Trash and recycling pickup service in Sugar Land will not occur on Thursday, Nov. 26 in observance of Thanksgiving Day.

Thursday’s regularly scheduled pickup will roll to Friday, Nov. 27 and Friday’s regularly scheduled pickup will roll to Saturday, Nov. 28. 

Residents must have trash and recycling set out by 7 a.m. to ensure service.  Residents who live outside Sugar Land’s corporate city limits should contact their respective garbage providers to inquire about any holiday collection changes.

For more information, call 281-275-2450 or visit the city’s website at www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Sugar Land’s Share Your Holiday Food Drive, scheduled from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec.4 at the Sugar Land Community Center, 226 Matlage Way, will benefit efforts of the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry to address the basic needs of local families in crisis. 

The ministry serves the community’s less fortunate through programs like the Interfaith Food Pantry, the Tri-City Churches Resale Shop, a financial assistance program, food fairs and other special programs. 

Residents can support the ministry’s efforts during Sugar Land’s food drive through donations of canned goods, beans, dried fruit, flour, rice, sugar, powdered and canned milk, baby formula and diapers and other non-perishable food items. 

Volunteers will assist city staff to collect the donations in a drive-through style drop-off lane during the event. Cash donations or checks made payable to the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry will also be accepted.

More than 14,000 pounds of food and more than $600 in monetary donations were collected during last year’s food drive. The East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry served 11,132 families in 2008, including 19,769 adults and 14,655 children.  More than 33,300 individuals were assisted through the ministry’s food pantry, and the value of food distributed in 2008 was more than $506,300.

For more information about Sugar Land’s Share Your Holiday Food Drive, call 281-275-2885 or visit www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Volunteer LouAnn Davis, Archangel Sponsor James McClellan of the Fred and Mabel R. Parks Foundation and Ticket Chair Barbara Benes.

The tour, benefiting Child Advocates of Fort Bend, will feature six homes in Pecan Manor, First Colony and Richmond. Tour guests will be treated to glimpse of the six homes, as well as enjoy entertainment, holiday decorations and homemade cookies and hot apple cider.  The event runs Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. with a special candlelight tour Friday night from 6-9 p.m.  One ticket provides admission to all six homes and can be used at any time during the tour.  The map to the homes is on the back of the ticket. 

For more information on the tour, sponsorship opportunities and ticket sales, call 281-341-9955 ext. 5108 or log onto www.cafb.org. 

Mayor Joe Gurecky will serve as the official Master of Ceremonies.  Rosenberg’s First United Methodist Church Children’s Choir, under the direction of Elizabeth Fairfield, will perform traditional holiday carols for the guests.  Santa will be welcomed to the celebration with a sing-a-long of Here Comes Santa Claus and the evening will culminate with the illumination of the City Hall gazebo, a cherished tradition in Rosenberg.  Refreshments will be served from 6:30 – 7 p.m.

Children are invited to color holiday pictures and visit with Santa immediately following the ceremony.  Parents are encouraged to bring their camera for photographs of their children with Santa Claus. 

For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 832-595-3960. 

The city has reconfigured the southbound U.S. 59 approach to Hwy. 6 to include triple turn lanes that enable more cars to quickly access Hwy. 6.  As part of the improvements, a dynamic message sign and LED lights installed in the pavement are intended to guide motorists more efficiently through the intersection.

The intersection provides access to a transportation corridor used by motorists traveling to First Colony Mall, Sugar Land Town Square and many more retail stores and restaurants in the area.

City traffic technicians have also reconfigured intersections along Hwy. 6 near U.S. 59 to keep traffic moving. New specialized computer equipment utilizes vision techniques that accurately tracks vehicles and enables the traffic signals to be adjusted in real-time to better handle traffic demand.

“With the new lanes turning left, there will be an increased amount of traffic travelling south on Hwy. 6,” said Assistant Public Works Director David Worley.  “The changes being made at the intersections of Hwy. 6 at Lexington Boulevard, Williams Trace and Town Center will help accommodate the increase of traffic flow and ensure that our motorists get through this section of Hwy. 6 without a long wait. This will be particularly important with the approaching holidays.”

Sugar Land Police Chief Doug Brinkley and Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright engaged in some friendly trash talking at a recent press conference announcing the 2009 Fort Bend Holiday Bowl.

