Cheryl Bowman of CenterPoint Energy presented a check for $73,687.35 to (pictured above) Lamar Consolidated Independent School District School Board President Sam Hopkins, Superintendent Thomas Randle, Director of Maintenance and Operations Aaron Morgan and Administrator for Operations Kevin McKeever, as part of the company’s Schools Conserving Resources (S.C.O.R.E.) Program. The S.C.O.R.E. Program provides free assistance and financial incentives to reduce energy demand.

Wessendorff Middle School is the UIL Academic Meet District Champion for 2010. This is the ninth consecutive year for Wessedndorff to take the crown. This year's UIL meet was hosted by Lamar CISD at George Junior High School. Pictured are the first place team members: Back Row, Lili Chapa, Joe Npanugo, Alexandra Sanchez, Adaugo Njoku, Dale Mensik, Jill Peterson, Maddie Ward, Hailey Davis, Eman Hussain, Alex Graham, Stephanie Udayan, Zachary Loski and Brian Noh; middle row, Barakemi Ogbodaba, Djimon Jackson, Chrysantha Davis, Clare Bates, Julio Cortez, Lexi Anglin, Natalia Alanis, Stanley Obi, Alessandra Jana, Kameron Dennis, Therersa Torres, Marissa Vbra, Devon Romano, Drew Hartman, Dallen D-Ambra, Phillip Beavers and Jonathan Dennis; and front row, Lynell Smith, Hope Nasr, Saman Ahmed, Emely Kempker, Kellie Kadiri, Anayeli Esquivel, Ana Solimano, Kalle Cooper, Amanda Dorado, Erika DeLaRosa, Ashley Cao and Abby Messick.

Fort Bend County Officials broke ground this week at the new Emergency Medical Services Headquarters to be located at 4332 Highway 36 in Rosenberg. Shown are Bob Bass, Jamie Knight, Kaye Reynolds, James Patterson, Bob Hebert, Jean Galloway, Daniel Kosler and Ben Oei.

The Fort Bend Independent School District was well represented at the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented 2009 Professional Development Conference, held recently in Houston. Pictured are Naomi Brown, G/T Mentorship Program Instructor; Marc Sabbagh, recipient of the Adelle McClendon Young Leaders Scholarship; and Jeannette Spain, director of G/T and Academy Programs. The conference offered participants an opportunity for ongoing professional development and assistance in meeting the needs of the gifted students in the state, and an occasion to network.

The planning committee for Men Who Cook 2010 is finalizing the details for this year’s event, to be held Feb. 20, at Safari Texas in Richmond. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with the Billie Ledbetter Orchestra providing the evening’s musical entertainment. Members of the Men Who Cook 2010 Planning Committee members include Tim Kaminski, Jan Russell, Kenny Kucherka, Lonnie Meadows, Cindy Sutton and Alicia Casias. Not present for the picture were Bobbi Treacy, Judi Vernon, Marcia Holmes, Teresa Gibson, Margie Pollard, Barbara Minton, Dee Koch and Vincent Morales

The 17th annual Fort Bend Education Foundation Gala entitled “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, ” presented by Fort Bend Mechanical , will be held at the Sugar Land Marriott Hotel on Feb. 27. Pictured, back row, Emily Agis-Wahl, BMC Software; Don Kerstetter, Classic Chevrolet Sugar Land; Sharon Medford, Fort Bend Mechanical; Mike Siewierka, Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, L.L.P.; Mary Ahner, Gala Co-chair; Ron Bailey, PBK Architects; front row: Lina Sabouni, AUTOARCH Architects; Jacquie Chaumette, Gala Co-chair; and Deb Farley, United Healthcare. Not pictured, Gabriella Cone, Jamail and Smith Construction; Debra Marfin, Fred and Mabel Parks Foundation; Paul and Manmeet; Likhari; Dan Green, Sugar Land Rotary and Tom Sage, Vinson & Elkins. For more information on the Gala or the Education Foundation, visit the website at www.fortbendisd.com/foundation.

