Category: Lake Conroe News

Lake Conroe Centennial Lions Club held a General Meeting last week at Walden Yacht Club.  President Katherine Maher called the meeting to order and led us in the pledges to the American Flag and then the Texas Flag. A prayer given by Bill Hogan followed.
Then Jana Lee Jessen talked about the LCCLC’s 2nd Annual “Lions Cruisin’ 2024” Car Show which will take place on Saturday, October  12th at Walden Yacht Club’s parking lot, 13101 Melville Drive, Montgomery, TX  77356 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.  First and second place awards in 5 categories (Classic & Vintage, Antique, Muscle Cars, Best in Show and People’s Choice) will be presented between 1 pm – 2 pm.   There will also be music, 50/50 drawings and a raffle.  Food & drinks will be provided by Breakwater Grill.  This event is free, open to the public and fun for the whole family!  So come on down!
Next on the meeting’s agenda,  members shared their “Good News”:  Marie Underdown mentioned SPCA PETS SNAP’s (a 501c3, all volunteer, animal rescue organization) upcoming Doggies & Divas Luncheon/Fashion Show that will be held on Saturday, October 5th at April Sound Country Club.  There will be a silent and live auction, with restaurant gift certificate raffles.  Along with the luncheon, there will be a style show where precious doggies will be walking the runway along with our beautiful divas.  Included to are our famous Chippendog Dancers!  Tickets are $65 and reservations are required.  Go to www.spcaofmc.ngo for tickers or more info.Bill Hogan reported that our district received a grant from Lions International to purchase generators and other items necessary to help people who are devasted by any future hurricanes!  Yea Lions!!
Now guess what we did. We learned how to save lives!  Yes, Lake Conroe Centennial Lions Club members were introduced (and in some cases, re-introduced) to the lifesaving value of knowing how to administer CPR!  According to presenter Lisa Finley, a CPR Instructor in Montgomery County, only 15%  of people in our county survive a heart attack!  Ron Mullin, shocked us even further when he related that in 2013 a friend of his was suffering from a heart attack but thankfully he was around to save her life by his quick action.  Unfortunately not every victim has someone in his/her vicinty to help.  Matter-of-fact, only 1 in 10 people survive a heart attack! And that is why learning Hands-Only CPR is so very important. Ron’s life time goal is that everyone, everywhere knows this life saving procdeure. (By the way, CPR began in 1960.)   Actually there are only 2 easy steps to remember! Here they are:
Step #1 – The VERY FIRST thing you do if you come across someone not breathing is to Call 911.  That will get help coming to the victim.  (CPR is exhausting and you will get releived by a trained EMT professional as soon as they arrive.) Step #2 – Start chest compressions.  Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute.  Song examples include “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, “Hips Don’t Le” by Shakira” or “Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash.  People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song.  
If there happens to be an AED (Automatic external defibrillator) in the building, be prepared to use that as well.  Ron shared that there is an app (called Pulsepoint AED)hat can be downloaded on your phone to show you the location of the AED in the building where you are or even IF there is one in your vicinity.
Next and so importantly, all of us got o practice what we learned on dummys provided by the American Heart Association.  Lisa, Ron and members of Conroe Regional Hospital were all on hand to make sure that we learned Hands-On CPR correctly, from holding our hands right, to counting the compressions, to getting someone to relieve us until EMTs arrived.  
All of us in attendance were so very glad to learn this important life-saving procedure! But wait….there is more!  Stay tuned to next week’s Lake Conroe Centennial Lions Report!
Lake Conroe Centennial Lions Club holds meetings on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 6 pm at Walden Yacht Club.  Please contact President Katherine Maher for more information at katherine@lakeconroelady.com. 

Margaritaville Lake Resort on Lake Conroe is inviting Jimmy Buffett fans to keep the party going in memory of the late Trop Rock singer with “Jimmy Buffett Day” Friday. 
Buffett died Sept. 1, 2023 at age 76 from skin cancer. His iconic song “Margaritaville” was the inspiration for tropical-themed resorts across the U.S. and in several countries. The Lake Conroe resort opened in June 2020. 
Here’s what to know about “Jimmy Buffett Day” at Margaritaville Lake Resort and other Labor Day weekend events at the resort:
SOUTHERN STAR REOPENS: Renovated Southern Star Brewing Company opens Saturday with new taproom, covered patio
Musical tributes for Jimmy Buffett
Special musical tributes are planned for Friday and Saturday night. 
A Jimmy Buffett Musical Tribute by Phillip Lee is set for 6 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Palm Court and then again from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. these days in the Boathouse Bar & Lounge.  
”Margaritaville is a global lifestyle brand inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett, whose songs evoke a passion for tropical escape and relaxation which is at the center of the Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe-Houston’s vision and purpose; what better way to celebrate and honor Jimmy Buffett’s life and legacy,” said Tom Faust, vice president, sales and marketing at Margaritaville Lake Resort. 
Commemorative “Jimmy Buffett Day” items such as shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, cups, hats and bags will be available for purchase this weekend. 
Partying with a purpose 
To further honor Buffett’s legacy and his heart for service, the resort will donate $1 from each “Jimmy Buffett Day” special drink purchased in a special commemorative cup to Child Advocates of Montgomery County. 
Through the nonprofit, volunteer advocates provide information and assistance to those in the child welfare system, in the juvenile justice system and youth struggling with school attendance or participation. The group recently rebranded from the CASA organization to Child Advocates of Montgomery County. 
Through Labor Day weekend, the resort is offering the “Keep The Party Going” package. Enjoy everything Margaritaville Lake Resort has to offer, including access to the Jolly Mon Water Park and onsite dining at LandShark Bar & Grill, License to Chill Bar & Cafe and Joe Merchant’s Coffee and Provisions.
Book by Friday and a portion of the proceeds from the stay will benefit Child Advocates of Montgomery County. Two special edition commemorative cups are included with each package. 
WILLIS ISD BOND: Willis ISD calls $115.4 million bond election in third attempt to get new stadium approved
More weekend events
The “Magic at Margaritaville” show with magician Harry Mauer in the Paradise Amphitheater is at 8 p.m. Saturday. Mauer is an “Atlantic City Entertainer of the Year Award” nominee and former magician at Houston’s Magic Island. 
A Glow Pool Party at the 5 O’clock Somewhere Pool is also planned for 8 p.m. Saturday. 
Additionally, the resort has Labor Day weekend packages. 
For $299 per night, guests can book any number of days from Friday through Sunday. Plus, add additional dates before or after Labor Day weekend for $179 per night.  

