June News
From the Grogan's Mill
Village Association
2020 Scholarship Winners Announced
The GMVA proudly budgeted $15,000 in scholarships this year. The scholarship funds were raised, by the GMVA, through proceeds raised from its Woodlands Farmer’s Market. From nineteen applicants, ten were chosen for awards. Three of the students are already in college and both had been award winners last year. The remainder are from College Park High School. The well-deserving students are Ana Berlioz, Mackenzie Weathers, Andrew Parsons, Grace McCook, April Follis, Falomy Eugene, Niya Gaddam, Hira Qazi, Rianna Ramos and Samantha Atkinson.
Letter to County Commissioner
The GMVA Board sent a letter to Commissioner Noack of Precinct 3 concerning the partial closure of the Buckthorne/Grogan’s Mill intersection. The left exit from the village center is now closed and the traffic lights are not functional. The board considers this action not to be in the best interests of residents, businesses and The Woodlands Farmer's Market.
Read the full letter dated May 14, 2020...
New Smart Water Meters
The Woodlands Water Agency will begin installing new smart water meters this summer. The meters will send information about water use throughout the day, allowing residents to monitor their consumption. This improved information system will allow users to determine if they have a leak or are over-watering with their irrigation system. MUD 6 will be the first area in Grogan's Mill to have the meters installed. Work will begin in September and should be finished by around the end of the month.
Odor Concerns at SJRA Waste Water Treatment Facility No. 1
Several Grogan’s Mill residents have registered complaints with San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) about odors releases from WWTF No. 1 and associated infrastructure. These nuisance odors have been impacting the quality of life of residents closest to the treatment plant on Sawdust Road.
SJRA has engaged Perkins Engineering, a civil engineering consulting firm, to make a preliminary study to determine likely sources of odors. Perkins Engineering will be presenting the results of the study via GoToWebinar to be hosted by SJRA on Wednesday, June 3 at 6pm. If you wish to register for the webinar, please use the link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9080556878719052811
New Village Challenge: Protect Pollinators
Residents are encouraged to support pollinators by registering their garden or yard in the newest Village Challenge. The Plant for Pollinators Village Challenge aims to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and how habitat creation can support pollinator populations. Many pollinators, including monarch butterflies, have seen a significant decline in the last few decades due to overuse of pesticides and herbicides and loss of habitat. Take action today to protect bees, butterflies, moths and many more pollinators.
Check at The Woodlands Farmer's Market for pollinator plants for purchase.
Registered gardens provide the basic needs of pollinators, including food, shelter and water in a chemical free zone. The garden registration form highlights the many ways you can help pollinators, like offering nectar-producing plants for every season, leaving bare ground for burrowing insects and providing host plants so insects can lay eggs. The form is a great guide for those looking to start a pollinator garden offering many options including native plant lists, shelter ideas and water sources.
Registrations received from June 1, 2020 through December 1, 2020 will count towards the 2020 Plant for Pollinators Village Challenge. Each registration earns a point for your Village Association. Program sponsors, The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. and Project PolliNation, will contribute scholarship money to the three Village Associations with the most points. When you register your garden, you will receive a Plant for Pollinators window cling in appreciation. Find the garden registration form at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/plantforpollinators.
GMVA Community Contributor Award
Jimmy Bissig, local resident, was the recipient of the GMVA Community Contributor Award for April. Jimmy and his wife, Sara, first volunteered to pick up produce for their neighbors and then expanded it to local friends and family. They are committed to supporting local farmers and serving residents that want to support local farmers. In organizing this effort, they have delivered fresh produce and helped to keep local farmers in business. The GMVA recognizes and congratulates Jimmy Bissig for his service to our community.
Actions Taken to Benefit our Community
We often take things in our community for granted, especially if they have been around as long the community existed, like our local village associations. Each village, within the Woodlands, has one and they usually do their work for the community quietly and without much fanfare. Yet we thought it was time for a little attention on what ours, here in Grogan’s Mill, has been doing in light of recent events.
During the recent COVID-19 crisis the Grogan’s Mill Village Association (GMVA) used Farmers Market profits to purchase meals from local restaurants in financial need to support families who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. They also brought together two other community groups for C19 assistance. Specifically, Ms. Shanta Dronamraju, Service Director of Tamarac Pines Senior Living Community, asked if the GMVA could locate face masks for their residents. GMVA board member, Ms. Sara Bissig, quickly found a source, The Woodlands Area Quilt Guild, and within one short week guild member, Ms. Karen Estalella delivered the first batch of colorful hand crafted masks to the grateful Tamarac Pines community.
Displaying some of the masks made by the Woodlands Area Quilt Guild for Tamarac Pines Senior Residents are Shanta Dronamraju, Tamarac Pines Service Coordinator (l.), Sara Bissig, GMVA Board Member (m.) and Karen Estalella, Woodlands Area Quilt Guild member (r.)
The Woodlands Farmer's Market Benefits Community
Over the last decade, the Grogan’s Mill Farmers Market has played an important role in The Woodlands with its vibrant mix of food, crafts, music and weekend mojo. Indeed, given the recent pandemic, people are getting back to basics and farmer’s markets have become one of the most sought-after weekend activities in towns and cities across American. After a temporary shut-down, The Woodlands Farmer's Market is open again every Saturday from 8am - noon.
By way of example, small and mid-sized farmers use farmers markets as the first point of entry into a market for their products. Farmer markets allow producers to incubate their businesses, develop and test products with instant feedback and earn reliable income. These farmers or artisans have direct access to consumers with minimal investment in infrastructure, distribution or middlemen.
Importantly, consumers benefit by receiving access to fresh, locally produced foods and goods. Further, consumers develop face-to-face relationships with the farmers who grow their food and can contribute directly to local farm viability. A strong farmer’s market contributes to creating a robust local economy, thriving neighborhoods and can provide those with less access to fresh food more opportunity to buy it. Harder to measure but equally important are the benefits of consuming healthier food, an improved quality of life and an enhanced image of the community.