OPERATION FREE FOR THE BRAVE

For the second year in a row, Bubbles Car Wash is giving back to those who have given so much with Operation Free for the Brave, offering free car washes to veterans of the United States Military as well as active duty servicemen and women.

On Wednesday, November 11, 2009 all 12 area Bubbles Hand Wash and Bubbles Express locations will offer free car washes to all who currently serve or have served in any branch of the armed forces of the United States of America.

The idea for Operation Free for the Brave was the brainchild of Bill Lawrence and his partners Clayton Clark and Bill DeArman who believe that all Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our nation’s soldiers. Bubbles has partnered with the USO to celebrate the event.

“Operation: Free for the Brave is our company’s way of saying thanks to the brave men and women who have served our country over the years,” says Bubbles Chairman Bill Lawrence. “Their dedication and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

To maximize the convenience and accessibility of this gesture, Lawrence and his partners have waived the need for any proof of service.

“If they tell us they are a veteran or are currently in service, their word is good enough for us,” says Lawrence.

For more information, visit BubblesCarWash.com for locations and hours of operation.

HOUSTON FLOODED IN A SEA OF PINK

Downtown Houston hosted more than 32,000 participants of the 19th Annual Komen Houston Race for the CureR on Saturday, breaking the previous race record of 30,000.

Despite a tepid economy that has affected many charitable organizations, the Komen Houston Affiliate reported that more than $2 million had been pledged by Race morning.

“We are hoping to reach a total of $3 million dollars by our pledge deadline on November 15,” said Komen Houston Affiliate Executive Director, Dr. Adriana Higgins, Ed.D. “Every dollar counts and we know that our wonderful supporters will continue to help us to reach our goal.”

For nearly 20 years, the Race has steadily grown in participation and dollars raised helping to make the Komen Houston Affiliate the Top Komen Affiliate in the world for most funds granted in 2009.

Winners of this year’s Komen Houston Race for the CureR, sponsored locally by Marathon Oil Corporation are as follows;

5K Competitive Run – Female Division – Heidy Lozano

5K Competitive Run – Male Division – Adam Davis

5K Competitive Run – Survivor Division – Justin Colvin

Master Division (Ages 40-54) – Laurrie Cordes

Senior Division (55 and older) – Nancy Jacobs

For more information on the 2009 Komen Houston Race for the CureR visit www.komen-houston.org.

SUPERCUTS BREAKS WORLD RECORD!

A team of ten highly trained Supercuts stylists broke the Guinness World Record for most haircuts within a 24-hour period this weekend and did it all without a hair out of place.

The Midtown Supercuts location – 2509 Bagby at McGowen – was packed with people throughout the 24 hour attempt as the team of veteran stylists calmly and professionally cut 349 haircuts and raised $1745 for the YMCA of Greater Houston.

The world record attempt, which began Friday, October 9 at 12 p.m. and ended Saturday, October 10 at 12 p.m., was designed to show that the national salon can give a quality haircut while keeping busy schedules in mind.

”Holding this new Guinness World Record title is a tribute to all our stylists across the country who are expertly trained and among the best in the industry,” said Terri Gilstrap, regional operations manager. “At Supercuts our clients can get a haircut in the latest trends and styles while saving them money and time.”

The last record attempt for most haircuts in a 24-hour period was held by a group of stylists in Sweden with 319 haircuts in 2007.

Forty-four Houston salons are among more than 2,000 Supercuts across North America. Supercuts provides consistent, high-quality hair-care services and professional products to its customers at convenient times and locations with reasonable prices. The concept appeals to men, women and children. Supercuts offers a broad selection of professional hair-care products including Paul Mitchell, American Crew, Nioxin, TIGI, Redken, Biolage and more.

Supercuts is part of the Regis Corporation family of brands. For more information about Regis Corporation, visit www.RegisCorp.com.

