For example, she explained that if I didn’t want to itch from mosquito bites, all I had to do was smack them as soon as they lit on me. And, sure enough, Grandma’s advice worked every time.
That is, if I saw them before they were ready to chow down. Similarly, more of Grandma’s wisdom was that your best defense against snakes is just to see them first. You’re welcome. So, check that wound-up water hose before reaching for it. And before you start wading through the stickers thanks to that slightly errant golf shot, consider exactly what price you might be willing to pay for that $4 ball. You will, after all, be tromping through their backyard, so you should expect that some critters might object. Grandma would suggest a simpler solution. Just keep it in the fairway. Feel free to use my name when sharing these bits of wisdom with your grandkids. As for politics, if Grandma was still around today, she probably wouldn’t be so polite. Just sayin’…
Send Bentwater fun news and social tidbits to Bruce at Bruce@TheLakeConroeGroup.com
This Thursday is the Free Concert Series at Heritage Park, August 8 with the Spicolis, an 80’s music tribute! Join the fun with your Cyndi Lauper neon mini skirt with leggings, with big, bold jewelry, and big hair! Guys get out the track suits or acid washed jeans with a Miami Vice blazer or “Members…
Missed any of our articles from this week?
Lone Star College System’s board of trustees passed a balanced budget—which includes an 8% raise for full-time faculty and a 4% raise for other staff—for fiscal year 2024-25 on Aug. 1.
Not all plants are designed to be in a container, much less in a hanging basket. Many times a beautiful plant is brought home, planted it in a hanging basket, and within two weeks it is dying. Choosing the proper plant is critical for success, along with creating a basket that helps meet that plant’s needs.
For proper plant selection, first consider the dimensions of the basket. A shallow basket will not support a tall plant that has deep roots. Accordingly, a plant that spreads out widely will struggle in a basket that is too small in diameter or width. Reading the plant information on its given tag or researching that information on a computer is paramount. If we are to meet the needs of the plant, we must know what those needs are.
Second, think about the amount of moisture the plant will need and how you are going to supply it. The way you choose to water will determine plant selection as well. If a plant requires moderate to moist soil, you will need a way to water it frequently. Plants in baskets tend to dry out much faster than those in the ground; therefore, it’s important to check basket moisture frequently and water only when they need it.
Finally, accommodating the plant with basket construction can help with plant needs. A plant that thrives in a drier environment needs well-draining soil with maybe a little coir lining the basket to retain moisture long enough to give roots a chance to drink. If you have a plant that needs more moisture, you may want to add an oil cloth lining or plastic liner with holes punched in it around the coir for drainage. Using a soil that is not quite as porous, such as a loam-based compost with a small amount of perlite, may also be helpful.
Take time to consider the size of the plant, volume of the basket, soil you will use, and the plant’s moisture needs. In doing so, you may find less stress on the part of the plant as well as on your wallet and emotional state. Healthy, flourishing plants bring a sense of satisfaction and a smile to our faces. We enjoy how they just make our surroundings more beautiful. When you find plants through thoughtful trial and error that thrive in the conditions you provide, TAKE NOTE and rinse and repeat for next year. And remember: some plants are just plain finicky! Take note of those, too, and choose ones that are not so hard to please.