Olson Questions Holdren on Administration
budget plans on NASA’s Constellation Program

Rep. Pete Olson, the Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, today questioned Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology on the 2011 budget proposal for NASA and human space flight. Olson issued the following statement after the hearing:

“The Administration has some explaining to do with respect to its commitment to human space flight,” Olson said. “The proposed budget outlines priorities that focus on climate research over human space flight by killing the replacement of the shuttle, the Constellation program. It rejects the recommendations of the Augustine commission stated “There is now a strong consensus in the United States that the next step in human spaceflight is to travel beyond low-earth orbit.”

“Dr. Holdren touts the Augustine report, yet his actions have condemned NASA to low earth orbit in opposition to that report’s recommendations. America has been the global leader on space exploration for 50 years and must remain the leader going forward. This isn’t a partisan issue. Under both Republican and Democrat control authorization for human space flight has been overwhelming. Commercial entities have an important role, but they cannot replace the institutional knowledge, experience and safety record of NASA. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure America retains a strong human space flight program.”

Olson asked the following questions of Dr. Holdren at the hearing:

• I want to begin by offering an admonition and express my disappointment that you have on more than one occasion referred to Constellation as “George W. Bush’s Constellation program.” This unduly politicizes human space flight, which has been overwhelmingly bipartisan throughout its existence.

• The roll call vote of for the 2005 Authorization Act, which was passed under Republican control was 383-15.” The roll call vote for the 2008 Authorization Act, which was passed under Democratic control was 409-15.”

• The Augustine report was very clear, “There is now a strong consensus in the United States that the next step in human spaceflight is to travel beyond low-earth orbit.” You herald the Augustine report, yet your actions have condemned NASA to low earth orbit. Why have you disregarded that recommendation?

• I’d like to know how you came to this decision, process-wise. Have you or your staff in the course of working out this budget proposal, met with any of the current Constellation contractors? Have you or your staff met with anyone representing the soon to be subsidized entities, SpaceX or Orbital?

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Minute Maid celebrates one year in Sugar Land

Minute Maid recently celebrated the first anniversary of its move to Sugar Land at the Minute Maid offices in Sugar Land Town Square. The Minute Maid Business Unit relocated its national headquarters from Houston to Sugar Land in 2009. President of the Minute Maid Business Unit Mike Saint John, along with Olympians and Sugar Land residents Jean and Steven Lopez, were on hand to lead the celebrations.

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Follow Fort Bend doctors while in Haiti

Dr. Scott Breeze flew four Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic doctors to the Dominican Republic in February. They work a mission hospital to care for the earthquake victims in Haiti. The team consist of Dr Juliet Breeze, Dr David Hildreth, Dr Vishal Shah, and Dr Javier Canon. They picked up two additional doctors in Baton Rouge to complete the team.

You can see photos and follow their mission at www.twitter.com/rbjcweb.

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FBJSL and Eclipse Soccer Club score for the cause

Front row: Rick Safier – Eclipse Soccer Club, Brigit Engleman – FBJSL President, Melissa Hayslip – FBJSL Past President, Steve Alexander - Eclipse Soccer Club. Second Row: Kaelyn Stolhand – Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, Angela Byrd – Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas, Mac McCallum – Eclipse Soccer Club, and Janet Leatherwood – CNO, Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

Fort Bend Junior Service League (FBJSL) proudly accepted a check from Eclipse Soccer Club in the amount of $6,772, representing the results of the club’s fundraising campaign to support breast cancer awareness month.

The league will use Eclipse’s donation and that of other partnering organizations, including Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, to further the community’s fight against breast cancer. FBJSL is working with the American Cancer Society in an ongoing, collaborative effort to provide financial support for programs and services designed to improve quality of life, provide access to early detection and treatment, and diminish suffering for Fort Bend County breast cancer patients.

Eclipse raised the money through their inaugural Score for the Cause fundraiser, which had two components. The soccer club sold pink Score for the Cause t-shirts, which brightened up Lost Creek Park as club members proudly sported them on the field for their October matches. Additional funds were raised through parent and team donations for goals scored.