GALLERY FURNITURE 100%

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and the entire Gallery Furniture family have completed the renovation of the store’s iconic I-45 showroom damaged by a fire in May 2009 and are celebrating with a 100% Grand Opening this Labor Day weekend.

Memorial Day and Labor Day mark the traditional beginning and end of summer but for Gallery Furniture, the two holidays represent the opposite.

“We had a big setback right before Memorial Day that almost destroyed hundreds of people’s lives and livelihoods,” said McIngvale. “But through the perseverance and determination of Gallery Furniture employees and the loyalty of customers, Gallery Furniture is 100% back in business 100 days later and hope that the I-45 location serves as a physical reminder to all that good triumphs over evil.”

Phase Two is the largest and most extensive of the two phases of reconstruction representing nearly two thirds of the store’s total square footage. The first phase of Gallery Furniture’s showroom was opened on July 4, but the second phase is the one that is getting all of the buzz.

Featuring new sections that have been designed with the customer experience in mind, the new showroom allows visitors to not just shop but visualize what their homes can be. Designers Bill Stubbs and Micheal Burns each incorporated their signature styles, creating designs for every price point from the economical to the over the top.

New sections in the completely remodeled showroom include:
• Ultimate His & Hers Home Office
• New “Sectional in the City” Contemporary Area
• All-new Children’s area with an innovative play area and Boy’s and Girl’s inspirational bedrooms including the spectacular life-sized Princess Castle Bedroom.
• Build-Your-Own-Sofa Factory
• New Aviary and Monkey Habitat with parrots, toucans and Capuchin monkeys
• QWebl Home Automation Systems
• Custom Order Design Center
• Moroccan Rug Gallery
• 20 new fully furnished life-style settings

USO HOUSTON TO OPEN NEW BUSH IAH CENTER ON TUESDAY

USO Houston Soars to New Heights, Opening a Renovated Center at Bush Airport

Event: USO Houston Re-Opening Celebration

When: Tues., Sept. 1, 2009 @ 2:00 p.m.

Where: USO Houston at Bush Intercontinental Airport
2800 North Terminal Road, Terminal D, Across from Gate D2

Details: On Sept. 1, troops and their families travelling through George Bush Intercontinental Airport will be the first to enjoy the newly re-opened USO center. Relocated in Terminal D, the expanded center is expected to lift the spirits of more than 45,000 troops and their families a year. This improvement comes as the airport celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The new 1,200 square foot facility will feature a Cyber Café with free Internet and e-mail access; large screen televisions, DVD player and movies, video gaming stations and theater seating in the entertainment lounge and gaming room; a library and kitchen area. This center was made possible by the support and generosity of the Houston Airport System, Gallery Furniture and Mr. and Mrs. Norm Phillips.

Participants: Houston Mayor Bill White; Eric Potts, Interim Director of Aviation, Houston Airport System; Gallery Furniture’s Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale; USO President Sloan Gibson and other dignitaries are expected to attend this event.

*** Media interested in covering this event MUST contact the Houston Airport System for clearance by calling (281) 233-1234. Media should park in the Terminal E public parking garages. ***

HOUSTON RACES FOR A CURE

The 19th Annual Susan G. Komen Houston Race for the Cure® is back and ready to break records, Saturday, October 3, 2009 in Downtown Houston.

For nearly 2 decades, the Komen Houston Race for the Cure® has seen phenomenal growth and 2008 was no exception. Last year’s Race shattered previous records earning over $1.8 million dollars by race day despite a devastating hurricane and a sharp economic downturn. The success of the Race has helped to make the Komen Houston Affiliate the Top Komen Affiliate in the world in 2009.

“We are looking forward to seeing a sea of pink on Race day,” says Kathy Nicholson, 2009 Komen Houston Race Chair. “If we have 30,000 participants and each one raises $100, we will raise $3,000,000, bringing us one step closer to a cure.”