A Sartartia Middle School team, representing the school’s Science and Robotics Club sponsored by Ian MacIntyre, earned second place in the “Teamwork Competition” of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League qualifying tournament. Sartartia Middle School students Kalpana Vaidya and Viren Joopelli are shown preparing their robot for the competition course.

Results from the Annual Katy Invitational, held Jan. 26, were highly favorable for Austin High School’s FFA Livestock Judging Team, which earned third place overall after competing against 65 schools. Austin’s Poultry Judging Team also competed at the Invitational for the first time in the school’s history and placed 29th among 43 schools. Pictured (front row) are: Ross Ramirez, Courtney Sullivan, Lily Hernandez, John Sullivan, Emily Braly, Melissa Frake; and (back row) Tyler Marshall, Harvey Willis (coach), Kaitlyn McQuillan, Lauren Braly, Ryan Green, Jacob Abels, and Kejan Mehlhorn–Hock.

A record seven Lamar CISD students earned Texas Music Educators Association All-State status after performing in January at the All-Area auditions. TMEA All-State Choir members from Lamar CISD are Foster High School’s Alayna Thomas, Terry High School’s Carolyn Castillo, and Porscha Shaw, Quiterius Jackson, Chika Iguh and Richie Heussner, all from Lamar Consolidated High.

Committee members for the upcoming Fort Bend Regional Council Luncheon honoring Helen Cordes with a Lifetime Achievement Award are putting the finishing touches on the event to be held at Safari on Feb. 11. Sponsors include Champion Technologies, Planned Community Developers, Linda Schoonmaker, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and many others. Shown above are Honorary Chair Bill Schwer, Committee Chair Mary Ann Gardner, Honorary Chair Bob Hargarther and Development Director Laura Richard. Visit http://www.fortbendcouncil.org/ for more information. Photo by Larry Pullen.

Missouri City will hold the 14th annual Dad & Daughter Dance from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 13 at Community Center next to City Hall, 1522 Texas Parkway. The event includes party favors, cake and punch and a chance for dads and daughters to spend an evening dancing and having fun together. Each daughter will receive a keepsake photo and gift. In addition, corsages and boutonnieres will be available for purchase.

In just three days, students at Fort Bend Baptist Academy were able to raise $4,448 to contribute to the Haiti Relief Fund. "Students deposited change and dollar bills in large water bottles during lunch over a three day period, and raised even more money than they thought possible," said Pam Jacobsen, FBBA director of public relations. "Founder's Bank in Sugar Land generously provided the Cash Cow change counter to help us with the almost $1,400 in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters that we collected. We were able to send a total of $4,448.00 to World Vision's Haiti Relief Fund; World Vision has about 800 workers permanently in Haiti and so could be immediately hands-on in the relief efforts." Shown are Fort Bend Baptist Academy high school students Scott Orth, Jessica Jordan, and Maddie West, and elementary students Taylor Font and Luke Thurston.

The 17th annual Fort Bend Education Foundation Gala entitled “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez” will be held at the Sugar Land Marriott Hotel on Feb. 27. For more information on the Gala or the Education Foundation, visit the website at www.fortbendisd.com/foundation. Pictured are, back row: Emily Agis-Wahl, BMC Software; Don Kerstetter, Classic Chevrolet Sugar Land; Sharon Medford, Fort Bend Mechanical; Mike Siewierka, Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, L.L.P.; Mary Ahner, Gala Co-chair; Ron Bailey, PBK Architects; front row: Lina Sabouni, AUTOARCH Architects; Jacquie Chaumette, Gala Co-chair; and Deb Farley, United Healthcare. Not pictured, Gabriella Cone, Jamail and Smith Construction; Debra Marfin, Fred and Mabel Parks Foundation; Paul and Manmeet; Likhari; Dan Green, Sugar Land Rotary and Tom Sage, Vinson & Elkins.