As title sponsor for Eclipse and as a partnering organization with FBJSL for promoting breast cancer awareness, Methodist Sugar Land Hospital led the way in uniting the three groups. The three organizations are looking forward to continuing this partnership next year when Score for the Cause returns.

Any school, business or organization interested in partnering to raise funds to further breast cancer treatment and awareness is encouraged to contact FBJSL at info@fbjsl.com or 281-636-6272. FBJSL is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting volunteerism, to developing the potential of women and to improving the Fort Bend County community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

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FEMA flood plain maps available on interactive website

Proper drainage is important to Fort Bend County residents and businesses. As the population of the county increases, drainage will continue to be one of the top priorities.

The primary mission of the Fort Bend Drainage District is to maintain the drainage channels, where the district has easements, in their existing flow conditions. This is usually accomplished through appropriate structural repairs and vegetation control. Secondarily, the district provides a review of plats and drainage plans of new development to be approved by Commissioner’s Court to assure the elimination of an adverse drainage impact on current and future residents.

The district, which recently completed an intensive five-year mapping project guided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the county, has attained an important milestone. “As this program concludes, it has achieved updated information regarding possible flooding.

“This is an ongoing nationwide effort to update and modernize aging flood hazard maps so that they reflect the most current flood risk information,” says Mark Vogler, Fort Bend County Drainage District Manager and Chief Engineer. Updated preliminary flood insurance rate maps are now available online, at www.fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodplanningmap/.gov.

A website has been created by the district as an interactive tool for all who have Internet access, adds Vogler. FBC First Assistant Juling Bao has spent much of the past two years working in conjunction with the University of Illinois to help develop the interactive digital map, which can be accessed by any resident at www.fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodplainmap/. A resident can type in the address of their concern and it will immediately take the person to that site within the county.

“The newly designed website will provide residents and businesses with up to date information about their flood risk on a property by property basis,” added Vogler. “This system enables any person to look up a property, see the areas that are changing flood zones, the depths at which they are measured, and to learn how Fort Bend county will be affected.”

Once FEMA has returned all the maps they are currently working on and all calculations have been made meetings will be scheduled throughout the county and posted on the website and by the media. All questions regarding the map can be sent to FBfloodmap.

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Texas “Back to Work” program is launched

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst addressed members of the Texas workforce system at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Forum to launch the newest TWC initiative, Texas Back to Work program.

The two-year, $15 million employment program was promoted by Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and funded by the Legislature last session. Texas Back to Work offers employers monetary incentives such as subsidized-wage reimbursements or retention bonuses for hiring qualified out-of-work Texans.

“Job creation in Texas is among my highest priorities, and Texas Back to Work will benefit Texas employers and workers by providing businesses with funds to help them expand and offering new opportunities to unemployed Texans,” said Lt. Gov. Dewhurst.

Lt. Gov. Dewhurst presented his goals and vision for Texas Back to Work to the local workforce board executives and their staffs, who will be reaching out to employers across Texas. The presentation will include remarks by Carlton Schwab, president and chief executive officer of the Texas Economic Development Council.

The Lt. Governor addressed the workforce forum at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010. The event was sold out to the public

The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in unison with its network of local workforce development boards, call (512) 463-8556 or visit www.texasworkforce.org.

Texas Workforce Commission • 512-463-8942 •http://www.texasworkforce.org
Equal Opportunity Employer Relay Texas
1-800-735-2989 (TDD) or 1-800-735-2988 (Voice)

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Classic Chevrolet and Helfman Ford
win competitive bid for fleet service

The Sugar Land city council recently authorized the city’s Fleet Purchases department to buy 30 new vehicles and equipment for city useage. The amount totaled $1,004,261.

The bidding was divided among Helfman Ford in Stafford; Helfman Dodge; Philpott Motors, Limited; and Planet Ford Dodge in Houston; and Classic Chevrolet in Sugar Land. Classic Chevrolet of Sugar Land and Helfman Ford of Missouri City were among those selected in the bid process.

Through Helfman Ford in Stafford six vehicles totaling $119,330 were purchased. Classic Chevrolet of Sugar Land received the nod for 20 vehicles totaling $500,311 of the bid amount. Classic Chevrolet of Sugar Land is among the top dealers in the nation. Last year they became GM’s official Fleet dealer for Fort Bend County/Southwest Houston.

