Nix, 30, made eight appearances (seven starts) with Sugar Land this year, going 5-1 with a league-best 1.81 ERA (9ER/44.2IP). His 40 strikeouts led the Skeeters’ staff and ranked tied for fourth among Atlantic League pitchers. In his fifth season with the Atlantic League, Nix’s efforts also assisted Sugar Land in capturing a 33-13 record to begin the first half in 2013.

“We’ve had the pleasure of having Michael on our teams for five seasons,” said Kirk. “He is a great pitcher, a great human being and we couldn’t be happier for him to get this opportunity.  His signing speaks volumes about the quality of the Atlantic League and the players associated with it.”

The Alabama native made 32 appearances (17 starts) with the Skeeters last season. He transitioned into a starting role with the club in 2012 and finished 4-11 with a 4.89 ERA (59ER/108.2IP) and 88 strikeouts. Originally selected by Atlanta in the 11th round of the June 2005 Draft, Nix owns a 35-33 career minor league record with a 3.76 ERA (213ER/510IP) in 325 games (24 starts).

Nix is the fourth member of Sugar Land’s 2013 club and 14th overall to be signed by a Major League organization.

Last season, Sugar Land witnessed 10 players move from its roster to an affiliated Major League club, including current Cleveland Indians pitcher Scott Kazmir. Nix’s signing also marks the 17th overall Skeeters player to move from the Atlantic League to another professional baseball league since Opening Day 2012.

Library staff members Amy Hingst and Jessica Williams will demonstrate how these delicate art forms are made by twisting paper into unique shapes. Learn how to make whimsical shapes such as a leaping frog, a flying crane, or even a blade of grass! Hear about the history of origami, and see other origami creations that will be on display. This class is for older teens and adults.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the branch library at 281-633-5100 or the library’s Public Information Office at 281-341-2677.

Officers for 2013-2014 are: standing in back from left to right: Leslie Neimand, Treasurer, Donna Romaine, Membership, 2nd VicePresident, JeanMarie Short, Secretary; Seated: JoBeth Moore, 1st Vice President, Carrie Sample, President, Marilyn Zieg/Scanlin,Parliamentarian.

The Sugar Land Garden Club’s new board members met recently and are very excited about the upcoming year.

The club was founded in 1932 and they are over a 150 members strong and always looking for new members to join the fun filled group and enjoy their activities.

They meet at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Sugar Land, the third Tuesday of each month beginning in September.

They are looking forward to their Yearly Garden Art and Yard Sale that will be held in September at the Sugar Lakes Recreation Center.

Proceeds from the sales go toward two scholarships each year and support other garden related agencies

“Exciting things are continuing to happen at Sugar Creek as we move forward with our vision of A New Beginning.  Bret’s extensive club experience, professionalism and ties to Fort Bend County will be instrumental as we proceed with renovation plans,” said Wagner.

Bret is one of the top players in the Southern Texas PGA having won several tournaments and twice qualifying for the Shell Houston Open.  Of note this year was an invitation to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am with his father, Ollie Nutt, former President and CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.

The event is intended to provide a fan-friendly, family venue that incorporates a rich holiday tradition for the local community.  Planned activities include a 3D laser fireworks show, appearances from Skeeters’ mascots Swatson and Moe, dual entertainment stages in the outfield and much more.

The stadium accommodates a capacity of 10,500 and provides a safe alternative to Oyster Creek Park that lacks adequate infrastructure to host what has become a large-scale community event. Constellation Field provides adequate parking, restroom facilities and multiple entry points, amongst other advantages.

A festival site accommodating large-scale events like the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration is one of several projects voters will consider as part of a bond election in November. The projects have been developed based on extensive public feedback that has identified a need for public spaces for parks, special events and festivals that enhance the quality of life in Sugar Land and make it an even better place to live, work, play and visit.

Due to stadium capacity requirements, tickets will be required for admission.  Free tickets for the Star Spangled Celebration at Constellation Field are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The general public may request six tickets per address by providing a Driver’s license at Imperial Park Recreation Center, 234 Matlage Way, or Constellation Field, 1 Stadium Drive.

No coolers or outside food will be allowed in the stadium; however, food and drinks will be available for purchase at concession stands. Free bottled water will be provided at booths throughout the concourse area. Families may bring blankets to spread along the outfield for an ideal view of entertainment while enjoying the largest Fourth of July picnic in town.

In addition to the stages in the outfield, there will be children’s entertainment throughout the concourse area.  The official ceremony will begin at 9 p.m. with the singing of the National Anthem by American Idol contestant Andrea Chase. Other performances will include a cirque cube artist, daring aerialists performing jaw-dropping displays and an acrobatic trampoline show by Flippenout Productions.

Participants will be provided 3D glasses for Sugar Land’s first ever state-of-the-art laser and fireworks finale.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses interested in being a part of the event.  For more information, contact the Sugar Land Parks and Recreation Department at (281) 275-2885 or visit www.sugarlandtx.gov.

In addition, as a special feature, Jennifer Shortt will offer solutions on how to organize your home for carrying everything you need while on the go.

The cost for the luncheon is $20 inclusive and reservations are necessary and can be made by calling (281) 980-9670 or via email at sw-hou-cwc-@juno.com. Complimentary valet parking is available.

Erica and Nathan Nigrelli with “miracle baby” Elayna.

