Frankenvines Meet Their Match: Median Madness Round 5 Report

1/10/26 – The impenetrable tangle of Frankenvines in front of Kingwood High School met its match today. Mayor John Whitmire joined Houston City Council Members Fred Flickinger and Twila Carter, City Parks Department workers, and an army of more than a hundred volunteers to tackle the thorny problem.

Young and old, men and women, they all teamed up for Median Madness Round 5. To help beautify the heart of Kingwood, improve traffic visibility … and have fun!

People Working Together to Improve Their Community

Today’s event focused on Kingwood Drive between Bens Branch and Valley Manor.

After a briefing in the KHS parking lot…

*Council Member Flickinger with the poster delivered the “Safety Moment”*

…the team members donned their work gloves, grabbed their lopping shears and got down to work. Within minutes, the group spread out and went into attack mode.

Brush piles reached shoulder height in practically no time.

*Chris Bloch of Trees for Kingwood helped organize the event.*

The pictures below show the energy and enthusiasm evident everywhere during the day.

*He traded his business suit and gavel for blue jeans and lopping shears*, *joking that this kept him “grounded.”*

*City Parks Department workers cut vines with chain saws on poles as volunteers pulled them down and piled them.*

*The Mayor and Council Member Carter (left) work with Bloch to pull down a major vine.*

*Fred Flickingers granddaughter joined Council Member Carter (center) and Danell Fields (right) to battle two mighty vines.*

*Council Member Carter with Council Member Flickinger’s granddaughter, Abigail Durham.*

Thank You!

Thanks go to Mayor Whitmire, Council Member Flickinger, Council Member Carter, the Kingwood Young Men’s Service League, Trees for Kingwood, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Greenbelt Guardians and a host of individual volunteers. You all came together on a blustery Saturday morning to make a huge difference for your community.

You exemplify the best of Kingwood, Houston, and Texas. Thank you!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/10/26

3056 Days since Hurricane Harvey