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Fort Bend County earns Gold Leadership Circle Award

Fort Bend County has earned a Gold Leadership Circle Award on behalf of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for setting the bar for financial transparency and opening the county’s books to the public. The Texas Comptroller’s Leadership Circle Program recognizes local governments across Texas that are striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online. These reports provide citizens with a clear, consistent picture of spending and sharing information in a user friendly format and can be obtained by clicking on the link http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/getSitePage.asp?sitePage=26459

Please visit http://www.fortbendcountynews.info for more information pertaining to local events and updates.

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Gary Gillen files for Richmond city commission

Richmond businessman Gary Gillen filed Friday for a place on the ballot for Richmond City Commission. The owner of Gillen Pest Control in Richmond, he has lived in Fort Bend County for nearly his entire life and in Richmond for a total of 20 years.

While living in Rosenberg in the early 1980’s, Gillen was elected to two terms on the Rosenberg City Council. He later served on the Blue Ribbon Committee to change the Rosenberg City Charter. He served as Chairman of the Rosenberg Revitalization Association and the Rosenberg Railroad Museum.

Gillen currently serves as the Chairman of the Richmond Historic District Commission – a city commission with responsibility for maintaining the character of the structures in the Richmond Historic District. He also serves on the Richmond Economic Development Corporation Board, as well as the Richmond Electrical Board.

Gillen and his wife, Janice, have two daughters: Nichole, a recent graduate suma cum laud from Texas A&M and Jennifer, a sophomore at Texas A&M and Blinn Junior College. They are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Gillen, an Aggie, is also involved with the Fort Bend A&M Club.

“As a resident of this City, I believe it is my privilege and obligation to serve the community”, Gillen said. “I live in Richmond and I work in Richmond. I am accessible and eager to talk to the citizens of this great city. I have experience, I pay taxes on my home and business and sales taxes to this city. As a fiscal conservative, I want to make certain that those tax dollars continue to be spent wisely and that our city is easy to work with and its business is transparent. There should be no hidden agendas”, he said.

“I would be honored to have the support and the votes of the citizens of Richmond”, said Gillen.

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Texana Center announces addition of new physician

Texana Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Saundra Gilfillan, Psychiatrist to the Behavioral Healthcare Services Division. After receiving her medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Dr. Gilfillan completed a psychiatry internship and a fellowship where she specialized in child and adolescent psychiatry. Prior to joining Texana Center, she was the Medical Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Center at Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Gilfillan as part of the Texana Center medical staff,” said Shena Timberlake, Director of Behavioral Healthcare Services. Dr. Gilfillan will be working at the Texana Behavioral Healthcare Clinics in Bay City, Rosenberg, and Sugar Land; two days a week in Bay City, two days a week in Rosenberg, and one day a week in Sugar Land.

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Jim Rice candidate for FBISD trustee position 3

Jim Rice, a resident of Sugar Land since 1981, is running for the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees position 3. Jim is the president of Rice & Gardner Consultants, an engineering and construction management firm. Jim and his wife Mary have raised 3 sons all of whom attended Fort Bend ISD schools and have graduated and gone on to college.

Jim is an active member of the Boy Scouts of America, the Ft. Bend Chamber of Commerce Education Division, the Literacy Council of Fort Bend County, Fort Bend Cares and Christ United Methodist Church.

Jim has extensive experience working with youth in the Boy Scouts and church, and is running for the school board because he supports public education and wants to help FBISD continue to move forward with student achievement, support of our teachers and helping to maintain a balanced budget.

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FBSO brings chamber concert to Katy

Responding to requests from Katy residents, the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra will hold a chamber orchestra concert on Friday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Katy’s St. Peter’s First United Methodist Church.

The chamber orchestra, consisting of strings and woodwinds, will perform a variety of works including Mozart and Haydn including Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro and Haydn’s Symphony No. 82 in C major, often called the Bear Symphony.

Tickets are $10 and are available online at www.fbso.org, by calling 281.276.9642, or at the door.

The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, now in its 18th season, is under the direction of Héctor Agüero, Jr. The church is located at 20775 Kingsland Blvd., east of Westgreen Boulevard.

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