Physicians at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital (MSLH) call little Elayna Nigrelli a “miracle baby,” and with good reason.

Elayna was born via post-mortem Cesarean section following a medical emergency that caused her pregnant mother Erica’s heart to stop beating for more than 20 minutes.  But thanks to the intervention of coworkers, emergency medical personnel and the staff at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, Elayna and Erica are alive and doing well.

“This is a situation that most doctors would maybe only see once in a career, if that,” says Dr. Brian Heaps, the Sugar Land obstetrician who delivered Elayna.  “Generally speaking, the prognosis for mom and baby following a cardiac incident isn’t very good.  This really is a miracle.”

One morning in February, Erica – a teacher at Elkins High School began feeling ill at work.  She was 36 weeks pregnant and assumed that her symptoms were typical.

But in an instant, Erica collapsed in front of a coworker.  Her husband Nathan, who also teaches at the school, was in a nearby classroom and heard the commotion.  He arrived to find his wife on the floor, not breathing and with no pulse.  He quickly called 911, and the school’s two nurses and a coach trained in first aid jumped in to help.  The coach began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation while the nurses administered an automatic external defibrillator, or AED, until the ambulance arrived.

At Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, Emergency Department physician Dr. Shawn Baichoo was going about routine duties when he heard a quick mention on the scanner radio about “CPR” and “eight months.”   The report said the patient was headed to MSLH.

“At the time, I didn’t know if the emergency medical technician was referring to an eight-month-old baby or a woman who was eight months pregnant,” Dr. Baichoo says.  “But I knew either way it was a very serious situation.”

Dr. Baichoo and his staff prepared for Erica’s arrival, which was imminent.  “We pulled together the nurses that needed to be involved and we paged for assistance from any physicians who were in the hospital at that moment,” he said.

Dr. Heaps was in his office next door to the hospital that morning, seeing a patient, when he received an emergent call from the Emergency Department informing him that a pregnant woman in cardiac arrest was en route – and his services were needed.

Shortly after, EMS personnel wheeled Erica into the hospital, and Drs. Heaps and Baichoo learned that she had been unconscious – without a pulse and without breathing on her own – for approximately 25 minutes.

The window of opportunity for a successful medical intervention in a post-mortem         C-section is typically seconds to minutes. “So we didn’t waste any time,” says Dr. Heaps.  Dr. Baichoo and the Emergency Department staff continued to resuscitate the mother as Dr. Heaps and fellow obstetrician Dr. Patricia Mitchell, performed a C-section right there in the examining room.

“We were ready to go,” Dr. Heaps says.  “It only took about 20 seconds to deliver the baby.”

Once Elayna was born, Dr. Baichoo and Dr. Bracken Kolle – an anesthesiologist who came down from the operating rooms to assist – continued their efforts to revive Erica.  In addition to continuing chest compressions, Erica was administered epinephrine, a drug which helps regulate heart rate, along with other medications.  Dr. Kolle also replaced a temporary airway installed by the EMS crew with an endotracheal tube to allow Erica to be attached to a ventilator.

Within a few minutes, Erica’s heart began pumping again.  “It was God’s plan,” says Dr. Baichoo.

Once she was resuscitated, Erica’s breathing and blood flow began to improve rapidly, in part because the baby was no longer in utero and requiring oxygen.

Cardiologist Dr. Yassir Sonbol later determined that Erica’s emergency was caused by an undetected heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  This thickening of the heart muscle often leads to abnormal heart rhythms and is a frequent cause of death for young athletes – which is why Elkins High School had the AED on campus and staff trained in its use.

“The most important part of this story is that the baby and mother were kept alive by the actions of those nurses and staff at the high school and the emergency responders,” says Dr. Heaps.  “They are the heroes.  But the presence of so many trained personnel here at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital – people with the knowledge and experience to deal with these types of unusual situations – made a difference.”

The Riversharks answered in the third inning with two runs of their own to make it 2-1. Sugar Land rallied in the bottom of the third to tie it up at 2-2. In the seventh inning, the Riversharks pushed across two more runs and took a 4-2 lead, before going on to win by the final score of 5-2.

Up Next: In Game 2 of this six game set the Skeeters send out LHP Dustin Richardson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to oppose Riversharks RHP Armando Gabino (2-3, 5.72 ERA). Tuesday is Jewish Heritage Night at Constellation Field.

Skeeters Notes

• Scott Elarton: 6 IP, 2R, 6H, BB, 4K
• Reid Gorecki: 1-2, 2 BB, HR, RBI, R
• Adam Godwin: 1-4, RBI
• Dominic Ramos: 1-3, 2B, R

Pictured are Edgar Gutierrez, Hayfa Chahin, Cindy Dworaczyk, Richard De la Paz, Milisha Dunigan, Shelby Campbell, Shirley Bennett, and Kristin Edgeller.

Members of Frost Bank’s Fort Bend County A-Team volunteered at the first annual Our Community Salutes Fort Bend/Legacy of Freedom Program  at Constellation Field.

The event honored new military recruits from Fort Bend County. Frost Bank volunteers  worked the registration table checking in new recruits and their guests.

The weather was perfect and patriotism ran high.  Bill Balleza, Channel 2 news anchor, emceed the event and Representative Rick Miller and  Congressman Pete Olson  were keynote speakers.