“It’s our time to shine,” said Brinkley at a press conference announcing the fourth annual Fort Bend Holiday Bowl, a charity flag football game scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Old Kempner Stadium, 321 7th St., across the street from Sugar Land Middle School. Gates will open at noon with activities for children, including face painting and a moonwalk. Admission is free with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Enforcers will take on the Sugar Land Police Department Charges for the fourth time, in a game SLPD has lost for the past three years.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright said SLPD might win the game, but they are going to have to “earn it” and the Enforcers won’t take a loss “lying down.”

“It wouldn’t be any fun if you did,” said Brinkley.

Proceeds from the game will support the Fort Bend County Sheriff Association and the Sugar Land Police Officers Association’s “Santa Behind the Badge” and Toys for Tots – Fort Bend Christmas charity organizations.

For more Information, contact Deputy Frank Davis Jr. at frank.davis@co.fort-bend.tx.us or call 281-652-7761.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Enforcers will defend their three-time championship title against the Sugar Land Police Department Chargers at their fourth annual charity flag football game, the “Fort Bend Holiday Bowl IV.” Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Old Kempner Stadium, 321 7th Street, across from Sugar Land Middle School. Gates will open at noon with activities for children. Admission is free with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy. Shown, Sugar Land Police Chief Doug Brinkley and Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright engaged in some friendly banter as they discussed who is going to bring the trophy home this year.

Sugar Land police detectives are working with deputies to compare the robbery to two recent armed driveway robberies in Sugar Land. A man was robbed in his driveway in Meadow Lakes on Nov. 11, and Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson was robbed in his driveway Nov. 17.

Around 7:30 p.m. yesterday a 53-year-old man and his 12-year-old daughter returned to their home in the 1100 block of Oak Glen Lane when they were approached by a man with a gun rushing up their driveway telling them to “shut up” and asking what was in a grocery bag the man was carrying.

The older victim threw the bad of groceries and his wallet into the driveway, hoping that would keep the robber away from him and his daughter, according to reports.

The robber ordered the victim to get down on the driveway, and he did. The suspect went through the grocery bag and searched the older victim’s pockets, taking his house and car keys.

According to reports, the older victim told the robber that he had thrown his wallet into the driveway, and the suspect hit him in the head and face, telling him to shut up.

During the course of the robbery, the 12-year-old ran and hid behind a fence. After hitting the older victim, the suspect walked through the privacy gate, presumably to get inside the house through the back door but was scared off by a barking dog.

The suspect saw the 12-year-old hiding and threatened to kill her if she didn’t stay quiet and said he would shoot the dog if it didn’t stop barking.

The suspect is described as a black man between the ages of 16 and 25 years old, 6 ft. 2 inches to 6 ft. 4 inches tall, weighing between 185-200 lbs. He was wearing dark colored clothing, and his pants had a single stripe running down the leg.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).

Reading Recovery students and staff at Mission West Elementary School planted a tree on their school grounds to help mark the program’s 15th anniversary. Pictured with students are (back): Nancy Krainz, Lucil Monte-Torres, Stephanie Cenegy and Fanny Agudelo

Fort Bend Independent School District’s Reading Recovery Program is celebrating 15 years – and Descubriendo la Lectura is celebrating 10 years – of enhancing literary skills among young people.  Since its existence in FBISD, the Reading Recovery / Descubriendo la Lectura program has served more than 8,612 first-grade students who have had difficulty in learning to read and write. Bend Independent School District

“Reading Recovery has an impressive success rate, with 90 percent of former first-grade students meeting the standards for the third-grade reading component of the TAKS test in 2009,” said Cathy Duvall, FBISD Reading Recovery teacher leader. “That percentage represents eight percent of the district’s passing rate. The figures alone prove that the program works and is making a significant improvement in student reading skills.”

The program recently gained recognition for its outstanding service to students during the Texas Woman’s University Reading Recovery / Early Literacy Conference in Dallas. TWU officials cited FBISD’s success at providing intensive tutorials to struggling readers to accelerate their literacy learning so that they can read at the same level as their peers and work independently in their regular classrooms.

