2nd Annual Golf Tournament
Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. hosted its 2nd Annual Golf Tournament honoring philanthropist Harold Wiesenthal, on Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 12 - 5:30 p.m. Nearly $100,000 was raised in support of Memorial Park. We thank our returning corporate sponsor, HEB, and new sponsor, Bank of River Oaks, for supporting this event. We would also like to thank our devoted tournament committee for their help in making this the most successfull tournament yet. Preston Moore, Jr. (WCA Waste and Memorialf Park Conservancy board member) served as Chair of the MPC Golf Committee, joined by Jeanie Connell (Northern Trust and Memorial Park Conservancy board member), Benito Guerrier (Kirksey Architects), Jolene Nixon, Pat Nowotny (Gurrola Reprographics), Darren Sanders and Jack Tyler (Mexico Travel & Life).
Former Oiler quarterback Dan Pastorini and former PGA champion Doug Sanders served as Masters of Ceremonies. Among other notables were Nikki Zindler, Denton Cooley and Joe Russo. This four-person scramble format was played on one of the country’s best - Memorial Park Golf Course. Silent auction and contests (Tommie Vaughn Mustang) provided entertainment for golfers.
Chair Preston Moore and friend Harold Wiesenthal, Honorary Chair
Funds raised by the tournament benefit the ongoing programs and enhancement efforts of Memorial Park Conservancy in cooperation with Houston Parks & Recreation Department. We would also like to give special recognition to all of our sponsors, volunteers as well as Memorial Park Golf Course and Beck's Prime employees for their contributions.
Honoree Harold Wiesenthal, City Council Member Pam Holm and
Memorial Park Conservancy Executive Director, Sally Tyler
Former Houston Oiler, Dan Pastorini and Harold Wiesenthal
Deloitte Impact Day 2007
On Friday, June 8th, 100 dedicated volunteers from Deloitte & Touche assisted Houston Parks & Recreation Department personnel and Memorial Park Conservancy in building a 2,000 ft. split rail fence along the north side of Crestwood Drive. Once a year, employees from Deloitte offices around the world take part in Impact Day to lend their time in completing projects throughtout the communities in which they serve. This is Deloitte's third year to work on projects within Memorial Park and we are immensely grateful for their dedication.
We would also like to give special thanks to Gary Moss, Moss Landscaping, Rowdy, Walter P. Moore Engineering, and Mike May of The Houstonian for their support on this very important project.
This enhancement which helps protect the park is funded through contributions from Memorial Park Conservancy and Deloitte & Touche.
MPC Movie Night
The Unforeseen - Saturday, July 7
Please join us for the Houston premiere of The Unforeseen at The Aurora Theatre, Austin filmmaker Laura Dunn's lyrical examination of development versus nature. The film's story is told through the wonderfully nuanced tale of Austin developer Gary Bradley and the fallout of his building over the recharge zone for Barton Springs. The film features interviews from Robert Redford who spent summers in Austin and learned to swim at Barton Springs, and Ann Richards giving one of her last on camera interviews. Enjoy the gorgeous cinematography of Lee Daniels (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, Fast Food Nation) and Houstonian Tom Taylor (underwater footage at Barton Springs). Laura Dunn will be in attendance to answer questions from the audience.
The Unforeseen - 93 minutes
Director: Laura Dunn
Executive Producers: Terrence Malick and Robert Redford
Date: Saturday, July 7h
Location: The Aurora Theatre
Tickets: $10.00 online or $10.00 cash/check at the door
Laura Dunn Reception: 7:00-8:00pm
Screening Time: 8:00-9:30pm
Q&A: 9:30-10:00pm
Door Prize: Signed copy of the DVD
Synopsis: An ambitious west Texas farm boy with grandiose plans tires of living at the mercy of nature and sets out to find a life with more control. He heads to Austin where he becomes a real estate developer and skillfully capitalizes on the growth of this 1970's boomtown. At the peak of his powers, he transforms 4000 acres of pristine Hill Country into one of the state's fastest selling subdivisions. When the development threatens a local treasure, a fragile limestone aquifer and a natural spring-fed swimming hole (Barton Springs) the community fights back. In the conflict that ensues, we see in miniature a struggle that today plays out in communities across America.
