FYI

Nottingham Country Garden Club to meet 

The Nottingham Country Garden Club will have its next meeting at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, at the Municipal Utility Building #81 in Katy.

The session will feature Sam Guardiola and Mike Frismanis speaking about composting and worms, according to a club release.

Everyone interested in gardening and gardening-related areas from West Houston and the Katy area are welcome to attend. Participants do not have to live in Nottingham Country to belong to the organization.

The Municipal Utility Building #81 is at 805 Hidden Canyon Drive, Katy.

For more information, call 281-492-2175 or visit www.nottinghamgardenclub.org.

Christmas Light Show, food drive  now under way 

Cottage Charm of Katy, the Thom Polvogt Agency Group and the McKenzie Group have teamed up to present the 2012 Christmas Light Show and food drive in Katy.

The light display is now open each evening at a historical home built in 1905, located in downtown Katy at 5806 Fourth St. The food drive will benefit Katy Christian Ministries, according to a Cottage Charm press release.

The light show will run through Thursday, Jan. 3, and will be available seven days a week from 6-11 p.m. and repeat every 15 minutes.

The location will feature a low-watt radio signal to play the music for the presentation’s background, and a computer and software program, 80 individual light channels and miles of wire and lights will provide the visual dimensions of the program.

Visitors will be able to listen to the music on their car radios at 89.9 FM.

The show is free of charge, but visitors are asked to bring a can of food that will be passed along to Katy Christian Ministry, a local charity for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

For more information, call 281-391-0606 or visit www.cottagecharm.org.

Local groups plant trees at Katy VFW Park 

The Katy chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Star of Destiny, recently partnered with Keep Katy Beautiful and the Katy Boy Scout Troop 584 to plant trees at Katy VFW Park.

The groups planted 11 burr oaks in the park Saturday, Dec. 1, according to a press release.

The trees were donated by the Apache Corporation and were planted in selected locations on the acreage. Star of Destiny Regent Trish Cook offered a prayer at the commencement of the planting.

Katy VFW Park is at 5720 Franz Road, Katy.

For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Office at 281-391-4840 or visit www.cityofkaty.com.

Katy author pens new Christmas tale for children 

Katy author Leann Bell recently announced the release of her new children’s book, “Indianola Santa.”

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book tells the story of Ed and Alma Bell, who love making toys for the children in their Indianola neighborhood. According to a press release, Santa is so impressed with Ed and Alma’s generous deeds for the children, he asks them to become the Santas in that Texas community they live in.

Bell was born in Victoria in 1951 and is the daughter of Ed and Alma Bell of Indianola. Her parents owned and operated Ed Bell’s Fish Camp, where the author grew up listening to her father’s tall tales.

“Indianola Santa” is available in bookstores or from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore. The book may also be ordered through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

For more information, contact Traci Jones, marketing representative for Tate Publishing, at 888-361-9473 or email traci@tatepublishing.com.

Maud Smith Marks Library readers to meet 

The Maud Smith Marks Branch Library has announced its calendar of events for Monday, Jan. 7 to Wednesday, Jan. 16.

The Evening Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7 to discuss “Sarah’s Key,” by Tatiana de Rosnay. The club meets on the first Monday of the month.

At 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, the Afternoon Book Club will discuss a biography. The club meets on the second Thursday of the month.

The Just Desserts Mystery Book Club will comb through “Sworn to Silence,” by Linda Castillo at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16. Participants may bring a favorite dessert to eat.

Maud Smith Marks Branch Library is at 1815 Westgreen Blvd., Katy

For more information, call 281-492-8592, visit www.hcpl.net or email nhaut@hcpl.net.