Classes will begin Wednesday, June 5, 2013, and will be held every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for seven (7) weeks. During the course participants will learn about and be exposed to many varied areas of firefighting and rescue operations. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about:
• Firefighting Strategies and Tactics
• Rescue
• Inspections/Investigations
• Medical Emergencies

Citizen Fire Academy graduation will be held Friday, July 19, 2013.
The Rosenberg Fire Department encourages all interested to join in by completing an application. An information packet, including application forms, is available here [PDF]. The deadline for applications is Monday, June 3, 2013. Completed applications should be submitted to the Rosenberg Fire Department, 1012 5th Street, Rosenberg, Texas, 77471. 

Please contact the Fire Department at (832) 595-3600, or Citizen Fire Academy Coordinator, George Velasquez Jr. (georgevj@ci.rosenberg.tx.us), or Rosenberg Fire Marshal, Michael Garcia (michaelg@ci.rosenberg.tx.us), for further information.

“We are looking for exuberant people who are excited about the Railroad Museum and who are interested in the history of the railroad in Fort Bend County.   If you have ever taken a tour with a docent that was very enthusiastic about the home or exhibit you were touring then you know how that enthusiasm can be contagious.”

For over a decade, the Rosenberg Railroad Museum has served the community not only by preserving the history of railroading in Fort Bend County but taught it as well, and that’s where the volunteers come into play.  Training is scheduled for adult docents on June 1st from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm (box lunch provided from Another Time Soda Fountain).

Following training, docent volunteers will have the skills to give tours of our fully refurbished 1879 private rail car, “The Quebec”, which boasts a private dining area and sitting area along with bedrooms and a kitchen for the wealthy and influential traveler of the time.    Tours also include Tower 17, the 17th switch tower built in the state of Texas in 1903.  For over 100 years, Tower 17 was the longest operating manned interlocker in the state of Texas.  The museum itself houses artifacts and exhibits that document the history of the railroads in Fort Bend County along with our Caboose and the Education Station.

There is a junior docent program for helping with educational programs during the summer and the regular school year.  That training will take place on Sunday, June 2nd from 2:00 till 4:00 pm.  Students must be ages 14 to 18 and enthusiastic about working with younger children.

All training will take place at the museum located at 1921 Avenue “F” in Rosenberg.  Volunteers are typically scheduled in advance for shifts during museum hours Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 am till 5:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 – 5:00 pm. Those interested in the adult or junior docent program can contact the Interim Executive Director, Lisa Rickert at 832-725-6841 or email at lisa.rickert@rosenbergrrmuseum.org.

Performances will run July 19-21 and July 26-28 at Imperial Arts Center on historic 3rd Street in downtown Rosenberg.

“This scrumdidilyumptious musical is guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth,” said Queen Theatre’s Executive Director, Erika Waldorf.   “With this show’s lively score and fun story, your young audience members will be on a fantasy ride into the land of pure imagination!”

Auditions are currently underway as follows: 

Sunday, May 19, 3 – 6 p.m. and Monday, May 20, 6 – 9 p.m. Callbacks on Wednesday, May 22, 6 – 9 p.m. Auditions consist of cold reads, please come at start time and stay until finished. Ages 8 – adult.

Performances are July 19-21, and July 26-28, 2013; Fridays (7/19 & 26) at 7 p.m.;

Saturdays (7/20 & 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sundays (7/21 & 28) at 2 p.m.

For more information visit www.queentheatre.org/#/upcoming-events/

Kelsey thought, “There are so many great pets that should be in loving homes.  I have to do something!”  And, something she did!

In January of this year, she and shelter adoption coordinator, Ray Wilson, harnessed social media creating a Facebook page with pictures of the available pets.  It currently has 2,053 “LIKES” and produced over 225 adoptions and rescues since its inception, more than had occurred in the past five years!  See, “Pets at Ft. Bend Animal Control” www.facebook.com/PetsAtFtBendAnimalControl?ref=ts&fref=ts. These photos were taken by local photographer, Mary Pasicatan and Jana Simoneaux, a resident who enjoys photography as a hobby.

Victory Vipers posted “pets of the week” and held an adoption event, boasting 10 adoptions!

The stellar results prove that there is a demand for these pets, and that the community of Fort Bend County supports adoption at local shelters.

The adoption fee of $25 includes a rabies vaccination, adopters have 30 days to provide proof of spay or neuter, and microchip.

Hours are weekdays 8am – 5pm, extended hours Wednesdays, 5pm – 7pm; Saturdays 8am to noon.  Phone: 281-342-1512.

One donation drive was recently held at Sugar Land’s Earth Day Celebration. Pennywise would like you to donate items for two more donation drives which will be held Thursday, April, 25, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Southern Sister Designs Swap and the City, 817 Third St., Rosenberg; and another one Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at First Colony Mall, Food Court parking lot.

