Kleb Woods Nature Preserve

Kleb Woods Nature Preserve is located in NW Harris County near the historic community of Rose Hill on FM 2920 west of Mueschke Road. Kleb Woods is a 131-acre nature preserve operated by Commissioner Steve Radack, Harris County Precinct 3. The 20605 FM 2920 tract (about 32 acres) is open from 7:00 A.M. until dusk daily. Amenities include restroom facilities, drinking fountains, a pavilion, picnic/BBQ facilities and walking/nature trails. In addition, overnight camping is available for scout groups. Reservations are required. For more information, please call the Precinct 3 Parks office at 281-496-2177.

Elmer Kleb

The 20301 Mueschke Road tract (about 99 acres) is the former
homestead of Elmer Kleb and is bordered on the north by
Draper Road. It is open from 7:00 A.M. until dusk daily.
It has restroom facilities, drinking fountains, walking/nature
trails, a historic farm and a nature center with an auditorium
and a classroom. The Nature Center and farmhouses are open
weekdays from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Tour groups are welcome.
Classes are offered for school groups and other organizations.
The facilities will support groups to 120 students and/or adults.
Programs offered include bird study and banding classes, journaling,
amphibian watch, wildlife gardening, vegetable gardening, heritage
gardening, native plant study, Chinese Tallow control and research
projects, ecology research opportunities, heritage and history projects
for individuals, classes and groups, oral histories, folklore and cultural
heritage related programs. Volunteer opportunities are also available.
For information please call the Nature Center at 281-357-5324.

Kleb Woods Nature Preserve provides a unique window into the environmental and cultural history of northwest Harris County. Andreas Kleb acquired the property that would become Kleb Woods Nature Preserve in 1871. Upon his death in 1903, he passed the land to son Edward. Edward created a farm that sustained him, his wife, Minnie, and his children, Elmer and Myrtle. The Klebs farmed, raised cattle and planted trees to provide lumber for their personal use, Upon the death of his parents and sister, the farm passed to Elmer, who remained unmarried and without heirs. Elmer was most interested in growing trees and watching the wildlife that shared his world. Elmer was on the verge of losing his beloved woods to tax collectors and he enlisted the aid of the Houston Audubon Society. They garnered national and even international publicity for his plight. Commissioner Steve Radack came to Elmer's aid with help from the Trust for Public Lands and Texas Parks and Wildlife and saved the property. Upon visiting Kleb Woods Nature Preserve you will learn what life was like for the Klebs in the early 20^th century as well as the wildlife that ultimately inherited the land. From prairie to farm to forest, the story is complete.

Two annual Precinct Three events for children draw crowds

Almost 150 children competed and 500 to 600 attended Commissioner Radack’s annual KIDFISH on March 6th at Mary Jo Peckham Park for All Children, 5597 Gardenia Lane in Katy.

The free event teaches children up to age 16 about fishing. It is sponsored by Precinct Three, Texas Parks & Wildlife and the KIDFISH Foundation, Inc. – a non-profit that educates young outdoor enthusiasts.

As always, children at the event had to actively participate. Adults could only assist as the kids competed in different age groups and fished the lake at the park, which Precinct Three had stocked with an additional 900 pounds of catfish before the event.

Prizes and trophies were awarded to those who caught the top three fish in each age group and fishing equipment and bait was provided to those who could not bring their own.

On March 19th, another popular annual Precinct Three event for children – the Easter Egg Extravaganza at Bear Creek Pioneers Park – brought out between 75 and 100 attendees, even though it took place on windy day during Spring Break.

Participants competed in a variety of contests for coloring, homemade Easter eggs and Easter baskets and, of course, there were Easter egg hunts for different age groups.

Annual Precinct Three Memorial Day ceremony cancelled due to continued flooding at Harris County War Memorial

The annual Precinct Three Memorial Day ceremony on May 30th at the Harris County War Memorial in Bear Creek Pioneers Park has been cancelled because of continued flooding at the site of the event caused by April’s severe weather.

The ceremony was cancelled only after it became clear portions of the park, including the War Memorial at 3535 War Memorial Drive off Eldridge Parkway, were still too flooded for a public event like the solemn ceremony.

The Harris County War Memorial was built more than 30 years ago during the administration of former Precinct Three Commissioner Bob Eckels. It carries the names of county residents killed in uniform during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2011, Precinct Three Commissioner Steve Radack updated the memorial and added the names of Merchant Marines killed during World War II. The names of those who served in the U.S. Coast Guard and died during various wars were also added.

Each year, names of Harris County residents serving in the military who died in war zones during the previous year are added to the memorial before Memorial Day. There are currently 2,591 names on the memorial.

Anyone with questions about the monument or the cancellation of the ceremony can call the Precinct Three Parks Office at (281) 531-1592. Patrons can also visit www.pct3.com to look up names on the memorial.

Juergen’s Hall Community Center officially open

Commissioner Radack formally opened his eighth Precinct Three community center on May 4th when he pumped new life into historic Juergen’s Hall – the venerable cornerstone of Cypress Top Historic Park that was once a popular dance hall.

Renamed the Juergen’s Hall Community Center and, located along with the park at 26026 Hempstead Road, Zumba exercise and adult tap dancing classes are now offered at the center, along with senior game days. More activities will be offered soon and the hall can be booked for events.

