Posted on Aug 6, 2009 | Tagged in: Lamar C.I.S.D. , Fort Bend County , education
Great news for Fort Bend residents! Nearly all of the Lama Consolidated Independent School District's ratable schools received either "Exemplary" or "Recognized" status by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) this year. The ratings were revealed last Friday, showing 15 LCISD schools with the highest rank of "Exemplary", which is 3 more than last year's 12.
This is no simple feat since, according to TEA information, schools must achieve a 90% or better passing rate in all Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test subjects “for all students and all student groups that meet minimum size criteria, and a completion rate of at least 95% and an annual dropout rate of 2% or lower”. This is nothing short of remarkable for all of these schools.
11 other schools within the district received the “Recognized” rating, which is the second highest score given out by the TEA. This is up from 7 schools last year.
Posted on Jul 31, 2009 | Tagged in: Fort Bend County , community
Social networking is all the rage today in the younger generation of America, but many cities and counties, like Fort Bend, are catching this trend for themselves.
The Community Resources Division of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce will be presenting “Social Networking—Conversing with Your Community” in an effort to take advantage of ‘now media’ sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Recently, businesses and organizations have realized the potential and benefits of engaging in social exposure through these networks, especially in terms of advertising. But local government agencies have followed suit as well, spreading community and emergency information immediately and efficiently.
“Conversing with Your Community” will touch on these aspects, as well as “look at how to engage [the] community in a meaningful way that will build loyalty, boost confidence in a company brand or organization and allow for quick dissemination of news.”
Posted on Jul 21, 2009 | Tagged in: travel , Fort Bend County
With the money that has been pouring in from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Fort Bend County officials have decided to use the $3.35 million federal fund for the creation of a new Park & Ride facility, along with the integration of eight new buses and a high-tech transportation information and communication system.
The station facility site is planned for the county’s fairgrounds in Rosenburg, off Texas 36 and just south of US 59. With this new facility, the county will be able to expand the commuter bus program, and will include stops along its routes at the most popular and pedestrian-heavy areas, such as the University of Houston-Sugar Land and the Texas Medical Center.
Preparation and installation for the high-tech transportation data processing equipment has been secured with the federal funding. Features of the new technology applications include a “smart card” system using electronic fare payment, mobile data terminals for all buses, and automatic vehicle locators.
Posted on Jul 13, 2009 | Tagged in: Sugar Land , Fort Bend County , charity
A local Sugar Land resident has taken it into her own hands to help Fort Bend children get new shoes. Or rather, she’s taken it onto her own feet.
Leola Anifowoshe is the founder of Shoes4School, a division of Keep Kids in School, Inc., a 501 (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, the only shoe charity of its kind in the Fort Bend area and surrounding counties. She and a group of volunteers strive to provide new shoes for area homeless and low-income children.
In order to spread awareness of the cause, Leola and her husband organized the “Sole Fest Concert 2009,” the organization's first ever music festival and health fair held at Oyster Creek park located at 4033 Hwy 6 in Sugar Land, only about 8 miles from the RiverPark West community.
Posted on Jul 7, 2009 | Tagged in: Fort Bend County , events
Want to learn more about your environment and the Texas landscape? Then the 2009 Fall Texas Master Naturalist Program, Coastal Prairie Chapter, is the perfect opportunity for you.
This program is a series of volunteer training courses that offer specific training in natural history, wildlife and the ecosystems of the area, including specialized study in birds, ecology, fish, mammals and soil science. “The goal is to help improve volunteers’ understanding of natural resources and related management activities, enabling them to earn Master Naturalist certification.” All volunteers perform these training duties in their own communities, “providing natural resource education and participating in community service and outreach projects.”
The Texas Master Naturalist Program is sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and AgriLife Extension. Classes will be held on eight consecutive Thursdays beginning September 10th from 9am to 3:30pm. The group will meet at various locations throughout Fort Bend and Waller counties. To learn more about this program, please visit their official website at www.coastalprairie.org or call 281-663-7042. Fall 2009 applications and training schedules are also available for print.
Posted on May 12, 2009 | Tagged in: travel , Fort Bend County , community
The current 20 miles of the Westpark Tollway stretch from the southwest 610 Loop to the Grand Parkway in Fort Bend County. But the county has recently requested state funding to help extend the Westpark Tollway corridor from its endpoint at Grand Parkway west into the city of Fulshear, TX.
The plan calls for an initial fund total of $36.7 million, starting with the construction of a two-lane frontage road. This asking price is part of a $300 million allocation for statewide toll road projects authorized by the state Legislature, assures County Judge Bob Hebert. The next phases will require an additional $101 million for the development of the actual toll road, with possible financial assistance from the city of Fulshear and its developers.
County Commissioner Andy Meyers is pushing for the plan and permission for state funding. He states that the goal of “the project is to improve the mobility of the area [and] if we can get the state money, the project can move forward faster.” This means mobility in Fulshear as well as its surrounding communities, like nearby River Park West of Richmond, TX.