This year’s Race, which is sponsored locally by Marathon Oil Corporation, will begin and end at the Sam Houston Park downtown, retracing the same popular route as 2008. Over 30,000 participants, including 1,600 breast cancer survivors, are expected to take part in this year’s activities.

The Komen Houston Race for the Cure® is a certified USATF 5K course with running and walking events for everyone including a Family Walk / Kids K (approximately 1/2 mile), a 5K Timed Competitive Run, a 5K Non-Competitive Run and a 5K Walk.

Returning this year is the popular Sleep in for the Cure®, an extension of Race for the Cure® that allows people to participate in the cause from the comfort of their own bed. Sleep in for the Cure® is a great way for those who cannot attend the main race to show their support while still catching their zzz’s.

Komen Houston Race for the Cure® activities will begin prior to race day and last well after the event is over. Chevron is sponsoring the Pasta Party and Auction for all race goers, Thursday, October 1 at the Westin Galleria.

Opening Ceremonies begin on October 3 at 7:45 a.m. with the first race starting at 8:00 a.m. The Runners’ Award Ceremony begins at 9:15 a.m. followed by the Survivor Celebration sponsored by Baker Hughes at 10 a.m. in Sam Houston Park. Participants can enjoy the Sponsor Expo where they will be able to sample products and food from the race sponsors and enjoy live entertainment. And for the Race’s smallest supporters, the Kids for the Cure® Corral, sponsored by Cindy and Mike Gatewood, Larry and Brenda Petru, and Paula and Gerard Stafford, offers face painting and games for children 10 and under.

Entry fees are $30 for adults, $15 for children, $25 for survivors and an additional $5 for the competitive run. Participants who register online at www.komen-houston.org by September 27 will receive their Race packet, including Race t-shirt and bib, by mail. Registration for Sleep in for the Cure® is $50 and includes a Race T-shirt, snooze bib and Race bib (just in case you change your mind), and specialty item.

For more information on the 2009 Komen Houston Race for the Cure® visit www.komen-houston.org

CenterPoint Energy applies for $200 million federal stimulus grant to accelerate current smart meter project and begin building self-healing grid

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) announced that on Aug. 4, its electric transmission and distribution subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric LLC, applied to the U.S. Department of Energy for a $200 million grant for a project titled “Houston’s Smart Grid: Transforming the Future of Electric Distribution & Energy Consumption.”

The project involves two distinct but interdependent parts. If granted, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric will use $150 million of the requested $200 million grant to accelerate its current smart meter and associated equipment installation that make up its Advanced Metering System (AMS). The $50 million balance will be used to accelerate the installation of the first phase of CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric’s Intelligent Grid (IG) that utilizes the AMS and other technologies to build a self-healing grid, and improve operational efficiency and reliability.

“CenterPoint Energy’s electric infrastructure is critical to the international commerce that flows through our Texas Gulf Coast service territory, which is susceptible to hurricanes,” said Tom Standish, group president of Regulated Operations for CenterPoint Energy. “We’re committed to strengthening the company’s electric grid to increase reliability and speed restoration following outages. Our Smart Grid alliance, including company personnel, together with consultants from IBM, GE, Itron, and Quanta who have subject matter expertise, firsthand knowledge of our company and the electric industry, and proficiency in Texas’ competitive electricity market, provides for a level of skill, experience and know-how that is unmatched in the industry.”

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric is a regulated electric utility whose rates, operations and services are subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. It provides electric transmission and distribution delivery services to more than two million metered customers in a 5,000-square-mile area of the Texas Gulf Coast, including Houston, the nation’s 4th largest city and “energy capital of the world.” Houston is also home to N.A.S.A., the Texas Medical Center and the Port of Houston Authority, the largest port in the U.S. in terms of foreign tonnage.

On behalf of the Retail Electric Providers (REPs), CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric delivers electricity from power generators to retail electric customers in locations throughout its service territory. Until the company’s AMS is in place, REPs will be limited in offering dynamic pricing programs in the competitive Texas electric market. Once complete, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric’s IG will serve as an example of a fully integrated, scalable and replicable smart grid. The company will expand and use its Technology Center to test various smart grid components, to evaluate the security of new technologies and to educate consumers, vendors and others about the benefits of smart grid technology.