For More information:
RealFilms website http://www.realfilms.org
Sundance: http://www.cinematical.com/2007/01/29/sundance-review-the-unforeseen/
San Francisco International Film Festival: http://fest07.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=112
Co-sponsored by:
Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc.
Houston Sierra Club
Reminder:
Bridging the Park
Rice Design Alliance Partners 2007 Charrette
Presented in collaboration with MPC and Houston Parks & Recreation Department
WHEN: Saturday, August 4, 2007
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
University of Houston
Second Floor
Entrance 18, Elgin Street
This year participants will be challenged to propose a design to unite the north and south parts of Memorial Park, Houston’s largest urban park, via a pedestrian bridge. Participants are asked to design a bridge that will serve as a landmark for the city and connect an existing bike path along Memorial Drive. The bridge will provide a measure of safety for pedestrians crossing the park, and shift pedestrian traffic away from ecologically sensitive areas.
The RDA Partners of the Rice Design Alliance invite interested parties to participate in a juried competition, Bridging the Park, an exercise that will focus on designing a pedestrian bridge and bike path along Memorial Drive. An entry fee of $20 per person ($15 for RDA members) will cover breakfast, a box lunch, and refreshments at day’s end. The competition is open to architects and non-architects, individuals or teams of up to five. Teams will be assigned to ensure that each team has at least one architect or engineer.
Jurors for the competition will announce the winning designs at an evening reception at the Houston Arboretum on Monday, August 6, 2007.
Please contact Kathryn Fosdick if you or your firm are interested in designing the Memorial Drive Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge. For more information please call (713) 348-4876.
Save-the-Date - October 17
Memorial Park Conservancy’s 2nd Annual Gala will be held on Wednesday, October 17 at the River Oaks Country Club. Watch our website www.memorialparkconservancy.org for more info.
Chairs: Gaye Lovett Davis and John Kelsey
Co-chairs: Kate and Scott Gibson
Memories of Memorial Park
The following was submitted to us by Ms. Debra S. Lopez
"The memories that I have of Memorial Park go back a long way. I can't even remember the year,
I do remember wonderful walks through the hiking trails. Of course we also made up our own trails as well.
I come from a large family. We would meet at my mom's on Sundays after mass and breakfast and from
there we would head out to the park. You see my mother was our leader and where she went we followed
her through the trails. Mom had cancer three times in her life, but nothing kept her down, she loved
being active. We had so much fun, when I look back, how I wish I could relive those wonderful hiking
days at Memorial Park. My mother died last June at age 79. That is my memory of Memorial Park."
We would like to thank Ms. Lopez for submitting her story. If you have an interesting story or memory of Memorial Park, please e-mail us at styler@memorialparkconservancy.org.
Thank you!
We would like to thank our generous donors for supporting our efforts in community building and preserving Houston’s premier green space:
($5000+)
Wortham Foundation, Inc. (The)
Ms. Gaye Lovett Davis
Mr. John Wilson Kelsey
($1,000-2,499)
CenterPoint Energy
Mr. John Cook
Mr. Joseph Reid
Marc and Jeri Shapiro Family Foundation
Silver Eagle Distributors, L. P.
Wallace Halpin LLC
($500-999)
Mr. Oscar M. Fellows
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Denton Cooley
Mr. and Mrs. Howard W. Horne
Ross Dunn Realty, Inc.
Mr. Darren Sanders
Mr. Woody W. Scott
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Talbert
Mr. Harold Wiesenthal
($35-499)
Mr. John Johnson
Mr. Edmund Martinez
Dr. Richard J. Andrassy
Dr. Norman L. Berkman
Mr. John Cook
Houston Croquet Association
Ms. B. J. Liedtke
Mr. Charles F. Milstead
Mr. Edward W. Turley
Ms. Christina U. Wilkerson
Ms. Arlene Schneider
Mr. Douglas S. Earle
Mr. David Propis
Mr. Mike May
(These gifts have been received between May 13 - June 13, 2007. Our gratitude to those who have contributed since that date.)
Thank you for your support of Memorial Park!