To celebrate this anniversary year, RR/DLL program staff will host numerous campus and district-wide events throughout the school year. In October, RR/DLL teachers began donating picture books, some in English and Spanish, to their elementary school libraries for all students to enjoy. Some of the book titles include: “Harry and the Lady Next Door” by Gene Zion, “Danny the Dinosaur” by Syd Hoff, “Biscuit Goes to School” by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, and “Go Away, Dog” by Joan L. Nodset.

On Jan. 7, RR/DLL program officials will host a Reunion Reception at the FBISD Annex, 3119 Sweetwater Blvd, from 4-6 p.m. to honor former and current RR/DLL students, teachers and other program participants. In May, graduation ceremonies will take place.

According to sources, the money was raised through a recent cookie dough fundraiser for the volleyball department. Sources say checks were turned in, but more than $1,000 in cash is unaccounted for.

The district has released limited information on the alleged theft, but has appealed to the Attorney General’s Office concerning the release of the entire police report. The Attorney General’s Office has 45 days from the date of the appeal to rule on the issue.

According to the limited information released, the theft was reported Oct. 2 by Kempner High School English teacher Chivonne Kiser. The money was allegedly stolen from a filing cabinet.

District policy states that fundraiser money “must be turned in daily to the school bookkeeper,” who will place the money in the campus vault each night until it is ready for deposit. Policy also says that “keeping money is a desk drawer or at home is not appropriate and strictly forbidden,” and the fundraiser sponsor will be held responsible for any missing money if district policy has not been followed.

Muhammad Zaky Irfan, Mariah Booe, Deasia Dell and Brian Minaya

The contest, hosted by the Tobacco Free Fort Bend Coalition, is an educational tool held annually to teach young people about the dangers of tobacco use and second hand smoke.  All entries were judged on their artistic quality and ability to incorporate information regarding tobacco.  Winning pieces will be collected and reproduced as a coloring book for elementary school students.

Student winners included Amita Batra, Mariah Booe, Tyler Colbert, Deasia Dell, Muhammad Zaky Irfan and Brian Minaya representing Baines, First Colony and Lake Olympia Middle Schools.

“Tobacco Free Fort Bend has held this contest for nine years, and each year our middle school students have stepped forward to help educate their communities through their outstanding artwork,” said Mary Ann Dolezal who chairs Tobacco Free Fort Bend.  “Secondhand smoke is a known cause of lung cancer, heart disease, low birth weight, chronic lung ailments, illnesses in children and other health problems. By educating ourselves on the dangers of second hand smoke, we can help reduce the burden of tobacco on our community.”

JC Whitten, Texana Board Member representing Fort Bend County; Dave Hill, Tellepsen Construction; Richard Hollington, architect; Angela Waligura, Texana Board representing Fort Bend County; Steve McDowell, Texana Board representing Fort Bend County; Willie Greer, Texana Board representing Matagorda County; Dianne Wilson, Texana Board Chair representing Fort Bend County; Gail Parker, Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance; Joe Gurecky, Mayor of Rosenberg; Gene Reed, Chairman of the Board, The George Foundation; George Patterson, Texana chief executive officer.

The challenge was followed by several other large foundation donations including Gulf Coast Medical Foundation, Houston Endowment, The Mabee Foundation and the Meadows Foundation.  Gene Reed, chairman of The George Foundation Board, congratulated Texana and commented that the Trustees were committed to this project as Texana would be “fulfilling an unmet need in west Fort Bend County.”

The Texana West Campus Project will comprise of a modern one-story Learning Center for people with developmental disabilities and a new two-story Service Center.  The new campus is located on a 3-acre site, close to the existing location in Rosenberg at 4910 Airport Ave., and is designed by Ray + Hollington Architects and to be built by Tellepsen Construction. 

These will be the first LEED registered buildings in Rosenberg and will be designed to meet guidelines established by the US Green Building Council.  When completed, the campus will serve close to 1,000 people with developmental disabilities each year; most living in or around the underserved areas in west Fort Bend County. 

The Learning Center will provide vocational training, habilitation services, employment assistance and supported employment services to people with developmental disabilities.  

The Service Center will administer and deliver individual client services such as case management, nursing services, and enrollment in respite care.  TheEarly Childhood Intervention program, which provides support to children under the age of three with developmental delays, will also be housed in the new Service Center.

Rosenberg Mayor Joe Gurecky welcomed the additional services for people with developmental disabilities to Rosenberg.  Gail Parker, president of the Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance said she was proud to have Texana Center as part of the west Fort Bend community because “these vital services provide better lives for people with developmental disabilities.”