Sugar Land Mayor James A. Thompson has appointed a 12-member Complete Count Committee made up of community leaders as the city prepares to be counted as part of the U.S. Census. One of their first efforts was to establish “Make Sugar Land Count” as the slogan representing the local initiative. The committee is also developing strategies to educate and reach the entire community. Pictured are Communications Director Pat Pollicoff, Senior Planner Lisa Kocich-Meyer; committee members George Chang and Terri Wang; Census Partnership Specialist Ralph Stafford; committee members Tom Gargiulo and D.C. Pickett; Director of Planning Sabina Somers-Kuenzel; and committee members Shenila Momim, Leon Anhaiser and Nancy Porter. Not pictured are committee members Harvinder Arora, Jeanette Anderson, John Cantu, Sherrie Knoepfel and K.C. Mehta.

Girl Scout Troops from Rainbow Stars Service Unit recently went on a tour of Farouk System Factory located in Houston. Farouk Systems makes CHI products- such as the famous CHI flat iron used to straighten hair. The group was given a full tour of a working factory – they were bottling CHI styling products at the time. The girls were also given a tour of how they actually make the CHI flat iron, and were given samples of some of the CHI or BOISILK hair products. As a bonus, the girls were able to see some of the new products, such as the new CHI Home appliances. Scouts of San Jacinto and the Rainbow Stars Service Unit serve nearly 700 registered girls and adults in New Territory- Sugar Land.

Missouri City’s Pet of the Week, Duke, is a playful 7-month-old yellow lab mix who needs a big yard. To adopt Duke or any other pets available at the Missouri City Animal Shelter, call 281-403-8970 to make an appointment to see them. The shelter is located at 1923 Scanlin Rd., behind the City Hall complex. For more information, visit www.missouricitytx.gov/Government/Public-Works/Animal-Control and click on the “Adopt-A-Pet” link.

Two years after being named the nation’s first “Community of Respect,” the Anti-Defamation League recognized Sugar Land for the third straight year. Pictured during a special recognition at a City Council meeting recently are ADL Board Member and Sugar Land resident Ian Scharfman, Community of Respect Project Coordinator La Monica Yarbrough, ADL Southwest Regional Board Chair Franklin J. Harberg Jr. Sugar Land Mayor James A. Thompson, Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard and ADL Board member Laura Rahlfs.

“HEALTH NUTS” – Lamar Consolidated Independent School District’s Campbell Elementary was recently featured on KHOU’s Great Day Houston with Deborah Duncan to discuss Campbell’s “Health Nuts” employee health program. Shown are Cindy Burns, R.N., Campbell’s School Nurse, Gloria Kyle, instructional coordinator, Debbie Nesbitt, teacher, Deborah Duncan, host of Great Day Houston, Emma Kastens, Campbell Student, Lisa Kastens, parent and Campbell’s yoga instructor and Janet Brucker, R.N., educational specialist with Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, on the set of Great Day Houston.

Dulles High School will present the musical "The Music Man" under the direction of Denina Brown at 7 p.m. Jan. 28, 29, 30 and Feb. 4, 6, and 6 at Rodgers Auditorium, next to the school at 550 Dulles Avenue. For ticket information call Sandy Adelstein at 832-646-2446. Tickets will also be available at the door. Pictured are Carly Ribbe as Marion and Jason Palfreyman and Prof. Harold Hill.

In celebration of Children’s Book Week, Fort Bend County Libraries are working together with Barnes & Noble Booksellers by hosting a book fair Jan. 24 through Jan. 30 at the Barnes & Noble book store located at First Colony Mall. Proceeds from the book fair will help to enhance the children’s book collections at all of the libraries in the Fort Bend County library system. Staff from the libraries’ Youth Services department will present Story Time activities for children and families at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, and at 2 p.m. Jan. 30. Shown are FBCL Youth Services staff members Linda Clarkson and Lynne Ring.