Good morning, The Woodlands.
Somewhere in Montgomery County there is a well nobody has thought about since the day it was drilled, and this fall its owner can find out for free what is actually in it. Today's issue is full of that kind of thing, useful services humming along in the background until somebody finally says them out loud. The one Erika and I got stuck on is the 10 for Texas, and specifically the kids' mile, which we are already picturing going about as well as you would expect.
Glad you’re here,
—Erika & Mike
🎂 Shoutout: Happy Birthday Carlos Maldonado! Have a good one Sir.
🗞 In this issue…
🏛️ One Director Says Township Hiring Has Outpaced Population Growth
🏃 Registration Is Open for the 10 for Texas, and Every Race Is Capped
⛳ An Indoor Golf Center Is Taking 2,228 Square Feet on Robinson Road
💧 The Groundwater District Turns 25 and Is Testing Wells for Free
⚠️ WARNING: Heat Advisory in effect until 7 p.m. Monday. Peak heat index 106 to 110, so keep any outdoor plans short and early.
Monday, August 24, 2026
🥵 Partly Cloudy · 101°F / 78°F
Humidity up to 84%, wind up to 10 mph.
Another one for the early hours and the shade. Water bottle in the car, not on the counter.
Source: Vaisala Xweather
One Director Says Township Hiring Has Outpaced Population Growth
The Woodlands Township board met August 18 for the second day of its fiscal year 2027 budget discussions, and the subject that day was people. Township President and CEO Monique Sharp walked the board through how much the payroll has grown, and the headline figure is 162.75 new full-time positions added township-wide since 2016. Park operations grew the most, by 13.5 employees between 2016 and 2025.
Sharp's point was that most of that growth paid for itself or replaced something else. Six dispatch positions and 38.75 in recreation and aquatics were offset by revenue coming back in. Thirteen trolley drivers and 35 streetscape positions took over work the Township had been contracting out. Fifteen more came with standing up a tenth company for The Woodlands Fire Department. Participation in outdoor recreation has climbed since COVID-19, she said, and demand was strong enough that the board at the time chose to build those departments up.
She also opened the books on what the Township pays outside contractors. Waste Management holds a $9.6 million annual contract covering trash and recycling for 36,000 homes. Law enforcement contracts total $21.3 million. Mounted patrol is $1.5 million. Environmental Services comes in at $787,544 for FY 2027, an increase of roughly $12,000, or 1.5 percent, and its salary and benefit costs are actually falling because higher-paid employees have left and their replacements start lower.
Then the board disagreed in public. Vice Chair Craig Eissler said he thinks the board has managed the employee budget well. Director Shelley Sekula-Gibbs said that over the past ten years staff increases have run ahead of population growth in The Woodlands, and that on the current path "we are going to really be heavy on staff."
Why it matters: headcount is the line in any budget that is easiest to add and hardest to remove, which is why it is worth watching the year somebody says so out loud.
Source/Credits: Community Impact
Registration Is Open for the 10 for Texas, and Every Race Is Capped
The Memorial Hermann 10 for Texas returns to Northshore Park on Saturday, October 10, and registration is open now. Three races run that morning: the ten-mile, the 3.1 Armadillo Run 5K, and the One 4 Texas Kids' Fun Run.
The Kids' Fun Run goes off first at 7 a.m., the 5K at 7:30, the ten-mile wheelchair, handcycle and duo division at 7:35, and the ten-mile itself at 7:40. Awards are at 9:30, and the morning ends with a post-race party and live music. Entry is $70 for the ten-mile, $60 for the 5K and $35 for the kids' run.
A few details worth knowing before you sign anybody up. The ten-mile is USA Track and Field sanctioned. It and the 5K are chip-timed and recommended for ages 10 and up. One 4 Texas is a one-mile, untimed, non-competitive event built for kids of all abilities, recommended from age 5. Every race is capped.
There is also a hard clock. The finish line closes three hours after the start and the course reopens to traffic under the approved traffic control plan, so runners and walkers need to hold 16 minutes per mile to stay ahead of it.
Why it matters: capped fields and a fixed course-closing time mean this is the kind of thing you either put on the calendar in August or miss.
Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands
An Indoor Golf Center Is Taking 2,228 Square Feet on Robinson Road
A state filing shows GolfTRK preparing to open in Oak Ridge North. The tenant plans to renovate 2,228 square feet at 27605 Robinson Road, Suite B, with work starting September 7 and finishing by November 2, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project filing.
GolfTRK is an indoor golf training center that pairs swing technology with conventional instruction. The company is based in Prairie Village, Kansas, and according to its own website has franchised more than 40 locations.
That is the whole of it for now. Community Impact notes its story is built on the filing alone and says it will update when there is more.
Why it matters: a filing is the earliest public signal a business is coming, and this one puts a date on the work.
Source/Credits: Community Impact
The Groundwater District Turns 25 and Is Testing Wells for Free
The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District is marking 25 years with a symposium on Thursday, October 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Lone Star Convention Center in Conroe. It is free, lunch is included, and registration is required because seating is limited.
The part that matters if you are on a well: the district is partnering with the Texas Well Owner Network to screen registered private exempt wells anywhere in Montgomery County at no charge. Samples get tested for total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen and salinity. Once you register you receive instructions for collecting the sample, plus the drop-off date and location, and your results come back to you at the symposium itself.
Results are paired with a session called "Well Informed," led by Dr. Joel Pigg of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, who coordinates the Well Owner Network. It covers well basics, water quality, and how to read your own numbers.
To get screened you have to select the water well screening option when you order your free ticket, and both funding and slots are limited. The district also notes that every groundwater well in Montgomery County is required to be registered with it, and describes protecting the county's groundwater as a shared responsibility.
Why it matters: a lab screening on your own well water normally costs money and a phone call, and this one costs a form.
Source/Credits: Woodlands Online
Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.
Monday, August 24
🗓️ Robotics or Spanish Enrichment | Seeds & Fruit Christian Academy | 3:30 p.m. | More info
🗓️ Getting Started with Video | Precision Camera & Video, 17937 I-45 North, Shenandoah | More info
Tuesday, August 25
🗓️ Boogie Bash-In August | 11 a.m. | More info
🗓️ Give Blood | Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, 9250 Pinecroft Dr | More info
🗓️ Paint, Sip & Create: Highland Cow Painting Night | Sawyer Park Icehouse, 314 Pruitt Road, Spring | More info
Wednesday, August 26
🗓️ The Bee Lady presentation | 11 a.m. | More info
🗓️ Open Jam Wednesday hosted by Jp Lee | 7 p.m. | More info
🗓️ Eric Johanson | 8 p.m. | More info
Thursday, August 27
🗓️ Shadow Puppet Theatre: Bullfrog Pops! | 11 a.m. | More info
🗓️ Bougie Bingo | Ale & Ivy, 305 Sawdust Road, Spring | 6 p.m. | More info
🗓️ Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner: Double Trouble Double Vision Tour | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 7 p.m. | More info
🗓️ Fall Preview Candle Night: Girls Night Out | Magnolia Ritual, 6318 FM 1488 Suite 110, Magnolia | More info
Friday, August 28
🗓️ Storybook Theatre: Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory | 11 a.m. | More info
🗓️ Jack Johnson with Lake Street Dive: SURFILMUSIC Tour 2026 | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 7 p.m. | More info
Saturday, August 29
🗓️ Back To School Bash | iCode The Woodlands, 4526 Research Forest Dr Ste 12 | 11 a.m. | More info
🗓️ Fall Montgomery County Home & Outdoor Living Show | Lone Star Convention & Expo Center, 9055 Airport Road, Conroe | Free | More info
🗓️ Buddy Guy Blues Festival | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 6 p.m. | More info
Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
(Restrictions Apply)
🌳 Woodlands Trivia
In 1935 Tomball signed a contract with Humble Oil that gave residents free water and natural gas for ninety years, in exchange for the right to drill inside the city limits. Ninety years from 1935 landed in 2025.
🤠 Talkin' Texan
"We've howdied but we haven't shook." Translation: we have crossed paths and nodded, but we have not actually met yet.
🚿 Shower Thought
You can drive a road you have driven a thousand times and pull into the driveway with no memory of the last four turns.
😂 Dad Joke
How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.
🤔 How did we do in this issue?
Were you forwarded this email?
Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