With your donations of gently used men’s, women’s, children’s clothing and shoes, housewares, jewelry, electronics, and accessories, you will be helping  these survivors make a better life for themselves and their children.

(L to R): Rosenberg Mayor Vincent M. Morales, Jr.; Imperial Arts’ Executive Director Edward Crowell; Houston Symphony Director of Community Partnerships Steve Wenig. Mayor Morales and Mr. Wenig joined Mr. Crowell to welcome patrons.

Tuesday evening’s concert, “An Evening with Musicians of the Houston Symphony” was a tremendous success!  Patrons from throughout Fort Bend and Houston enjoyed the concert of duets, solos, and the finale, Quintet in f minor by J. Brahms.

Next season (2013-14) at the Center for the Arts will feature a series of chamber music concerts by musicians of the Houston Symphony, as the Symphony and Imperial Arts partner to bring world-class musical performances to Fort Bend audiences!

This surprise sighting was the first record of this species in Fort Bend County and has been registered with eBird-Rare Birds. Kingfishers are found near water and wooded areas where they can prey from a waterside perch. Seabourne Park contains a wetland area, creek and four-acre lake so the female kingfisher decided to pay us a visit.

Seabourne Creek Nature Park is being restored to a natural habitat for birds, mammals and other wildlife. As a result, over 150 different birds have been documented in the park with 13 new species since the first of the year.

If local nature lovers would like to enjoy quality birding close to home, they are welcome to join Coastal Prairie Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists on the next bird hike, May 1, from 8 – 10 am. The Nature Park is located across Hwy 36 from the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.

For more information about the hike, call 832-588-8431 or visit www.txmn.org/coastal.

Shown are Lt. Jeff Schumann, Rosenberg Fire Department; Gabriel, K’liyah and Malachai Zephyn, of Richmond; Kevin Patton, Kevin Patton State Farm and Daniel Morgan, Target.

On April 11, the Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance held its inaugural Safety Day at six retail locations throughout Fort Bend County. Booths and presentations included fire safety, car seat safety checks, fingerprinting, bike and board  safety  in which children rode their bikes and skateboards, braved the obstacle course and entered to win a new bike helmet.

Imperial Arts is pleased to announce a partnership with the Houston Symphony that will commence with a piano quintet (piano and string quartet) chamber music concert by members of the Houston Symphony, featuring the music of Martinu and Brahms, on Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for the Arts in Historic Downtown Rosenberg located at 823 3rd Street, Rosenberg 77471 (just one block north of Highway 90A).

Musicians, Brinton Averil Smith, cello; Christopher Neal, violin; Tong Yan, violin; Linda Goldstein, viola; and Evelyn Chen, piano, will perform music of Martinu and Brahms, among others, in a two-part concert with an intermission, entitled, “An evening with Musicians of the Houston Symphony.”

Steve Wenig, the Houston Symphony’s Director of Community Partnerships, said, “The Houston Symphony is excited to be partnering with Rosenberg’s Imperial Arts for this evening of chamber music. In addition to our concert series at Sugar Land Baptist Church, we welcome such opportunities to work with local arts organizations to help achieve the shared goals of bringing great music into the Fort Bend community.”

This concert is not the first time that Houston Symphony musicians have performed as part of Imperial Arts’ season. In the 2011 Imperial Chamber Series, Houston Symphony members Kiju Joh, Anthony Kitai, and Shannon Hesse performed a concert of piano trios at Imperial’s Sugar Land Town Square home.
Edward Crowell III, Imperial Arts’ Founder/Executive Director said, “We are excited to present Houston Symphony musicians in concert! Patrons will sit comfortably just feet away from some of the top instrumentalists in the country as they perform different repertoire than one usually hears at Jones Hall. These chamber pieces are intense, beautiful, and truly showcase the virtuosity of these musicians as soloists.”

Imperial Arts and the Houston Symphony intend that the upcoming chamber concert is just the beginning of a long-term partnership between the two organizations. Plans for a 2013-14 chamber concert series collaboration are in process.

Rosenberg Mayor Vincent M. Morales, Jr., will welcome concert patrons before the performance. Mayor Morales said, “On behalf of the City of Rosenberg, I am excited to welcome the Houston Symphony musicians to the Center for the Arts. A partnership between the Houston Symphony and our own Imperial Arts is definitely a win-win for the region.”

Tickets for the concert are available at www.theimperial.org, or by calling Imperial Arts at (281) 277-7444. The Box Office will be open one hour prior to show time. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $18 for students, seniors (55+), and military (all with ID). Special group rates are available. Seating is limited and patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online.