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric’s five-year smart meter deployment began in March 2009, and on Aug. 1, the company reached a significant milestone with the installation of 45,000 smart meters and started delivering enhanced smart meter functionality to REPs, including 15 minute interval energy usage data. By the end of the year, 145,000 smart meters will be installed along with the necessary communications infrastructure and computing systems. More than 2 million meters are expected to be installed system-wide by the project’s completion in 2014 or by the end of 2012, with the aid of the federal grant money.

Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/EnergyInSight for the latest information on smart meters, including deployment maps for 2009 – 2014. A replay of the press conference will be available beginning on Thursday afternoon for one month at CenterPointEnergy.com/EnergyInSightPressConference.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, interstate pipelines, and field services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Assets total nearly $19 billion. With about 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 135 years. For more information, visit the Web site at www.CenterPointEnergy.com.

This news release includes forward-looking statements. Actual events and results may differ materially from those projected. The statements in this news release regarding future financial performance and results of operations and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect actual results include the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions, effects of competition, weather variations, changes in CenterPoint Energy’s or its subsidiaries’ business plans, the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices, particularly natural gas, the impact of unplanned facility outages, and other factors discussed in CenterPoint Energy’s and its subsidiaries’ Form 10-Ks for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, CenterPoint Energy’s and its subsidiaries’ Form 10-Qs for the periods ended March 31, 2009, CenterPoint Energy’s Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2009, and other filings with the SEC.

“The Marriage Ref” Casting at Gallery Furniture

“THE MARRIAGE REF” IS NOW CASTING
Jerry Seinfeld, NBC, the Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the producers of “Super Nanny” now bring you…

“The Marriage Ref”: A comic, reality series where celebrities and a relationship referee help squabbling MARRIED couples make peace. Created by Seinfeld himself, this is relationship advice… with a comic twist.

“The Marriage Ref” casting team is searching the country for outgoing and opinionated MARRIED couples in long-term relationships, willing to appear on national television, who have a long standing argument or issue that must be resolved.

No problem is too small!

* Is there an object, a person, or a habit (e.g. computer, pet, a friend, the remote control) that is a third wheel in your relationship and causes a problem?

* Does your partner have an annoying obnoxious habit or item that causes fights?

OPEN CASTING CALL IN HOUSTON
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
5 – 9 PM
GALLERY FURNITURE
6006 I-45 North
Houston, TX 77076
www.nbc.com/casting
Bonnie@castingcat.com

CatholicVote.org To Hold Press Conference to Launch New Ad in Houston

WHO: Jim “Mack” McIngvale, President Gallery Furniture
Brian Burch, President CatholicVote.org
George Strake, President, Strake Foundation
Dr. Joseph Kerwin, Scientist-Astronaut Skylab 2

WHAT: Press Conference to announce release of new CatholicVote ad

WHEN: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 11:30 AM

WHERE: Gallery Furniture – 6006 North Freeway between Tidwell and Parker

WHY: CatholicVote.org, a national grassroots educational project, will release a new television advertisement in Houston, Wednesday July 15. The new ad is the third spot in a year long campaign titled: “Life: Imagine the Potential.” The new ad will be aired on local Houston television stations with sponsorship assistance from Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.

CatholicVote.org gained national attention earlier this year with the release of “Imagine Spot 1” to coincide with the inauguration of Barack Obama as President. The ad was rejected by NBC and NFL for airing during the Super Bowl. The spot has been viewed by over 1.8 million visitors on YouTube here

Spot 2 in the campaign was released in May and ran during the American Idol finale in six states. Spot 2 can be viewed here

CatholicVote.org is a non-partisan project of the Fidelis Center for Law & Policy, a 501(c)3.