The hall became part of Precinct Three’s family of parks in November 2008, when the larger park was dedicated. The park contains several carefully maintained older buildings cared for by the precinct and local historians. In recent years, the dance hall has been used for early voting in Harris County elections.

The buildings were once part of the business district in the old railroad town of Cypress, originally known as Cypress Top and established in the 1850s. As a railroad town, Cypress never really took off, but the small community remained vibrant. Residents remained tied to their roots and the old dance hall is part of the story of the old Texas town.

Precinct Three crews made careful improvements to Juergen’s Hall so it could be used as a community center and, though not as large as newer community centers, it can still handle classes, activities and meetings. For more information on events and activities at the historic center, call (713) 274-3188 or email juergenshallcc@pct3.com

Expanded curriculum at the Jim & JoAnn Fonteno Senior Education Center

Curriculum at Commissioner Radack’s first senior education center has expanded dramatically in recent weeks so seniors will have more classes to choose from.

Patrons visiting the Jim & JoAnn Fonteno Senior Education Center, 6600 Bissonnet, who live in Harris County and are 55 or older can now enroll in new free classes there aimed at senior fitness, better health, a better understanding of Social Security, Medicare, gardening, Texas history and cancer risks.

New classes being offered at the Fonteno senior education center have already been field tested by seniors at the popular Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center, 16600 Pine Forest Lane in Houston TX.

Commissioner Radack opened the 10,000-square-foot Fonteno senior education center in 2004. Scores of seniors received training in computer skills there and giving senior tech skills was the original mission of the program. Many seniors were also recruited and trained as volunteer instructors.

This facility was so successful that the second of two Harris County Precinct Three senior centers was opened in early 2011. The 14,000-square-foot senior center quickly became an immensely popular place for seniors looking to remain engaged and enroll in a wide variety of classes. Glazier senior education center also became a testing ground for dramatically expanding the curriculum of the program.

Many of those classes are now headed to the Fonteno senior education center, where a renewed emphasis has been placed on getting more seniors involved in classes aimed at keeping their minds and bodies healthy.

For more information on the expanded curriculum at the Fonteno senior education center, call (713) 981-4703. For information on the innovative programs at the Glazier senior education center, call (713) 274-3250.

Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center Garden

An innovative community garden project from Harris County Precinct Three Commissioner Steve Radack aimed at teaching seniors more about organic foods and healthy living will start at the Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center in October.

Precinct Three crews finished construction of the community garden behind the senior education center at 16600 Pine Forest in the Texas 6 and Clay Road area. Some of the specially-constructed gardens beds are raised and others are vertical. That will allow seniors to more easily reach them from sitting and standing positions and make the beds easier to tend. The garden was also fashioned in a way as to leave plenty of room for walkways and wheelchairs

Any senior who signs up for the program will take responsibility for the care of the garden and will eventually rotate crops to match the different growing seasons throughout the year. In October, for example, they will plant organic kale, lettuce, beets, carrots, radish, Swiss chard, spinach, Brussels sprouts and green beans.

Seniors participating will learn that raised gardening beds are easier to maintain and that they increase soil temperature and drainage. That means the growing season for a particular crop can be extended. The seniors will also learn what it’s like to grow vegetables in a natural and organic fashion. That means no chemicals or manmade pesticides will be used. Those participating will also be allowed to harvest the crop on special harvest days so they can take home some of the vegetables they tended to in the garden.

Participation in each growing season’s class will have to be limited, but dozens of seniors have already expressed interest in working in the garden. The program also complements the long list of popular classes already offered at the Glazier Senior Education Center that focus on healthy cooking, nutrition, diet and staying fit.

For more information on the community gardening program and other classes and senior educational opportunities, call the staff at (713) 274-3250 or visit the Glazier Senior Center webpage.

Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center now open and another special community project planned for Cypress

The Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center, 8440 Greenhouse Road, is open to the public. The 21,000-square-foot community center is named for real estate developer and leader Richard Weekley and his wife. It is the seventh such facility operated by Commissioner Radack.

Like other community centers, it offers recreational classes and educational opportunities for youth, adults and seniors. There will also be space for meetings for homeowners, various groups and non-profit organizations. A large adjacent park complex is still a work-in-progress and will eventually feature walking trails, outdoor exercise equipment, playground equipment and other amenities.

For more information on services, classes and meeting space at the community center, contact Harris County precinct 3.

In addition, Commissioner Radack has moved on to another project for the Cypress area – the development of historic Juergen Hall into the eighth Precinct Three community center.

The old dance hall is located in Cypress Top Historic Park, 26026 Hempstead Road. It became part of Precinct Three’s family of parks in November 2008, when the larger park was dedicated. The park contains several carefully maintained older buildings cared for by the precinct and local historians.

The buildings were once part of the business district in the old railroad town of Cypress, originally known as Cypress Top and established in the 1850s. As a railroad town, Cypress never really took off, but the small community remained vibrant. Residents remained tied to their roots and the old dance hall is part of the story of the old Texas town.

Precinct Three crews are currently making improvements and repairs to Juergen's Hall community center so it can function as a Harris County community center and, though not as large as newer facilities, be able to handle classes, activities and meetings. An announcement about an opening date for the community center will be coming soon.