Texana Center is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, having been formed as a result of the merger of two organizations in September 1999.  Texana is now one of the largest community-based programs in Texas, having 43 facilities across its six-county service area served by 560 staff.  For more information visit http://www.texanacenter.com/.

Director of Public Works Scott Elmer told city council that “most communities receive an eight or a nine.”

Missouri City applied for participation in the federal flood management program in August and received its preliminary score based on the city’s documentation of existing practices and on existing improvements that have been made since then, according to Elmer.

NFIP, an arm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, rates U.S. cities on their efforts to implement preventive floodplain management measures and these standards are called the Community Rating System.  The CRS program rates cities’ flood management practices through a 1 to 10 point system that rewards them for implementing organized and proactive measures, 1 being the best score and 10 the worst.

For Missouri City residents who live in a floodplain, the “7″ rating means that the average homeowner of a $150,000 house with a $50,000 content coverage, could see an $86 a year insurance discount by the end of next year.

Elmer also stressed that residents living outside of the city’s floodplain should also purchase flood insurance. He told council that 70 percent of the areas that flooded during Tropical Storm Allison were not in the floodplain.

With the city’s current CRS score, residents who live outside of the floodplain would have their insurance policies discounted by about 5 percent under current guidelines.

The next step in the annual process is for FEMA to officially admit Missouri City into the CRS program, which is expected to happen in April or May. After that, insurance companies will be notified of the city’s rating and residents should see a rollback in their rates toward the end of 2010. With additional improvements such as an updated flood ordinance, the city could be classified as a “6″ in the next year or two.

The city and Fort Bend County are updating the area’s floodplain maps to define flood zones more accurately by ensuring that they reflect the current physical landscape.  The map modernization process began in August, 2004 and the visuals were recently released to city and county officials for review.

Results from the preliminary new maps created with “better data and new technology,” according to Elmer, show the total number of structures in the city’s floodplain down from 150 to 30. The reduction is attributable to such factors as the construction of drainage projects and the creation of master watershed plans, Elmer said.

Next in the process, FEMA will schedule a formal coordination meeting with the City and other affected agencies in the area. Then, the maps will be officially released to the public for a 90-day comment period and inquires will be investigated and resolved before the maps go into effect. The process could take from 90 days to two years.

In the meantime, city officials encourage residents to view the new maps at:  http://fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodplainmap/ and http://fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodmaptool/.

“It will be in the homeowners’ best interest to look at the new maps on the Fort Bend County website,” Elmer said.

The 2009-2010 Junior Student Leadership class includes: Eugene Adams (Willowridge), Quintessa Andrews (Austin), Jason Chern (Bush), Courtney Chow (Clements), Amberlea Cogan (Elkins), Meaghan Connolly (Dulles), Ryan Crews (Travis), Gregory Fournier (Kempner), David Gonzalez (Willowridge), Nova Hou (Dulles), Taylor Love (Kempner), Krit Mahankali (Clements), Chelsea Manuel (Marshall), Shahana Momin (Marshall), Reece Price (Bush), Gerald Ruiz (Marshall), Jessica Sabillon (Progressive), Maira Samuel (Austin), Shayak Sengupta (Hightower), Arielle Tan (Hightower), Sandhya Thiyagarajan (Travis), Bindu Upadhyaya (Kempner), Irfan Vastani (Progressive) and Aranyce Whitaker (Elkins).

The monthly seminars will focus on such topics as personal leadership skills, youth advocacy, service and volunteerism, local government in action, environmental awareness, and healthcare.

FBISD Board President Bob Broxson, sponsored the first meeting. He welcomed students to the program and explained his leadership role as president of the School Board. He also gave a brief history of the leadership program.

“Our goal in establishing this program was to help students gain a better perspective of how the community operates by exposing them to various community leaders and resources,” said Broxson. “As participants in the leadership program, students will have the opportunity to venture out from their own backyards to experience the world around them. We hope that students will take the leadership skills they develop while in the program and apply them toward other areas of their lives.”

Lynda Ruther, FBISD Ropes Manager, is the program facilitator this year. She has arranged a full schedule of activities and fieldtrips for the student leaders.