Since its completion in 1973, Lake Conroe has been regarded as a recreational playground of boating, fishing, camping, birdwatching and more for the Houston region. 
The lake covers a 21,000-acre area west of Interstate 45 in Montgomery County with the northern end reaching in to southern Walker County. Within the lake there are several distinctive islands each with its own character and purpose to recreation seekers and wildlife. 
Here’s what to know about the six islands within Lake Conroe:
NEW SCHOOL YEAR: New Janet K. Bartlett Elementary in Conroe ISD honors passion, dedication of 30-year teacher
Basics of Lake Conroe 
According to a history of the lake from the San Jacinto River Authority, the lake was planned and constructed shortly after a record 7-year drought in the 1950s.
Through a partnership agreement, the river authority partnered with Houston and the Texas Water Development Board in 1968 to jointly construct a water supply reservoir, Lake Conroe, on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.  
The Lake Conroe dam was completed in January 1973 and it was filled by Oct. 31, 1973, after the area received significant rain throughout the year.
Michael Hallett, a resident of the Harbour Town community on Lake Conroe, said when Lake Conroe filled there were shallow areas off the Seven Coves neighborhood that created Ayers Island and Bird Island, which rose up from the waters on the east side of the lake. 
Ayers Island 
Ayers Island is a well-known 1.5-acre island that can be reached by boat on the lake. There’s shallower swimming spots and several trees for a shady picnic. The island is maintained by the San Jacinto River Authority which mows, weeds and cleans up the island after major events like holiday weekends. 
In 2004, a $50,000 rehabilitation project took place at the island to build a bulkhead along the shoreline to prevent erosion and leveling the terrain to keep the area manageable. Boaters leaving trash on the island was also an issue and greater efforts were made to keep the island clean. 
Glass containers are prohibited on the island. Cruisin Tikis on Lake Conroe offers a three-hour swim cruise on their tiki vessel from Waterpoint Marina on the south end of the lake to Ayers Island. 
Bird Island 
Efforts are currently underway by several Lake Conroe residents to restore Bird Island off of the Seven Coves and Harbour Town neighborhoods. 
The piece of land that rises up from Lake Conroe is a roosting spot for a variety of native and migratory birds such as white “cattle” egrets, black cormorants, gray herons, ducks and the Anhinga, a black bird known more commonly as “water turkeys.” 
The migratory American White Pelican, a bird that is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, also pass through from February to May. 
Hallett and Madi Bullock have launched a project to rehab the island. Hallett estimates the original size of Bird Island was at least 2 acres going back to the 1970s. He believes the island is now less than a quarter of an acre due to winds and erosion. It was three times that size when he moved in 17 years ago. 
They have launched the Bird Island Rescue website and are working with local agencies and elected officials on a plan for Bird Island’s future. 
DISC GOLF SPINOFF: Conroe family turns disc golf hobby into spin-off business from their oil field company
Bentwater islands 
The Bentwater community on Lake Conroe is just south of FM 1097 on the western side of the lake. 
The neighborhood has two islands that extend into the lake — Benthaven and Green Isle Beach. Both islands are attached to the main neighborhood by bridge and both are filled with nearly all waterfront homes. 
Benthaven is the larger of the two islands with approximately 40 to 50 homes on the island. Bruce Sellers, resident of Bentwater and Realtor, said they were both high spots in the lake adjacent to Bentwater when the lake was built in the early 1990s. 
Both are gated communities within Bentwater with their own homeowners groups. The groups own and maintain the bridges and the common areas of the island. 
He said the islands offer exclusive, higher-end homes. When former president Donald Trump was campaigning prior to the 2016 election, he was hosted at one of the homes on Benthaven island. 
Green Isle Beach is the smaller island with 10 homes and a park that juts out into Lake Conroe. 
National forest islands 
On the northern end of the lake, there are two undeveloped and unnamed islands within the Sam Houston National Forest. The islands are south of FM 1375 in Walker County and west of the Cagle Recreation Area. 
According to Mandy Chumley, public affairs specialist with the forest service, the islands are 11 and five acres in size, respectively.
“These islands are both accessible by water and we encourage visitors to recreate responsibly. The shoreline areas have vegetation and shallow waters; we ask that visitors respect the natural environment to ensure these areas remain pristine for future generations,” she said.