Kink Team News & Announcements
1/31/2012 - 3 Hot Trends for Kitchen Remodels in 2012
To read this article, click here: http://thekinkteam.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/3-hot-trends-for-kitchen-remodeling-in-2012/
1/26/2012 - HGTV’s HouseHunters in The Woodlands!
TUNE IN to HGTV tonight at 9PM Central!! HouseHunters is coming to The Woodlands in the episode "Everythings Bigger in Houston"

Click here for more info: http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters/show/index.html
1/19/2012 - Anadarko prepares for a new tower in The Woodlands
Anadarko, the owner of the tallest building between Houston and Dallas, is beginning preliminary surveying and work for its next office tower near the current tower off Lake Robbins, a company spokesperson said.

“We looked at our expectations for growth and decided we’re going to need more space for the influx of employees we’ll have in the next few years,” said John Christiansen, an Anadarko spokesman.

The company isn’t saying how tall the building is, but reports have said it could be one floor taller than the current tower. The new building will “not have as much floor space,” though, Christiansen said. The first tower is 30 floors and stands about 439 feet tall.

The building is expected to be finished and ready for a move-in sometime early in 2014, he said, and will be off Woodloch Forest Drive and Lake Robbins Drive, west of the first tower.

While plans aren’t final, the building is tentatively set to only house Anadarko employees and not have office space leased to other businesses, Christiansen said.

Anadarko will make a more official announcement within the next couple of weeks, he said, with more concrete details on the size of the building. For more information, visit www.anadarko.com
1/18/2012 - Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Entertainers 2012
For the past 80 years, people have attended the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo each year, with a record number of 2.2 million in 2011. The rodeo requires over 26,000 total volunteers to keep the operation running smoothly each year. The season begins with the Downtown Rodeo Roundup and Parade, the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run, and the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, and ends with the last show on Sunday marking the 20th day of entertainment and rodeo festivities. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo features championship rodeo action, livestock competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbecue and the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, shopping, sales and livestock auctions. The 2012 Houston Livestock Show performance schedule has been released. Show tickets went on sale on Saturday, January 14th online at rodeohouston.com or by phone at 800.726.1313.
1/18/2012 - Are you friends with your kids on Facebook?
To read the full posting, read it on our blog by clicking here: http://thekinkteam.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/are-you-friends-with-your-kids-on-facebook/
1/13/2012 - The Kink Team Sponsors Montgomery County Heart Ball
The Kink Team is excited to sponsor this year's Montgomery County Heart Ball. We believe in the cause of the American Heart Association to promote nutritious lunches in our schools, improve heart surgeries and teach hospitals how to better handle stroke emergencies. Because of the dedication of local individuals and people, like The Kink Team, the American Heart Association remains steadfast in the pursuit of a world free of heart disease and stroke.

The Kink Team is reminded at this time of year to be thankful for the special people in
our lives, who may need our help. The New Year is the perfect time for us to help build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Join The Kink Team in support of the American Heart Association by attending The Montgomery County Heart Ball Paris-An Affair of the Heart on Saturday, February 18th, 2012, held at Woodlands Waterway Marriott.

*Visit https://ahahouston.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/20112012MontgomeryCountyHeartBall/tabid/281005/Default.aspx for more information*
1/12/2012 - 30-year mortgage rate at record low 3.89%
Mortgage rates have hit record lows, Freddie Mac said Thursday in its weekly report on these rates, following "mixed" labor-market indicators. The average rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low of 3.89% in the week ended Jan. 12, compared with 3.91% in the prior week, according to Freddie Mac, a buyer of residential mortgages. These data go back to 1971. A year ago, the 30-year rate was at 4.71%. "Although the economy added 1.6 million jobs in 2011, which was the most since 2006, the unemployment rate remained historically elevated," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, in a statement. To obtain the latest rate, payment of an average 0.7 point was required. A point is 1% of the mortgage amount, charged in prepaid interest. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low of 3.16% in the latest week from 3.23% in the prior week. These data go back to 1991. Meanwhile, the average rate on the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage declined to a record low of 2.82% from 2.86%. These data go back to 2005. The 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM fell to a record low of 2.76% from 2.80%. These data go back to 1984. Story courtesy of Market Watch. Visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/30-year-mortgage-rate-at-record-low-389-2012-01-12-10070?siteid=bnbh for the full article.
1/10/2012 - Local youth pastor and son on NBC's Biggest Loser
A local father and son are contestants on the current season of NBC's show "The Biggest Loser," airing Tuesday's at 7 p.m. local time on KPRC Channel 2. Mark and Isaac "Chism" Cornelison, of Magnolia, are competing in the weight loss reality show for a $250,000 grand prize. Mark is a youth pastor at Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands and Chism is a college student.

Season 13 of the show began airing Jan. 3, so it's not too late to follow their weight loss journey in the competition. So far Chism is down 12 pounds and Mark is down 9 pounds after week 1. For more information, visit http://www.woodlandsonline.com/npps/story.cfm?nppage=45685 *Photo and graphic courtesy of NBC.
12/29/2011 - Houston Ranked #3 in U.S. for 2012 Hiring Outlook

A United States employment services firm, ManpowerGroup, surveyed over 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas to collect information about hiring, firing and future plans to maintain their current staff levels in the first quarter of 2012.
Houston ranked third on the list, including areas across the metroplex, with a net hiring outlook increase of 14%. If there was a time to graduate college, transfer, relocate or start searching for a new job in Houston, this is it.
To read more about this information, visit http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mkl45fekl/the-best-cities-for-jobs-right-now/
11/28/2011 - Fire conditions suspend luminary fundraiser for Operation Graduation
This school year Operation Graduation turns 25 in The Woodlands! Operation Graduation is an all night celebration for High School seniors of The Woodlands High School and The Woodlands College Park High School on their graduation night in May and June. It is a safe and an alcohol-free/substance-free lock-in, which means that once students arrive they are required to stay all night. This is to help ensure the safety of our graduating seniors. Sadly, prom night and graduation night are the most deadly for teens. Operation Graduation has saved lives in our community and many others that participate. The celebration is funded by donations and organized by parents. Students play games, participate in competitions and win prizes. Over 85 percent of graduating seniors attend this safe and fun evening.

For the past 25 years Operation Graduation has sold luminary kits as one of the fundraisers for this event. The luminary kits contain 10 candles, 10 paper bags, sand and instructions. The luminaries are usually set out on the curb in front of homes and businesses on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve to help “light the way.” Luminaries have been a tradition in The Woodlands for the past 25 years. Whole neighborhoods have been lit up on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately this year, Operation Graduation will not be selling the luminary kits due to the Extreme Fire Conditions in Montgomery County. This home town tradition will sadly be suspended until next year.

Since Operation Graduation has relied on the luminary kits to kick off its fundraising campaign for the year, this will have a negative impact on fundraising efforts. Operation Graduation is appealing to members of the community who have supported this tradition and asks them to consider making a donation to Operation Graduation in lieu of buying the luminaries this year.

The luminary kits are usually purchased for $10 and many families buy more than one kit to line the street front of their homes. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Operation Graduation please send donations to:

The Woodlands Operation Graduation
P.O. Box 8461
The Woodlands, TX 77387

Operation Graduation is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax-deductible.