“I wanted to ensure that students have the opportunity to interact with leaders representing a wide range of professions and areas of expertise within our community,” said Ruther. “As students gain sight of the various leadership roles and resources, they will be better prepared to become future leaders themselves.”

Ruther and her colleague Jim Harton helped students get better acquainted with each other by involving them in a series of “ice-breaker” activities. Students were asked to share their favorite ice cream flavor, television show and other aspects of their lives to show that similarities exist among them. They also took part in outdoor activities to test their listening, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Their main challenge of the day was to learn the names of all participants in the group.

“I am excited about the program and the opportunity to apply the leadership knowledge that I gain here to areas of my school life, especially the MCJROTC and the National Honor Society,” said Eugene Adams of Willowridge High School. “I am also glad to be a part of a group of students representing different high schools in the district. We actually have many things in common.”

Pictured are Manuela Arroyos – CEO Fort Bend Seniors, Steve Smelley – Sugar Land Rotary Club, Kristin Weiss – FBS director of development.

“We are always looking for ways to help the community,” explained Steve Smelley, member of the Sugar Land Rotary Club. “This is our way to give back to the Seniors during the holiday season.”

To sponsor an upcoming event, donate to or volunteer for Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, contact Kristin Weiss, Director of Development at FBS, at 281-633-7057 or kweiss@fortbendseniors.org.

Fort Bend Seniors was the recipient of a donation from the Sugar Land Rotary Club this week. Steve Smelley, a representative of Sugar Land Rotary, presented the $3,000 check to Manuela Arroyos, CEO, and Kristin Weiss, Director of Development, at Fort Bend Seniors. The donation will be used to provide Thanksgiving meals and Christmas Baskets to the Seniors. Pictured are Manuela Arroyos – CEO Fort Bend Seniors, Steve Smelley – Sugar Land Rotary Club, Kristin Weiss – FBS director of development.

Nationally-certified fitness instructors from the Wellness Center will lead the workouts at the Sugar Land Hospital, 17500 W. Grand Pkwy. This results-driven conditioning program takes place in an indoor/outdoor environment, utilizing a military-style format.

The Holiday Boot Camp meets weekdays from Nov. 30 through Dec. 11. Participants may select from one of two workout times: 5-5:50 a.m. or 5:30-6:30 p.m. Holiday pricing is $75 for Wellness Center members and $100 for non-members.

All Boot Camp participants must attend a pre-program screening. One is on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Memorial Hermann Wellness Center, 7731 Southwest Frwy in Houston. Another is on Monday, Nov. 23 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital.

For additional information, contact Steven Ramirez at 281-725-5296.

Around 2:42 p.m. Nov. 16, Sugar Land police were dispatched to a robbery in progress at the Burger King at 3549 Hwy. 6. According to reports, two young men entered the restaurant, one carrying a gun, and demanded money from the safe and registers. The unarmed man took money from a customer.

Both suspects left with an undisclosed amount of money in a dark, mid-size, four-door sedan. No one was injured.

Alex Remy and Christopher Nguyen with their rollercoaster, the “Texas Tumbler.”

As students were exploring physics principles such as potential/kinetic energy, velocity, and friction, they designed and tested foam rollercoasters for marbles.  Students completed a paper design of the project, then built and tested their coaster. The students named their rollercoaster and created a media advertisement to promote it. 

“It was a great showing of teamwork and camaraderie, and a great learning experience,” said Jennifer Slater, 7th grade science teacher.

Thanks to the members of Girl Scout Troop 238 in New Territory more than 300 soldiers will enjoy a cup of hot chocolate this winter as they serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pictured are, front row, Julie Varghese, Savayra Panjwani, Pryianka Gandhi, Jeanna Dignazio and Rachel Nowacki. In the back row are Naomi Minturn, Polly Schneider, Alyssa Perkins and Sarah Thielen. Not shown are Rebecca Conway, Arya Deshmukh, Malorie LaMagna, Kacy Picazo, Diya Salian and Bella Sedita.

For National Make a Difference Day Girl Scout Troop 238 joined the Fort Bend Independent School District in collecting items to donate to the Houston Marine Moms for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They left fliers on houses earlier in the week and then went back and collected the items.

Houston Marine Moms is a support group for family and friends of recruits and those serving in the United States Marines. For more information, visit http://www.houstonmarinemoms.org/.